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accessible for all students, though educational supports By implementing improvisation this way, students are
will look different such as using stickers instead of digi- overall more engaged in the warm-up sequence, and
tal “drag and drop” items. most express excitement when it is their turn to be the
One method of assessing Creating through impro- improviser.
visation without assigning dedicated projects is im- If you have already included Assessment in Creating
plementing improvisational ideas or skills organically tasks in your curriculum, consider extension projects
through routine teaching. For example, foster student such as utilizing Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)
creativity and leadership by involving them in warm- like Audacity or GarageBand to record, edit, and mix
up creation and extension: changing or adding words audio. Students could work with recordings from pre-
with guidance, varying rhythms, and guiding them to vious rehearsals or concerts, or they could record their
create new melodies to use. Each day, the improviser own audio to use. They could then apply their work
should rotate so all students have an opportunity to to making podcasts or social media videos to advertise
participate. concerts, promote recruitment for the choir, or teach
To help formalize the structure, provide clear ex- musical concepts.
pectations and grading criteria and take care to not
turn the experience into a “boring assignment.” The
act of grading the assignment takes little time if you Assessments in Performing
thoughtfully create a rubric with a simple “check the According to NCAS and implications from re-
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boxes” process. If you prefer more specific feedback, search, assessing Performing should include content
consider leaving space in the rubric for your comments. beyond tracking attendance at a concert. This is often

Table 1. Creating Table and NCAS Anchor Standards

Creating

Anchor Standard 1 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard 2 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard 3 Refine and complete artistic ideas and work.

Example Content Anchor Standard Sample Assessment Tool or Strategy

Composition: 1, 2, 3 Melody/Rhythm Journal Google Suite
Assess original musical creations (Slides or Docs)
based on given parameters

Improvisation: 1, 2, 3 Improve text, rhythm, or Rubric to assess selected
Evaluate ability to spontaneous- solfège in warm-ups; criteria; “check the boxes”
ly create music within a given daily rotations
structure.

CHORAL JOURNAL October 2025 Volume 66 Number 3 41