Task Details
Rhythm Improvisation (2 Phrases)
In this task, students will demonstrate their improvisation proficiency by improvising two rhythm phrases in response to rhythm prompts. Each phrase is 8-beats long and in duple meter. The teacher will assess each student’s individual proficiency and may choose to deliver the task to all students during one class period or to selected students over several class periods.
This page contains an 'at a glance' overview of this task, a downloadable teacher guide document, and the task rubric with student work samples and rating justifications for each proficiency level.
Proficiency Level(s)
- Intermediate
Document(s)
Targeted Grade Level(s)
- Upper Elementary
- Middle School
Prompt(s)
- No prompts
Classroom Piloting Status
- Piloting in Progress
Standard(s)
Content Area | Artistic Process | Standard |
---|---|---|
General Music | Creating | 2. I can improvise music. |
Benchmark(s) and Indicator(s)
Benchmark | Indicator |
---|---|
GM.CR.IL.2 - I can improvise short melodic question and answer patterns. | GM.CR.IL.2.2 - I can improvise rhythmic and melodic patterns to create a musical phrase. |
Rubric and Sample Student Work
RHYTHM | |||
Proficiency Level | Description | Sample Student Work | Justification |
---|---|---|---|
Exemplary | Rhythmic elements are always consistent and clear throughout both phrases:
|
Rhythm - Exemplary Sample 1 |
Sample 1 Rhythmic elements are clear and consistent throughout both phrases. The student's tempo is consistent with the teachers. Duple meter is strong and clearly defined. The rhythm elements are precise, particularly when performing subdivisions. |
Proficient | Rhythmic elements are mostly consistent and clear throughout both phrases:
|
Rhythm - Proficient Sample 1 Rhythm - Proficient Sample 2 |
Sample 1 Rhythmic elements are mostly consistent in both phrases. The student rushes their tempo toward the end of the first phrase, but the second phrase is consistent with the teacher's prompt. The meter is clearly defined throughout the performance. Except for the end of the first phrase, the student performed macrobeats, microbeats, and subdivisions clearly and precisely. Sample 2 Rhythmic elements were mostly consistent, clear, and precise throughout both phrases. The meter was clearly defined through the microbeats and subdivisions. The tempo is mostly consistent with the prompt, but the student rushed in the second measure of both phrases. |
Approaching Proficient | Rhythmic elements are sometimes consistent and clear in at least one phrase:
|
Rhythm - Approaching Proficient Sample 1 |
Sample 1 The rhythmic elements are consistent and sometimes clear in both phrases. The tempo is generally consistent with the prompt, and the meter is defined. The student's rhythmic elements are sometimes unclear and imprecise. |
Emerging | Rhythmic elements are inconsistent and unclear in at least one phrase:
|
No student work samples are available at this time. | |
Needs Major Support | No recognizable tempo, meter, or rhythmic elements in both phrases. |
No student work samples are available at this time. | |
IMPROVISATION | |||
Proficiency Level | Description | Sample Student Work | Justification |
Exemplary | Includes all elements in both phrases:
*A student must perform purposeful syncopations to earn an Exemplary rating in the improvisation dimension. |
No student work samples are available at this time. | |
Proficient | Includes most elements in both phrases:
|
Improvisation - Proficient Sample 1 |
Sample 1 The student included subdivisions but no syncopations in both phrases, and the phrases are different. Both phrases have strong final endings. The first phrase ends with a macrobeat, and the last phrase's three microbeats followed by a rest definitively end the improvisation. |
Approaching Proficient | Includes some elements in at least one phrase:
|
Improvisation - Approaching Proficient Sample 1 |
Sample 1 Improvisation intent is not clear in either phrase of this performance. Although it is difficult to hear at times, the first phrase seems to contain only macrobeats and microbeats. The end of the second phrase does not sound final and lacks intention. While the phrases are not identical, there is repetition of the teacher's rhythms within the student's improvisation. |
Emerging | Includes one or more elements in at least one phrase:
|
No student work samples are available at this time. | |
Needs Major Support | No recognizable improvisational intent in both phrases:
|
No student work samples are available at this time. |