Chapter 4

2. What is syntax in music? Why is learning it important?
Syntax refers to patterns or a sequential system of learning, not only in music but in many other areas. Using a syntax in important so that you can use what your students already know to build up new ideas. It’s important for teachers to know and understand this so that they can teach certain materials in the right order, and it will be easier for the students to learn the new material.

6. Should some of each of the nine content standards in the National Standards be included in each music class or rehearsal? Why or why not?
I don’t think that each of the nine standards needs to be present in each class or rehearsal. By trying to focus on just a few standards for a lesson, a teacher can usually incorporate more than they were expecting to in a single period. So many of the standards tend to overlap and correlate with one another that even by picking a few standards, you are likely to incorporate more then you expected to. Also, the standards are set so that the students should accomplish all of the standards for the particular year or stage, not necessarily all in the same lesson.

Projects:
1. The content standards are the same for each of the three levels. Each level contains standards for singing, performing on an instrument, improvisation, composing, reading and notation, listening and analyzing, evaluating, understand the relationship between music and the arts, and music’s relation to history and culture.
2. With each progressive level, the materials for each standard consecutively get more difficult throughout.
3. Have the students write down a list of their favorite pieces and tell what they like about it
Have the students listen to a certain piece and give them specific things to listen for
Ask the students to come up with different criteria to use while listening to a piece.