Course Syllabus

Choir
Fall 2019
Mr. Austin Norrid, Director
Email: austin.norrid@jefferson.kyschools.us

Choir One is an introductory class designed principally for freshmen students. It is a performance class,
with in-school and evening concerts at intervals during the school year. The performances are
mandatory in accordance with Jefferson County Public Schools policy.

Advanced Choir is an advanced choral class designed principally for upper class students with previous
choral experience. The primary goal is to continue developing the voice as it matures from adolescence
to adulthood, giving it a pleasing sound, and further enhancing the student’s ability to sing a voice part
(soprano, alto, tenor or bass). It is a performance class, with in-school and evening concerts at intervals
during the school year. The performances are mandatory in accordance with Jefferson County Public
Schools policy.

Men’s Chorus is an ensemble open to students with changed voices or those who identify as male. The
goal of the ensemble is to promote male singing and develop low voices as they navigate their voice
change and their voices mature into adult instruments. Students in this course may be beginners or
advanced.

The goal of all choral singing is community. Choir is not a solo activity. Choir is something that people
do together. The goal of any chorus should be to develop a tightknit community of musicians who
respect each other and work together to create the best music possible.

Concerts have been scheduled for:

 Open House- September 10, 2019 at 6:00 PM
 Fall Concert- October 24, 2019 at 6:00 PM
 Light Up St. Mary’s First Week of December TBD, after school
 Winter Concert- December 16, 2019 at 6:00 PM
 Who’s Who: TBA

More details will follow later in a letter home. Students may be called for the concert an hour before
it begins.

Iroquois’ music department strives to engage with our local community. Because of this, we 
may have additional performances and field trips. Any additional dates will be communicated to 
students and families/guardians as soon as possible. These additional concerts may also be graded. 
Grading will be based on the following:
 Attendance at and participation in concerts, [30%]
 Rehearsal points, preparedness, professionalism, and engagement with standards during
rehearsal [20%]
 Written and Singing Tests, will cover concepts taught in class [30%]
 Written assignments , music theory, solfège etc. [20%]
 For this class you will need to have the following everyday in order to receive full points:
 Your music (kept in class)
 A pencil
 A ready to work attitude!

Eating food or drinking anything other than water in class will result in a loss of points.

In addition, there will be opportunities for the student to develop further through auditioning for All-
State, participation in the All-County choir, participation in KMEA Solo and small Ensemble festivals,
and attendance at the Choral Festival at Morehead State University

Students remaining in choir for 3 years will receive an Arts and Humanities Credit

1. Respect yourself by paying attention and participating in class (this means phones should be 
kept out of sight.)
2. Respect your classmates by limiting­side conversations and using respectful language. 

3. Respect our classroom by taking care of supplies, furniture, picking up trash, and refrain from 
eating food or drinking things other than water. (This is to protect our expensive instruments, 
not to be mean!)

4. Respect your teacher by following instructions, not talking while they are speaking, and by 
communicating any conflicts for concerts or rehearsals.

Students who fail to meet expectations after receiving redirection will be asked to fill out a 
responsibility sheet explaining how they will improve their choices in the future. If the student 
continues to fail to meet expectations, the back of the responsibility sheet includes space to write a 
letter to their parents about why they have failed to make poor choices. This letter will have to be 
signed by parents and returned for a grade.
Standards:
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Assessment schedule:

 First Grading Period August 14-Sept 23

 Formative Assessments:
 August 23 - Know your note names on the staff
 Sept 6- Know your rhythms (Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth?)
 Sept 10 Singing Major Scale, 2/4, ¾, and 4/4
 Summative Assessment:
 Sept 10 Open House Concert
 Sept 19 Written Test (Review of Note Names, Rhythms, and Scale)
 Oct 24 Fall Concert
 Second Grading Period Sept 24- Nov 7
 Formative Assessments:
 Sept 27 Flats, Sharps, Naturals, Intervals check (perfect and major)
 Oct 14 Dotted Rhythms, Minor intervals
 Oct 25 Dynamics, minor scale
 Summative Assessment:
 Oct 30 Review of accidentals, intervals, dotted rhythms, and dynamics,
minor scale
 Third Grading Period Nov 8- Dec 20
 Formative Assessments
 Nov 12 Sixteenth notes
 Nov 21 Dotted 8th
 Dec 11 ⅜ and 6/8 time, major triads
 Summative
 Dec 16 Winter Concert
 Dec 18 Test over entire semester
 Piano Lab
Course Syllabus
Fall 2019
Mr. Austin Norrid, Director
Email: austin.norrid@jefferson.kyschools.us

The piano lab is designed to be a place where students at different levels of experience and ability can
work both independently and together to learn how to play the piano.

Semester 1 goals: students will be able to play 3 scales, to read note names without writing them in,
play chord changes in a 4 chord song, understand note values by writing in correct counts, play 3 songs
independently, play with dynamics, and play in 4/4 and ¾ time.

Respect and Care for instruments:

Students are required to treat instruments with respect at all times. Failure to follow procedures or
deliberate mishandling or damage of the instruments will result in parent replacement of the damaged
or destroyed item.

The goals of this class are:

 To foster musical understanding and a foundational knowledge of music theory
 To gain keyboard skills through learning musical pieces and scales.
 To perform in 3 recitals a semester, during school hours
 To gain a foundational knowledge of song writing and functional harmony

For this class you will need:

 A pencil
 Your Piano Work book
 A ready to work attitude!

Grading:
Rehearsal Points, engagement with standards during class 20%
Playing Tests and recitals 30%
Written Tests 30%
Written Work and quizzes 20%

Students remaining in choir for 3 years will receive an Arts and Humanities Credit

1. Respect yourself, classmates, instructor, our music program, and our school. (All other
expectations come from this one).
2. No food, candy, gum, or drinks (except water) in the room.
3. Handle instruments and music with care.
 4. Refrain from talking while the teacher or anyone with permission to speak is talking. During
times when you are asked to talk, keep conversations on topic.
5. Observe respectful behavior while other people are performing for the class.
6. Students will bring a pencil and headphones to class everyday.
7. Cellphones should remain out of sight. Use of cellphones will result in lost participation points.
8. School and district rules in the handbook will be observed.
9. Treat every day as a new day, come ready to work, and ready to have fun!
10. You may charge your phone at my charging station only. Do not use any other outlets. Once
your phone is in the charging station, it will stay there for the rest of class. If you check it, you
will lose your charging privileges for two weeks for first offense.

Students who fail to meet expectations after receiving redirection will be asked to fill out a
responsibility sheet explaining how they will improve their choices in the future. If the student
continues to fail to meet expectations, the back of the responsibility sheet includes space to write a
letter to their parents about why they have failed to make poor choices. This letter will have to be
signed by parents and returned for a grade.
Standards:
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside
the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Assessment schedule
 First Grading period: August 14- Sept 23
 Formative Assessments:
 August 23 - Know your note names on the staff
 Sept 6- Know your rhythms (Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth?)
 Sept 13- Play your first scale (G or C)
 Summative Assessment
 Sept 19 Review written test
 Sept 20 Recital (Three solos or duets)
 Second Grading Period Sept 24- Nov 7
 Formative Assessments
 Sept 27- Chord check
 Oct 14- Rhythmic chord changes and dotted rhythms
 Oct 25- playing with dynamics, play second scale
 Summative Assessment
 Nov 1 Recital (3 chord song)
 Third Grading period: Nov 8- Dec 20
 Formative Assessments
 Nov 12 Can play all 4 chords and change a tempo
 Nov 21 Can play in ¾ time with chords and melody
 Dec 11 Review of recital songs, play third scale
 Summative
 Dec 17 Recital
 Dec 18 Written test:
 Notes names
 Notes values: whole, half, dotted half, quarter, dotted
quarter, eight
 Dynamics: P, MP, MF, F, crescendo and diminuendo
 Chord ID
 Music definitions
 Dec 19 3 Scales
 Piano: C Major, G major, F major
 Guitar: G Major, C major, F major