Creative Music

Creative Music

Course Title: Creative Music 



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Course Description

Creative Music is a class designed to explore music-making outside of the traditional ensemble setting. Students will use a variety of media to develop their musicianship. This may include singing, playing instruments, composition, and improvisation.

This class will also focus on the integration of music knowledge and skills into other disciplines, giving students a chance to apply their creative strengths in music to different subject areas.

Power Standards

  1. Student is able to create music in a variety of ways.
  2. Student is able to interpret music notation and use proper terminology to discuss musical concepts.
  3. Student relates musical ideas and work with personal meaning and external concepts.

Course Outline

Create music in a variety of ways.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How do musicians use instruments to create music?
  • How do musicians create music through singing?
  • How do musicians compose new music?
  • How do musicians improvise?
  • Demonstrate progress in producing music through singing and playing instruments
  • Apply developing knowledge of basic composition techniques to create original music
  • Apply developing skills to improvise music on an instrument or through singing
Assessments: Playing instruments and/or singing alone and with others, writing, listening, practice with improvisation

Interpret music notation and use proper terminology to discuss musical concepts.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How can musicians use music language and vocabulary to demonstrate learning/understanding?
  • How do musicians interpret a score?
  • How do musicians improve their ability to read music?
  • Use proper terminology to discuss technique and musical concepts
  • Use a score to follow along and navigate through a piece of music
  • Use solfege/read notation sufficiently to interpret simple melodies or rhythms and perform them accurately after practice
Assessments: Sight-reading practice, ear training, notating, score reading

Relate musical ideas and work with personal meaning and external concepts.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How do musicians make emotional connections to works of others as well as works they create themselves?
  • How do musicians communicate meaning through singing or playing instruments?
  • How can musical skills and knowledge be used to communicate meaning in a variety of disciplines?
  • Interpret musical works and use them to inspire their own performances and musical ideas.
  • Create music that makes a personal connection.
  • Apply musical skills and knowledge to work in non-musical classes or other external contexts.
Assessments: Evidence of music incorporated into other class projects

Career and Life Skills
Social and Cross Cultural

The student respects and contributes to the diverse learning community by:

  • Honoring the ideas and opinions of others and
  • Interacting effectively and appropriately with others
Productivity and Accountability

The student takes ownership of work and actions by:

  • Completing assignments on time
  • Arriving prepared and on time
  • Managing time
Initiative and Self Direction

The student demonstrates independence by:

  • Self-advocating for assistance or resources
  • Persevering through rigorous/challenging tasks
  • Utilizing feedback