VOCAL BENCHMARKS

Vocal Roots LevelTechnique:___ Demonstrate proper singing posture (Back straight, shoulders down, relaxed neck and jaw, feet under shoulders, relaxed knees)___ Demonstrate proper breathing techniques (Relaxed neck, jaw and shoulders, breathe deeply without raising shoulders, connect breath to the production of sound)___ Demonstrate the ability to participate in vocal warmups___ Demonstrate ability to produce a clear tone with your voice___ Demonstrate understanding of the difference between chest voice and head voice___ Dynamics – p, mf, f, etc.

Intervals/Scales:___Demonstrate knowledge of Solfege syllables (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do)___Demonstrate ability to sing a major scale with and without solfege___ Demonstrate understanding of what a pitch is___ Demonstrate ability to match pitch with another singer (unison)___Demonstrate ability to hear an interval and echo sing it back

Rhythm and Musicianship:___ Demonstrate ability to read and sing whole, half, quarter note rhythm’s and rests___ Understand and demonstrate ability to follow basic song structure: (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, etc.)___ Name the musical alphabet (A,B,C,D,E,F,G,A,B….)___Demonstrate ability to sing a round with a group

Scales:___ Demonstrate ability to sing from memory the lyrics to 3 songs___ Demonstrate ability to sing from memory the melody to 3 songs

Rhythm:___ Demonstrate comfort and ability in singing into a standing mic, and adjusting stand properly. ___ Perform in at least one Student Concert

Performance:___Demonstrate Understanding of basic vocal vocabulary: (Posture, breath support, vowels, consonants, diction, resonance, tone, pitch, melody, lyrics, verse, chorus, bridge, chest voice, head voice, falsetto, interval)

V0CAL BENCHMARKS

Vocal Rockers LevelPrerequisite:___ Complete and demonstrate benchmarks from Vocal Roots.

Technique:___ Range expansion techniques (warm ups)___ Demonstrate proper diction (warm ups)___ Choose an appropriate song based on your range___Demonstrate head, chest, nasal and blended voices (belt depending on age)___Ability to project without tension

Interval Scales:___ Use solfege to sing basic intervals___Demonstrate ability to sing major and minor scales___ Demonstrate ability to identify and sing whole and half steps relative to a root pitch (above and below) ___ Demonstrate ability to identify and sing an octave relative to a root pitch ___ Demonstrate ability to identify and sing Major and Minor 3rds relative to a root pitch___ Demonstrate ability to identify and sing a Perfect Fifth relative to a root pitch

Rhythm and Musicianship:___ Demonstrate understanding of sheet music markings such as bar lines, double bar lines, repeats___Demonstrate the ability to sight sing a simple melody with a group ___Learn the Treble Clef___Demonstrate understanding of key signatures___ Demonstrate ability to navigate a basic lead sheet ___ Demonstrate ability to sing a part in a 2 part harmony

Memorization:___ Demonstrate ability to sing a solo___ Demonstrate ability to sing from memory the harmony to 3 songs

Performance:___ Demonstrate ability to count the group into a song___ Demonstrate ability to adjust distance to the mic based on voice volume___Ability to adjust microphone stand to correct height___ Perform in at least one Student Concert

Vocabulary:___Demonstrate understanding of the following vocabulary: ( Note values, treble clef, intervals, bar lines, measure, double bar line, repeat, rounds, lead sheet, chord chart, harmony, solo, tempo, dynamics, vocal placement, key signatures)

VOCAL BENCHMARKS

Vocal Rollers LevelPrerequisite:___ Complete and demonstrate benchmarks from Vocal Rockers.

Technique:___ Triad Arpeggios – Understand, Sing, and Improvise ___ Ear Training (recognize and sing all intervals)___ Phrasing and extended breathing techniques

Intervals/Scales:___Use solfege to sing intervals and melodies ___Demonstrate ability to sing harmonic minor, major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales___Demonstrate ability to sing Major and Minor 6th’s relative to a root pitch___ Demonstrate ability to sing Major and Minor 7th’s relative to a root pitch___ Learn and improvise with the minor scale___ Learn and improvise with the minor pentatonic scale___Learn and improvise with the major pentatonic scale

Rhythm/Musicianship/Reading:___ Individually sight read a basic melody in standard notation___ Demonstrate ability to read and sing eighth, dotted half, and dotted quarter note rhythm’s and rests___ Demonstrate ability to sing a part in a 3 part harmony

Vocabulary:___ Demonstrate understanding of the following vocabulary: Improvise, arpeggios, notation

Performance:___ Perform in at least one Student Concert

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