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WHEN: Exams begin Monday,
December 17, 2007 (Only advanced 7th & 8th graders
should sign up for December times). Sign up for a study
hall, before school or after school time. If you sign up for
a class time, the teacher may not let you come you have
reserved and not used a time that someone else might have
wanted AND you will lose points for missing your exam. If
you have not signed up for a time before vacation, I will
sign you up for the earliest possible study hall.
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WHAT: Your exam
consists of the following:
I. Scales or Rudiments (3 points)
THESE MUST BE MEMORIZED!
Concert band:
- Winds: chromatic
scale 1 octave, Plus 2 major or minor scales - know
the key signatures & memorize the scales. Advanced students should push
themselves to work toward the Junior
District standards.
- Drums: even single strokes; alternating single
stroke sixteenth notes and quarter note roll (Cadencing
rolls exercise); a sustained long roll; chromatic scale
on xylophone (say note names); 2 rudiments from memory
(know their names, be careful of accents and
counting).
Symphonic band:
- Winds: chromatic
scale 1 octave, plus 3 major or minor scales - know
the key signatures & memorize the scales. Advanced students should push
themselves to perform up to the Junior
District standards.
- Drums: even single strokes; a sustained long
roll; a long roll - crescendo, decrescendo (8 beats
cresc. & 8 beats decresc. at metronome marking of
80); chromatic scale on xylophone (say note names); 4
rudiments from memory (know their names, be careful of
accents, counting and upstrokes).
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II. Music (3 points)
>Concert Band: Check our goals
sheets! (to be made in rehearsal Dec. 18)
Winds: Morpheus - prepare from the beginning to the first note of measure 13. Also, do 17 (second time) and take the coda to the end.
>>Count carefully, watch for accents, slurs, dynamics and all those details. I will be asking you to count out loud through any long rests. Work on DETAILS! I want to hear a pretty tone and great dynamics - there are lots of dynamic changes; be careful! Work hard and show off how great you can play!
Percussion: Morpheus - prepare all of this piece. There is a lot of repetition, so it isn’t that much to learn. I will be looking for dynamics, counting (rests and where you play) and accurate playing technique.
Count out loud! Watch dynamics, accents &
all of the details! All Percussion - you will not get
an A if you don't count out loud!!!!!
>Symphonic Band -- Check our goals sheets!
(to be made in rehearsal Dec. 17)
Winds: Festive Scenario -
>Prepare the beginning up to the first note of F. Watch dynamics, accents, slurs, the tenuto quarter note in the main melody, etc.)
>Prepare any 8-12 measures between G & the Tempo 1 to show off how smoothly and beautifully you can play the legato parts (pick a section that makes sense musically - don't stop or start in the middle of an idea). Be sure you get all of the dynamics, slurs and other markings.
>>Watch for key signature & accidentals, dynamics, slurs, etc. I will ask you to count the long rests & I will be listening for awesome, incredible dynamic contrasts and correct style and to see if you can play with beautiful tone, good dynamics and count accurately on the long notes without rushing! Again, count carefully & watch dynamics.
Percussion: Prepare the Junior
District auxiliary percussion part. Practice the
rhythms at home, but come in at lunch, during your study,
before school or after school and work on playing it on
the appropriate instruments. Percussionists must count
out loud, get details, count rests correctly, change
tempos and use correct technique for each instrument.
III. Sight Reading: (2 or 3 points)
- You will get an 8-12 measure exercise and you need to do four things: write in the counting, set up the beat and say the counting, practice silently and play! You get two tries - if you don’t like the way you played it, you can practice silently some more and take a second try. Check the practice sheet for an example
Concert Band: Your sight-reading will
concentrate on quarter
/ eighth patterns.
Symphonic Band: Your sight-reading exercise
will be in 6/8 - I prefer that you count in two, but if you need to do it in 6, that is OK.
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IV. Overall Performance: (1 point) (see
the assessment
charts for exact requirement for
one full point)
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GRADING: See the exam
self-assessment sheet to check the criteria for a well
played exam! You can earn a maximum of 10 points for your
exam. The grade will be your quiz and test grade for this
term. (Notice, you can earn 2 extra points for a well played
exam, because the test and quizzes category is only 8 points
and you can earn up to ten points for the exam. These extra
points can be enrichment.)
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WHAT IF THE MUSIC IS TOO
HARD???: See me. We will come up with an
alternative assignment.
HINTS:
- Don't wait until the last minute to sign up.
- Don't wait until the last minute to start
practicing!
- Sign up for an early time and get it over with
(besides, I'm stricter on mistakes for those who have
later times and longer to practice!)
- See me (or your private teacher) if you need help --
you don't have to prepare alone!
- Watch details! Dynamics, slurs, accents, length of
note, accurate rhythms, style are all necessary for a
good grade!
- Remember to check your goals and see if you are
meeting them in the exam!
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YOU MUST BRING TO THE EXAM:
(check them off when you have everything ready)
[ ] The goals you set for yourself (the
sticker we filled out in band)
[ ] The exam self-assessment
sheet -- not filled out! (download pdf or there are
some on stage)
[ ] The band progress chart we did in
rehearsal -- filled out! (there are some on stage)
[ ] Your music
[ ] Your brain and nerves of steel. (But
you're not nervous, right? Of course not, 'cuz you've
practiced!)
(If you have practiced, I will be able
to tell -- even if you aren't the best player in the
band. I've listened to kids play for 30 years, and I
recognize who has practiced and who hasn't! Work hard and
I will be proud of you no matter how well you play
compared to everyone else!)
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WISDOM...
Practice hard, and you'll find
this exam easy and good for your self-esteem! --It is fun to
show off what you can do!
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