Music Department Handbook

Appendices

Appendix A. Extra Credit Projects

Before completing an Extra Credit Project, please speak with your Director to ensure you are authorized to receive credit for completing the project.

Missed a concert? Missed an after-school rehearsal? Need extra points to go toward your grade?

The following extra credit projects are available for the 2018-2019 school year. Extra credit projects can be used to add points to another assignment that is not a quiz, test, or performance. Each extra credit project is worth a certain number of points. Those are the number of points that can be added to another assignment. Each project may only be completed ONCE throughout a school year. Extra credit project must be turned in during the last week of the marking period, and may not be turned in after the final day of the marking period. If you have any questions, please see Mr. Roberts BEFORE starting the project.

PERFORMANCES: If you were absent from a performance, please see the Make-up Recordings section below to complete your "Make-up Recording." See your director to determine if the absence was excused or unexcused. If the absence was excused, your make-up recording will account for the entirety of the make-up grade for the performance. If the absence was unexcused, you must complete the make-up recording to make-up half of the performance grade. The other half of the performance grade may be made up by completing 200 points from Projects #1-11 below.

Project #1. Orchestra Seating Chart (100 points)

Research the families of the orchestra: woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. As well, research why the Symphony Orchestra sits the way that they do. Then, on a blank piece of paper, create a diagram of where each section of the Orchestra sits (a Symphony Orchestra seating chart). Then, on a poster board, write the title of your project with you name at the top, and place the seating chart in the middle of the poster board. Then, either neatly write or type the instruments of each family of the orchestra and a paragraph about how each section of the orchestra plays their instrument. Place these descriptions in an appropriate place on the poster board. In order to receive the full 100 points, you must include the following: a poster board, a title, your first and last name, the seating chart diagram in the middle of the poster board, woodwinds description, brass description, percussion description, and a strings description.

Project #2. Instruments of the String Orchestra Posters (50 points)

Research information about each instrument in the String Orchestra: violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Then, create a poster for each instrument, including a picture of the instrument, and five facts about each instrument. In order to receive the full 50 points, you must include the following: four posters (one for each instrument) with a picture of each instrument and five facts about each instrument on each poster.

Project #3. Biographical Sketch (100 points)

Choose on of the following composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Mahler, Igor Stravinsky, or Arnold Schoenberg. Research the following information: The birth and death dates of the composer, the composer’s childhood and the details of the beginning of their interest in music, which instruments they played, details about their lives, and anything else that would help the reader to understand the composer’s life.

If you plaigarize and copy and paste information directly from a source, the paper will earn a grade of 0 and additional make-up projects may not be completed for the current marking period.

IN ADDITION, IF YOU USE WIKIPEDIA, YOU MUST USE ATLEAST ONE OTHER SOURCE.

Next, compose a three page biographical sketch about the composer. Include the following sections: Composer’s birth, composer’s childhood, composer’s musical career, personal information about the composer’s life, circumstances surrounding their death, the influence the composer had on music. At the end of the paper, include a references list that tells the reader where you obtained your information. You may complete this project once each marking period, so long as you choose a different composer each time you complete this project.

Project #4. Write a Song (50 points)

Download blank staff paper from: http://www.blanksheetmusic.net/. (If you don’t have access to the internet at home, see your director for blank sheet music). Write a song for your instrument using the blank staff paper. Your song must be 16 full measures long in 4/4 time (…or 24 measures in 3/4 time…or 32 measure in 2/4 time) Then, record your song on your instrument. In order to receive the full 50 points, you must include the following: A clef, time signature, key signature, at least two different types of notes and at least one type of rest, a double bar line at the end of the song, and a recording of the song. You can either record yourself on your own device and send it to your director via Charms, Google Classroom, or email, or you may call your director and record your song on their voicemail.

Project #5. Note Identification Practice (1 point per two minutes of practice – up to 100 points)

Make an appointment for Mr. Roberts to set-up a note identification exercise on http://www.musictheory.net. Then, practice that exercise for as long as you need to. When you are done, print the “report” when you are done. Each report should have an average of at least five answers per minute (i.e. 50 minutes, 250 questions answered). For every two minutes you practice note identification, you will earn 1 point toward an assignment.

Project #11. Create Your Own Project

Create a project proposal and submit it to Mr. Roberts BEFORE BEGINNING WORK ON THE ACTUAL PROJECT.

The final presentation can include any of the following:

Write a paper (neatly handwritten or typed)
Write a song
Create a PowerPoint Presentation
Design a poster or other presentation
Make a TV commercial
Create a video presentation
Illustrate and design a comic book
Create a scrapbook
Make a playlist
Create a multimedia presentation
Create a piece of artwork
Design your own presentation format

Write a brief proposal that includes a brief explanation of the work you want to complete. Your proposal should include resources you will use to complete the assignment (i.e. references, materials, etc…).

Arrange an appointment to submit this to Mr. Roberts as soon as possible. Mr. Roberts will review the proposal with you. Then, both you and Mr. Roberts will determine the number of points the project will be worth. After that, you can decide whether or not you want to move forward with the project.

Final approval and point value is at the sole discretion of Mr. Roberts. You may complete Project #11 once each marking period, so long as you do not use the same format or same resources to complete the project in more than one marking period.

Make-up Performance

Did you miss a performance? First, see Mr. Roberts to determine if the absence was excused or unexcused. If your absence was excused, then you may complete the make-up performance, and that will make-up for the entire performance grade. If your absence was unexcused, then you may complete the make-up performance recording and an additional 200 points in extra credit projects to make up the remaining points.

To make up the performance, complete the following procedures:

Sign-in to Charms Office and click on “Recording Studio”
Record each song separately, and save each song with your last name and the title of the song.
Submit each song as a separate file.
Communicate with Mr. Roberts to ensure that he received all of your recordings.

Remember…make-up performances are graded according to the Alternative Assignment Rubric, which can be found in the Performances section of this handbook.

Project #6. Be a Music Critic (100 points)

Newspapers and magazines often have an arts critic or music journalist. This person attends a performance and then writes an opinion about the performance, the music, and the atmosphere created by the performance. For this project, attend a musical performance (other than a performance in which you participate), and write a one-page review. In order to receive the full 100 points, you must include the following: a program from the performance, the date and times of the performance, an introductory paragraph about the performance, and a review paragraph for each of the selections that were performed (no more than five selections are necessary).

Project #7. Concert Etiquette (100 points)

Research the important points of concert etiquette for audiences. You should be able to find at least eight good rules for concert etiquette. Then, create a PowerPoint presentation that includes the following: a title slide with the title of your presentation and your first and last name, a slide for each rule of concert etiquette including pictures and an explanation of each rule (including why each rule is important), a wrap-up slide which lists all of the concert etiquette rules, and finally a references slide to cite where you found all information in your presentation.

Project #8. Beginner Tutorials - Welcome to Orchestra (50 points)

Write a one page, three paragraph paper including the following information: an introductory paragraph giving a brief introduction to students joining orchestra, a paragraph explaining why you joined orchestra, and a paragraph that gives three tips on how to be successful in orchestra. In order to receive the full 50 points, you must include all three paragraphs either neatly handwritten or typed, and each paragraph must include a minimum of five sentences each.

Project #9. Beginner Tutorials – Bow Grips / Embouchure (50 points)

Bow Grips

Write a one page, three paragraph paper including the following information: an introductory paragraph about holding the bow, a paragraph explaining why it is important to grip the bow properly, and a paragraph describing the process of gripping the bow. In order to receive the full 50 points, you must include all three paragraphs either neatly handwritten or typed, and all information must be accurate.

Embouchure

Write a one page, three paragraph paper including the following information: an introductory paragraph about forming an embouchure, a paragraph explaining why it is important to form an embouchure properly, and a paragraph describing the process of developing an appropriate embouchure. In order to receive the full 50 points, you must include all three paragraphs either neatly handwritten or typed, and all information must be accurate.

Project #10. Beginner Tutorials – My Instrument (50 points)

Write a one page, three paragraph paper including the following information: an introductory paragraph identifying your instrument and why you chose your instrument, a paragraph which explains four facts about your instrument, and a paragraph which explains why it would be a good choice for the reader to play. In order to receive the full 50 points, you must include all three paragraphs either neatly handwritten or typed, and each paragraph must include all of the details included in this description.

Make-up