Standard 5.

102092 Secondary Curriculum 2C – Assessment 1 [marking excerpt]

Aural Skills Marking Criteria

SYLLABUS OUTCOMES BEING ASSESSED

P4 Recognises and identifies the concepts of music and discusses their use in a variety of
musical styles.
P6 Observes and discusses concepts of music in works representative of the topics
studied.
P10 Demonstrates a willingness to participate in performance, composition, musicology
and aural activities.
P11 Demonstrates a willingness to accept and use constructive criticism.

Question: Discuss phrasing and texture in the excerpt.

Mark Criteria
5-6  Explores in detail how texture has been used.
 Identifies and demonstrates a clear understanding of the

O
roles of instruments and their place in the music.
 Demonstrates a clear understanding of the way in which
the excerpt uses musical phrasing and links back to the
focus music concept (texture). Outstanding
 Appropriately uses musical terminology.
 Presents a well-developed response using musical
examples to support observations.
3-4  Explores how texture has been used.
 Demonstrates a sound understanding of how the roles of
instruments are used in the music.
 Demonstrates a sound understanding of the way in which
musical phrasing is used in the excerpt and makes some
links to texture.
 Uses some musical terminology but is often used
S
Sound
inappropriately.
 Presents a sound response and uses some musical
examples to support observations.
1-2  Identifies an aspect of texture.
 Has limited understanding of the role of instruments in
the excerpt.
 Has limited understanding of how musical phrasing is
used in the excerpt and is unable to connect back to the
focus musical concept (texture)
 Uses a limited amount of musical terminology and is not
L
 used appropriately. Limited
 Presents a response with little to no reference to musical
examples in order to support observations.

Question: Discuss the contrasts between the excerpt.

Mark Criteria
9-10  Demonstrates high-level analytical skills in answering the
question with depth and detail.
 Presents well-developed ideas and provides relevant
examples to support musical observations.
 Uses accurate and appropriate musical terminology
where necessary.
O
Outstanding
 Uses relevant musical concepts to address the question
and is able to thoroughly identify the changes in music
that make the piece interesting.
7-8  Demonstrates analytical skills in answering the question
with depth.
 Presents developed ideas and provides relevant examples
to support musical observations.
 Uses appropriates musical terminology.
 Uses several musical concepts to address the question
HHigh
and is able to identify the changes in music that make the
piece interesting.
5-6  Demonstrates some ability to use analytical skills in
answering the question.
 Presents musical ideas and relevant examples to support
musical observations.
 Uses musical terminology where relevant but not often,
but may contain some inaccuracies.
S
 Demonstrates sound ability to relate the question to Sound
some musical concepts and can identify changes in music
that make the piece interesting, but may contain some
inaccuracies
3-4  Demonstrates a basic understanding of the question.
 Presents some musical ideas and some relevant
examples.
 Uses basic terminology
 Demonstrates basic ability to relate the question to
B
Basic
musical concepts and makes basic connections to the
musical interest of the piece and the concepts of music.

1
1-2  Demonstrates limited understanding of the question.



Demonstrates limited ability to discuss the concepts of
music in relation to the musical interest of the piece.
Makes limited use of musical terminology and relevant
L
Limited
examples in the response.

2
 Sample Answers

Example answers have been written out to show students how they could have structured
and formulated their answers in order to receive high marks. Answers will explore each
criteria outlined in the Outstanding category.

PART A – MARKING CRITERION

MC1: Explores in detail how texture has been used.

Answer: The texture of this piece begins quite thin with just a percussive instrument that

plays rhythmic ostinato throughout the excerpt. Then as each vocal line is added, the piece

thickens in texture.

MC2: Identifies and demonstrates a clear understanding of the roles of instruments and their

place in the music.

Answer: The vocal lines each play a different role in adding texture to the piece. The

melodic line is supported by the main vocalist and the rest of the vocalists support the main

melodic line as a form of accompaniment. This creates a heterophonic texture.

MC3: Demonstrates a clear understanding of the way in which the excerpt uses musical

phrasing and links back to the focus music concept (texture).

Answer: The texture of the excerpt continues to thicken as a new vocal layer is introduced

at the end of each vocal phrase. For example, after the first vocalist finishes her phrase in

the beginning of the excerpt, a second vocal layer is added doubling the melody sung by the

first vocalist.

MC4: Appropriately uses musical terminology.

3
Answer: The percussive instrument that is heard in this excerpt plays a rhythmic ostinato

throughout the excerpt.

MC5: Presents a well-developed response using musical examples to support observations.

Answer: A heterophonic texture is created as the voices perform similar phrases to the main

melodic phrase that is sung by the main vocalist. This can be heard when the 3 rd vocalist

joins in the song.

PART B – MARKING CRITERION

MC1: Demonstrates high-level analytical skills in answering the question with depth and

detail.

Answer: The soloist in this excerpt can be heard singing a combination of steps and leaps

and uses a wide range in order to create contrast in this piece. It also adds variety and

musical interest. She also uses a combination of vocal techniques such as melisma,

glissando, vibrato and scat-singing.

MC2: Presents well-developed ideas and provides relevant examples to support musical

observations.

Answer: The texture of this excerpt differs from the first as it includes a variety of percussive

instruments, such as hand-clapping, shakers and bongos. This not only thickens the texture

of the piece but it also changes the dynamics of the piece.

MC3: Uses accurate and appropriate musical terminology where necessary.

Answer: The female soloist uses melismatic singing in this piece to create musical contrast.

This is often referred to as vocal runs.

4
MC4: Uses relevant musical concepts to address the question and is able to thoroughly

identify the changes in music that make the piece interesting.

Answer: The vocal solo that is distinguishable in this excerpt combines aspects of expressive

techniques with duration. For example, the soloist uses scat-singing to provide contrast and

variation in the excerpt. This is then further supported by the range of notes that are used.

In addition, she often speeds up the tempo and uses shorter note values than the vocal

accompaniment.