Page 101 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: The Arts, 2010

OVERVIEW
Music study at the Grade 9 and 10 level is intended to develop students’ understanding and appreciation of music through a focus on practical skills and creative work. Students will find in music a source of enjoyment and personal satisfaction and will gain creative problem-solving skills, individual and cooperative work habits, knowledge of themselves and others, a sense of personal responsibility, and connections to their communities and future careers.
Students develop their awareness of the elements of music (pitch – melody, harmony, and tonality; duration – beat, metre, rhythm, and tempo; dynamics and other expressive controls; timbre; texture; and form) and apply them to create and perform works that are related to their personal interest and experience. Students also refer to the elements of music when reviewing, evaluating, and reflecting and commenting on their own and others’ creative work.
Performance technique and an understanding of theory are of major importance for music students and are repeated in the expectations for both courses. Through informal presentations and more formal performances, students not only develop their technique but also use music to communicate their aesthetic and personal values. By experiencing, analysing, and commenting on the performances of others, students enhance their understanding of the values of other musicians and cultures.
The expectations for music courses are organized into three distinct but related strands:
1. Creating and Presenting: Creative work involves the practical application of skills and knowledge of theory as they relate to performance and composition. Students will perform, individually and in ensembles (e.g., using voice, band instruments, string instruments, guitar, keyboards, or other performance media). They will per- form notated or improvised music and compose or arrange music, demonstrating technical skills and applying current digital technologies where appropriate.
2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: Using the critical analysis process (see pages 16–20) to analyse and reflect on different types of music enables students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the communities in which they live. Analysis involves listening to live or recorded performances from a range of cultures to understand the language of music, its historical and cultural context, and how effectively its composers and performers communicate to their audience. Students also explore how music reflects and affects the societies in which it was created.
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MUSIC