M.E330

Improvise Your Own Ending

Students will improvise two-measure melodic endings to teacher-selected etudes, method book exercises, and/or repertoire melodies that are two or six measures in length to create a phrase of either four or eight measures. Improvised endings must be consistent in style, meter, and tonality with the composed materials. Sixth-grade students will improvise without an accompaniment. Seventh-grade students will improvise over rhythmic accompaniments. Eighth-grade students will have the option of improvising over rhythmic accompaniments. The provided melodies should vary according to the different competencies expected of students in grades six, seven, and eight.

This assessment requires the assistance of a musically qualified proctor, such as a parent, a music colleague at the school, a student teacher, or another music student, to administer the assessment in the assessment space.

This item has not been field-tested by Michigan teachers.

Teacher Booklet

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Student Booklet

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This is an analytic rubric. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

TEACHER SCORING RUBRIC

  • Dimension

  • Melodic Development

  • Consistency of Style, Meter, and Tonality

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

  • Improvised ending is distorted or incoherent and lacks a discernable melody.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending makes musical sense but lacks appeal.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending makes musical sense and is somewhat interesting.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending makes musical sense, is imaginative, and is highly appealing.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending is not in character with the rest of the excerpt; incorrect style, meter, and tonality are used.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending is somewhat in character with the rest of the excerpt. One of the following three concepts is correct: style, meter, or tonality.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending is mostly in character with the rest of the excerpt. Two of the following three concepts are correct: style, meter, or tonality.

    N/A at this time.

  • Improvised ending in character with the rest of the excerpt. All three of the following are correct: style, meter, and tonality.

    N/A at this time.
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