​Assessment Measures

Click here for the Kennedy Center's ArtsEdge Standards we use.

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• Pre-Course Evaluation

• Oral and Written Quizzes

• Homework Assignments

• Class Participation

• Rehearsal Performance Prep

• Concert Performances Evaluation

• Final Presentation Project

• Exit Course Evaluation

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Goals

   • Keep Blues youthful and exciting, while preserving it and building on the past.

• Introduce this American art form to new audiences, globally.

• Use critical thinking skills, while collaborating with others.

• Apply practical skills learned in class in a culminating activity on stage.

• Provide Blues Kids with the basic skills (musically, socially, emotionally and linguistically) necessary to play proficiently and effectively in a music community.

• Promote digital learning and embrace technology.

• Introduce students to the art of live professional performance.

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Objectives

• Introduce the history of American music through the lens of the Blues.

• Keep the Blues youthful and exciting, while preserving the past.

• Represent the next generation of Blues artist as scholars and proficient players + vocalists.

• Learn the importance of the Blues from a sociological and historical perspective with a focus on the future.

• Use critical thinking skills and collaborate with others.

• Apply practical skills learned in class in a culminating activity on stage.

 

Learning Outcomes

For Student Musicians To:

• Improve music literacy by playing by ear and reading tabs + chord charts.

• Communicate using cross-generational/regional “Blues” language.

• Use proper dynamics to ensure appropriate volume levels for songs.

• Accompany vocalist with proper volume control, fills and chords.

• Critique and self-evaluate performances and provide feedback to others.

• Perform as “one” in an ensemble setting.

• Demonstrate basic Blues patterns such as 8-bar and 12-bar Blues.

• Demonstrate the call-and-response.

• Play songs effectively without guitar or piano solos.

• Perform a 15 to 20 minute set of music at a professional level with confidence.

• Demonstrate the art of the groove.