Intermediate Music Assessment

Teacher Prep The difficulty with these tests, is that teachers all have varying levels of time with students Furthermore, within Denver there are many cultural differences. Some communities have younger parents who might be more exposed to rap, rock etc. Other communities might be closer to cultural centers that offer more exposure to classical music, professional performances, and other more “European” type influences.

Solutions One solution I thought about, is to offer varying levels of these tests. A scale could be designed where students that have students for 6 hours a month, have a larger test, with perhaps more subjects (reading, history, performance, and so forth) and students with less class time would have subsequently modified tests.

Solutions (cont’d) Discussion with Kathy really emphasized the differences in our teaching. I focus on Kodaly techniques, which highlight reading music and vocally performing it. While her class does not have this same emphasis, it became apparent that we might want to create a test that could provide a performance aspect for different classroom types. The “performance” aspect of my test can be instrumental, or vocal, depending on the teacher’s instructions.

4 th Grade Level Expections At A Glance A Expression of Music 1. Perform using accurate production techniques 2. Perform a variety of rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns 3. Perform extended melodies from the treble staff using traditional notation B Creation of Music 1. Improvise simple musical phrases 2. Notate simple musical selections C Theory of Music 1. Application and demonstration of the use of more advanced dynamics, tempo, meter, and articulation using appropriate music vocabulary 2. Identification of aural and visual notations of basic musical forms 3. Analyze vocal and instrumental examples 4. Identify and aurally recognize melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns D Aesthetic Valuation of Music 1. Explain personal preferences for specific music 2. Comprehend and respect the musical values of others considering cultural context as an element of musical evaluation and meaning

3 Sections Within The Test 1)Fill in the blank, multiple choice, and short answer. 2)Notation and identification 3)Performance

Fill in the blank, multiple choice This type of format is great because students can complete it quickly. Teachers can grade it quickly. And it doesn’t leave a lot of room for interpretation, which can lead to subjective grading. Disadvantages to this type of testing?

Example Questions Circle the correct answer What is tempo? A) The speed that music is playedB) A loud sound C) The start of a songD) A stringed instrument

What statement best describes this melody A) This melody doesn’t change pitchB) It starts low, gets higher, then goes low again C) This melody is getting higher and higherD) This melody starts on a high note, then gets lower

Notation And Identification Examples Identify the following rhythms. Example: h Tao____________ q ____________ ry ____________ dffg ____________ w ____________

Fill in the correct rhythm notes on the blank lines. The first one is done for you. dffg ry ry ry Chic -ken on a fence post can’t dance Jo -sie ____ ry ry ry Chic -ken on a fence post can’t dance Jo -sie dffg ry ry ____ Chic -ken on a fence post can’t dance Jo -sie ry ry ___ q Hel –lo Su -sie Brown -i -o

Notation And Identification Advantages: Higher level thinking Less chance of correct guessing than multiple choice Disadvantages: ?

Performance Here’s a chance to include the performance evaluation. Which is such a large part of our job as music teachers. Notice I use Kodaly notes, S, L and M for this song. Yet it can still be performed on a mallet instrument, or on a recorder, if your students do not follow the Kodaly method. Perform the following song for your teacher: =&===V==V===W==W==!=V==V==d= ==!=W==W==V==V=!=g=====d=====.

Performance rubric For the performance aspect, we would look at the expectations of 4 th graders according to standards already in place. Some expectations are : simple notated melodies 8-12 meas. With attention to pitch, rhythm, and expressive qualities. Simple songs in major keys. Perform patterns that include do re mi fa so la ti high-do low- so low-la Not sure how we could ensure fair reports, but I usually use a scale, 1-4, to judge things like rhythm, pitch, note names, and various level techniques (IE posture, fingerings, embouchure and so forth) 4 All, 3 Most (2 or less mistakes), 2 Many (4 or less mistakes) 1 Few (6 or less mistakes)

Performance Cont’d I think one good way to set the performance, and possibly the entire test, is to work with Units. Offer teacher’s a selection of songs/concepts they will need to cover in the year. And have the test cover those elements. This could help create “smaller” windows for preparing for the test, and thus create a solution for music teachers with limited student time.