The My Music Journal, designed for eight grade students, will build on their knowledge of the elements of music and related musical concepts introduced in Grades 1 to 7. Students will develop an understanding of musical concepts through participation in musical experiences that involve listening, moving, creating, and performing (vocal and or instrumental music). Students will identify melodic patterns using specific interval names (e.g., third, fifth) when reading music. Students will read and notate rhythmic patterns of increasing complexity, including syncopation and music written in duple and triple meters, will use indicated dynamics, phrasing, and other elements of music when performing a varied repertoire of music. Students will be able to discern major and minor tonalities in various listening selections from various historical eras, identify cadences in listening selections, describe the contour of a phrase through rhythmic body movement or illustration, isolate the recurring melodic theme in a listening selection. Students will continue learning about various musical instruments and identifying these instruments from live and recorded selections. Several new tempo concepts are introduced. Students will learn the terms grave, largo, lento, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo, accelerando, ritardando. Students will identify and discuss contrasting dynamics in various historical periods. Different forms of music like exposition, development, recapitulation, codetta will also be taught in this installment. Students will review and discuss compositions in ternary form, theme and variations, rondo forms, sonata, and concerto; students will identify a motif and its variations in a listening selection. Students will study harmony and texture, identify monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures, perform a melody with harmonic accompaniment. Students explore and perform a variety of musical styles and develop personal criteria to be used for describing and analyzing musical performances.

Teacher and student follow the same textbook. The teacher receives also Curriculum Outline and Assessments for My Music Journal - Music Teaching Method for Eighth Grade.

My Music Journal Teaching Method for Eighth Grade will teach the following:

Concept: Rhythm
The student will:
• identify rhythm and meter patterns in a written score and listening selections
• recognize and explain all meter signatures and the mathematics involved
•distinguish between the regular and irregular meter
• review notes and rests in a score: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, dotted notes, triplets, tied, slurs
• read a rhythm score with both simple and layered rhythms
•understand and perform layered rhythm patterns
• listen to orchestral selections and determine changes or irregular meter
• use rhythmic body movement to indicate a steady beat and changing and irregular meter

Concept: Melody
The student will:
• discern major/minor tonalities in a variety of listening selections from various historical eras
•describe the components that comprise the melody
•read melodic notation on a staff
•identify cadences in listening selections
• describe the contour of a phrase through rhythmic body movement or illustration
• isolate the recurring melodic theme in a listening selection
•continue to recognize and perform intervals
•review the treble and bass in a score
•explore a conductor’s score

Concept: Tone Color
The student will:
•match the individual instrument with its tone color
•recognize and classify instruments by family
• create compositions using classroom instruments and environmental sounds
• identify a variety of vocal ranges and timbres: soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass
•distinguish between heavier/lighter vocal tone color
• identify the cultural or historical background of listening selections based on
the tone colors used
• choose a listening selection from this group and write an opinion piece, comparing it to other selections in the same genre
• share the opinion piece in the discussion, comparing and contrasting individual viewpoints
•relate tone color to the mood of the piece

Concept: Tempo
The student will:
• continue to perform songs in a variety of tempos/contrasting tempos
•demonstrate tempo using rhythm instruments
• understand terminology related to tempo and apply it to listening selections: grave, largo, lento, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo, accelerando, ritardando

Concept: Dynamics
The student will:
• identify and discuss contrasting dynamics in various historical periods
• understand and use terminology and notations associated with dynamic levels
• apply dynamic markings to correctly sing, play, or compose a piece

Concept: Form
The student will:
• define terms associated with different forms of music: exposition, development, recapitulation, codetta
• review and discuss compositions in ternary, theme, and variations, and rondo forms
• identify a motif and its variations in a listening selection
•listen to examples of/recognize a sonata
•listen to examples of/recognize a concerto
•define and use the term symphony
•listen to examples of symphonies explain the components of a symphony

Concept: Harmony/Texture
The student will:
• recognize homophonic harmony in a score and a listening selection
•compare traditional and nontraditional harmony
• continue to identify monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures
•create textures using voices and instruments
•perform a melody with harmonic accompaniment

Concept: Style
The student will:
• listen to, identify, and discuss compositions from a variety of cultures
• listen to, identify, and discuss compositions from various historical time periods
• form and articulate an opinion about a specific composition or compositions in the same genre
• discuss, compare, and contrast class members’ opinions on the same composition or genre
• distinguish between subjective personal opinions and informed objective judgments about a composition/composition
•locate and present two or more objective critiques of a musical performance or composition
•discuss and research composers from various historical time periods
•identify Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Twentieth/Twenty-First Century styles of compositions
•list the characteristics of each period of classical

Apollo Publishing has 9 music textbooks for each grade level, K-8. Each grade level is Teacher and Student edition. Teacher and student follow the same textbook. In addition teacher receives Curriculum Outline and Assessments for each grade level.