All students enrolled in the Colina Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir are expected to challenge themselves musically and work towards merit awards. Each trimester, students are expected to complete four challenge levels, which will be reflected in their academic grades for the courses. Students may tackle challenges in any order. Time will be provided each week in class for students to take the written threory challenges or work towards the performance challenges. Students will be recognized for completing challenge levels at the end of each trimester and combination awards will be presented in the spring. Points and levels accomplished are cummulative over the entire time a student is envolved in the Colina Music Program.

The Music Merit Awards are divided into three categories: Written Theory Skills, Performance Skills, and Cultural Experiences. Also available are Combination Awards for students who successfully challenge themselves in several areas.

Follow the links for each challenge to find study materials and practice exercises to meet the challenge!

Solfege Challenge - each level to be completed in one minute.
Level 1: Label 15 notes in C Major
Level 2: Label 30 notes in C Major
Level 3: Label 30 notes in G Major
Level 4: Label 30 notes in F Major
Study! Scroll down the page and check out the Singing With Movable Do section. Notice how do is related to the key of the song.

Rhythm Challenge - each level to be completed in one minute.
Level 1: Write in the counting for 20 measures of whole, half, quarter and eighth note rhythms.
Level 2: Write in the counting for 20 measures of the same rhythms in level 1 plus sixteenth note and dotted rhtyhms.
Level 3: Write in the counting for 20 measures of the same rhythms in levels 1 and 2 plus triplet rhythms.
Level 4: Write in the counting for 20 measures of the same rhythms in levels 1, 2, and 3 plus syncopations.

Meter Challenge - each level to be completed in one minute.
Level 1:Label 20 measures of simple meters with the correct time signature.
Level 2: Label 20 measures of complex meters with the correct time signature.
Level 3: Label 20 measures of mixed meters with the correct time signature.
Level 4: Label 20 measures of simple, complex, and mixed meters with the correct time signature.
Study! Review what time signatures mean and look at a few examples with unknown meters.

Key Signatures Challenge - each level to be completed in one minte.
Level 1: Identify 30 sharp key signatures.
Level 2: Identify 30 flat key signatures.
Level 3: Identify 30 sharp and flat key signatures.
Level 4: Identify 60 sharp and flat key signatures.
Study! Review the order of sharps and flats to help you identify key signatures. Remember, for sharp keys, go up one note from the last sharp to find the name of the key (if sharp farthest right is C#, then the key is D). For flats, the last flat is four notes above the name of the scale (if the flat fartherst right is Ab, then 4=Ab, 3=G, 2=f, and 1=Eb, so the key is Eb).
Practice! Scroll down the page and work on Exercise 9 Major Key Signatures in treble, bass, or alto clef. *Note these exercises require Macromedia's Shockwave Player; plug-in available on site.

Vocabulary Challenge - these challenges are untimed.
Level 1: Correctly match 25 music terms on Vocabularly List 1
Level 2: Correctly match 30 music terms on Vocabulary Lists 1 and 2
Level 3: Correctly match 40 music terms on Vocabularly Lists 1, 2, and 3
Level 4: Correctly match 50 music terms on Vocabularly Lists 1, 2, 3, and 4

Intervals Challenge - each level to be completed in one minute.
Level 1: Identify 20 whole and half steps.
Level 2: Identify 20 Perfect and Major intervals.
Level 3: Identify 20 Perfect, Major, and minor intervals.
Level 4: Identify 20 Perfect, Major, minor, diminished, and augmented intervals.
Study! Review Half Steps and Whole Steps. Half Steps are also known as semitones and whole steps are also called whole tones. The challenge will use diatonic half steps (or semitones) and whole steps (or whole tones); there won't be any chromatic half steps (or semitones) or tone-plus-semitones.
Study More! Learn about the larger intervals and what perfect, major, minor, diminished and augmented mean.
Practice! Scroll down the page and work on Exercise 8 Diatonic and Chromatic Half Steps and Whole Steps, Exercise 4 Natural Simple Intervals in Letters, and Exercise 5 Natural Simple Intervals in Letters. *Note these exercises require Macromedia's Shockwave Player; plug-in available on site.

Scales
Level 1: Perform C, G, and D one octave major scales.
Level 2: Perform F, Bb, and A one octave major scales.
Level 3: Perform C, G, and D two octave major scales.
Level 4: Perform F, Bb, and A two octave major scales.
Level 5: Perform Eb, E, and B two octave major scales.
Level 6: Perform Db and Gb two octave major scales and a two octave chromatic scale.
Practice! This page provides scales for challenge levels 1-4, complete with fingerings. *Note it is a PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat.
Violin Scales!
Viola Scales!
Cello/Bass Scales!

Public Performance - Earn one point for each person you perform a solo in front of. Examples: 1) Sing for five family members, earn 5 points. 2) Play at a recital in front of 60 people, earn 60 points. Note: Performance of a solo within a Colina Chamber Orchestra or Concert Choir performance does not qualify for points. To receive points, bring in a program or list of pieces performed with the signature of someone in the audience and a count of the number of audience members.
Level 1: Earn 50 performance points.
Level 2: Earn 100 performance points.
Level 3: Earn 200 performance points.
Level 4: Earn 500 performance points.

Music History – Read and study the information sheet for a subject and receive a grade of 80% or better on the related un-timed quiz. This challenge is not "leveled." They may be worked on in any order and qualify for any "level" in working towards combination awards.
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20th Century Music
World Music
Study! Follow the link for Eras and then choose the time period you would like to study: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or 20th Century. You won't need to know all the minor details, but be sure to be familiar with the historical themes, musical context, and style of the period and be able to name a few composers!
Study More! Prepare for the World Music challenge by following the links for West Africa, Bali, India, the Arab world, sitar, vina, charango, and the scalloped fretboard guitar. Check out some of the listening examples and try a rhythm exercise or two. Once again, you don't need to know everything on the page, just the main points (like, the charango is made out of a WHAT?).

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