Elementary Singing Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / sings the song with no thought about breathing, tone quality, or posture; is unable to maintain his/her part; does not respond to the cues of the conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks often during the performance; sings without a steady beat.
2 / sings with 4-6 mistakes; poor enthusiasm and concentration; talks occasionally during the performance.
3 / sings with 2-3 mistakes; fair enthusiasm and concentration.
4 / sings song with 1 or fewer mistakes in memory, part maintenance, vocal tone, posture, breathing, blend, concentration, expressiveness, etc.; demonstrates concentration and interest while singing.
5 (most skilled performance) / sings song, maintaining own part, using proper breathing techniques and a pleasing tone, with and without accompaniment, memorized, with appropriate expressive and stylistic devices and stage presence, blending vocal timbres, matching dynamic levels, singing with correct posture, excellent concentration and interest, and responding to the conductor as part of a group.

Elementary Recorder Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 ((least skilled performance) / plays the song with no thought about breathing, tone quality, or posture; makes no effort to or is unable to play the correct notes; does not respond to the cues of the conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks often during the performance; plays without a steady beat.
2 / plays with 4-6 mistakes; poor enthusiasm and concentration; talks occasionally during the performance; fails to watch the conductor.
3 / plays with 2-3 mistakes; fair enthusiasm and concentration; watches the conductor.
4 / plays song with 1 or fewer mistakes in memory, part maintenance, intonation, articulation, posture, breathing, concentration, expressiveness, etc.; demonstrates concentration and interest while playing.
5 (most skilled performance) / plays song with correct pitches and rhythms, using proper breathing techniques and a pleasing tone, memorized, with appropriate expressive and stylistic devices and stage presence, matching dynamic levels, playing with correct posture, excellent concentration and interest, and responding to the conductor as part of a group.

Elementary Mallet Instrument Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / plays song with no thought about phrasing, dynamics, mallet technique, or posture; makes no effort to play correct notes/rhythms; does not respond to conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks often during performance; plays without steady beat.
2 / plays with 4-6 mistakes; shows poor enthusiasm & concentration; talks occasionally during performance; fails to watch conductor.
3 / plays with 2-3 mistakes; shows acceptable enthusiasm & concentration; watches the conductor.
4 / plays song with 1 mistake in memory, intonation, posture, mallet technique, concentration, expression, etc.; demonstrates concentration & interest.
5 (most skilled performance) / plays song with correct pitches & rhythm, using proper mallet techniques & pleasing tone quality, memorized, with appropriate expressive and stylistic devices & stage presence, matching dynamic levels, playing with correct posture, excellent concentration & interest, & responding to the conductor as part of a group.

Elementary Violin Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / plays the song with no thought about phrasing, dynamics, bow or finger technique, or posture; makes no effort to play the correct notes; does not respond to the cues of the conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks often during the performance; uses bow as weapon or cane; plays without a steady beat.
2 / plays with 4-6 mistakes; poor enthusiasm and concentration; talks occasionally during the performance; fails to watch the conductor.
3 / plays with 2-3 mistakes; fair enthusiasm and concentration; watches the conductor.
4 / plays song with 1 or fewer mistakes in memory, part maintenance, intonation, articulation, posture, bow or finger technique, concentration, expressiveness, etc.; demonstrates concentration and interest while playing.
5 (most skilled performance) / plays song with correct pitches and rhythms, using proper bow and finger techniques and pleasing tone quality, memorized, with appropriate expressive and stylistic devices and stage presence, matching dynamic levels, playing with correct posture, excellent concentration and interest, and responding to the conductor as part of a group.

Elementary Percussion Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / plays song with no thought about phrasing, dynamics, instrumental technique, or posture; makes no effort to play correct rhythms and/or pitches ; does not respond to conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks often during performance; uses instrument as weapon; plays without steady beat.
2 / plays with 4-6 mistakes; shows poor enthusiasm & concentration; talks occasionally during performance; fails to watch conductor.
3 / plays with 2-3 mistakes; shows acceptable enthusiasm & concentration; watches conductor.
4 / plays song with 1 mistake in memory, intonation, part maintenance, articulation, posture, instrumental technique, concentration, expressiveness, etc.; demonstrates concentration and interest while playing.
5 (most skilled performance) / plays song with correct pitches and rhythm, using proper technique and pleasing tone quality, memorized, with appropriate expressive & stylistic devices & stage presence, matching dynamic levels, playing with correct posture, excellent concentration & interest, & responding to the conductor as part of a group.

Elementary Autoharp/Guitar Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / plays song with no thought about phrasing, dynamics, instrumental technique, or posture; makes no effort to play correct rhythms and/or pitches ; does not respond to the conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks often during performance; uses instrument as weapon; plays without steady beat.
2 / plays with 4-6 mistakes; shows poor enthusiasm & concentration; talks occasionally during performance; fails to watch conductor.
3 / plays with 2-3 mistakes; shows acceptable enthusiasm & concentration; watches conductor.
4 / plays song with 1 mistake in memory, intonation, part maintenance, articulation, instrumental technique, posture, concentration, expressiveness, etc.; demonstrates concentration and interest while playing.
5 (most skilled performance) / plays song with correct pitches & rhythms, using proper techniques & pleasing tone quality, memorized, with appropriate expressive & stylistic devices & stage presence, matching dynamic levels, playing with correct posture, excellent concentration & interest, and responding to the conductor as part of a group.

Elementary Composition Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / does not complete song, or: writes song illegibly, without planning his or her ideas or following given guidelines; or: makes 7 or more careless mistakes; or: talks often or otherwise wastes work time.
2 / completes work with 4-6 mistakes; shows poor enthusiasm & concentration; talks occasionally during work time; fails to follow 1-2 given guidelines; writes sloppily.
3 / completes work with 2-3 mistakes; shows acceptable enthusiasm & concentration; follows most guidelines.
4 / completes work with 1 mistake in rhythm, notation syntax, or planning; shows very good concentration, effort, & interest; follows given guidelines.
5 (most skilled performance) / completes work with no mistakes in rhythm, notation syntax, or planning; shows outstanding understanding, concentration, effort, & interest; follows given guidelines.

Elementary Music Dictation Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / does not complete exercise, or: writes exercise illegibly, without following guidelines; or: makes 5 or more mistakes; or: talks often or otherwise wastes work time.
2 / notates exercise with 3-4 mistakes; shows poor understanding, enthusiasm, &/or concentration; talks often during work time; fails to follow given guidelines; writes sloppily.
3 / notates exercise with 2 mistakes; shows acceptable understanding, enthusiasm & concentration; follows most given guidelines.
4 / notates exercise with 1 mistake in rhythm, notation syntax, or planning; shows very good understanding, concentration, effort, & interest; follows guidelines.
5 (most skilled performance) / notates exercise quickly with no mistakes in rhythm, notation syntax, or planning; shows outstanding understanding, concentration, effort, & interest; follows given guidelines exactly.

Elementary Music Sight-Reading Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / does not complete sight-reading exercise; or: stops & starts over again during testing time; or: plays or sings exercise sloppily without steady beat or with incorrect pitches, rhythm, expression, dynamics, etc.
2 / performs exercise with 4-6 mistakes; shows poor understanding, enthusiasm, and/or concentration; starts over during test time; articulates sloppily.
3 / performs exercise with 3 mistakes; shows acceptable understanding of pitch, rhythm, & dynamics; demonstrates enthusiasm and concentration; follows most given guidelines.
4 / performs exercise with 1 mistake in rhythm, pitch, dynamics, expression, or articulation; shows very good understanding, concentration, effort, and interest; follows given guidelines.
5 (most skilled performance) / performs exercise quickly and accurately, with no mistakes in rhythm, pitch, dynamics, expression, or articulation; shows outstanding understanding, concentration, effort, and interest; interprets music notation exactly.

Elementary Improvisation Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / does not play at all during song; or: performs “any old notes in any old rhythm”, without putting forth any thoughtful effort; plays arhythmically or exploratorily, rather than with mindful concentration.
2 / improvises with some rhythm (inconsistent); starts and stops playing; shows poor enthusiasm & concentration; fails to follow guidelines; performs sloppily.
3 / improvises with recognizable steady beat; shows acceptable enthusiasm & concentration; repeats the same musical ideas or plays random pitches to the beat.
4 / improvises using varying rhythmic patterns and pitch patterns; shows very good concentration, effort, & interest; begins with a musical idea using a few pitches, then varies it or adds something new.
5 (most skilled performance) / improvises comfortably using a large range of pitches and rhythms; demonstrates excellent sense of beat, rhythm, expression, & dynamics while playing; shows outstanding understanding, concentration, effort, & interest; follows and expands upon given guidelines.

Elementary Keyboard Performance Rubric

To receive a score of: / The student:
1 (least skilled performance) / plays song with no thought about phrasing, dynamics, fingering, or posture; makes no effort to play correct notes/rhythms; does not respond to conductor; makes numerous memorization mistakes; talks or starts over during performance; plays without steady beat.
2 / plays with 4-6 mistakes; shows poor enthusiasm & concentration; talks or starts over during performance; fails to watch conductor.
3 / plays with 2-3 mistakes but goes on; shows acceptable technique, understanding, enthusiasm & concentration; watches the conductor.
4 / plays song with 1 mistake in memory, intonation, posture, technique, concentration, expression, etc.; demonstrates above average concentration & interest.
5 (most skilled performance) / plays song with correct pitches & rhythm, using proper technique & pleasing tone quality, memorized, with appropriate expressive and stylistic devices, stage presence, dynamic levels, & posture; demonstrates excellent concentration & interest, & responds to the conductor.