• Introduction to Piano
    Classroom Expectations and Syllabus

                                       

    Contact Information:
    Mrs. Taylor
    Email: ptaylor@falmouth.k12.ma.us

    My office is located in the choir room (room 1040)
    Extra Help Day: Thursday  

    Required Materials:
    Two pocket folder or 1 ½” binder
    Pencil

    Classroom Expectations:
    - Come prepared with a positive attitude and patience! Learning a new instrument is difficult, but all students will be allowed to work at the pace that best suits their current level of understanding.

    - Keyboards, computers, headphones, and other equipment will be used properly with great care.  All students will be assigned to a keyboard to use for each class.  

    - No food, gum, or drink of any kind will be allowed in class.

    - Students may use the provided headphones or bring their own.

    - Unless authorized to do so by the teacher, any use of the computers beyond initial setup is not allowed.

    - Phones and other electronics are not allowed out during class time

    - Any tardy beyond the third per quarter results in a teacher detention

    - Failure to abide by classroom rules will result in a warning followed by a teacher detention


    Extra Practice Time:

    You may practice after school any day that I am in the building, or during Clipper Time. My after-school help day is Thursday.

    Grading Breakdown:

    Playing tests – 50%
    Written theory quizzes – 20%
    Skills tests (scales & chord progressions) – 15%
    Final Performance and Written Exam- 15%

    Lesson Book Playing Tests:

    - Students will perform assigned pieces for me each week. Grades are assessed on a rubric which will be provided to you.

    - Advanced students may test out of pieces early in order to work on more challenging material.

    Written Theory Quizzes:

    Students must be able to read music in order to play piano so rudimentary musical knowledge will be taught and graded.

    Skills Tests:

    Students will be tested on I-IV-V-I chord progressions in the left and right hands separately, and one octave scales in several major and minor keys, using the hands together.

     

    LATE WORK: Students will lose five points a school day past the due date. After five school days have passed, the work will not be accepted

     

    Final Exam:

    The final exam is a playing test in the form of a recital. Students will play on the piano on stage in front of the class. The final exam piece needs to be approved by the teacher.  If you play a piece from memory, you can earn bonus points. There will also be a written final exam, which will be cumulative and will cover all theory from previous quizzes. As this class is a semester class, ALL students take the final exam.