What does a student learn in ?

This is the year music shifts from playing along to making real musical choices. Students start with a small idea, shape it into something they can perform, and explain why they made the changes they did. They also listen with sharper ears, picking out what a song is trying to say and how it fits the time it came from. By spring, students can perform a short piece for an audience and talk about what makes it work.

Performing music
Composing
Listening skills
Music and culture
Revising work

Source: Maryland Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Listening with a musician's ear
Students start the year by listening closely to songs and short pieces. They notice how loud or soft, fast or slow a piece feels, and they start putting words to what they hear.
2
Making up musical ideas
Students try out their own short musical ideas using voices, classroom instruments, or simple rhythms. They play with patterns, pick the ones they like, and start shaping them into something they can share.
3
Practicing and polishing a piece
Students pick a song or piece to work on and practice it over time. They learn that musicians repeat, fix small mistakes, and make choices about how a piece should sound before it is ready for an audience.
4
Performing and connecting to the world
Students share music with classmates or families and think about why people make music in the first place. They connect songs to holidays, stories, and traditions, and talk about what a piece means to them.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.

Connecting

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

MU:Cn10.3

Students connect what they know and what they've lived through to the music they make or perform. Personal experiences shape the choices they make as young musicians.
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

MU:Cn11.3

Students connect a piece of music to the time, place, or culture it came from. Knowing that context helps them understand why the music sounds the way it does.

Standard	Definition	Code
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art	Students connect what they know and what they've lived through to the music they make or perform. Personal experiences shape the choices they make as young musicians.	MU:Cn10.3
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural	Students connect a piece of music to the time, place, or culture it came from. Knowing that context helps them understand why the music sounds the way it does.	MU:Cn11.3

Connecting

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

MU:Cn10.3

Students connect what they know and what they've lived through to the music they make or perform. Personal experiences shape the choices they make as young musicians.
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

MU:Cn11.3

Students connect a piece of music to the time, place, or culture it came from. Knowing that context helps them understand why the music sounds the way it does.

Standard	Definition	Code
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art	Students connect what they know and what they've lived through to the music they make or perform. Personal experiences shape the choices they make as young musicians.	MU:Cn10.3
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural	Students connect a piece of music to the time, place, or culture it came from. Knowing that context helps them understand why the music sounds the way it does.	MU:Cn11.3

Creating

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

MU:Cr1.3

Students come up with their own musical ideas, like inventing a short melody or deciding which instruments or rhythms fit a piece they are creating.
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

MU:Cr2.3

Students take their musical ideas and shape them into a short piece, deciding which sounds, rhythms, or patterns to keep, move, or cut until the music feels finished.
Refine and complete artistic work

MU:Cr3.3

Students revisit a piece of music they started, make changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished and ready to share.

Standard	Definition	Code
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work	Students come up with their own musical ideas, like inventing a short melody or deciding which instruments or rhythms fit a piece they are creating.	MU:Cr1.3
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work	Students take their musical ideas and shape them into a short piece, deciding which sounds, rhythms, or patterns to keep, move, or cut until the music feels finished.	MU:Cr2.3
Refine and complete artistic work	Students revisit a piece of music they started, make changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished and ready to share.	MU:Cr3.3

Creating

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

MU:Cr1.3

Students come up with their own musical ideas, like inventing a short melody or deciding which instruments or rhythms fit a piece they are creating.
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

MU:Cr2.3

Students take their musical ideas and shape them into a short piece, deciding which sounds, rhythms, or patterns to keep, move, or cut until the music feels finished.
Refine and complete artistic work

MU:Cr3.3

Students revisit a piece of music they started, make changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished and ready to share.

Standard	Definition	Code
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work	Students come up with their own musical ideas, like inventing a short melody or deciding which instruments or rhythms fit a piece they are creating.	MU:Cr1.3
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work	Students take their musical ideas and shape them into a short piece, deciding which sounds, rhythms, or patterns to keep, move, or cut until the music feels finished.	MU:Cr2.3
Refine and complete artistic work	Students revisit a piece of music they started, make changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished and ready to share.	MU:Cr3.3

Performing/Presenting/Producing

Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

MU:Pr4.3

Students choose a piece of music to perform and think through why it suits them and how they want to present it to an audience.
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

MU:Pr5.3

Students practice a song or piece until they can perform it cleanly and confidently. Rehearsal is the work, and getting the details right, like rhythm, pitch, and dynamics, is the point.
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

MU:Pr6.3

Students perform a song or piece and make choices, like tempo or dynamics, that express a clear idea or feeling to the audience.

Standard	Definition	Code
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation	Students choose a piece of music to perform and think through why it suits them and how they want to present it to an audience.	MU:Pr4.3
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation	Students practice a song or piece until they can perform it cleanly and confidently. Rehearsal is the work, and getting the details right, like rhythm, pitch, and dynamics, is the point.	MU:Pr5.3
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work	Students perform a song or piece and make choices, like tempo or dynamics, that express a clear idea or feeling to the audience.	MU:Pr6.3

Performing/Presenting/Producing

Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

MU:Pr4.3

Students choose a piece of music to perform and think through why it suits them and how they want to present it to an audience.
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

MU:Pr5.3

Students practice a song or piece until they can perform it cleanly and confidently. Rehearsal is the work, and getting the details right, like rhythm, pitch, and dynamics, is the point.
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

MU:Pr6.3

Students perform a song or piece and make choices, like tempo or dynamics, that express a clear idea or feeling to the audience.

Standard	Definition	Code
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation	Students choose a piece of music to perform and think through why it suits them and how they want to present it to an audience.	MU:Pr4.3
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation	Students practice a song or piece until they can perform it cleanly and confidently. Rehearsal is the work, and getting the details right, like rhythm, pitch, and dynamics, is the point.	MU:Pr5.3
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work	Students perform a song or piece and make choices, like tempo or dynamics, that express a clear idea or feeling to the audience.	MU:Pr6.3

Responding

Perceive and analyze artistic work

MU:Re7.3

Students listen to a piece of music and describe what they notice, like changes in tempo, mood, or instrument sounds. They explain what those choices do to the music.
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

MU:Re8.3

Students listen to a piece of music and explain what they think it means or how it makes them feel. They use details from the music itself, like tempo or dynamics, to back up their thinking.
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

MU:Re9.3

Students listen to a piece of music and decide what makes it work well or fall flat, using specific reasons to back up their opinion.

Standard	Definition	Code
Perceive and analyze artistic work	Students listen to a piece of music and describe what they notice, like changes in tempo, mood, or instrument sounds. They explain what those choices do to the music.	MU:Re7.3
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work	Students listen to a piece of music and explain what they think it means or how it makes them feel. They use details from the music itself, like tempo or dynamics, to back up their thinking.	MU:Re8.3
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work	Students listen to a piece of music and decide what makes it work well or fall flat, using specific reasons to back up their opinion.	MU:Re9.3

Responding

Perceive and analyze artistic work

MU:Re7.3

Students listen to a piece of music and describe what they notice, like changes in tempo, mood, or instrument sounds. They explain what those choices do to the music.
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

MU:Re8.3

Students listen to a piece of music and explain what they think it means or how it makes them feel. They use details from the music itself, like tempo or dynamics, to back up their thinking.
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

MU:Re9.3

Students listen to a piece of music and decide what makes it work well or fall flat, using specific reasons to back up their opinion.

Standard	Definition	Code
Perceive and analyze artistic work	Students listen to a piece of music and describe what they notice, like changes in tempo, mood, or instrument sounds. They explain what those choices do to the music.	MU:Re7.3
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work	Students listen to a piece of music and explain what they think it means or how it makes them feel. They use details from the music itself, like tempo or dynamics, to back up their thinking.	MU:Re8.3
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work	Students listen to a piece of music and decide what makes it work well or fall flat, using specific reasons to back up their opinion.	MU:Re9.3