Grading Music Theory and Performance

[DragonFaerie]

DD is very involved in music and will be doing a 1.5 credit Music Theory and Performance course for 9th grade.  The problem is, I cannot figure out how to assign grades for this, and I'd love some suggestions.  Here's what she'll be doing:

 

- How to Listen to and Understand Great Music (Teaching Company)

- Understanding the Fundamentals of Music (Teaching Company)

- Fundamentals of Music Theory (Coursera)

- Homeschool Band (3 hours per week: 1 hour of guitar instruction, 2 hours of band rehearsal; 3-4 performances during the year)

- Private clarinet lessons (30 min. per week)

- Private music lessons (theory/piano- 30 min. per week)

- instrument practice (30 min. per day each for guitar and piano, 60 min. per day for clarinet, 5 days per week)

 

 

In addition to the above, she hopes to participate with the local youth symphony again this year (it's by audition), which will be 2.5 hours per week of rehearsal and two performances.  She also participates in a couple of weekend music festivals during the year.  But, she has plenty of hours with the above that I'm thinking symphony and the festivals will be extracurricular rather than for credit.

 

So, how would you assign grades for this course?

 

 

 

[regentrude]

I would ask the music instructors what grade they would assign for their instruments/subjects.

 

[DragonFaerie]

I would ask the music instructors what grade they would assign for their instruments/subjects.

 

That doesn't seem sufficient to me.  They all love her and would "of course" give her A's.  Besides, it would be unsubstantiated.  

[regentrude]

That doesn't seem sufficient to me.  They all love her and would "of course" give her A's.  Besides, it would be unsubstantiated.  

 

Why is the word of a professional teacher unsubstantiated?

 

I am not sure why you want to make it more complicated than it needs to be. If the musical professionals with whom your child studies judge that her work merits a grade of A, give her the grade of A.

 

When we had a French tutor, I asked him for his opinion what grade to give. If he, the person fluent in French and working with DD every week, is of the opinion that her performance merits a grade of A, I have no problem giving her the grade. Whom am *I* to say otherwise?

 

ETA: For a course like this, I would simply list as grading criteria on the course description: "instructor evaluation".

Nobody will ever ask you how you substantiated a music grade anyway, but what can be more substantiation than the assessment of the instructor?

[DragonFaerie]

Why is the word of a professional teacher unsubstantiated?

 

I am not sure why you want to make it more complicated than it needs to be. If the musical professionals with whom your child studies judge that her work merits a grade of A, give her the grade of A.

 

When we had a French tutor, I asked him for his opinion what grade to give. If he, the person fluent in French and working with DD every week, is of the opinion that her performance merits a grade of A, I have no problem giving her the grade. Whom am *I* to say otherwise?

 

ETA: For a course like this, I would simply list as grading criteria on the course description: "instructor evaluation".

Nobody will ever ask you how you substantiated a music grade anyway, but what can be more substantiation than the assessment of the instructor?

 

I guess when I said unsubstantiated, I was thinking in terms of written work that I could produce as evidence of the grade.  But I do understand what you're saying about the word of her teachers.  

 

I think I'm reading too much into all these high school threads.  I feel like there's this little voice whispering in my ear with everything I'm doing that keeps saying "prove it."  But I'm also not going to burden her instructors with giving me a written grade for her every term, either.

[regentrude]

I guess when I said unsubstantiated, I was thinking in terms of written work that I could produce as evidence of the grade.  But I do understand what you're saying about the word of her teachers.  

 

I think I'm reading too much into all these high school threads.  I feel like there's this little voice whispering in my ear with everything I'm doing that keeps saying "prove it."  But I'm also not going to burden her instructors with giving me a written grade for her every term, either.

 

Nobody has ever asked me to produce any written work to "prove" a grade.

 

You will want to have your child to have some standardized test scores to substantiate basic academic performance, which lends credibility to your transcript - but nobody will come and want to see tests or written proof for the grades on the transcript.

 

You don't need to ask for a written grade - just ask them to tell you. Trust me, no one will want to see a piece of paper verifying her music grade. If she is interested in a music career, her audition will serve as validation for instructor grades.

 

ETA: The best way to truly evaluate a student's subject knowledge are oral exams. All my college transcript grades - 3 of them - stem from comprehensive oral examinations. No proof there, besides a professor's recording of a grade.

You can use oral presentations etc in content subjects as a basis of a grade in a homeschool setting as well.

 

[Dmmetler]

For theory, check with your nearest college/university with a music department and see if she can sit for their theory placement exam. A score which allows placement into the theory track for music majors would be evidence of satisfactory completion of high school level theory (And I have to say-I've NEVER seen a student with theory/composition on the transcript who didn't have a grade of A). Or, look into the RCM exams for theory and their syllabi. There are specific levels/grades in that system which equate to completion of X units of high school credit. There is also an AP Music Theory exam, but I don't know of a single college that gives credit for it for music majors, only for non-majors, so don't take it assuming anything more than being able to check the box.

 

I will also say-even for incoming music majors, you typically won't have more than one theory or music literature class on the high school transcript. You will see lots of performance credits, but really, they don't count for anything because it is assumed that if you're a music major, you'll be doing as much performance as possible (and in many high schools they actually lower the GPA because music classes are non-weighted, so 2-3 music ensembles a semester effectively count as B's compared to academic classes that weight grades). We don't look for "oh, this student has 10 music credits, therefore they're a great candidate". We want them to have a stellar audition, a solid theory placement exam, group and individual performance experience, and excellent recommendations from their instructors, plus an Academic record that shows us they'll be able to handle the academic core and not flunk out, since we're a state U that requires a liberal arts core, not a conservatory.

[DragonFaerie]

For theory, check with your nearest college/university with a music department and see if she can sit for their theory placement exam. A score which allows placement into the theory track for music majors would be evidence of satisfactory completion of high school level theory (And I have to say-I've NEVER seen a student with theory/composition on the transcript who didn't have a grade of A). Or, look into the RCM exams for theory and their syllabi. There are specific levels/grades in that system which equate to completion of X units of high school credit. There is also an AP Music Theory exam, but I don't know of a single college that gives credit for it for music majors, only for non-majors, so don't take it assuming anything more than being able to check the box.

 

I will also say-even for incoming music majors, you typically won't have more than one theory or music literature class on the high school transcript. You will see lots of performance credits, but really, they don't count for anything because it is assumed that if you're a music major, you'll be doing as much performance as possible (and in many high schools they actually lower the GPA because music classes are non-weighted, so 2-3 music ensembles a semester effectively count as B's compared to academic classes that weight grades). We don't look for "oh, this student has 10 music credits, therefore they're a great candidate". We want them to have a stellar audition, a solid theory placement exam, group and individual performance experience, and excellent recommendations from their instructors, plus an Academic record that shows us they'll be able to handle the academic core and not flunk out, since we're a state U that requires a liberal arts core, not a conservatory.

 

Thanks.  This helps a lot.  She does want to study music in college, though she's not yet sure if that's what she wants for her major.  I'm thinking that she'll have this 1.5 credit for 9th grade and then she'll just have 1.0 music performance credits each year for the rest of high school.  I am considering a music theory course for her as one of her dual enrollment classes later, though.  I thought that might be a comfortable way to dip her toe into college-level coursework when she's ready.

[MomOfABunch]

When I taught band in public school, I graded A, B or F. Most people got As. For band and ensembles, pretty much you show up with your instrument and music and participated and you got an A. If you practiced the specified amount of time per week, you get an A, though I did not require private lessons. I did suggest them. I required that they practice 30 min 4x a week for an A. (School was not in the nicest neighborhood. I would have liked to require 5-6 days a week, but that want realistic).

 

So you've got:

-Theory/history/appreciation - I would wrap that together into 1 credit. I'm assuming the courses you listed have written/listening work? Grade as appropriate and average.

-Band with clarinet lessons and daily practice - another credit

-Guitar ensemble with lessons and daily practice - 1 hour ensemble and 3 hours practice a week(x36 weeks) is 144 hours. That's enough for another credit.

 

You've got 2.5 hours.

 

I would keep Youth Orchestra and piano as extra curric.

 

FWIW also, when I was in high school, I got a 5 on the AP Theory exam. I got 6 credits when I went to school as a music major and started with Theory 3 my first year in college.

[PamJBA]

I got A's for college piano if my performance during my lesson indicated I'd practiced during the week. It was completely subjective. In middle school and high school band I got A's for showing up, paying attention, and performing in a way that indicated I'd practiced. I don't recall any tests and A's were pretty common for anyone who followed the rules.

[DragonFaerie]

When I taught band in public school, I graded A, B or F. Most people got As. For band and ensembles, pretty much you show up with your instrument and music and participated and you got an A. If you practiced the specified amount of time per week, you get an A, though I did not require private lessons. I did suggest them. I required that they practice 30 min 4x a week for an A. (School was not in the nicest neighborhood. I would have liked to require 5-6 days a week, but that want realistic).

 

So you've got:

-Theory/history/appreciation - I would wrap that together into 1 credit. I'm assuming the courses you listed have written/listening work? Grade as appropriate and average.

-Band with clarinet lessons and daily practice - another credit

-Guitar ensemble with lessons and daily practice - 1 hour ensemble and 3 hours practice a week(x36 weeks) is 144 hours. That's enough for another credit.

 

You've got 2.5 hours.

 

I would keep Youth Orchestra and piano as extra curric.

 

FWIW also, when I was in high school, I got a 5 on the AP Theory exam. I got 6 credits when I went to school as a music major and started with Theory 3 my first year in college.

 

There's no written work to the theory courses.  They're all on the computer (Coursera) or DVD (Great Courses).  And I'm not sure they will equal enough hours to be a full credit.  But also, part of her theory instruction comes during band and during one of her private lessons (piano/theory).  I don't know how to break out what percentage would be theory in order to count the hours for the credit.  (Geez.  I hate trying to figure out high school.)

 

Band and the private lessons add up to 4 hours per week, or 144 hours per year, so that could be the performance credit.  I didn't think that instrument practice could be counted for credit.  (Did I mention I hate trying to figure out credits for high school?)

 

ETA: Maybe I could bump it up and give her two credits for the combined course.  I think I could justify that with a solid course description if I also include the performances and descriptions of any festivals/honor bands that she does.

 

ETA more: I'm thinking about adding some type of theory workbook like was mentioned above.  I'm going to ask one of her teachers for a recommendation.

[Grover]

That coursera course is thorough.  When my DS did it it started out gently but ramped up very quickly.  He lernt heaps from it though.  She will also get a number grade for it so you could use it to assign a grade there.