Download Honors Handbook for performance ensembles

Chelmsford High School
Honors Performance Ensemble Information
Band, Concert Choir, Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra may be taken
as a Level I (Honors) course with the approval of the instructor and the
Fine Arts Department Coordinator.
The typical Honors level musician is one who:
 Displays a serious attitude towards music
 Is taking or is planning on taking private lessons
 Has continued playing or studying music beyond the high school
level
Grading Policy for Honors Performance Ensembles is as follows:
Class preparation and participation – 21%: See Individual Ensemble
Handbook for Details
Concert attendance – 21%: See Individual Ensemble Handbook for
Details
Performance Assessments – 29%: See Individual Ensemble Handbook for
Details
Honors Portfolio – 29%:
Students taking Chorus, Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, or Band for
honors credit are required to take on additional responsibilities.
All honors students will be required to lead one 10-minute class warmup per semester. Students will submit a written plan two class periods
before their scheduled warm-up. A written, reflective self-evaluation is
due the class period following the warm-up.
All honors students are required to audition for either Senior Districts or
Junior Districts (available to freshmen only). Please note that
sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are switching into honors this year
must do a mock-audition for their ensemble director at the end of
September. If students are unable to perform the audition material, they
will be removed from the honors roster. We do not want students to have
a bad audition experience!
All honors students will submit program notes three weeks prior to a
concert. “Program notes” are a short essay about a piece of music.
Program notes should include detailed information about the composer,
arranger (if applicable), and piece. All sources should be cited. Please
see the due dates for program notes in each ensemble’s Honors
Handbook.
All honors students will be required to see and write an essay about one
outside performance per term. Students must see a performance in each
category listed below. Students may choose which category they submit
which term.
 One performance, colligate level or higher within their performance
area
 One performance, colligate level or higher outside their
performance area (this could be a band, chorus, jazz ensemble,
blues ensemble, musical, pop concert, or rock concert)
 One CHS performance ensemble (band or chorus)
 One local high school performance within their performance area
(orchestra)
All honors students will perform one performance jury per semester
(during finals week). Students will prepare a piece of solo music and a
scale to perform for the music faculty. Students will be assessed using
the MA All-State rubric. This grade will be averaged with the student’s
written exam grade to determine their mid-year or final exam grade.
Semester Exams:
Written exams will be given at the end of each semester.
Required performances (see individual ensemble handbooks for
dates)
Winter Concert
Stringfest (orchestra)
Spring Pre-MICCA Concert
MICCA or other festival performance (see handbooks)
Pops Concert