Welcome!

Hi! My name is Marcia McCole. I am the Secondary Choral and General Music Teacher for Penns Valley Jr/Sr High School and teacher Music 7, Junior High Chorus and Senior High Chorus. I earned my BM in Music Education from Westminster Choir College. My family has a unique background of moving every 3 years due to my husband being an active duty Marine, but we are excited to become permanent residence of Penns Valley. I have two children who also attend school in the Penns Valley Area School District. I look forward to working with the Junior/Senior High students creating, analyzing and experiencing music together in an effort to gain appreciation of all types of music.

Mission Statement/Description

Mission:

The study of music provides many facets of knowledge and levels of appreciation, which stimulates self-control, individual expression, self discipline and an appreciation for the arts and diverse cultural experiences. The Penns Valley Area School District Music Department adheres to the guidelines provided by the National Standards and Pennsylvania State Standards for the Arts. Research confirms that music enriches students' lives, promoting team building, creativity, higher-level thinking, and the development of motor skills. The Music Department at PVASD is dedicated to providing music experiences that foster individual and community growth, recognizing that music is at the core of human existence.

Description:

Students in grades K-12 actively engage in a comprehensive musical program which balances musical theory, composition, and performance. Courses commencing in the elementary grades promote the acquisition of musical vocabulary, creation and performance of vocal and instrumental compositions, and the development of a strong knowledge of musical history and its impact on the development of cultures.

Activities Done in Class/Grading

Activities:

Singing alone, and with others (e.g. singing a folk song as a class).
Playing instruments alone, and with others (e.g. playing a guitar during class).
Improvising melodies (e.g. changing the melody of a folk song into a melody of your own creation).
Composing and arranging music (e.g. creating your own melody/rhythmic piece).
Reading and notating music (e.g. taking a folk song, switching it to solfege, then using letter names).
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music (e.g. listening to Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony and discussing the rhythmic aspects of the piece).
Understanding of music as it relates to culture (e.g. discussing the history of a song; where did it come from and why?)

**If you have any questions regarding the content covered in class, please feel free to reach out via email!**

Grading:

Students are graded on a 1-4 scale. As I tell the students, if you are attempting to make music you will do just fine! A lot of the time, the quality of music is determined by the effort or care that went into the piece.

Classroom Expectations

Music Theory Exercises

Flat-Music Notation

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