Would you give a credit?

[happyhome]

Would you give one Music credit for this?

 

1 hour piano lesson per week with 1/2 hour of practice per day.

1 hour guitar lesson with 1/2 hour practice every day.

Great Courses How to Understand and Appreciate Great Music - 2 lectures per week

Attending the Symphony twice per semester

 

Is it too much or little?

 

 

 

[EKS]

I would if you're not planning to also list the instruments as extracurriculars.

[happyhome]

Ahhh, I hadn't thought of that.  So if I list instruments as ECs, then maybe 1/2 credit for the course and Symphony?

[KarenNC]

Yes, I would definitely do a half-credit with a caveat. Looking at the lecture titles from the music course, I'd consider adding in at least one opera and making sure that if all the symphony performances were classical, we hit a performance or two of some other era to round things out. Our local opera company does student nights very inexpensively. If that sort of thing isn't available, the Metropolitan Opera does simulcasts in many theaters around the country or you could get a dvd of a performance. http://metopera.org/?gclid=CM7ynPjt_scCFY0jgQodTkgEWg

[LJPPKGFGSC]

I think that if you are awarding credit there should be some output.  Maybe assign some papers based on the lecture topics.  Lots of high school kids do music lessons and daily practice, but that does not make it a high school credit.

[happyhome]

Yes, I would definitely do a half-credit with a caveat. Looking at the lecture titles from the music course, I'd consider adding in at least one opera and making sure that if all the symphony performances were classical, we hit a performance or two of some other era to round things out. Our local opera company does student nights very inexpensively. If that sort of thing isn't available, the Metropolitan Opera does simulcasts in many theaters around the country or you could get a dvd of a performance. http://metopera.org/?gclid=CM7ynPjt_scCFY0jgQodTkgEWg

 

Great idea.  We're near NYC for part of the year so I can definitely make that happen.  We also have terrific local venues for music performances of other eras.  Our Symphony has themed events that include classical and jazz so there's that.  A lot to think about.  Thanks.

[happyhome]

I think that if you are awarding credit there should be some output.  Maybe assign some papers based on the lecture topics.  Lots of high school kids do music lessons and daily practice, but that does not make it a high school credit.

 

 

I forgot to mention that.  I've built in four papers as part of a comparative analysis of the different genres of music.  Music is a passion so we're using it as a topic for her writing (which is also a passion :))

 

Are four papers over the course of a year enough for an elective credit?  She'll also be answering the questions in the guidebook for the course.

 

Edited to fix horrible grammar :scared:

[KarenNC]

So you have:

48  45-min college level lectures, with responses from the coursebook

4   papers

4   symphony performances

 

Adding in attending additional performances in a variety of styles and I would feel comfortable calling that a full credit. If you wanted to round it out a bit, you could add in the free college-level lectures from Annenberg on world music (12 half-hour lectures), since the Great Courses series is very Western-based http://www.learner.org/resources/series105.html. Living near NYC, you should have wonderful opportunities to explore some world music performances.

 

 

[freesia]

I think that if you are awarding credit there should be some output.  Maybe assign some papers based on the lecture topics.  Lots of high school kids do music lessons and daily practice, but that does not make it a high school credit.

My husband got band credit and didn't have any output in the way of papers/tests.

[Pegasus]

Would you give one Music credit for this?

 

1 hour piano lesson per week with 1/2 hour of practice per day.

1 hour guitar lesson with 1/2 hour practice every day.

Great Courses How to Understand and Appreciate Great Music - 2 lectures per week

Attending the Symphony twice per semester

 

Is it too much or little?

 

We are doing something very similar here:

Violin - weekly lesson plus daily practice

Mandolin - weekly lesson plus daily practice

Twice weekly lectures (using Discovering Music)

Jam sessions with multiple people (organized by her music instructor - great fun)

 

IMHO, making music is output.   :laugh:

[EKS]

I think that if you are awarding credit there should be some output.  Maybe assign some papers based on the lecture topics.  Lots of high school kids do music lessons and daily practice, but that does not make it a high school credit.

 

I disagree with this.  The output *is* the instrument practice (and performance, if there are recitals).  But if credit is awarded, then the student shouldn't list the instrument as an extracurricular (as I mentioned upthread).

 

If the OP decides to remove the instrument lessons and practice from the course, then I agree that there should be some output.

[Mrs. B]

I took piano as an elective in public high school and got a full credit every year. My senior year, I was the only student who did an extra hour of independent study piano, and was awarded a full credit for that as well. That was nice since the only available piano in an empty room for my independent study hour was the grand piano in the high school auditorium.

 

Also, the high school band received elective credit for their 1st period band practice along with the guitar group that practiced in the hallway because my piano teacher kicked them out of the choir room to free up a piano for our group class.

[LJPPKGFGSC]

My husband got band credit and didn't have any output in the way of papers/tests.

 

I will stand corrected on that issue. Certainly a high school band or orchestra class with performances would count for credit.

 

I thought that the course in question was more of a music appreciation class.  I still believe that the Great Course lectures along with writing some papers and a watching a few performances would count as high school credit.  If something similar would count as a 3-credit college class, then it could be a 1-credit  high school course. A student could earn that credit without producing music themselves.

 

This description of Music Appreciation from K-12 was on their website.  It mentions that some states require a "performance practicum".  So maybe you could look for a syllabus at a high school in your particular state for a similar class.

 

http://www.k12.com/courses/high-school-courses/music-appreciation-elective-art020.scope-sequence.html

[KarenNC]

I disagree with this.  The output is the instrument practice (and performance, if there are recitals).  But if credit is awarded, then the student shouldn't list the instrument as an extracurricular (as I mentioned upthread).

 

If the OP decides to remove the instrument lessons and practice from the course, then I agree that there should be some output.

Agreed. We did a course last year that I called "Intro to visual and performing arts," which included direct instruction in drawing, painting, and photography, assisting with backstage work in community theater, a Great Courses photo course, and attendance at a wide range of performances (opera, symphony, improv, musical, reader's theater, cultural festivals (with music and dance), 1940s-style USO show). The output for us included the drawings and paintings, photographs, and working backstage in some more minor capacities (set building, for instance). I did pull out as an extracurricular her 90 hours of backstage work doing props and being a "gofer" for one particular play, so didn't count it toward the credit.

 

My suggestions for the additional world music material and adding in attendance at additional performances to make it a full credit was predicated on removing the instrument lessons and practices.

[Mrs. B]

About performance, I did have to do a group recital the years I did group class, and a solo recital my senior year as part of my independent study credit.

[happyhome]

Thank you for all of these responses. This was intended to be an easier elective credit that could tie in things we were already doing but after reading this thread with her last night, we're headed down a really cool rabbit trail. She loves the idea of the Intro to Fine and Performing Arts. Can you all weigh in on this?

 

She's an advanced modern piano and classical guitar player and plays in two local bands. In addition to the four recitals (two piano and two guitar), she plays/sings once a week somewhere with the bands. She's part of a local musical theater group that practices a small show each semester and then takes it to nursing homes and hospitals in the area. She's an avid movie maker as a hobby and is also taking an online Screenwriting class just for fun. We weren't going to "count" a lot of these activities because we thought they were just fun things (maybe ECs with leadership highlights) but now we're reconsidering.

 

Here's a list of things she is doing and we have available to us to construct a credit in Intro to Fine and Performing Arts:

 

Piano with lessons, practice and two recitals

Guitar with lessons, practice and two recitals

Weekly musical theater rehearsals with two performances per year

Weekly band performances

Online self paced Screenwriting class

Access to world music perfomances of all kinds (we looked this up last night and were happy to find Taiko drums, Indian lute, Moroccan dancing, Scottish bagpipes and Irish Dancing locally this year)

Access to a great performing arts center, symphony and local opera house (just found this too)

 

We have three Fine and Performing Arts Great Courses:

 

Elements of Jazz - http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/elements-of-jazz-from-cakewalks-to-fusion.html

 

How to Listen and Understand Music - http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-listen-to-and-understand-great-music-3rd-edition.html?pfm=UpsellSlider&pos=1&recloc=pdp

 

Fundamentals of Photography - http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/fundamentals-of-photography.html

 

We also have this course in Film:

 

Introduction to Screenwriting - through the NY Film Academy

 

So I guess my questions would be, what would be best for credit and what would be best left as outside ECs? Also, any creative ideas of how to build a Fine & Performing Arts multi year plan out of this? She leans more performing arts but is very interested in photography and film.

[EKS]

So I guess my questions would be, what would be best for credit and what would be best left as outside ECs? 

 

I'd give credit for courses built around the Great Courses lectures and the screenwriting class and I'd list the rest as extracurriculars.  

[KarenNC]

I've sorted my daughter's activities into long-term and exploratory categories. I put long-term passions/activities into extracurriculars, and exploratory into courses. For instance, last year for PE I logged her hours in new skills she was exploring--kickboxing, hiking, camping, ice skating, cardio workouts, as well as things she did casually like swimming. I kept her several hours weekly of aikido, which she has been doing since she was 6, as an extracurricular as it is an area in which she shows long-term commitment and leadership (helping with younger students). For arts, she was exploring painting, drawing, photography. I initially counted her 90 hours backstage work as part of the course, but in the end we didn't need it to make up enough hours for me to feel comfortable giving a credit, so I held it out, as it's something she may well continue to do. In both cases, I logged the activities she was already doing or wanted to do, and looked at things to flesh them out if needed. 

 

It sounds like the band, guitar, and piano are long-term interests. I would likely hold those out as extracurriculars and go for more of an appreciation class with the Great Courses courses and attendance at performances. For a technique/skills class, photography would make a nice half credit (the photos being output--keep a portfolio), and screenwriting would make a nice credit/half-credit (depending on how involved the self-paced course is) along the lines of creative writing--if she ended up making her own movie from her screenplay, it would seem like a credit to me (more output). Musical theater could go either way. Is this something she expects to pursue for multiple years or is it exploratory at this point? You could use it as an elective for one year and move to extracurricular for subsequent years if she continued. One of the local private schools actually uses participation in a school theater production to count as one of the required physical activity credits (they require two per year https://www.charlottecountryday.org/page.cfm?p=708&LockSSL=true).

 

Some interesting theater resources we found:

"Technical Theater for Non-Technical People" by Drew Campbell

Digital Theatre Plus (buy through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op) https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/digital-theatre-plus/?c=1

Inside the Actor's Studio interviews  http://www.bravotv.com/inside-the-actors-studio 

 

Someone on the boards recommended the following (unfortunately I didn't list who in my notes): 

"http://ocw.mit.edu/c...-2009/index.htm

http://ocw.mit.edu/c...-2008/index.htm

That 2nd one has handouts on analyzing the *psychology* of costuming, which should interest a theatre student even if they don't wish to make costumes."

[happyhome]

I've sorted my daughter's activities into long-term and exploratory categories. I put long-term passions/activities into extracurriculars, and exploratory into courses. For instance, last year for PE I logged her hours in new skills she was exploring--kickboxing, hiking, camping, ice skating, cardio workouts, as well as things she did casually like swimming. I kept her several hours weekly of aikido, which she has been doing since she was 6, as an extracurricular as it is an area in which she shows long-term commitment and leadership (helping with younger students). For arts, she was exploring painting, drawing, photography. I initially counted her 90 hours backstage work as part of the course, but in the end we didn't need it to make up enough hours for me to feel comfortable giving a credit, so I held it out, as it's something she may well continue to do. In both cases, I logged the activities she was already doing or wanted to do, and looked at things to flesh them out if needed.

 

It sounds like the band, guitar, and piano are long-term interests. I would likely hold those out as extracurriculars and go for more of an appreciation class with the Great Courses courses and attendance at performances. For a technique/skills class, photography would make a nice half credit (the photos being output--keep a portfolio), and screenwriting would make a nice credit/half-credit (depending on how involved the self-paced course is) along the lines of creative writing--if she ended up making her own movie from her screenplay, it would seem like a credit to me (more output). Musical theater could go either way. Is this something she expects to pursue for multiple years or is it exploratory at this point? You could use it as an elective for one year and move to extracurricular for subsequent years if she continued. One of the local private schools actually uses participation in a school theater production to count as one of the required physical activity credits (they require two per year https://www.charlottecountryday.org/page.cfm?p=708&LockSSL=true).

 

Some interesting theater resources we found:

"Technical Theater for Non-Technical People" by Drew Campbell

Digital Theatre Plus (buy through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op) https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/digital-theatre-plus/?c=1

Inside the Actor's Studio interviews http://www.bravotv.com/inside-the-actors-studio

 

Someone on the boards recommended the following (unfortunately I didn't list who in my notes):

"http://ocw.mit.edu/c...-2009/index.htm

http://ocw.mit.edu/c...-2008/index.htm

That 2nd one has handouts on analyzing the *psychology* of costuming, which should interest a theatre student even if they don't wish to make costumes."

Karen, that helps a lot....exploratory vs long term. This is our first year of high school and that is the exact kind of guideline that will help us make these decisions going forward. You're right, music is long term. Theater is a budding interest. Writing is long term, screenwriting and film is a budding interest. With this guideline, each item on my list seems to fall neatly into place. I also need to remind myself to be flexible. Like you said, something that starts on one list may well move over to another as time goes on. Thank you so much.

[happyhome]

I've sorted my daughter's activities into long-term and exploratory categories. I put long-term passions/activities into extracurriculars, and exploratory into courses. For instance, last year for PE I logged her hours in new skills she was exploring--kickboxing, hiking, camping, ice skating, cardio workouts, as well as things she did casually like swimming. I kept her several hours weekly of aikido, which she has been doing since she was 6, as an extracurricular as it is an area in which she shows long-term commitment and leadership (helping with younger students). For arts, she was exploring painting, drawing, photography. I initially counted her 90 hours backstage work as part of the course, but in the end we didn't need it to make up enough hours for me to feel comfortable giving a credit, so I held it out, as it's something she may well continue to do. In both cases, I logged the activities she was already doing or wanted to do, and looked at things to flesh them out if needed.

 

It sounds like the band, guitar, and piano are long-term interests. I would likely hold those out as extracurriculars and go for more of an appreciation class with the Great Courses courses and attendance at performances. For a technique/skills class, photography would make a nice half credit (the photos being output--keep a portfolio), and screenwriting would make a nice credit/half-credit (depending on how involved the self-paced course is) along the lines of creative writing--if she ended up making her own movie from her screenplay, it would seem like a credit to me (more output). Musical theater could go either way. Is this something she expects to pursue for multiple years or is it exploratory at this point? You could use it as an elective for one year and move to extracurricular for subsequent years if she continued. One of the local private schools actually uses participation in a school theater production to count as one of the required physical activity credits (they require two per year https://www.charlottecountryday.org/page.cfm?p=708&LockSSL=true).

 

Some interesting theater resources we found:

"Technical Theater for Non-Technical People" by Drew Campbell

Digital Theatre Plus (buy through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op) https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/digital-theatre-plus/?c=1

Inside the Actor's Studio interviews http://www.bravotv.com/inside-the-actors-studio

 

Someone on the boards recommended the following (unfortunately I didn't list who in my notes):

"http://ocw.mit.edu/c...-2009/index.htm

http://ocw.mit.edu/c...-2008/index.htm

That 2nd one has handouts on analyzing the *psychology* of costuming, which should interest a theatre student even if they don't wish to make costumes."

And thank you also for the theater resources. She's going to love those!!