Michael Kokus
CambriaHeightsMiddle School
414 Glendale Lake Road
Patton, PA16668-6803
814-674-6290 ext. 112
7th Grade General Music Syllabus
Dear Parents and Students,
General music is a requirement for every student in the middle school who does not choose to participate in band or chorus. In 7th grade, general music students will learn the basics of guitar playing. The objective of this course is to teach students the fundamental skills required to play the guitar, so that they will have a foundation should they choose to continue playing outside of class. Music can be a life long activity, and the guitar is a very affordable and practical choice for students to play the music that they are familiar with. All materials and instruments for this course are provided by the school.Students will not be exclusively evaluated on their instrumental proficiency;rather, I will consider the effort, participation, and progress put forth from each student when it comes time to determine a grade. The grading system will break down as follows:
Class Participation40%
Most of what we learn will be covered in class, and the students must be active participants to be successful in this course.
***At no time will teasing or any other degrading comment towards a student’s musical ability be tolerated! Students cannot feel inhibited if we are to have a healthy learning environment. Students will receive a deduction in their class participation grade if they fail to respect the other students in the class.
Tests40%
There will be at least one performance and written tests given during each nine week period. Guitars will be made available for students to practice in the band room during the morning homeroom period (7:30-8:00) and activity period (except for schedule F).
Homework20%
Any homework assignments are expected to be turned in fully completed and on time. Late assignments may be accepted, but there will be a fifty percent grade reduction. After one week, no credit will be given.
I am looking forward to working with each one of you, and I hope that we will be able to share meaningful musical experiences in the months ahead. Please sign and return the lower portion of this paper to signify that you have read and understood what will be expected in general music this year. You may keep the rest of this document for your own records. Please contact me directly if there are any questions.
Thank you,
Mr. Michael Kokus
CambriaHeights Music Faculty
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I have read and understood the content and grading procedures explained in the 7th grade middle school general music syllabus.
Student Signature: ______Parent Signature: ______