PERFORMING ARTS

Program Area Philosophy Summary

We believe...

• the arts help us to make sense of and/or respond to the world through creative and symbo lic expressions

• through artistic inquiry, people explore emotions and ideas using visual, auditory and kinesthetic mediums, developing aesthetic appreciation and creativity

We believe through the arts, learners:

• assimilate sensorial experiences

• imagine, create, develop and refine original ideas

• apply understandings and skills of a given art form

• create, communicate, perform and/or critique their own and others’ works

• interpret social, historical, political and cultural contexts when viewing and/or performing

• engage in creative, critical, analytical, and metacognitive thinking skills

• take risks, imaginative leaps and persevere

We believe artistic learning happens best when:

• creative experimentation, exploration and choice are the norm

• making mistakes and risk-taking are encouraged and celebrated

• students are immersed in aesthetically rich and safe environments

• the focus is on both the creative process and the product / performance students experience the arts process of going from ideas to expression, justification and explanation

• students make connections across their learning

• students frequently create, collaborate and communicate their art to an audience

• a range of artistic concepts, skills, processes, and techniques are experienced with multiple opportunities for application

• students receive timely and meaningful feedback which moves their learning forward

• there is a developmentally appropriate, aligned, coherent curriculum

Courses

PERFORMING ARTS 6

(Required 6th grade class)

Assessment strands

Creating

Performing

Responding

Essential Questions

• How do artists convey meaning?

• What is more important, intent or effect?

• What factors influence artistic expression?

• What is my responsibility to my audience?

• How does feedback impact the creative process and final performance?

• What makes a performance “great”?

• How does feedback impact the creative process and final performance?

Connecting

• How do the arts reflect and shape history, culture and society?

• How does my knowledge and experience influence my engagement

• with the work?

Unit Titles Goals

Studio Habits and Identity

Artists Storylines

The Moving Script

Digital World Stage

• Exploring studio-classroom spaces and creative collaborations processes

• Exploring and creating physical theatre narratives with personal relevance

• Using theatre and rhythmic movement skills to create mood and atmosphere on stage

• Combining performing arts skills and theater elements to culminate in a final production

This program is a broad introduction to the basics of drama, theatre and creative movement. Students learn that we can all experience the stage in different ways and that talent is not a prerequisite. Through the development of a safe, collaborative environment, students learn some of the fundamental skills required to be transformative, creative and expressive.

MUSIC: BAND/CHOIR/ORCHESTRA (STRINGS)

Music Standards ASSESSMENT STRANDS FOR MUSIC: BAND/CHOIR/ORCHESTRA (STRINGS)

Assessment Strands Essential Questions:

Creating

• How do musicians generate creative ideas?

• How do musicians make creative decisions?

• How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work so that it best expresses their ideas and intentions?

• When is creative work ready to share?

Performing, Presenting, Producing

• How do performers select repertoire?

• How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?

• How do performers interpret musical works?

• How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?

• When is a performance ready to present? How do context and the manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?

Responding

Connecting

• How do individuals choose music to experience?

• How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?

• How do we discern musical creators’ and performers’ expressive intent?

• How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?

• How does music help us to understand our common humanity?

• How do musicians make meaningful connections to creating, performing, and responding?

• How do the other arts, other disciplines, contexts, and daily life inform creating, performing, and responding to music?

Band

• GRADE 6/7/8 BEGINNING BAND

• CONCERT BAND

• SYMPHONIC BAND

Additional Band Course Information

• Band includes a various number of wind and percussion instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, drum, and mallet percussion.

• Middle School Band is open to all students of varying levels of development and ability. Instruction is designed to help students develop proper technique, confidence on a band instrument and nurturing passion, leadership & creativity.

• Middle School Band is divided into three different groups based on ability and experience levels. (Beginning, Concert, Symphonic).

• Smaller instruments such as flute, trumpet, alto sax, clarinet need to be purchased by the family.

• Larger instruments such as tuba, euphonium, trombone, French horn, oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophones are supplied by school on a first come first serve basis.

• Students entering the band program without prior experience should try the various band instruments with a music teacher at the Beginning Band Drive in April to see if they are suited to play certain instruments (or schedule an appointment with band teachers). A student should choose an instrument based on ease of producing a sound, matching physical qualities with an instrument and one that the student wants to play.

• Symphonic Band students have the opportunity to go on a community service trip, visiting schools in Phetchaburi province, Thailand. This is in association with Service in the Wild.

• Symphonic Band students can also audition for the annual AMIS Asian Middle School Honor Band Festival, which is held in various countries throughout South Eastern Asia. If students pass the recorded, blind audition, they will have a chance to travel and participate in the honor band. There, they will rehearse and perform with band students from other international schools in Asia under a guest conductor. They will also learn have an opportunity to explore the host country’s culture, which AMIS includes as part of the experience.

• More advanced students will have opportunities to develop leadership skills by conducting and leading the bands at various performances.

• Students will have opportunities to enhance their creativity by using Garageband and Noteflight, an online music composition website.

Choir

Additional Choir Course Information

• Middle School Choir is open to all students of varying levels of vocal development and ability and built upon four principles; music literacy, technique development, authentic performance, and collaborative workflow development. Instruction is designed to help students navigate the adolescent voice change while developing technique, confidence and nurturing passion & creativity. The students will benefit from a focus in music literacy with daily exercises where their ability to sight read will be assessed and progress documented.

• Students will be exposed to a wide variety of music from different genres, cultures, languages and traditions. Students will learn about these cultures and work through a creative process in order to understand what it takes to perform authentically.

• Most choir units culminate in a performance to which parents & community are invited to attend. Opportunities to participate in assembly performances throughout the year and additional optional events are also available. Students enrolled in choir for the full year are invited to audition in the fall to take part in the Association for Music in International Schools’ Honor Choir Festivals (AMIS Honor Choir festivals).

• Students will hone in their leadership skills in different and unique ways by finding opportunities to help

• the group get to our culminating concerts and performances.

ORCHESTRA/STRINGS

Additional Orchestra/Strings Course Information

BEGINNING ORCHESTRA:

• Beginning Orchestra is for students who: A.) are interested in learning to play the violin, viola, cello, or string bass for the first time or B.) are second-year students seeking to solidify foundational skills.

• Students learn the fundamental technical skills needed to play string instruments.

• Students learn in a large-group setting and play 4-voice orchestral music by the end of the year.

• Students enrolled in this class are required to attend several evening performances throughout the year.

• Students improvise and compose their own music as well as listen to, analyze and respond to music.

• Students are allowed to either rent or purchase an instrument, or borrow an instrument from ISB (as inventory allows).

CONCERT ORCHESTRA:

• Concert Orchestra is for students who have at least one year of experience playing the violin, viola, cello, or bass and can demonstrate proficiency in the skills learned in the Beginning Orchestra curriculum (e.g. all skills included in Essential Elements Book 1, or up through the Bach Minuets in Suzuki Book 1).

• Students continue to improve and build upon their playing and ensemble techniques, as well as music theory and history knowledge.

• Students are required to attend several evening performances throughout the year.

• Students arrange, compose, and improvise to help develop their creativity.

• Students enhance their creativity by using recording and notation tools including Garageband and Noteflight.

• Students learn to play in small chamber ensembles.

• Students listen and respond to a variety of music.

• Students are eligible to audition for AMIS Asian Middle School Honor Orchestra, which is held in various countries throughout South Eastern Asia.

• Violin students are required to own their own instruments; viola, cello, and bass students have the option to use school instruments (as inventory allows).

• Enrollment in weekly private instrument lessons is strongly encouraged.