Quartet Performance Assessment

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Tone Quality Tone is consistently Tone is focused, clear Tone is often focused, The tone is often not
focused, clear, and and centered through clear and centered, focused, clear or
centered throughout the normal singing but sometimes the centered regardless of
the range of the voice. range. Extremes in tone is uncontrolled the range,
range sometimes in the normal singing significantly
cause tone to be less range. Occasionally detracting from the
controlled. Tone the tone quality overall performance.
quality typically does detracts from overall
not detract from the performance.
performance.
Pitch and Virtually no errors. An error or two Some accurate Very few accurate or
Pitch and rhythms are occurred, but overall pitches, but there are secure pitches.
Rhythmic very accurate. the pitches are frequent and/or Performer does not
Accuracy accurate. The beat is repeated errors. A sing with a steady beat
steady regardless of steady beat is not and rhythms are not
duration errors. often present and accurate.
rhythms are not often
accurate.
Musical Dynamic levels are Dynamic levels are Dynamic levels Attention to dynamic
obvious and typically accurate and fluctuate but can be levels is not obvious.
Expression consistent. consistent. discerned. Articulations are not
Articulations are Articulations are Articulations are not present and phrasings
observed and often heard and always observed, and are monotonous and
accurate. Musical accurate. Musical musical phrasings are not present.
phrasings are also phrasings are often sometimes observed.
observed and neatly observed.
executed.
Diction Student articulates Student articulates Student is sometimes Student rarely
clearly and the text of the words somewhat articulating the words articulates the words
the music is clearly and the text but the text is often and the text is not
understandable. can be understood not discernable. discernable.
most of the time.

Posture and Student stands Student stands Student is sometimes Student rarely
correctly and sings somewhat correctly standing correctly but demonstrates proper
Relaxation using a proper singing and most of the time often shows tension posture and singing
stance with no visible demonstrates a proper or improper body stance and tension is
tension in the throat, singing stance with position during highly visible in the
jaw, or body. limited tension visible singing. throat, jaw, and/or
in the throat, jaw, or body.
body.

Total points: / 20 % grade:

Additional Comments:
Quartet Assessment Commentary:
I developed this rubric in hopes that I may one day use this as an assessment for how well students are learning
the repertoire being taught in class. It can be used for any performance opportunity – repertoire, sight-reading
excerpt, etc. You can also use this as a general rubric for the quartet (assessed based on the performance of the
group) or you can use it individually (each student receives an individualized rubric). Those who fail the quartet
assessment can have a chance to retest at the teacher’s discretion. The performance of all the quartets will inform
me on what I taught well to the ensemble and what parts need to be polished more before the concert
performance.

Since this is out of 20 points, I feel as though a traditional grading scale may not be suitable for all learners. For
this, I would use a modified grading scale as shown below.

(on a 10 point grading scale)

16-20: A 13-15: B 10-12: C 6-9: D <6: F
20: 100 15: 88 12: 79 9: 69 <6: 50 (thanks for singing!)
19: 97 14: 85 11: 75 8: 67
18: 95 13: 82 10: 72 7: 63
17: 93 6: 60
16: 90