Concert Orchestra

Avon Lake City Schools 

Curriculum Framework

Concert Orchestra

Course Overview:

Concert  Orchestra focuses on continuing content instruction for students from the 8th Orchestra level, engaging students in a wide variety of experiences in musical performance, musical literature, and musical concepts commonly used at the high school level.

Textbook (Title and Publishing Company): 

  • Method Book: Habits of a Successful Middle Level String Musician- A Comprehensive Orchestra Curriculum For Years 3, 4 and Beyond by Christopher Selby and Scott Rush. GIA Publications, INC. 

  • A variety of musical compositions from classical standard band literature to current modern musical compositions 

Online/Supplemental Materials:

Google Classroom

Assessments: 

Quarterly Playing Assessments

Content/Topics/Learning Goals

Subject to Pacing and Schedules

1st Quarter- 

  • Review and continue to refine musical concepts learned and developed during the Grade 8 Orchestra year

  • Understanding the historical background of musical selections, the composer’s thoughts and intents in creating a musical work

  • Identifying and performing the C, G, D, A, F, B flat, major two octave scales and arpeggios

  • Continue to develop correct vibrato technique

  • Identify intervals as the distance between notes, and begin to identify the different intervals between a second and an octave

  • Performance at the Fall Festival

2nd Quarter- 

  • Continued review and refining of the first quarter goals

  • Understand and play in compound meters

  • Begin to identify and play the E major two octave scale and arpeggio

  • Begin understanding how to shift to 4th position

  • Performance at the Holiday Concert

3rd Quarter- 

  • Continued review and refining of the first and second quarter goals

  • Continuing to refine C, G, D, A, E, F and B flat major two octave scales and arpeggios

  • Continued refinement of 4th position

  • Optional performance at OMEA Solo and Ensemble Adjudicated Event

  • Performance at the Winter Concert

4th Quarter -  

  • Continued review and refining of the first, second, and third quarter goals

  • Understanding the historical background of musical selections, the composer’s thoughts and intents in creating a musical work

  • Begin to identify and play the E flat major two octave scale and arpeggio

  • Performance at the Spring Concert

Last Updated:

September, 2023