Mission, Vision, Competencies, Standards, and Benchmarks

‣ Perform with expression and technical accuracy a repertoire of instrumental literature that
includes modest technicality and ranges, changes of tempo, key, and meter.
‣ Study music that is congruent with a Christian worldview.
‣ Apply or recognize the basics of music theory.
‣ Read and notate whole, half, quarter, eight, sixteenth, and dotted notes, and their
equivalent rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 2/2 time signatures.
‣ Recognize and incorporate into performances standard notation symbols for pitch,
rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.
‣ Explain, using appropriate terminology, music notation, instruments, and performances.
‣ Exercise evaluative criteria that affect quality and effectiveness of musical performances
and compositions.
‣ Exercise appropriate audience and performance etiquette.
‣ Discern quality repertoire based on a Christian worldview.
‣ Study instrumental music of various historical periods and cultures.
‣ Understand roles of musicians in various music settings and cultures.
‣ Understand diverse roles of music and musicians in various world cultures.
By close of grade 12, Upper School students will:
Vocal Music:
‣ Sing a varied repertoire of Christian and appropriate vocal literature at a moderate level of
difficulty with expression and technical accuracy.
‣ Sing music written in two or four parts without accompaniment.
‣ Use ensemble skills when performing as part of a group.
‣ Use elements of music for expressive effect.
‣ Read a vocal score up to four staves.
‣ Read music that contains moderate technical demands, expanded ranges, and varied
interpretive requirements.
‣ Apply the technical vocabulary of music appropriate to student’s years of study.
‣ Recognize compositional devices and techniques that are used to provide unity and
variety, tension and release in a work.
‣ Research and describe various roles that musicians perform and representative
individuals who have functioned in these roles.
‣ Create and apply choreographic movement to song (performing choir only).
Instrumental Music:
‣ Perform with expression and technical accuracy a varied repertoire of musical literature
including sacred selections at an intermediate to advanced level of difficulty.
‣ Demonstrate ensemble skills when performing as part of a group.
‣ Perform alone and in small ensembles with confidence and proficiency.
‣ Improvise rhythmic and melodic phrases, incorporating variations and embellishments.
‣ Improvise original melodies over given chord progressions in consistent style, meter
and tonality.
‣ Know how the elements and compositional devices of music achieve unity and variety,
tension and release, and balance in musical compositions.
‣ Read and notate music that contains intermediate to advanced technical demands,
expanded ranges, and varied interpretive requirements.
‣ Understand how the elements of music and musical expression are used in diverse
genres and cultures.
‣ Apply the technical vocabulary of music appropriate to the student’s years of study.
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