High School Honor’s Music
Purpose:
- Honors activities enrich and extend the knowledge and experiences of high school music students.
- Honors Music is weighted like an AP course, so it has a positive effect on student transcripts and class rankings.
Enrolling:
Students grades 10-12 may choose to be in the Honors Music course that corresponds with the ensemble they are enrolled in (Wind Ensemble, Concert Band or Percussion Ensemble) Students participate in their ensemble class and then are responsible for fulfilling the Honors requirements outside of class. Auditions are not required to enroll in Honors Music, however, two of the four main Honors activities involve being graded on a performance, so playing level will have an impact on their grade. Twenty percent (20%) of the students' grades for 1st and 2nd semester will be based on their performance on Honors assignments.
Grades for BHS Band students will be 30% Performance Grade, 20% Daily Rehearsal Skills, 20% Assessments and 20% Honors Assignments. Students may not 'drop' the Honors course once they have committed for the year.
Honors Assignments
There are six Honors assignments that students will be required to complete. Most of these assignments are graded, and are not simply pass/fail.
1st Quarter
All State or All Northwest Application
- Students will record the required music to apply for the All State or All Northwest Honor Groups. Their recording will be scored and graded using the following rubric.
<< HS Honors audition rubric>>
2nd Quarter
Honors Project Proposal
- Students will complete the Honors Project Proposal form. These proposals will be looked at by BSD Music teachers and given back to students for revision if they do not meet standard. The following documents are helpful for understanding the Honors Project Requirements.
<< Honors Music Project>> << Honors Project Expectations>> << Honors Project Proposal>>
3rd Quarter
Honors Chamber Ensemble Requirement
- All Honors students must participate in the Eastshore Region Solo and Ensemble Festival as part of an ensemble. Students will rehearse with a chamber ensemble independent of teacher instruction (including any private instructors). At least some rehearsals will take place outside of regularly scheduled class time. They may also go as a soloist, but that does not satisfy the Honors requirement. The performance will be judged with the following rubric.
<< Honors Ensemble Rubric>> Honors Project Presentation
- Over the course of the year, students develop a project which is presented at "Honors Night". Projects can include but are certainly not limited to researching, rehearsing and conducting a composition; creating and performing a composition; selecting, researching, preparing and performing a solo or chamber work. Students will be evaluated with the following rubric.
<< Honors Music Presentation Rubric>>
4th Quarter
Music History Exam
- Honors students must earn a B or higher on the BSD district music history assessment. The material will be presented in class (to all students, not just Honors students) on a different period of music history each year.
Music Theory Exam
- Honors students must earn a B or higher on the BHS district music theory test. Students are expected to prepare for this exam on their own; www.musictheory.net is an excellent resource and covers most if not all of the necessary information. Here is a handout outlining what students should know.
<< Honors Theory handout>>
Commitment Letter
Students should sign and return the following letter to their music teacher if they would like to enroll in an Honors Music class. The absolute deadline for committing to Honors Music is October 30th.
<< Honors Commitment Letter>>
Please ask Mr. George if you have any questions about Honors Music. |
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