By the end of the first year of study (normally seventh grade) a student will be able to:

Creating

• compose, and evaluate melodic and/or rhythmic ideas or motives using a teacher-provided criteria.

Performing

• through prepared or improvised performances, demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how knowledge of formal aspects in musical works are interpreted.
• demonstrate expressive qualities in a varied repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
• use self-reflection and peer feedback to refine individual and ensemble performances of a varied repertoire of music.

Responding

• demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.

By the end of the 2nd year of study (normally eighth grade) a student will be able to:

Creating

• share personally-developed melodies and/or rhythmic passages - individually or as an ensemble - that demonstrate understanding of defined characteristics of music or texts studied in rehearsal.

Performing

• develop strategies to address technical challenges and evaluate their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other sources to refine choral performances.
• demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in prepared and improvised performances of music representing diverse cultures and styles.

Responding

• describe how understanding context and the way the elements of music are manipulated, informs the response to music.
• explain the influence of experiences, analysis, and context on interest in and evaluation of music.