Sample Music Curriculum for 9-12 choir

programs.
An overview of curriculums designed for the individual high school grade levels as well as objectives
students should know prior to entering ninth grade.

This curriculum emphasizes aspects based on theory, performance, repertoire, and vocal technique. All
of these aspects are designed to work together to ensure students reach an overarching concept of a
specific level of musical understanding.
Ryan Moos

Prior to Ninth Grade

Goal: Students should contain basic musical knowledge regarding
theory, technique, performance, and repertoire that will provide a
basis for their future growth as a musician.
Theory: The student should understand basic concepts of theory such as note values, time
signatures, and fluently read bass and treble clef.
-Time signature: The student must understand time signatures in simple meter and
compound duple.
-Notes: The student should be able to read bass and treble clef without hesitation.
Students must be aware that an accidental alters the pitch either up or down.
-Note values: The student must understand the duration of all values from a sixteenth
note to a whole note.

Technique: The student should understand the physical process behind a proper breath even
if it is not executed properly consistently. The student should also be able to sight read along
with piano accompaniment and be able to match pitch.
-Tone Production: The student should be forming the beginning concepts of proper
placement, breath, and awareness of tension.
-Vowels: The student must be aware vowels cannot be sung as if they are spoken.
Students should be able to repeat a proper vowel upon hearing the vowel modeled by the
teacher.
-Sight-reading: The student is expected to match pitch with the piano playing their
specific part but is not expected to sight read without the piano playing their specific part.
Rhythms should be %70 accurate.
-Pitch Accuracy: The student must be able to match pitch easily. The student should also
be able to sing any interval upon hearing both notes. The student is not expected to sing an
interval only hearing their starting pitch.

Performance: The student must be attentive during performances and perform with
unwavering attention and authenticity.
Repertoire: The student should have sung in a variety of musical styles encompassing musical
theatre, folk, classical, spiritual.
-History: The student should be able to give a descriptive background of the time
period, composer, and what the text is about.
-Diversity: Student should understand basic stylistic differences and be able to identify
said differences.
- Language: The student is not expected to have sung in a foreign language. However,
the student must understand they will be learning how to sing in a foreign language shortly in
the future.
Ninth Grade
Goal: Students will further develop pitch accuracy, awareness of
breath connection, and begin work in foreign languages and
knowledge of contrasting musical styles.
Theory: The student will begin to further develop their basic knowledge of music theory with
emphasis placed on identifying major and minor key signatures.
-Time signature: The student will begin to be exposed to music that switches between
time signatures.
-Notes: The student will begin to acknowledge patterns in music such as descending and
ascending scales, and intervals up to a perfect fifth (minus-tritones). Students will now also
begin to identify rhythm patterns.
-Scales: The student will be able to identify a major or minor scale by listening to it.
Students will also be able to identify a major scale on in music but are not expected to identify
minor scale passages in music.
-Note Values: The student will understand the concept of ties and slurs.

Technique: Proper breath connection should become more consistent as the year progresses.
Students will begin to sing acapella and repeat pitches after hearing them.
-Tone Production: The student will develop an awareness of when the breath is not
connected properly to the sound.
-Vowels: The student will learn the difference between bright, dark, closed, and open
vowels.
-Sight-Reading: The student should form the beginning concept of pitch awareness and
accuracy without the piano. Rhythms will become slightly more complex and an accuracy of
75% is wanted.
-Pitch Accuracy: The student will sing two or more intervals up to a perfect fifth upon
hearing the starting note.

Performance: The student should be aware of the style differences for each piece in their
concert. The student should continue to perform authentically and attentively matching the
style and character of the piece.

Repertoire: The student will sing in two contrasting styles, one foreign language piece, and a
simple acapella piece.
 -Possible Choices: Adoramus Te (Palestrina), African Gloria (Sonja Poorman)
-History: The student will do research on his/her own and write a paragraph of
background information for each piece. Information may include, composer, time period,
meaning behind the piece, or translations.
-Diversity: The student will understand differences in style techniques needed for each
piece to be performed to its fullest.
-Language: The student will be able to speak the piece by his/herself with correct
pronunciation of consonants and vowels.
Tenth Grade:
Goal: Student will understand function of half steps, identify major
and minor scales, be able to sing and identify intervals up to a M6,
and be aware of whether they are under or over the pitch.
Theory: The student will begin to understand function of leading tones in a major and minor
scale as well as further identify intervals, scales and note values.
-Time Signature: The student will be exposed to music that switches between simple
and compound time.
-Notes: The student will continue to identify interval patterns and begin to identify
intervals up to a Major sixth.
-Scales: The student will identify a major or minor scale in sheet music. However,
students will not need to know the form of the minor scale yet (melodic, harmonic, natural).
-Note Values: Emphasis will be placed on switching from eighth notes to triplets and
practicing the feel of going from simple to compound time.

Technique: Continuation of breath consistency, students should begin an awareness of

whether they or sharp or flat.
-Tone Production: The student should develop an awareness of whether they are under
or higher than the desired pitch.
-Vowels: The student will develop an awareness of the difference between bright, dark,
closed and open vowels.
-Sight Reading: An accuracy of 75% regarding pitch and rhythms is wanted. Students will
now be expected to become more accurate with pitch.
-Pitch Accuracy: The student must be able to sing two or more intervals up to a major
sixth (minus tri-tones) upon hearing their starting note.

Performance: The student must develop an awareness of performance space and audience.
The student must note the size of the space and who their audience is. The student should
continually be aware of style differences and perform authentically and attentively matching
the style and character of the piece.

Repertoire: Students will begin to be exposed to pieces from different eras in time. Students
will also have a piece in a foreign language and one musical theatre, or folk tune.
 -Possible Choices: Art Thou Troubled (Handel), Cold and Fugue Season, Ubi Caritas
(Victor C. Johnson)
-History: The student will do research on his/her own and write a paragraph of
background information for each piece. Information may include, composer, time period,
meaning behind the piece, or translations.
-Diversity: The student will understand differences in style techniques needed for each
piece to be performed to its fullest.
-Language: The student will be able to speak the piece by his/herself with correct
pronunciation of consonants and vowels.
Eleventh Grade:
Goal: The student will understand the macro beats of simple and
compound meter, harmonic minor scales, show consistent breath
connection, awareness of vocal colors, and sing in two foreign
languages.
Theory: The student will learn the difference between the macro beats of simple and
compound meter as well as identify harmonic minor scales, tri-tones, and be able to explain
note values to classmates without teacher assistance.
-Time Signature: The student will learn the difference between the macro beats of
simple and compound time as well as continue to sing in both meters.
-Notes: The student will continue to identify interval patterns and begin to identify
intervals up to a Major sixth including tri-tones.
-Scales: The student will identify a major or minor scale visually. The student will be
introduced to the different types of minor scales but emphasis will be placed on the harmonic
minor scale.
-Note Values: The student will explain note value to fellow classmates. Students will no
longer need assistance in deciphering a note value in any less complex simple or compound
meter.

Technique: The student will have continuous proper breath connection and be able to
identify whether they are flat or sharp. Students should begin an awareness of vocal colors.
-Tone Production: The student should develop an awareness of whether they are under
or higher than the desired pitch. Students should begin an awareness of vocal colors and
understand the basics of blending colors.
-Vowels: The student will understand the difference between bright, dark, closed, open,
forward and back vowels.
-Sight Reading: An accuracy of 75% regarding pitch and rhythms is wanted.
-Pitch Accuracy: The student must be able to sing three or more consecutive intervals
up to a major sixth (including tri-tones) upon hearing their starting note.
Performance: The student must develop an awareness of performance space and audience.
The student must note the size of the space and who their audience is. The student should
continually be aware of style differences and perform authentically and attentively matching
the style and character of the piece.

Repertoire: Students will begin to be exposed to pieces from different eras in time. Students
will also have two pieces in different languages, spiritual, multi-cultural piece and an acapella
piece.
-Possible Choices: Here Take this Lovely Flower (Frank Ticheli), Bailando (Greg Jasperse)
Cantate Canticum Novum (Dan Forrest)
-History: The student will do research on his/her and develop a power point
presentation on the spiritual, or foreign language piece. The presentation will include aspects
such as composer, text translations, time period.
-Diversity: The student will understand differences in style techniques needed for each
piece to be performed to its fullest. Student will also understand the correct vocal color needed
for each piece.
-Language: The student will be able to speak the piece by his/herself with correct
pronunciation of consonants and vowels and be able to recite a short summary or translation of
the text.
Twelfth Grade:
Goal: The student will master chant singing and almost all simple and
complex meters. Students will recognize if they are sharp or flat and
understand the different vowel shapes and colors. The student will
also be able to sing any interval up to a perfect octave upon hearing
their starting note.
Theory: The student will master chant singing, identify intervals up to a perfect octave,
identify the various forms of minor scales auditorily and visually, and understand all note values
in any simple or compound time signature.
-Time Signature: The student will learn to sing in more complex simple and compound
meters. The student will also be introduced to chant singing and master the concept by the end
of the year.
-Notes: The student will continue to identify interval patterns and begin to identify
intervals up to a Perfect Octave including tri-tones.
-Scales: The student will identify the various forms of minor scales auditorily and
visually.
-Note Values: The student will explain note value to fellow classmates. Students will no
longer need assistance in deciphering a note value in any simple or compound meter.

Technique: The student can identify whether they are flat or sharp. The student will know
the difference between each vowel shape and color. Students will also sing four or more
consecutive intervals up to a perfect octave only given their starting note.
-Tone Production: The student can identify whether they are flat or sharp. Students
should understand the differences in vocal colors and what physically needs to happen to
produce such colors.
-Vowels: The student will understand the difference between bright, dark, closed, open,
back, and forward vowels.
-Sight Reading: An accuracy of 80% regarding pitch and rhythms is wanted.
-Pitch Accuracy: The student must be able to sing four or more consecutive intervals up
to a perfect octave upon hearing their starting note.

Performance: The student must develop an awareness of performance space and audience.
The student must note the size of the space and who their audience is. The student should
continually be aware of style differences and perform authentically and attentively matching
the style and character of the piece.

Repertoire: Students will begin to be exposed to pieces from different eras in time. Students
will also have two pieces in different languages, spiritual, multi-cultural piece, and an acapella
piece.
-Possible Choices: I Am Not Yours (David N. Childs), Agnus Dei (Ola Gjeilo), I Got A Robe
(arr. By Paul Carey) Alma Redemptoris Mater (Gyrogy Orban)
-History: The student will do research on his/her and develop a power point
presentation on the spiritual, or foreign language piece. The presentation will include aspects
such as composer, text translations, time period.
-Diversity: The student will understand differences in style techniques needed for each
piece to be performed to its fullest. Student will also understand the correct vocal color and
vowel shapes needed for each piece.
-Language: The student will be able to speak the piece by his/herself with correct
pronunciation of consonants and vowels and be able to recite a short summary or translation of
the text.