As I am sure you know by now, Taylor, like most other APS schools, is in the process of transitioning to a standards oriented approach for classroom teaching. This concept of 'standards' will be all encompassing and will include the band program. All band students will be expected to learn and achieve a number of musical proficiencies, such as: technical demands of his or her personal instrument; musical reading and notation; various time signatures; tempo, dynamic, and expression markings; basic music theory and history; and will be expected to be proficient as a group for various musical performances. My expectation is that the band students will understand what standard they are studying, why it is important, and how to achieve proficiency in that standard. A complete list of the State Standards for Band, as well as my Taylor Middle School "Power Standards" are listed here on the website (see Standards), and will be sent home in paper form as well. Below is a general map of the curriculum I will be implementing in this process.
August-Fundamentals of posture, breathing, reading music, instrument selection
September-Hand position, rests, flats, sharps, and natural signs, breathing, tone quality, reinforce basic note reading skills
October-Ensemble playing (duets, trios, etc.), harmony, conducting patterns, time signatures, eighth notes, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
November-Concert eriquette, repeats, canon form, intervals, phrasing, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
December-Performance skills, andante tempo, variation form, first and second endings, internal repeats, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
January- Chorale form, slurs and ties, time signatures, dotted notes, ensemble playing, divisi notes, key signatures, extended rests, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
February-Enharmonics, dynamics, pick-up notes, fermata, ritardando, accidentals, allegro tempo, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
March-'March' style, orchestration, accented notes, eighth rests, vivace tempo, improvisation, staccato, largo tempo, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
April-Syncopation, crescendo and decrescendo, common time, scales, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
May-Reinforce performance skills, reinforce technical skills, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
August-Review of skills learned in beginning band, scale work, tuning, reinforce previously learned fundamentals
September-Continue review of beginning band skills, cut time signature, legato style, maestoso tempo, sixteenth notes, scale work, chorale style
October-After beats, transposing, complex rhythms involving eighth & sixteenth notes, scale work, chorale style, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
November-Six-eight time signature, andantino tempo, adagio tempo, beaming over a rest, eighth note triplet patterns, scale and chorale work, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
December-Performance skills, scale and chorale work, small ensemble work, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
January-Small ensemble work, sight-reading skills, structured listening skills, critical listening skills, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
February-Small ensemble work, sight-reading, listening, evaluative listening in preparation for festival, scale and chorale work, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
March-Intensive festival preparation, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
April-District Festival (performing and listening), reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
May-Reinforce performance skills, reinforce technical skills, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
August-Review of skills learned in beginning and intermediate band, scale work, tuning, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
September-Continue skills review process, scale and chorale work, chromatic exercises, intervallic exercises, nine-eight time signature, intensive work on tone and tuning, introduction of minor mode
October-Twelve-eight time signature, chorale and scale work, tone and tuning work, continued chromatic work, three-two time signature, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
November-Complex syncopated rhythms, tone and tuning, chorale and scale work, swing style, complex key signatures, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
December-Performance skills, scale and chorale work, small ensemble work, changing meters, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
January-Small ensemble work, sight-reading skills, structured listening skills, critical lstening skills, five-four and six-four time signatures, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
February-Small ensemble work in preparation for District Solo/Ensemble Festival, sight-reading, listening, evaluative listening in preparation for festival, scale and chorale work, quarter note triplets, double dotted notes, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
March-Intensive festival preparation, reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
April-District Festival (performing and listening), State Festival (if qualified and funding allows), reinforce previously learned fundamental skills
May-Scale and chorale work, reinforce performance skills, reinforce technical skills, reinforce previously learned fudnamental skills
