Playing Tests
This year we will be making a change to our playing tests in order to prepare students for audition materials for District 3's ILMEA honor bands and choirs for the 2023/2024 school year. I also hope to incentivize individual student growth using the end of the year music award and rewards for achieving specific performance-based musical goals.
All students will be required to meet certain performance-based goals including scales, reading and performing rhythms, and reading and performing short melodic ideas. We will practice the required materials during our classroom warm-up time.
Students will be given the first semesters playing test requirements during the first week of September and the second semester goals when we return in January.
Beginning in the first week of September, students will be able to record and submit performance videos using the website Flipgrid or setting up appointments for Mr. Alexander to hear them in person. If a student does not pass a certain goal, or wants to pass additional goals, they will be able to record or set-up another appointment before our playing test weeks. Students are not required to record before our playing test weeks, but by doing so, they will receive feedback and have opportunities to resubmit any goals that they did not pass.
During the weeks of October 3rd - 14th (semester 1) and March 13th - 17th (semester 2) students will be given 10 minutes of instruction time to record any of the required playing test goals.
I purposefully have designed all of the required goals to be able to be performed within the allotted 10 minute time. This would mean that if a student does not submit a playing test before our playing test week, they still will be able to receive full credit for their performance-goals should they pass each skill.
All students will be required to meet certain performance-based goals including scales, reading and performing rhythms, and reading and performing short melodic ideas. We will practice the required materials during our classroom warm-up time.
Students will be given the first semesters playing test requirements during the first week of September and the second semester goals when we return in January.
Beginning in the first week of September, students will be able to record and submit performance videos using the website Flipgrid or setting up appointments for Mr. Alexander to hear them in person. If a student does not pass a certain goal, or wants to pass additional goals, they will be able to record or set-up another appointment before our playing test weeks. Students are not required to record before our playing test weeks, but by doing so, they will receive feedback and have opportunities to resubmit any goals that they did not pass.
During the weeks of October 3rd - 14th (semester 1) and March 13th - 17th (semester 2) students will be given 10 minutes of instruction time to record any of the required playing test goals.
I purposefully have designed all of the required goals to be able to be performed within the allotted 10 minute time. This would mean that if a student does not submit a playing test before our playing test week, they still will be able to receive full credit for their performance-goals should they pass each skill.
Outstanding Music Award and Practice Incentives
The ILMEA district honor ensemble auditions require students to perform most of the major and minor scales and a short etude at the middle school level and all of the major and minor scales and a longer etude at the high school level. In order for a student to achieve this goal, practice time outside of our classroom will be necessary. To incentivize this practice, students will be able to submit performance videos of goals that go beyond what is required in our classroom and receive rewards for their achievements. I am still determining what the rewards will be.
The list of goals that are required to obtain the Outstanding Music Award and additional rewards will be given to students in the first week of September.
For more information about District 3's ILMEA honor ensembles and audition materials following this link. https://ilmea.org/d3info
The list of goals that are required to obtain the Outstanding Music Award and additional rewards will be given to students in the first week of September.
For more information about District 3's ILMEA honor ensembles and audition materials following this link. https://ilmea.org/d3info