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2012/1

mātauranga pūoru

music

MP2001RESOURCE BOOKLET

NCEA LEVEL 2

© te aho o te kura pounamu

music performancencea level 2

Expected time to complete workThe length of time to complete the work will depend on which assessments you decide to take and how much practising you need to do to get up to performance level.

All assessment activities are to be completed by the end of October if you want accreditation by January.

You will work towards the following standards. You may choose to do one or two or all three:Achievement Standard AS91270 (Version 1) Music 2.1Perform two substantial pieces of music as a featured soloistLevel 2, Internal 6 credits

Achievement Standard AS91274 (Version 1) Music 2.2Perform a substantial piece of music as a featured soloist on a second instrumentLevel 2, Internal3 credits

Achievement Standard AS91272 (Version 1) Music 2.3Demonstrate ensemble skills by performing a substantial piece of music as a member of a groupLevel 2, Internal4 credits

In this booklet you will focus on this learning outcome: • developing pieces of music for performance.

By the end of this MP2001 unit you will be able to present pieces of music for Solo, Second Instrument and Group Performance.

Copyright © 2012 Board of Trustees of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, Private Bag 39992, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045,

New Zealand. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without

the written permission of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.

1MP2001© te aho o te kura pounamu

contents

1 Getting started!

2 Practising tips

3 Performance preparation and stagecraft

4 Recording and technical

2 MP2001 © te aho o te kura pounamu

how to do the work

When you see:

Caution.

Contact your teacher.

You will need:

• a performance instrument or voice

• the ability to play an instrument equivalent to the fourth year of study with an instrumental teacher

• pieces of music for performance

• an audience

• a performance venue

• blank DVDs

• a video recorder

• an instrument teacher or music mentor.

You may need:

• another performance instrument

• other musicians

• a backing track

• a DVD player

• a computer

• Internet access

• a way of recording yourself play.

Resource overviewIn the pack for Music Performance NCEA Level 1 (MP2001P) you will find:

• this Music Performance resource booklet, MP2001, with information on how to achieve in Solo, Second Instrument and Group Performance

• seven activity sheets with blank practice sheets and one extra blank practice sheet for Solo Performance

• four blank practice sheets for Second Instrument Performance

• four activity sheets with blank practice sheets and four extra blank practice sheets for Group Performance

• a copy of the three Achievement Standards and information about how to complete the Solo, Second Instrument and Group Performance standards.


how to do the work

You will need to:

• contact your teacher regularly. Call 0800 65 99 88 and ask to speak to the music teacher for your region. You could also ask for their email address.

• read this Music Performance resource booklet carefully and refer to this as you complete the activities

• make sure you complete the practice sheets and the accompanying activities regularly throughout the year

• read and understand the Achievement Standards that you choose to work towards

• send in your completed performance assessments by the date you and your teacher agree on.


Young people can learn from my example that something can come from nothing. What I have become is the result of my hard efforts. Franz Joseph Haydn

1 getting started!

learning outcomeYou will develop pieces of music for performance.

learning intentionIn this lesson you will learn to recognise the important parts of performance preparation.

introduction Here are some tips and information on how to get the most out of your course and to prepare for your work towards your performance assessments.

practice sheetsIn this pack you will find practice sheets and activities for Solo, Second Instrument and Group Performance.

Complete your practice sheets and activities regularly throughout this course to show that you are engaged in learning and that you are practising regularly towards your performance assessments. The activities will help you prepare for different aspects of your performance.

If you are working towards Achievement Standard AS91270 (Version 1) Music 2.1 Solo Performance you are expected to:

• complete seven activities and practice sheets regularly throughout the year, before you complete the final assessment. There is one extra practice sheet in case you need it.

• send one activity and one practice sheet to your Te Kura teacher every month.

If you are working towards Achievement Standard AS91274 (Version 1) Music 2.2 Second Instrument Performance you are expected to:

• complete four practice sheets regularly throughout the year, before you complete the final assessment

• send one practice sheet at least every two months or every month if you have arranged for your final performance to be in the first half of the school year.


getting started!

If you are working towards Achievement Standard AS91272 (Version1) Music 2.3 Group Performance you are expected to:

• complete four activities and four practice sheets regularly throughout the year, before you complete the final assessment. There are four extra practice sheets in case you need them.

• send one activity and one practice sheet every two months or every month if you have arranged for your final performance to be in the first half of the school year.

See the outline of the Music Performance course on the following page, showing where each practice sheet and activity fits in. Please take time to read it.

The due dates for your work will depend on your situation and when you enrolled.

Contact your Te Kura teacher to find out what the dates are.

Look at the sample practice sheet in this chapter. This shows you what sort of information you need to send in.

If you are practising music that is not part of your NCEA assessment then please add this to the practice sheets as it all counts towards your course work.

Remember to use the correct practice sheet for your Solo, Second Instrument and Group Performance.


getting started!

Flow chart diagram of course outline

Music Performance resource booklet MP2001

Solo Performance Second Instrument Group Performance

Activity 1: First things firstPractice sheet 1 MP2001A Practice sheet 1 MP2002A Activity 1: Getting started

Practice sheet 1 MP2003A

Activity 2: Looking aheadPractice sheet 2 MP2001B Practice sheet 2 MP2002B Activity 2: Looking ahead

Practice sheet 2 MP2003B

Activity 3: Sending in asample recordingPractice sheet 3 MP2001C

Practice sheet 3 MP2002CActivity 3: Listening andwatching other performersPractice sheet 3 MP2003C

Activity 4: Listening to other musiciansPractice sheet 4 MP2001E

Practice sheet 4MP2002E

Activity 4: Dress rehearsalPractice sheet 4 MP2003E

Activity 5: Where am I at?Practice sheet 5 MP2001F Practice sheet 5 MP2003F

Activity 6: StagecraftPractice sheet 6 MP2001G Practice sheet 6 MP2003G

Activity 7: Dress rehearsalPractice sheet 7 MP2001H Practice sheet 7 MP2003H

Practice sheet 8 MP2001I Practice sheet 8 MP2003I

NCEA Level 2Solo Performance assessment

NCEA Level 2Second Instrument assessment

NCEA Level 2Group Performance assessment


SAMPLE

getting started!

practice sheet: solo mp2001Name: ID No.

Instrument: Month: Course:

DateWork completed, including pieces learnt, specific skills, technical exercises, scales and sight-reading

Local music teacher’s or mentor’s comment or signature (optional)

2/3

Practising the blues scale and whole tone scales in all keys. Worked on new piece, ‘Yardbird Suite’. Fingering was really difficult so I had to ask teacher for help. Currently playing the chord structure daily to help with the work on improvisation.

Student is doing well learning the notes. I am pleased with the progress. Signed: Mrs M Teacher

9/3

I can now play the whole piece from beginning to end but am struggling to get the fast passages smooth. I am still really struggling with the improvised solo section. My teacher is helping me develop a solo that I can use.

Student needs to work through phrases individually and then put together a whole line to help with fluency. Signed: Mrs M Teacher

17/3I can now play the piece from beginning to end and can make it through the solo section without getting lost.

Student has worked really hard at getting this piece together. Now we need to work at really knowing the notes. Signed: Mrs M Teacher

25/3 Even though I knew the piece quite well I am still practising regularly to make my performance fluent.

We have started work on other pieces but working on performance and stagecraft too. Signed: Mrs M Teacher

Te Kura teacher's comment:

Joe Bloggs 1234567

E Alto Sax March 2011 MP2001


music teacherTo realise your potential performance you will need to gain the help of a local experienced musician or teacher, preferably by having regular lessons or tutorials. If you have not organised this yet, now is the time to do it. Contact your Te Kura teacher if you need help with this.

Tell your itinerant instrumental teacher that you will be completing NCEA Level 2 Music Performance. Show your teacher the criteria for assessment of the standards you wish to take and talk to your teacher about a possible program of pieces.

other musiciansAs well as finding a musician to act as mentor, you may also need to find musicians to perform with.

• Choose your other musicians carefully. Although they won’t be assessed as part of your performance you want them to be of a good standard so that they don’t mar your performance.

• Also, choose musicians that are going to be reliable and turn up for rehearsals when you want them to. This is as important as their ability.

• If you are doing Group Performance then ideally a group should comprise 3–7 members and each performer must play a uniquely identifiable part.

choosing piecesYou are working towards one or more of the following standards:

• Achievement Standard AS91270 (Version 1) Music 2.1 Perform two substantial pieces of music as a featured soloist

• Achievement Standard AS91274 (Version 1) Music 2.2 Perform a substantial piece of music as a featured soloist on a second instrument

• Achievement Standard AS91272 (Version 1) Music 2.3 Demonstrate ensemble skills by performing a substantial piece of music as a member of a group

The key word in all of these Achievement Standards is substantial.In this context, substantial means that the music:

• has sufficient complexity

• has sufficient length

• has appropriate technical and musical demands.

Your ability to perform this music, along with your presentation skills, will be assessed, and you are expected to have had at least four years of instrumental study to achieve this standard.

You will need to talk to your instrumental teacher/s and your Te Kura music teacher to make sure that you are choosing pieces that are going to best enable you to succeed at this level.

If you haven’t made contact with your Te Kura teacher, now is a good time to do so.

You may also like to send them a copy of the manuscript or audio file of the music you want to play for assessment.

getting started!


thinking aheadRight now is a good time to think about the end result that you want to achieve!

• What date will be your final performance(s)?

• Where will you perform?

• What will you perform?

• What is the result that you want from this?

• What steps do you need to take to gain this result?

• Thinking about this now will help you set goals and work towards achieving this.

finding your space

your practice areaSet up a space at home with everything you need to practise. It doesn’t need to be a very big space, but it does need to be yours and yours only. Having a permanent set-up will make it easier for you to practise any time you want.

You may need the following items:

• seat

• music stand

• metronome

• music

• power point

• amplification equipment

• a way to record/computer

• stereo

• tuner.

Here are some tips to optimise your practice time:

• Avoid distractions.

• Don’t have the television on.

• Turn off the cellphone.

• Tell other people in your house that you need some time to yourself to practise.

getting started!


group performance: developing a practice scheduleDeveloping a well thought out practice schedule can be the key to the success of your group performance.

Firstly, you will need a practice venue that will be a productive space to work in, with no interruption or distractions.

Secondly, you will need other musicians that are reliable and are of a good standard. Thirdly, you will need to make a timetable of rehearsals so that all your musicians know when to attend.

On the following page is a sample of a practice schedule. You can photocopy it and use it, or you can design your own. Make sure you give a copy to each of your musicians.

getting started!


month .........................

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

month .........................

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

getting started!



2 practising tips


learning intentionIn this lesson you will learn to incorporate different practising techniques into your own practice.

introductionHere are some tips on how to get the most out of your practising. Refer back to this section as you are learning a new piece of music.

practising timelineGet yourself into a routine of practising at the same time each day. This will help to maintain a consistent level of practice.

So you have chosen two great pieces for performance! But you know one a little bit and haven’t played the other before. Ask yourself these questions:

1. How much time do I have before my performance assessment?

2. How much time per week do I need to spend on practising for this performance assessment?

If you want to complete Solo, Second Instrument and Group Performance you will need to keep to a strict practising schedule to make sure you do not get behind in one of these assessments.

how long should you practise?Just like for an athlete, it is important that you build up stamina and muscle strength when practising. If you are working towards a two-hour gig, then practising for only 10 minutes at a time will not prepare you for this.

Music isn’t just learning notes and playing them; you learn notes to play to the music of your soul. Katie Greenwood


practising tips

On the other hand, if you are very busy working towards your assessments in other subjects, then taking small breaks to work on small sections might be a good strategy for you.

Just make sure you work smart, as this will save you time.

As a guideline, beginners should be practising 20–30 minutes a day

Most professional players will practise anywhere from 2–10 hours per day.

working around a busy scheduleLife is busy and there are many distractions. Here are some ideas for times you may be able to fit in some quick practice sessions:

• first thing in the morning: play five scales and one piece before you do anything else

• on your lunch break from school work

• during the advert breaks when watching TV

• when you are waiting for your mate to turn up

• during a break in school work or revision.

set yourself goals! Give yourself something specific to work towards in each practice session.

Examples of specific goals could include:

• learning a new scale

• reaching bar 132

• moving smoothly between two tricky sections

• playing a new song from beginning to end

• increasing the speed of the song.

technique • Begin each practice by stretching and deep breathing.

• Begin each practice with five minutes of scales and technical exercises. Then try the hardest part of the piece you are working on. Notice the improvement in your playing.

using a metronomeMetronomes should not be used all the time, but they are a useful tool to help you develop a good sense of timing and tempo. Use one for all your practice sessions, but don’t rely on it.

Try using a metronome while you warm up with scales, or when you are working on joining difficult sections together.


practising tips

learning a new piece1. Being smart with your practising will help you work more efficiently and save you valuable

time in this busy year. There are many ways to approach learning a new piece that will make it easier and quicker. Try some of these tips below, and see which ones work best for you.

• Make sure you listen to the piece of music, and know how it sounds, before you start to learn it.

• Rather than trying to play the whole piece from beginning to end, work on small sections of music. Make sure these sections overlap, as this will allow you to get used to playing the transitions between each section smoothly. A section could begin by being about four bars long, depending on the piece. Slowly start joining the sections until larger chunks of music can be played. Before long, you will be able to play the whole piece!

• Work on the most difficult section first. Once you can play this, then go back and try and play from the beginning.

• If you need to, practise sections slowly at first.

• Occasionally play the whole piece as fast as you can from beginning to end! Notice the places where you stumble; these will need practice.

• Play the piece backwards! Take one line at a time and then move backwards to the next line up.

2. There is more to learning a piece of music than just getting the notes in the right order. Here are some more tips on getting the most out of your piece.

articulation • Think about how to start each note, particularly the first one. Different styles of music

require different articulations. Think about what is needed for your pieces.

• Think about how different ways of playing a note can change the feel of the music and always refer back to original recordings to check the accuracy of articulation.

dynamics • Think about where the quiet and loud sections are in your music. As you practise them,

try to exaggerate the range of dynamics. As you do this, listen carefully to the tone and decide how loud or quiet each section needs to be for accuracy, sensitivity and musicality.

phrasing • Analyse how your piece is structured and work on bringing out the melodies, cadence

points and chord progressions.

• Shape the melodies, making sure your breathing fits the melodic shape and allow space within the phrasing. (This also applies to pianists, guitarists, drummers and others who are not creating music by blowing. You still need to breathe with the music!)

tuning • Always make sure you are in tune before you start a piece and work on pitching notes

correctly as you are playing/singing.

tone • Concentrate on shaping your sound to fit the music/style.

• Find out how you can practise to improve your tone – for instance by playing long, held notes if you are a woodwind player.


practising tips

3. Character and musicality:

• People don’t go and watch live performances to hear a note-perfect performance; they go to be moved by the music. Ultimately, this is the most important aspect of your performance so choose pieces that you can feel connected to, musically.

• Also think about the interpretation of the music. Is there a message, story or emotion in your piece and how can you communicate this to your audience? You may need to find out why it was written, or what purpose it was written for.

• Think about the style of music you are performing. Are you playing in a way that is appropriate to the style or genre? For instance, are you trying to sing a reggae song with an operatic voice?

• Find out about where and when your piece was written, as this can have a huge affect on how you interpret dynamics, feel, articulation etc.

recording yourself playThis is a fantastic way to hear what your audience will hear. Sometimes our brains will play tricks on us and although we think we sound great, we may not realise that our timing is off, or our pitch is wrong.

When you listen back to yourself, make sure you:

• are critical

• think about how you can improve your playing

• read the music at the same time to highlight any areas that you are not playing correctly

• ask yourself whether the performance is technically secure, musically expressive and stylistically appropriate. Are you interpreting the music correctly?

memorising pieces of music Here are the advantages to playing a piece from memory:

• You can’t play a piece from memory unless you know it really well, so even if you end up using the music in a performance, memorising the piece becomes a fantastic practice tool.

• It allows you to truly become aware of the piece of music you are playing. You can know it, understand it and feel the emotional connection to it once you can play it from memory.

• It looks very impressive to an audience!

Tips on how to memorise:

• Memorise the difficult passages first and practise them as technical exercises every day.

• Don’t always try to memorise from beginning to end. Try and start the piece from memory, from the middle. This will give you secure starting places that you can rely on during a performance.

• Practise other pieces and come back to the piece you are trying to memorise regularly to see how much of it you remember.

• Analyse your piece of music. Sit down without your instrument and look carefully at how it is structured. Analysing the harmonic structure could be a very good technique for you and if you know and understand the chord progressions, it will help you play the piece better.


• Try practising in your head, away from your instrument and away from the score. You can do this anywhere!

• Keep your goals realistic. Do not expect to be able to memorise a whole piece of music in one practice session. Good memory work is achieved using small sections at a time.

• Memorise for about 10 minutes on one piece and then practise something different. Return to the piece you are memorising now and again to test your memory, but don’t memorise any further sections. The next day, test your memory again and only learn more if you are sure that the previous day’s work is solidly memorised.

• Always make sure that you have fingering and interpretation sorted out before you start to memorise a piece of music.

• Practise stopping and starting anywhere in the piece. Make sure you know it inside and out so that you can start anywhere.

reward yourself!Lastly, don’t forget to reward yourself for reaching your goals and practising regularly!

• Set yourself a mini-reward for every practice session – even as small as just one piece of your favourite chocolate!

• Set yourself a more substantial reward for the completion of your performance assessments.

extra practising tips for group performanceHere are some extra practising tips specifically for Group Performance. However, they can also be useful for Solo Performance and Second Instrument Performance if you are playing with other musicians.

accuracyMake sure all musicians practise their parts before coming together as a group. This will make full use of rehearsals.

tuningAlways tune as a group. Be aware of your tuning during rehearsals and adjust as necessary.

communicationMake sure everyone is listening carefully to each other at all times and make sure each member of the group can see each other. Use eye contact, head nodding and hand signals where necessary to communicate things like stops, starts and tempo changes.

time managementUse your time effectively and keep talking to a minimum. Don’t let others play while someone else is trying to tell you something.

cohesionDecide who will be the ‘leader’ that you look to and listen to for cues. This will help you to play and sound as a group.

practising tips


balanceThink about which part has the most importance. For instance, usually you will need to bring out the melody line and keep the accompaniment in the background, taking care not to overpower the lead parts. Also allow space into the music, particularly if someone is soloing. Remember that a group made up of good soloists will only make a good group if they work together.

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. Beverly Sills

practising tips


performance preparation and stagecraft3


learning intentionIn this lesson you will learn to apply presentation skills to your own performance assessment(s).

introductionHere are tips on how to make your performance the best it can be.

venueMake sure you perform somewhere that has good acoustics and is free from noisy interruptions. You are going to need an audience, so you will have to organise somewhere for them to sit or stand. Although a large audience is preferable, the achievement standards state that there must be at least two people watching, so make sure you invite your mates or your family along.

If you have problems organising a suitable venue, then it is possible to record your performance from your home as long as you have suitable equipment and a suitable instrument and audience for the assessment.

thinking about the end resultWhen you are preparing for performance you need to ask yourself the following.

Is my playing:

• technically secure

• stylistically appropriate

• confidently communicated to the audience

• musically expressive

• confidently presented?

Does my playing show:

• musical understanding and interpretation?

These key phrases have been taken from the achievement standards and you will be assessed on these. Therefore it will be useful to you to keep them in your mind as you practise.

To play without passion is inexcusable! Ludwig van Beethoven


performance preparation and stagecraft

creating a great introduction • Smile!

• Talk clearly.

• Say your name.

• Say your school.

• Introduce other musicians.

• Introduce your pieces.

creating a performanceAlways be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. Judy Garland

Here are some tips on creating a great performance:

• Look confident, and use props or clothes where appropriate.

• Remember that the performance starts the moment you walk on stage or start the video recorder and doesn’t end until you leave – or switch it off!

• Physical movement needs to be poised and confident.

• Cue other musicians as necessary.

• Think about how you will start and end your piece of music. These are very important moments in your performance.

• Be professional at all times during your performance and stay focused on the music and the other performers.

• Never stop or apologise for making mistakes. You may make mistakes in your performance, and although they will stand out to you, your audience may not notice them.

• Always acknowledge the audience at the end of your performance with a bow, smile or nod.

dress rehearsalsAlways try to do a dress rehearsal. Try and make it as close as possible to your final performance.

• Use the same venue.

• Use the same equipment, instrument, musicians, clothing etc.

• Invite your friends, family and music teacher along so that they can give constructive feedback.

Try and get the same person to video you that will be videoing your final performance, as this will help to sort out any potential technical problems or sound quality issues with the video camera.

You may wish to send in your dress rehearsal video to your Te Kura teacher for feedback. If you do this, mark clearly that it is a dress rehearsal only.

Videoing yourself during the dress rehearsal will give you valuable information on how you look visually to the audience. Be critical of your stagecraft. Watch out for:

• nervous habits like flicking back hair, rubbing your nose, straightening clothing

• lack of connection with the audience: looking at your hands, mumbling, etc.


performance preparation and stagecraft

• posture

• movement: too much and too little

• your position and the position of other musicians on stage.

Think about how you sound. Is your performance:

• in tune

• accurate

• musical

• confident?

Other aspects you may need to think about:

• Do a soundcheck before the audience arrives.

• Make sure you have the appropriate equipment and that it is set up correctly.

• Make sure music stands are set ready at the correct height and are not blocking the view of you from the audience.

• Put the chairs in the right place.

• Make sure the piano stool is at the correct height.

• Tune all instruments before going on stage.

• Check that all the levels on the video camera are set correctly before recording begins.

There are lots of other details for you to think about. This is your assessment and your responsibility and it can really affect the performance if you don’t get all the details right.

Take a few moments to write down all arrangements that you will need to organise for your performance. Keep this safe so that you can refer to it nearer the time.


recording and technical4


learning intentionIn this lesson you will learn to use appropriate methods to record your performance.

If you can walk you can dance. If you can talk you can sing. Zimbabwe proverb

recording guidelinesHere are ideas to help you plan and prepare for the video recording of your performance.

• Equipment: check the video recorder is set up correctly. Make sure you have enough tape/recording space available for the whole performance and allow time to fix any problems that might arise.

• Microphone: it is really important to get the best sound possible. All video recorders have a built-in microphone and most have a socket for an external one to be used. If you have a decent microphone that can be positioned close to the performer for the best sound, then use it! Be aware of ambient sounds – coughing, rustling and talking – that can be picked up by microphones. Always do a soundcheck.

• Positioning: use a tripod if possible, to make sure the recording is consistently steady with no unwanted wobble. Make sure the equipment is positioned so you can be seen and heard clearly.

• Make sure the video camera has a good view of you and make sure we know who you are.


recording and technical

Very important – read carefully!

• The DVD recording needs to be of a good quality for assessment.

• The assessment has to be playable on a DVD player.

We cannot accept VHS videos, unformatted mini-disks, mini-tapes or memory sticks.

• If you are working towards more than one performance achievement standard, it is very important to use a separate disk for each one. For instance, record the Solo Performance on one DVD and the Group Performance on another DVD.

• Write your student name, ID number and standard number on the DVD cover.

• Play through the DVD before you send it in, to make sure it works.

• Talk to your Te Kura music teacher if you need help with this.

Lastly, but most important, have fun playing!


acknowledgements

Every effort has been made to acknowledge and contact copyright holders. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu apologises for any

omissions and welcomes more accurate information.

Photo

Jazz saxophone player, iStockphoto, 12424108.

Illustrations

Trumpet player; Reggae singer; Drummer; Busker, all Ross Kinnard © 2011 Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, Wellington, New Zealand.

© te aho o te kura pounamu

Documents

Home | Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu - 2012012le2 arn10 · 2015. 3. 30. · keys. Worked on new piece, ‘Yardbird Suite’. Fingering was really difficult so I had to ask teacher for