Course Syllabus

Syllabus Chorus

Teacher Mr. Drake 

dakota.drake@ucps.k12.nc.us

 

“All in, All one”

 

Class Overview:  In Chorus you will learn how to sing in a group and on your own, while learning about music theory, music literacy, music history. 

 

Rule:

Be respectful of everyone and everything

 

Let me explain.  If the students can be respectful, they will not need any other rules.  It covers talking over others or the teacher, respecting other’s personal space, cell phone usage, timeliness, being prepared, following directions, etc.  This is why we only need that one rule.  Having Good Character is a key part of being successful in the world we live in, we will have a large focus on having quality character in and out of the chorus classroom.



Expectations:  You will be expected to participate in classroom activities, behave in an appropriate way, complete assignments as directed, and attend all performances in the correct performance attire. While rehearsing you will always need a pencil, keep it with your notebook and you will be fine.  Always bring your school laptop charged or with a charger, because you never know what you are going to be doing.

 

Grading

A – 100-90

B – 89-80

C – 79-70

D – 69-60

F – 59-0

 

Grading Procedure:

Students grades will come for the following factors

 

Tests/Performances 60% 

Classwork/Homework 40%







What to expect:.  

  • Rehearsals The rehearsal is a major part of our class time.  It is the only way we will be able to improve the quality of our singing.  I expect you to have a pencil to make notes and be attentive during rehearsal.  Students should work hard on producing the best performance that we can create.  They will have to work together, correcting mistakes and encouraging others abilities, to grow in musicianship. 
  • Tests - very few tests will be given in class but they will be graded using a rubric, if the student is singing, or by right and wrong answers for the written tests.  If a student is absent, they are required to schedule a make up within 2 school days.  
  • Performances - please see MPA and Performances listed below.  The only way a student can get a grade for the performance is if they are actually in attendance.  Special circumstances will be worked out on an individual level but are encouraged not to happen if at all possible.
  • Classwork/Homework - These are assignments to help the student learn so if it is not perfect the first time they will have the opportunity to make corrections, so they can learn from mistakes.
  • Projects - grades will come from a rubric that is designed to include required elements of a presentation.  Students will have access to the rubric while doing the assignment so they can plan for success, these assignments will go into the classwork/homework category for grading
  • Make-up work - You will have 4 days from the time you return to school to complete your makeup assignment for full credit. From that point, you will lose 10 points per day it is late.  If work is submitted late you will be able to receive up to a 70 for full credit work..



Music Literacy - I believe that this is a skill needed to make the best musician possible and we will do this almost every day.  We will look at a brand new section of music every day, starting easy and progressing to more difficult.  We will sing that new section of music by reading the music instead of teaching and singing back to the teacher.  We will also be using an online tool called sight reading factory to help us do this.

 

Theory - Learning why music is written the way it is and how it works.  This is a crucial skill to learn while learning to sight read because it helps you know what you are reading.  We will practice this on paper and electronically with www.musictheory.net . 

 

Music History - We will not discuss this every day necessarily, but this is also very important.  It helps us know where music came from and why it was written the way it was at that time in history.  The students will do a couple of projects about composers and time periods throughout the semester.  

 

Music rehearsal - A daily activity that consists of singing.  This may be singing as a section, a whole group, or individually.  The music literacy will help us get going on learning our music.  Instead of plucking out parts to teach the notes to you, we are going to try a few different approaches this year.  We will be sight reading some songs. We will also be learning some songs as homework, using your school issued computer.  Let’s face it this is why we signed up for chorus, to sing and become a better musician, so while we are participating in this section of the class, let’s make it the most fun, energetic part of your day.  We may have to repeat a section 30 times in a row to make it perfect, but if that is what it takes to be the best, that is what we have to do. 



School performances -  These concerts will be held on  October 13, December 15, March 9, May 30, all starting at 6:30.  The arrival time for students will be 5:45 pm for each of these concerts to warm up and go over last minute reminders.  You will need to wear a formal outfit.  For ladies you will be required to wear the black formal dress with pearls (we will be making an order if you do not have one about $70), for guys, you will be wearing a tuxedo with cumberbund (we will be measuring and ordering these about $100) This is an extremely important aspect of being a professional choir. 

 

Final Exam - The final exam will have 3 equal parts (33.3% each), a performance, a sight singing, and a written portion.  We will be practicing these things all semester long so they can be ready.  This will be done at the end of each semester even though this is a year long class.

 

Tutoring: Tutoring will be offered, by appointment, on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school or before school


Canvas: The majority of assignments not completed on paper will be submitted on our learning platform, Canvas. Assignments can be submitted a variety of ways including, uploading files, typing into text boxes, and sharing Google documents/presentations. Students will be shown how to submit assignments on Canvas as needed. Individual assignments will indicate which method of submission on Canvas is expected. If students need a refresher or have questions, they can access the Canvas Student Guide for specific instructions. It is the student's responsibility to ensure assignments are submitted on time and to contact the instructor if there is a problem. Please note that student activity is logged while in Canvas so instructors will be able to see if the student opened the assignment, if there was any activity including a log of student activities during online tests and quizzes. Students are not allowed to leave the testing window during assessments. Doing so is considered cheating and will be handled as set forth in the Porter Ridge HS handbook. NOTICE: Although many assignments are submitted and graded in our learning platform, Canvas, the "final" grades shown may not be properly weighted and do not contain assignments that were not graded in Canvas. For the student's official grades, please continue to access the parent portal through Powerschool. Login information is usually sent home with the students at the beginning of the year, and should be the same as last year. If you need assistance accessing the parent portal, please contact the school.


Supplies

Students will need the following items daily: chromebook, Pencil, Paper, 1 inch 3 ring binder, Tuxedo or black formal dress (please see above in school performances.)

Most students also need tissues, it becomes a large distraction for students to have to leave class to get a tissue to blow their nose from the bathroom. 1 box would be perfect.

 

Resources

www.sightreadingfactory.com

www.musictheory.net

https://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/domain/2917 

Canvas Page

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/curriculum/artsed/scos/new-standards/arts/music/9-12.pdf 

 

If there are any questions please email me.    dakota.drake@ucps.k12.nc.us

Course Summary:

Date Details Due