Critical Listening/Music Vocabulary
Shawn Usedom
Introduction
Standards 
Objectives
Activities
Assessment
Results
Resources

 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 


 
 


link to student page

  
Introduction
Musicianship involves more than simply making music.  Musicians must also be able to discuss the music they hear and play using the accepted Western terminology.  Once this terminology is learned, it can be used to compare and contrast pieces, critique performances, and improve in-class comunication
Subject: Band & Chorus
Topic:  Critical Listening
Grade Level:  9-12
Student Lesson:  Music Vocabulary

Standards Addressed
Grades 9-12
Fine Arts: Music
Evaluating music and music performances

7.  Students-

a. evolve specific criteria for making informed, critical evaluations of the quality and effectiveness of performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations and apply the criteria in their personal participation in music.
b. evaluate a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to similar or exemplary models.






Instructional Objectives

Given a list of standard musical terms, students will give a written description for seven of ten items. 
After listening to two pieces of music, students will use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast the pieces using at least eight musical terms.
After watching a video of their own performance, students will list at least five musical terms to describe that performance.
 
 





Student Activities

Introductory Activity
Listen to a piece of classical music.  Describe what you hear using only words that you would normally use to describe food.  Is it easy to get your point across?  Would it be easier to use words that are specific to music?

Enabling Activities
Go to (LINK).  Complete the  Explore the definitions of the music terminology in this glossary.  Complete the questions on this worksheet.  (LINK)
Listen to two music recordings.  Do a Venn diagram as a class, comparing and contrasting the works.
 
Culminating Activity
The students watch a video or listen to an audio recording of their latest performance.  They make a list of musical terms that describe the performance.  This can evolve into a discussion of both positives and things to improve for the next concert.

Assessment

Link to test.

Results
After implementing your lesson (sometime between January & March), insert a chart of your pre-test, post-test, and culminating assessment data.





Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Enabling Activity
Link to music terms
Link to Music Dictionary
Create Venn Diagram

Culminating Activity
Music Critique Examples
 


 
 
 
 
 

Rio Vista High School
Rio Vista, CA
Shawn Usedom susedom@rickadee.net
Last Revised: 08/10/2000