How To Award Music Credits on the Transcript

[jhschool]

Hi everyone

 

So, I am wondering how to award music credits on the transcript.

DS only needs 2 Performing and Fine Arts credits for the colleges he

is interested in.

 

For some subjects, I count hours, and for others, I count it as a credit

if he finishes a course (textbook or a course designed by me).

 

I award 1 credit for 180 hours of work if I am counting hours. I have been

counting hours for music.

 

Here is the problem. If I count hours for music, he will have 8-10 credits

of music if he keeps on at this rate. He already has over 400 hours spent

on music (practicing, performing, composing, theory, etc.) this school year.

 

I think it will look silly on his transcript if I put in two whole credits of music

on the transcript per year. Will it? Shall I leave it out?

On the other hand, if he wants to apply to music school, should I leave it in?

Would music schools like it?

It seems wrong to leave it out, but it seems silly to put it in.

 

Any advice is very appreciated!

[regentrude]

Maybe put credits for academic work in music that involves theoretical instruction (music theory, music history, composition) and list the instrument instruction and performance as extracurricular?

[klmama]

Can you divide his work into two separate courses? For example, Piano (I, II, III) with Performance as 1 credit to cover lessons, practice, and performance time. Music Theory and Composition as 1 credit, if he has enough time and work for that, or .5 if enough for half with written output on which to base a grade. It does get crazy with the number of hours they practice. Last year one of my dc put in 267 hours, but I still only counted it as 1 credit because most of the time was practice and all of it was specific to the instrument (history, repair, but not enough for a separate course).

[bobbeym]

Can you divide his work into two separate courses? For example, Piano (I, II, III) with Performance as 1 credit to cover lessons, practice, and performance time. Music Theory and Composition as 1 credit, if he has enough time and work for that, or .5 if enough for half with written output on which to base a grade. It does get crazy with the number of hours they practice. Last year one of my dc put in 267 hours, but I still only counted it as 1 credit because most of the time was practice and all of it was specific to the instrument (history, repair, but not enough for a separate course).

 

 

I agree with this. You could also include Music Appreciation if that's something your DS has focused on as a separate component.

[Musicmom]

My dc each play violin and piano--lots of hours of practice, and piano included music theory with state-wide theory tests. Some music history and appreciation also just goes along with studying the instrument. So, for their transcripts, I gave my dc 1 credit each year for music (Music I, II, III, IV)--which covered the lessons, practice and academic components (theory). Since practice is an activity thing, like PE, I felt like it should earn credits at half the rate of an academic course--so for 2 instruments (about 1+ hours a day of practice for each one) all year that's .5 credit each--1 credit for both. (I do think for one instrument though, if your dc is practicing 2+ hours a day, then I'd award the whole credit just for that.) I also gave a letter grade because of the theory component.

 

Splitting it out as a PP suggested is also a neat idea, with instrument study as one course, and theory/composition/appreciation or whatever as the other, if you have enough of each to warrant it (I didn't feel like our theory study was time-consuming enough to warrant separate listing on our transcript, so that's why I just rolled it all into one music course per year.)

 

Orchestras, performances & competitions, string quartets, ensembles, and music camps/festivals all went down as extra-curriculars on my dc's college applications.

 

Hope this helps!

[Gwen in VA]

Maybe put credits for academic work in music that involves theoretical instruction (music theory, music history, composition) and list the instrument instruction and performance as extracurricular?

 

:iagree:

 

We keep instrumental lessons/practicing and participation in groups as extracurriculars.

 

1) We don't want the lessons and practice time diluting the academics on the transcrip. We don't want to force the admissions people to have to search to find calculus and AP Physics on the transcript!

2) We didn't want to "double-dip" by listing the instrument both as a class and an extracurricular, so we keep it as an EC.

 

We do list actual classes that cover the theory behind it all on the transcript -- Music Theory I and Music Theory II, Composition, etc. These classes have texts and tests and otherwise are definitely academic classes.

[jhschool]

Thank you, ladies--this is very helpful!

 

I think I will put the Composition and Theory as Music Theory & Composition 1, Music Theory & Composition 2, Music Theory & Composition 3, and Music Theory & Composition 4,

and award 0.5 credits for each of those, under "Performing and Fine Arts" of the transcript (I

will do a transcript by subject). (I may just call them "Music.")

 

Then, in Extracurriculars, I will list the instruments and ensembles he spends the most time

on.

 

Thank you!

[TeaTotaler]

 

 

:iagree:

 

We keep instrumental lessons/practicing and participation in groups as extracurriculars.

 

1) We don't want the lessons and practice time diluting the academics on the transcrip. We don't want to force the admissions people to have to search to find calculus and AP Physics on the transcript!

2) We didn't want to "double-dip" by listing the instrument both as a class and an extracurricular, so we keep it as an EC.

 

We do list actual classes that cover the theory behind it all on the transcript -- Music Theory I and Music Theory II, Composition, etc. These classes have texts and tests and otherwise are definitely academic classes.

 

 

What Gwen said. - I have had people tell me that I could count ds' stuff for more credit but I am reluctant to do so.

[Dmmetler]

I'd also point out that even PS band students are spending FAR more than 180 hours on band. Music, at the high school level as well as at the college level, nickel and dimes you. In marching season, 2-3 hour practices a day aren't uncommon, and practice usually starts mid-summer. A week of full-day band camp is not unusual, either. Every Friday night and almost every weekend is spent on band. Concert season is a little more relaxed, but it's still more time than the student would spend on a classroom class.

 

And that doesn't include practice time.

 

If you look at what your local high schools do, you should be able to see what's typical. It's not uncommon for Band (Marching/Concert) to be able to count as PE for the marching semester, so if you need 2 PE credits, .05 for each of 4 fall semesters fulfills the requirement.

 

Regardless, I wouldn't count a given type of ensemble more than once a year-that is, even if you play a regional orchestra, community orchestra, church orchestra and competitive youth symphony, that would still be, at most, one credit for orchestra a year, and the rest would be extra-curriculars, because a PS student would only be able to count school orchestra. Same with choir. Private lessons generally don't give credit at the high school level, and piano usually only counts if you're playing for a school ensemble. Most students in PS, no matter how involved they are in music, simply won't be able to take more than 1, maybe 2 music classes a year, so I wouldn't count more than that.

 

 

Theory, composition, history and lit all do count, and have AP exams available to validate (don't expect to take credit for them at the college level if you're majoring in music, though).

[Zee]

Here is how I am doing it:

9th grade: Intermediate Piano I .5 credit

10th grade: Intermediate Piano II .5 credit

Time spent practicing/playing for church worship services is counted as volunteer service and will be listed as such on the transcript. This time is NOT included in the academic credit above, so there is no double dipping.

 

11th grade and 12th grade: All piano practice/lessons will be counted as extracurricular. Worship Team practice/playing will continued to be tracked as volunteer community service time. No academic credit given for piano these two years.

 

Ds will have enough Fine Arts credit with the Piano courses above, and with the drama class he took, by the end of 10th grade. I don't want it to appear I'm padding the transcript, and the above seems a fair assessment of what he's doing, while acknowledging all that he is doing/has done.

 

HTH.