American String Teachers Association
Curriculum Standards
I. EXECUTIVE SKILLS
A. Body Format
Students perform with a lengthened and balanced posture; support instruments without tension, demonstrate ease of motion; format is adjusted for physiological changes to growth; control of weight distribution, unilateral movement, bilateral movement, in sitting and standing position.
B. Left Hand Skills & Knowledge
Students perform with the correct placement and angle of the left arm-wrist-hand-fingers to the instrument;demonstrate position that is balanced and free of tension; play with independence of fingers, ease of motion and control of finger weight; produce characteristic tone, with vibrato (as appropriate); show understanding and ability to apply fingerings, finger patterns, shifting, extensions.
C. Right Hand Skills & Knowledge
Students perform with fluent bowing motion, control of variables (weight, angle, speed, and placement), in a variety of bowing techniques and articulations, with characteristic tone.
II. MUSICIANSHIP SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
A. Tonal Aural Skills & Ear TrainingStudents demonstrate the following abilities: matching and manipulating pitch, playing w with a sense of tonality, tonal-melodic and tonal-harmonic function (i.e. the horizontal and vertical relationships/functions of tonality), ear-to-hand skills, aural and kinesthetic awareness of pitch accuracy and intonation, including and related to improvisation.
B. Rhythmic Aural Skills & Ear Training
Students perform simple and complex rhythm patterns/functions, with a steady pulse/beat, correct sense of meter and metric organization and phrasing, in a variety of meters.
C. Creative Musicianship
Students demonstrate creative musicianship skills at all stages of development, including the ability to improvise variations of rhythmic melodic, and harmonic patterns, within the traditions and standards of a variety of genres and practices; arrange and compose melodies and harmonies according to specific criteria and guidelines.
D. Music Literacy
Students demonstrate sequential music literacy skills (decoding and comprehension), defined as an association of sound-to-symbol, in a given musical context, which includes: predictive components (understanding of reading based on audition of written material and knowledge of symbols and notation related to pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tonality, clef, articulation, etc.) based on the principle that sound comes before sight.
E. Ensemble Skills
Students perform in an ensemble, demonstrating sensitivity and the ability to adjust and maintain a uniform sense of rhythm, tempo, articulation, tone, blend, balance, and dynamics; understand conducting gestures, follow conductor and section leader, and are able to synchronize bowings.
III. ARTISTIC SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
A. Expressive Elements
Students employ expressive elements of music to communicate abstract thoughts, ideas, and meaning; to share the depth of the human experience; and for self-expression and understanding.
B. Historical & Cultural Elements
Students listen to, respond to, and perform music from a wide range of genres in a culturally authentic manner, reflecting the diverse nature of people groups and cultures across the world and in the US; performances demonstrate an understanding of historical and cultural contexts and reflect stylistic traditions and practice.
C. Evaluation of Music and Musical Performance
Students evaluate and analyze music for executive skill, musicianship, and artistic considerations; evaluate and analyze the individual and group performances based on appropriate criteria.
Curriculum Standards
I. EXECUTIVE SKILLS
A. Body Format
Students perform with a lengthened and balanced posture; support instruments without tension, demonstrate ease of motion; format is adjusted for physiological changes to growth; control of weight distribution, unilateral movement, bilateral movement, in sitting and standing position.
B. Left Hand Skills & Knowledge
Students perform with the correct placement and angle of the left arm-wrist-hand-fingers to the instrument;demonstrate position that is balanced and free of tension; play with independence of fingers, ease of motion and control of finger weight; produce characteristic tone, with vibrato (as appropriate); show understanding and ability to apply fingerings, finger patterns, shifting, extensions.
C. Right Hand Skills & Knowledge
Students perform with fluent bowing motion, control of variables (weight, angle, speed, and placement), in a variety of bowing techniques and articulations, with characteristic tone.
II. MUSICIANSHIP SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
A. Tonal Aural Skills & Ear TrainingStudents demonstrate the following abilities: matching and manipulating pitch, playing w with a sense of tonality, tonal-melodic and tonal-harmonic function (i.e. the horizontal and vertical relationships/functions of tonality), ear-to-hand skills, aural and kinesthetic awareness of pitch accuracy and intonation, including and related to improvisation.
B. Rhythmic Aural Skills & Ear Training
Students perform simple and complex rhythm patterns/functions, with a steady pulse/beat, correct sense of meter and metric organization and phrasing, in a variety of meters.
C. Creative Musicianship
Students demonstrate creative musicianship skills at all stages of development, including the ability to improvise variations of rhythmic melodic, and harmonic patterns, within the traditions and standards of a variety of genres and practices; arrange and compose melodies and harmonies according to specific criteria and guidelines.
D. Music Literacy
Students demonstrate sequential music literacy skills (decoding and comprehension), defined as an association of sound-to-symbol, in a given musical context, which includes: predictive components (understanding of reading based on audition of written material and knowledge of symbols and notation related to pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tonality, clef, articulation, etc.) based on the principle that sound comes before sight.
E. Ensemble Skills
Students perform in an ensemble, demonstrating sensitivity and the ability to adjust and maintain a uniform sense of rhythm, tempo, articulation, tone, blend, balance, and dynamics; understand conducting gestures, follow conductor and section leader, and are able to synchronize bowings.
III. ARTISTIC SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
A. Expressive Elements
Students employ expressive elements of music to communicate abstract thoughts, ideas, and meaning; to share the depth of the human experience; and for self-expression and understanding.
B. Historical & Cultural Elements
Students listen to, respond to, and perform music from a wide range of genres in a culturally authentic manner, reflecting the diverse nature of people groups and cultures across the world and in the US; performances demonstrate an understanding of historical and cultural contexts and reflect stylistic traditions and practice.
C. Evaluation of Music and Musical Performance
Students evaluate and analyze music for executive skill, musicianship, and artistic considerations; evaluate and analyze the individual and group performances based on appropriate criteria.
Michigan Standards for Music Education
- Perform
- Create
- Analyze
- Analyze in Context
- Analyze and Make Connections