M.T307

Small Group Performance: Process and Product

Students will form small performing groups (quartets, trios, etc.), and then select and prepare a short piece for performance with minimal teacher guidance. Each student will complete a Rehearsal Journal for each day of rehearsal. This assessment will take place over four weeks but use only four class periods.

In Part 1, groups will be assigned and the music distributed. The remainder of the class is to be used by the groups to plan their selected pieces and rehearsal schedules.

In Part 2, which will take place in the next class period, facilitated practice by the newly formed small ensembles will occur. The teacher will oversee the small group rehearsals and offer comments and practice strategies when needed.

In Part 3, the midpoint (which will take place two weeks from the starting day), students will practice in class for additional brief feedback from the teacher, who will also check rehearsal journals.

In Part 4, which will take place at the end of the four weeks, students will perform their pieces in class for their peers and be scored on a number of dimensions from the process and the performance using a provided rubric. An audio recording of each performance will be made for the teacher’s use in scoring students’ performances.

This item has been voluntarily field-tested by Michigan teachers with a non-representative sample of students.


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
  • Technical Accuracy

    Pitch/Rhythm

  • Technical Accuracy

    Ensemble Cohesion

  • Technical Accuracy

    Intonation

  • Expression

    Dynamics

  • Expression

    Style

  • Assignment Completion

    Performance

  • Assignment Completion

    Rehearsal Journal

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Group plays or sings with limited accuracy.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group plays or sings some notes and rhythms correctly.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group plays or sings most notes and rhythms correctly.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group plays or sings all or nearly all notes and rhythms correctly.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group is unable to stay together rhythmically or maintain steady tempo.

    N/A at this time.
  • There are frequent and/or significant problems with staying together rhythmically and/or maintaining steady tempo.

    N/A at this time.
  • Some problems occur with staying together rhythmically and/or maintaining steady tempo.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group is able to stay together rhythmically and maintain steady tempo.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group is unable to play or sing in tune.

    N/A at this time.
  • There are frequent and/or significant problems with playing or singing in tune.

    N/A at this time.
  • Some problems occur with playing or singing in tune.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group is able to play or sing in tune with very few or no errors.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group ignores expressive markings or performs them incorrectly.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group attends to most expressive markings in the score.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group’s performance goes beyond technical accuracy in that most expressive markings in the score are performed accurately.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group attends to all or nearly all expressive markings in the score (dynamics, articulation, etc.).

    N/A at this time.
  • Notes and rhythms may be accurate but lack expressive detail.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group shows little effort to make its own interpretation of the piece.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group makes some interpretative choices.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group’s performance reflects an effort to make interpretive choices that convey musical meaning.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group has minimally followed assignment instructions.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group has followed some instructions correctly. There are significant departures from specified parameters or glaring omissions of elements of the assignment.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group has followed most instructions correctly. They may have missed a few specified parameters or failed to complete some portion of the assignment.

    N/A at this time.
  • Group has followed all instructions correctly. They selected a piece of the appropriate length and prepared adequately for the performance.

    N/A at this time.
  • Rehearsal Journal is not done or incomplete.

    N/A at this time.
  • Rehearsal Journal is not specific regarding goals and outcomes of rehearsals.

    N/A at this time.
  • Rehearsal Journal includes some details regarding goals and outcomes of each rehearsal.

    N/A at this time.
  • Rehearsal Journal includes many musical details and clearly stated goals and outcomes.

    N/A at this time.
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