Requirements Course Outline

Students who are in Vocal Ensemble who enroll for an Honors Status for the class would be required to do the following:

Honors Vocal Ensemble

Description from the county course book:

This course is designed for students with advanced proficiencies in vocal performance and music skills.  Those selected are expected to participate in all school activities and out-of-school events.  Selection is based on vocal and music reading ability.  Consistency in school attendance and personal responsibility are also considered.  Each member is expected to prepare a solo and advance their vocal studies in at least two of the following areas:  Performance, theory, analysis, history and composition.  This is a full year course and students must commit to taking the course both semesters.

Prerequisite:  Audition, interview, and meet criteria of the program.

Croatan Requirements:

• Prepare the Honor Chorus Audition Piece for audition/singing test
• Prepare Sight Singing materials at Honor Chorus level for audition/test
• Prepare a portfolio of proof of fulfillment of requirements

Performance will be one area of emphasis for the year and will include

• Solo/Ensemble for Festival of the Trees
  • Solo difficulty will be determined by the semester the student is enrolled in honors
  • All students enrolled in honors will perform in a small ensemble
  • An assignment from the list below may replace a solo
• Solo/Ensemble for State competition
  • Solo difficulty will be determined by the semester the student is enrolled in honors
  • All students enrolled in honors will perform in a small ensemble
  • An assignment from the list below may replace a solo

Select from one of the following areas and fulfill ONE of the requirements in that category:

• Theory
  • Provide six hours of tutoring for choral students in note recognition, symbols, sight reading and ear training.
  • Create a list of major, natural minor, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales with notes, key signatures and accidentals.
  • Teach a lesson during Vocal Ensemble about key signatures, scale patterns, relative major and minor scales.
  • Teach a lesson during Chorus about note names, note values, rests, and rest values, commonly used music symbols.
  • Place the I, IV and V chords in all the major keys on the treble and bass staff and be able to play each of those.
• Analysis  
  • Prepare a descriptive form analysis of a major orchestral work.
  • Prepare a descriptive form analysis of a major choral work.
  • Research five different musical forms, describe them and give examples of works that represent each of the different forms
  • Present a lesson to Vocal Ensemble/chorus on form analysis of one of the songs we are working on and compare it to two other forms.
  • Compose three sight singing exercise appropriate for Vocal Ensemble/Chorus that represents three different musical forms.
• History
  • Write a one page summary of the seven major musical history eras listing four or more composers in each time period.
  • Write a one page summary of the life of one composer from each of the seven time periods.
  • Write a three page report on the life of two composers from different eras and include an audio example of each of their compositions with a paragraph of your impression of the piece.
  • Research the effects that politics, economy and social issues had on two different eras and prepare a two page report on each time period.
  • Research the development of music in the twentieth century; create a timeline with music types, compositions, performers and composers.  Prepare the timeline on a poster to be displayed in the classroom.
• Composition
  • Compose an original melody of at least thirty-two measures with or without lyrics and create harmonies and an accompaniment to your creation. Use normal notation to show your work
  • Using a well known melody, create a theme and variations (at least three variations) composition. Use normal notation to show your work.
  • Create a Rhythmic exercise piece of sixty-four measures in four parts that can be studied by Vocal Ensemble/Chorus.  Utilize all note and rest values as small as sixteenth.  Use a repeat sign, D.S. or D.C.
  • Create a three-part sight singing exercise piece of sixty-four measures that can be studied by Vocal Ensemble/Chorus. Include steps, skips, rests, low “five”, “two” above the high tonic, dynamics, rests, and note values as small as the eighth note, dotted quarter note, and repeat sign, D.S. or D.C.
• Attending Performances
  • Attend six performances in as many venues are available in this area.  (concert, theatre, recital, instrumental, variety show)  Secure a director signature on the program.  Write a one page opinion paper for each performance with musical critiques included.

 

Required     Areas	Criteria	5               Always        100%	4              Almost Always  90%	3               Sometimes      80%	2               Seldom        70%	1                   Never               60%
Cover             Sheet	Creative, colorful            Informative, purpose
Second Subject requirement	Evidence complete
Solo	Copy of the music                       evidence of completion  Critique paper included
Ensemble	Copy of the music                      evidence of completion                       Critique paper included
Reflection	One page paper with introduction, supporting details, conclusion, personal thoughts of success
	Total Scores