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High School
Music Appreciation
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Music is part of everyday life and reflects the spirit of our human condition. To know and understand music, we distinguish and identify cultures on local and global levels. This course will provide students with an aesthetic and historical perspective of music, covering a variety of styles and developments from the Middle Ages through the Twenty-First Century. Students will acquire basic knowledge and listening skills, making future music experiences more informed and satisfying.
Major Topics and Concepts
- Learn about the basic elements of music.
- Examine pitch and melody and their roles in a piece of music.
- Discuss some of the notations and language used to distinguish rhythm in a piece of music.
- Consider dynamics and its effect on music.
- Investigate form in music and how this involves the other elements of music.
- Examine the relationship between popular music and pop music.
- Discuss the characteristics that help define pop music.
- Consider how technological advances helped shape pop music.
- Investigate the history and development of pop music.
- Discuss the current status of pop music.
- Learn about the history of music before the Middle Ages.
- Discuss the role of music in ancient societies.
- Investigate the styles of music that were present before the Middle Ages.
- Examine what musical instruments were used in ancient times.
- Trace the development of music through the Middle Ages.
- Understand the Renaissance and its relationship to the music of this time period.
- Discuss the effects of music on society.
- Describe some of the instruments that were developed during this period.
- Discuss some of the characteristics of Renaissance music and the forms of music composed.
- Talk about a few of the influential composers of Renaissance music.
- Discuss the transition from earlier forms of music to music of the Baroque period.
- Analyze the changes that this period made to Western music.
- Discuss opera and how it developed.
- List some of the composers and musicians during this time period.
- Trace the development of music during the Baroque Period.
- Examine the changes in music during the Classical Era.
- Discuss the musical forms, such as sonatas, that were popular.
- Learn about the common features of music from the Classical Era.
- Investigate some of the composers from this period.
- Trace the development of music during the Classical Era.
- Examine the music of the Romantic Period and how it differs from earlier music.
- Discuss the features and characteristics of music from this period.
- Learn about some of the composers and musicians from this time period.
- Investigate the role of music in society during this time period.
- Trace the development of music during the Romantic Period.
- Investigate the musical traditions that combined in jazz.
- Discuss the characteristics and features of jazz music.
- Examine improvisation and its role in jazz music.
- Learn about some of the musicians who helped to develop jazz.
- Trace the development of jazz during the twentieth century.
Competencies
Elements of Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of music by explaining the music elements, describing the use of elements in genres of music, and summarizing the dynamics of music.
Pop Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of pop music by summarizing the rise of pop music, explaining the characteristics of pop music, and summarizing the evolution of pop music.
Origins of Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of music by explaining ancient music, summarizing ancient music theory, and evaluating medieval music.
Music of the Renaissance
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music of the Renaissance by summarizing the influence of the Renaissance, explaining Renaissance instruments, and describing Renaissance music forms.
Music of the Baroque Period
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music of the Baroque period by describing changes in Baroque music, explaining Baroque forms, and comparing composers of Baroque music.
The Classical Period
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the classical period by describing the characteristics of classical music, explaining the forms of classical music, and comparing the classical composers.
The Romantic Era
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Romantic Era by explaining changes to music during the Romantic Era, contrasting the composers of the Romantic Era, and analyzing society’s influence on music.
The Jazz Era
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Jazz era by explaining the birth of Jazz, evaluating the characteristics of Jazz, and comparing influential composers.
Open
Projects allow students to demonstrate competence and understanding of concepts and skills by completing a career-related task. For example, the assignment might be to create a mural, a package design, a speech, a film review, or a movie set – you name it! These creative projects are about applying your learning acquired through in-depth research to real-world career tasks.
Each competency will be addressed through a project that is based on a real-life career task. Here are the careers you will explore: Musician, Television Director, Anthropologist, Blogger, Music Supervisor, Orchestra Conductor, Marketing Coordinator, and Event Planner.
Projects
Musician
You will take on the role of a professional musician, tasked with creating a recorded lecture speech on the elements of music for a local community group.
Television Director
You will take on the role of a television director with an idea for a three-episode documentary series on the history of pop music. You will create an outline of each episode in order to get the green light from your producer.
Anthropologist
You will take on the role of an anthropologist working with a national museum, tasked with creating an audio recording that patrons can listen to while walking around the exhibit.
Blogger
You will take on the role of a blogger for a popular music appreciation website, tasked with creating a blog post with exciting information and images about the music of the Renaissance in celebration of a local Renaissance Faire.
Music Supervisor
You will take on the role of a music supervisor for a large opera house, tasked with creating a report that will help the director better understand Baroque music for an upcoming opera set during this time period.
Orchestra Conductor
You will take on the role of a conductor for a large youth orchestra, tasked with creating a slideshow to help your musicians better understand classical music.
Marketing Coordinator
You will take on the role of a marketing coordinator for a large ballet company, tasked with creating a promotional digital pamphlet to introduce your patrons to Romantic-period music.
Event Planner
You will take on the role of an event planner working on planning an illustrious client’s authentic Jazz-themed party. You will create a portfolio of research on the era, along with suggestions for prominent composers and music.
Competencies
Elements of Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of music by explaining the music elements, describing the use of elements in genres of music, and summarizing the dynamics of music.
Pop Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of pop music by summarizing the rise of pop music, explaining the characteristics of pop music, and summarizing the evolution of pop music.
Origins of Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of music by explaining ancient music, summarizing ancient music theory, and evaluating medieval music.
Music of the Renaissance
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music of the Renaissance by summarizing the influence of the Renaissance, explaining Renaissance instruments, and describing Renaissance music forms.
Music of the Baroque Period
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music of the Baroque period by describing changes in Baroque music, explaining Baroque forms, and comparing composers of Baroque music.
The Classical Period
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the classical period by describing the characteristics of classical music, explaining the forms of classical music, and comparing the classical composers.
The Romantic Era
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Romantic Era by explaining changes to music during the Romantic Era, contrasting the composers of the Romantic Era, and analyzing society’s influence on music.
The Jazz Era
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Jazz era by explaining the birth of Jazz, evaluating the characteristics of Jazz, and comparing influential composers.
Open
Experiences allow you to explore a career field you’re curious about while mastering competencies for school credit. Through experiential learning, you will learn skills and apply them to tasks you would complete as part of a career rather than completing traditional assessments like essays or tests. During your Experience, you’ll work with a professional in the field to support your learning whom we call a “mentor.” You’ll earn a badge for your accomplishments to share on social media and higher education platforms, or with colleges, potential employers, peers, and colleagues to display your qualifications.
Here’s how Experiences work:
- Each competency you work on is addressed through a separate deliverable predetermined by you and your instructor.
- Guided learning for each module consists of research and/or work with a professional in the field. Your instructor will coach you through this process.
- Each module culminates in a final demonstration of understanding, which includes a deliverable and a discussion-based assessment with your instructor.
- Here’s an example:
Let’s say you’re curious about a career in healthcare. You decide you’d like to learn about this career area, make a professional connection, earn a badge, and meet competencies for your 9th-grade English requirement. While enrolled in English 1 Experiences, you conduct research to better understand language and structure in writing. Then you may work with an Occupational Therapist to help apply your writing skills to the creation of an informational video about adaptive equipment for patients. The video aims to advise family members of patients regarding the use of accommodations and equipment to help patients perform daily tasks. Now you’ve earned the Language and Structure in Writing competency! This is just one example of the many ways Experiences can bridge competencies to careers.
Obtaining a Mentor: Prior to enrollment, please have an idea for a mentor in mind. We have partnered with hundreds of mentors you can work with during your Experience, who you can find in our Career Mentor Catalog here. Or, you may consult with our counseling department by emailing [email protected] for help in identifying one.
*A parent/guardian permission form and background check of the mentor are both required to work with mentors without parental supervision.
Competencies
Elements of Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of music by explaining the music elements, describing the use of elements in genres of music, and summarizing the dynamics of music.
Pop Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of pop music by summarizing the rise of pop music, explaining the characteristics of pop music, and summarizing the evolution of pop music.
Origins of Music
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of music by explaining ancient music, summarizing ancient music theory, and evaluating medieval music.
Music of the Renaissance
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music of the Renaissance by summarizing the influence of the Renaissance, explaining Renaissance instruments, and describing Renaissance music forms.
Music of the Baroque Period
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music of the Baroque period by describing changes in Baroque music, explaining Baroque forms, and comparing composers of Baroque music.
The Classical Period
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the classical period by describing the characteristics of classical music, explaining the forms of classical music, and comparing the classical composers.
The Romantic Era
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Romantic Era by explaining changes to music during the Romantic Era, contrasting the composers of the Romantic Era, and analyzing society’s influence on music.
The Jazz Era
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Jazz era by explaining the birth of Jazz, evaluating the characteristics of Jazz, and comparing influential composers.
