PRAXIS 5115 Practice Test
Which of the following is the most pedagogically appropriate practice in designing warm-up activities for ensemble rehearsals?
A. Focusing on fine and gross motor skill development B. Using and extending the same exercises every day C. Emphasizing progressive extension of endurance and range D. Including concepts that will be used during the rehearsals
A middle school general music teacher is creating a curriculum framework with units based on the foundational elements of music. Which of the following topics should be included in the framework?
A. Form B. Transposition C. Expression D. Composers
A band director composes an eight-measure audition excerpt to post as an exemplar file on the band's Web site. To make the sound file accessible to students who do not have access to music notation software, in which of the following formats should the director save the excerpt?
A. .mp3 B. .bak C. .musxml D. .pdf
In a music teaching environment, which of the following noise levels represents a healthy dynamic range within which sounds are easy to decipher but do not cause hearing loss?
A. 30 to 50 decibels B. 60 to 80 decibels C. 80 to 100 decibels D. 100 to 120 decibels
A music teacher is employed in a district with a policy stating that classroom teachers may not accept gifts from students or parents in excess of $20. A student brings the teacher a thank-you card that includes a personal check from the parent, written to the teacher, for $100. Which of the following actions is the most appropriate step for the teacher to take?
A. Accept both the card and the check politely. B. Accept the card and the check quietly but donate the $100 to charity. C. Accept the card but politely decline the check. D. Show disapproval while declining both the card and the check.
The musical styles of highlife, juju, and mbube are most associated with which continent?
A. Africa B. Australia C. Asia D. South America
A high school band director conducts an ensemble that can perform a repertoire of a medium-advanced (grade 4) to an advanced (grade 5) level of difficulty. The director seeks to develop a concert with diversity in programming. Which of the following groups of pieces best addresses this goal?
A. Ayatey Shabazz, "Of Honor and Valor Eternal"; Johannes Brahms/arrangement by Barbara Buehlman, "Blessed Are They"; Malcolm Arnold/arrangement by John Paynter, "Four Scottish Dances" B. John Edmondson, "Freedom Overture"; Anne McGinty, "The Red Balloon"; Eric Osterling, "Australian Rhapsody" C. James Swearingen, "Exaltation"; Robert W. Smith, "Encanto"; Robert Sheldon, "Fall River Overture" D. Gustav Holst, "First Suite in E-flat"; Ralph Vaughan Williams, "Rhosymedre"; William Walton, "Miniatures for Wind Band"
A teacher is rehearsing the work shown with a middle school string ensemble. The teacher notices that the students are not playing together on the last eighth note in the first and third measures. Which of the following teacher considerations is most likely to address the problem?
A. Be certain that the entire group is mindful of good balance between melody and accompaniment. B. Be sure that the violins and violas are releasing the quarter note on the third beat with the same style and length. C. Be sure that the violas are playing with a suitably vibrant tone in the context of the mezzo forte dynamic. D. Be certain that the cellos and basses are not giving the half notes an inappropriate accent.
Which of the following music educators created a method for developing music literacy in children that uses the approach known as conversational solfège?
A. Bennett Reimer B. Carl Orff C. Shinichi Suzuki D. John Feierabend
Which of the following scale warm-ups is the easiest for beginning band students?
A. C major B. D major C. E major D. F major
An ensemble is playing the passage shown with a lack of expression. Which of the following are the best initial steps for the teacher to take to address the problem?
A. Call the students' attention to the markings and model the desired effect by singing back the main line of the passage with the dynamics. Have the students play the passage and coach them as needed. B. Have the students clap the rhythm of the entire passage without dynamic changes. Then have them add the dynamics. Then have the students play the passage with the added dynamics. C. Ask the students to audiate the passage. Then have them brainstorm the placement of breath marks and how to group the phrases. Apply the breath marks according to the students' consensus and then have them play through the entire passage. D. Write out a version of the passage with simplified rhythms that includes the dynamic markings that will help the students play the passage expressively. After the students have mastered the simplified version, have them apply what they have learned in a revised performance of the original version.
Which of the following best describes the most important first steps for a high school music educator to complete when planning the logistical aspects of a concert?
A. Choosing a performance date, booking facilities, selecting a start time and call time for students, and choosing attire for performers B. Writing program notes, conducting score study, determining soloists, and inviting school administrators to attend C. Choosing a performance date, recruiting ushers, coordinating refreshments to be offered, and determining admission costs D. Planning advertisements for the concert date, outlining the attendance policy with students, selecting student helpers, and informing custodians of after-hours cleaning requirements
Which of the following is a list of criteria that are most appropriate to consider when assigning student course grades for high school band or orchestra classes?
A. Classroom participation, performance tests, music aptitude tests, and class attendance B. Performance tests, all-state auditions, classroom participation, and norm-referenced assessments C. Chair placement audition, concert participation, music aptitude tests, and student portfolio D. Concert participation, written assessments of content knowledge, performance tests, and student portfolio
Students in a third-grade general music class watch a video of themselves moving to music. Afterward, they fine-tune their individual movements to be more expressive. The activity described develops which of the following musical skills?
A. Composing and arranging B. Reading and notating C. Analyzing and evaluating D. Understanding the relationship between music and disciplines outside the fine arts
Which of the following tasks should be completed by the music teacher rather than being delegated to a parent volunteer?
A. Distributing folders and parts B. Selecting new repertoire C. Photocopying needed music D. Updating the library inventory
According to researchers, in which of the following areas are first-year music teachers most likely to need mentoring early in the school year?
A. Establishing effective classroom discipline B. Locating historically correct editions for performance C. Establishing a professional portfolio for teacher evaluation D. Keeping equipment inventories up-to-date and comprehensive
In general, when rehearsing a new composition with a large ensemble, the teacher should first help students develop and refine which of the following concepts?
A. Expressive phrasing B. Correct rhythms C. Proper balance D. Sufficient dynamic contrasts
Which of the following triads is diatonic in the key of E-flat minor?
A. F major B. F minor C. G-flat major D. G-flat diminished
A student playing a B-flat trumpet performs concert low B consistently sharp but performs all other notes in tune. Which of the following solutions will most likely solve the problem?
A. Firming the corners of the embouchure when playing concert C and below B. Relaxing the corners of the embouchure when playing concert C and below C. Pushing the third valve slide out when playing concert B D. Pulling the third valve slide in when playing concert B
A high school music teacher is taking a performing ensemble on an overnight trip. Which of the following is the best approach for the teacher to use to establish consequences for ensemble members who break the rules for travel while on the trip?
A. Have the students vote on rules and the consequences for breaking rules prior to the trip. B. Establish rules based on the high school's code of conduct, determine consequences, and post them in the classroom. C. Meet with the officers of the band boosters organization to develop rules and the consequences for breaking rules, based on policies used by other school performing groups in the area. D. Work with a school administrator to prepare a rules-and-consequences document that must be signed by students and parents before the trip takes place.
A middle school band director points out that when some clarinet players play the written notes shown, the notes are sharp in pitch. Other pitches that they play, however, are consistently in tune. Which of the following strategies should the band director use to best help the students play the notes in tune?
A. Have them lower the pitch by firming their embouchure. B. Have them lower the pitch by putting down the right-hand keys. C. Have them switch to playing on a harder reed. D. Have them pull out the barrel of their instrument slightly.
Which of the following practices is the best way for a music educator to proactively build community support for a school music program?
A. Having student ensembles perform for important civic functions throughout the school year B. Having a musician of the week interviewed and featured on the school announcements, bulletin board, and teachers' blogs C. Striving for a leadership position in the state music education association D. Providing the local news media with positive comparisons of the grade point averages of student musicians and the general school population
Which of the following activities is most likely to have a direct positive effect on instrumental music students' ability to perform more musically and with good intonation?
A. Having students listen to professional recordings of the works they are learning B. Having students memorize their parts C. Having students tune both before and after completing warm-up exercises D. Having students sing their parts individually as well as with other members of the ensemble
A seventh-grade general music class is studying the relationship between music and American society of the 1960s. The teacher instructs the students to work in small groups to compose a protest song. Which of the following preparatory activities will most effectively enhance the students' compositional process?
A. Having students practice notating scales and chords using traditional standard notation techniques B. Having students listen to "Lincoln Portrait" by Aaron Copland and discuss his use of spoken narrative embedded in the music C. Having students listen to a number of protest songs and discuss what makes a protest song effective D. Having students select a precomposed protest song and use technology to create a series of images to accompany a performance of the song
Which of the following represents the most appropriate sequence of discrimination tasks for developing a child's sense of pitch?
A. High and low pitches, direction of melodic movement, movement by step and by skip B. Movement by step and by skip, high and low pitches, direction of melodic movement C. Direction of melodic movement, high and low pitches, movement by step and by skip D. Direction of melodic movement, movement by step and by skip, high and low pitches
Which of the following approaches would most benefit a student who has difficulty sustaining attention or who displays hyperactivity in ensemble settings?
A. Imposing consequences on the student for breaking class rules B. Sending the student to the school office whenever the behavior occurs C. Verbally reprimanding the student as soon as the student begins to lose focus D. Making available a variety of separate musical tasks for times when the student needs a break
Students in a middle school instrumental ensemble are having difficulty playing a technical passage accurately. Which of the following teaching and rehearsal strategies is most appropriate to help develop the students' ability to play the passage?
A. Isolating the problematic notes and rhythms for drill, slowing down the passage in rehearsal, and gradually increasing the tempo B. Having the students' section leader model the passage during rehearsal at a slow tempo and at the expected tempo C. Having students play their part individually in front of the ensemble in rehearsal, with critiques provided by the teacher on a given day each week until all members of the section have mastered their part D. Assigning the students the passage for at-home practice, giving them a metronome target to achieve each week until the performance tempo is reached
The development of the music and dance form known as flamenco was centered primarily in which country?
A. Japan B. Cuba C. Spain D. Mexico
Which of the following individuals was an English Renaissance-era composer known for his Latin masses and motets?
A. John Dowland B. Henry Purcell C. William Byrd D. George Frideric Handel
Which of the following arrangers has written most extensively for high school strings?
A. Joyce Eilers B. Sandra Dackow C. Sammy Nestico D. Jay Bocook
Which of the following skills is most directly relevant to learning to improvise with understanding?
A. Learning to read different styles of music B. Learning a repertoire of tunes and musical patterns by ear C. Learning basic fingering patterns by practicing scales on a keyboard D. Learning to identify the unique elements of various styles
A middle school general music class has just finished listening to "March of the Toreadors" from the opera Carmen. Which of the following is the most appropriate participatory activity for the students?
A. Listening to the recording again and marching to the beat of the music B. Composing and notating their own march for a quartet of pitched instruments C. Researching the definition of "march" and writing a paragraph about how the tune meets that definition D. Arranging themselves in small groups and creating a march using rhythm loops from a digital audio workstation
Which of the following activities illustrates the cognitive process of chunking when applied to music sight-reading?
A. Mentally grouping individual notes into patterns or larger units such as scales or chords B. Simultaneously scanning melodic direction (left to right) and contour (up and down) C. Seeing a key signature at the beginning of a staff and applying it horizontally to all notes in the staff D. Visually aligning lyrics under a staff with pitches and rhythms in the staff
Which of the following conductor behaviors usually signifies to players in an instrumental ensemble that they should play a sostenuto passage with extra sensitivity to phrasing and subtlety of tone in moderate to quiet dynamic levels?
A. Mirroring the right-hand frame with the left hand and focusing eye contact toward the rear of the ensemble B. Gripping the shaft of the baton with the left hand between the thumb and palm and conducting with the hands in the manner of a choral director C. Beating a broad frame with little or no ictus while holding the left hand upward, fingers together, making a gesture suggesting the technique of performing vibrato on a string instrument D. Standing extra tall on the podium while beating the frame with an empathetic ictus, then suddenly crouching and holding both hands just below chin level and beating a very small, tight frame
Which of the following activities would best reinforce the concept of quarter notes and half notes for aural learners in an elementary music classroom?
A. Moving to music showing unique motions for quarter notes and half notes based on the teacher's cue B. Reading and clapping rhythms made up of quarter and half notes from the board C. Listening to, identifying, and discussing quarter-note and half-note patterns performed by classmates D. Using wooden sticks to produce rhythms that include quarter and half notes and to create full measures in a given meter
Which of the following terms refers to the assessments that are provided with the National Core Music Standards?
A. Music Performance Assessments B. Music Student Assessment Profiles C. Standards of Learning Assessments D. Model Cornerstone Assessments
Which of the following practices by music educators is most essential for the development of student composers?
A. Nurturing students' individual approaches to creativity and guiding their use of technology B. Advancing proficiency in music notation to earlier grades to empower younger students C. Serving as liaisons between music publishers, technology providers, and the school district to ensure students' creations are commercially viable D. Compiling a wide range of software, apps, and hardware to ensure students' work products are compatible across all technology platforms
Which of the following is an appropriate teaching strategy for assisting students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
A. Overlooking student violations of classroom rules to allow for individuality and creativity B. Approaching learning tasks through only one modality to maintain consistency C. Eliminating reward systems to help develop intrinsic motivation D. Interspersing low-interest tasks with high-interest tasks to maintain focus
According to the principles of Music Learning Theory, which of the following is an initial step in developing rhythm competency in primary grade students?
A. Providing opportunities to discriminate between macrobeats and microbeats using only duple meter B. Engaging students in reading and writing rhythm patterns using symbolic notation C. Encouraging creative expression of rhythmic elements through improvisation D. Promoting the feeling of rhythm through listening and moving to music
Apart from her work as a composer, Amy Cheney Beach was also known for which of the following?
A. She founded the colony of artists that later became known as MacDowell. B. She was a professional violinist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. C. She studied music at Harvard University and later wrote several music theory texts. D. She performed solo piano and chamber music recitals regularly.
A music teacher is creating a worksheet to use in a class activity for a fifth-grade general music class. While searching online for information, the teacher finds a useful article on another teacher's Web site. Which of the following statements most accurately describes the law with respect to how the teacher may use the material from the Web site?
A. Since online materials are part of the public domain, the teacher can choose how to use the material. B. The teacher should contact the owner of the Web site, ask permission to use the material, and cite the source. C. Since the material is to be used in an educational setting, the teacher may use it freely. D. The teacher should change some of the words and sentences so that the content falls under fair use.
Which of the following software programs offers a feature that allows music educators to locate lists of graded repertoire?
A. SmartMusic B. MuseScore C. Finale D. Sibelius
A high school music director wants to purchase software that will let string students who are practicing challenging orchestra parts receive immediate feedback on their playing by seeing on a computer screen which pitches and rhythms they have played correctly and incorrectly. Which program is most useful for the task?
A. SmartMusic B. Noteflight C. Pro Tools D. Adobe Audition
Which of the following is included in the philosophical basis of the National Core Arts Standards to help establish common values and expectations for learning in arts education?
A. Specific, lifelong goals for students B. Requirements for increased student diversity C. Objectives to raise students' standardized test scores D. Programs to increase retention of at-risk students
A band director on the podium during seventh-grade band class notices excessive talking in the trumpet section when the woodwinds are playing a solo passage. Which disciplinary action should the director take first?
A. Stop rehearsing and verbally address the trumpet players. B. Stop rehearsing and choose one or more trumpet players to send to detention. C. Verbally address the trumpet players while continuing to rehearse the winds. D. Make eye contact with the trumpet players while continuing to rehearse the winds
Which of the following scenarios includes an element of intrinsic motivation for students in an eighth-grade general music class?
A. Students do not understand the musical purpose of the task but perform the task because it is required. B. Students do not understand the musical purpose of the task. They do not enjoy the task but perform the task for a reward. C. Students understand the relevance of the task to achieving musical goals. They do not enjoy the task but perform the task to reach the goals. D. Students understand the relevance of the task to achieving musical goals. They enjoy the task and perform the task to reach the goals.
An elementary general music teacher is working on a cross-curricular lesson in collaboration with a fifth-grade classroom teacher who is developing a science unit about weather patterns. Which of the following can the music teacher do to best integrate science and music while maintaining the integrity of the music concepts?
A. Teach the students a number of songs dealing thematically with rain, wind, sun, and snow. B. Play the thunderstorm movement from Beethoven's Sixth Symphony and ask students to draw pictures of how the music makes them feel. C. Discuss how composers are often influenced by nature and have the students explore ways of playing percussion instruments to reflect a particular weather event. D. Present a physics lesson on the acoustics of musical instruments of different sizes and families.
Children are directed to hop or jump to choppy, staccato music and to glide, slide, or sway to legato music. The movement activities described primarily develop which of the following musical concepts?
A. Tempo B. Timbre C. Articulation D. Dynamics
As the first part of the recruiting process for beginner instrumental-music programs, exposure concerts presented to potential students fulfill which of the following functions?
A. Testing students' timbre preferences B. Giving students the opportunity to try out the instruments C. Familiarizing students with the instruments and the program D. Testing students' musical aptitude
During rehearsal, a large ensemble experiences phasing, in which the tempo varies across the ensemble and the left side of the ensemble is not always at the same tempo as the right side. Which of the following is the most appropriate rehearsal strategy for a conductor to address the issue?
A. The conductor should periodically step off the podium, requiring students to internalize the beat and subdivision. B. The conductor should turn on the metronome and play it through the loudspeakers so that students can hear it while they rehearse. C. The conductor should invite a percussionist to play a steady beat and subdivision on a wood block. D. The conductor should hold a random-seating rehearsal, where all students find a different, nonstandard place to sit during the rehearsal.
Which of the following is the most appropriate approach for teaching a musically motivated, highly skilled student who uses a wheelchair and wants to participate in high school band?
A. The student should be encouraged to play with the band during the spring concert season and be exempted from band participation during the fall marching season. B. The student should be encouraged to play with the band during the spring concert season and be assigned administrative duties in lieu of performance duties during the fall marching season. C. The student should be encouraged to play in all of the band's performances and be assigned an aide during the fall marching season to help maneuver the wheelchair around the marching band field. D. The student should be assigned an easy accessory percussion instrument in the front ensemble pit during the fall marching season and be returned to the primary instrument during the spring concert season.
Which of the following statements provides the most feasible solution for a beginning saxophone player who cannot get the low D to speak?
A. The student should loosen the neck strap, which is likely too tight, to lower the playing position of the instrument. B. The student should open the throat and relax the jaw. C. The student should allow the reed to completely dry out to allow it to better seal on the mouthpiece. D. The student should press the right-hand keys down less forcefully.
Which of the following instruments requires the regular application of cork grease for proper maintenance?
A. Trombone B. French horn C. Flute D. Clarinet
Which of the following practices is most associated with the Suzuki method of music pedagogy?
A. Use of hand signs and syllables in learning songs B. Focus on parental involvement in lessons and practicing C. Use of body movement in learning and reacting to rhythm D. Focus on improvisation and creation of music
Which of the following setups, when it is feasible to use, will produce the most satisfying acoustics for a concert band that is giving a performance outdoors?
A. Using a reflecting shell behind the performers and having tiered seating for the audience B. Using a reflecting shell behind the performers and having the audience seated on a level surface C. Using no reflecting shell behind the performers and having tiered seating for the audience D. Using no reflecting shell behind the performers and having the audience seated on a level surface
Which of the following is a kinesthetic activity that can be used to demonstrate an understanding of pitch?
A. Using hand signs B. Identifying the half steps and whole steps in a scale by name C. Labeling solfège syllables D. Identifying the key signature of a song
Which of the following statements related to hearing safety and audio devices is correct?
A. Young people can increase hearing protection when wearing headsets by gradually increasing the volume of the music they play and the amount of time they play it. B. Using earbuds to listen to music is inherently safer than using over-the-ear headsets. C. The amount of hearing damage incurred by overusing earbuds is dependent on both the volume at which they are used and the length of time they are used. D. When using earbuds, it is safer to listen to classical music at a loud decibel level than it is to listen to rock music at the same decibel
Grades in a general music class are most appropriately based on the students'
A. improvement in attitude toward music B. development of aesthetic preferences C. increased musical aptitude D. mastery of instructional objectives
In general, e-mail communications from music teachers to parents should be
A. informal and friendly and should be sent from a personal e-mail account B. formal and should adhere to the standards of business writing C. formal and should include grades and test scores detailing the performance of exemplary students D. informal and should incorporate emoticons to help readers understand the nuances of the message
School administrators who value music education as a result of reports that the study of music is linked to higher standardized test scores and improved academic achievement are demonstrating a philosophy based on
A. intrinsic values B. the affective domain C. aesthetics D. utilitarianism
Using the "March of the Toy Soldiers" from the Nutcracker Suite, a general music teacher can best facilitate elementary school students' critical thinking and musical problem-solving by playing the music and asking students to
A. pat their knees on the strong beat and clap softly on the weak beat for the purpose of feeling the meter B. march in place for the purpose of feeling the beat C. identify where they might hear the music and determine what makes it sound like a march D. determine if the piece has a steady beat and, if so, to identify it as fast or slow
For beginning musicians, the first step in learning to play an instrument in tune is
A. recognizing when notes are in or out of tune B. knowing how to use a tuning device C. understanding the pitch tendencies of their instrument D. memorizing the pitches that constitute the overtone series
In classical guitar performance, the terms "pulgar," "indio," "medio," and "anular" (PIMA) refer to the names of
A. right-hand fingers B. left-hand fingers C. specific types of chords D. frets that correspond to the harmonic series
Which of the following is the best Web site for downloading public domain music scores?
A. www.imslp.org B. www.ti-me.org C. www.smartmusic.com D. www.nafme.org
Which THREE of the following songs are known primarily as action songs?
A."Johnny Works with One Hammer" B."Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around" C."Rig-a-Jig-Jig" D."All Through the Night" E."Baa, Baa, Black Sheep"
Which TWO of the following teacher activities demonstrate a differentiated instruction approach for music students?
A.Creating a high school orchestra concert program with repertoire from contrasting time periods B.Taking a middle school general music class to a touring Broadway musical production C.Teaching elementary students the concept of phrase contours using movement and visual aids D.Having general music students develop an independent project to demonstrate knowledge of instrument families E.Bringing in a guest conductor for a high school concert band to offer different perspectives on interpreting repertoire
Which FOUR of the following guidelines describe appropriate and safe practices for music educators to follow when using social media?
A.Do not friend or follow current students on personal accounts. B.Do not post photos that could damage one's professional image in the classroom, even if they depict legal behaviors. C.Use only a personal account to comment on matters of public concern, ensuring that the post does not violate school policies and will not disrupt the school environment. D.Use only a personal account that has restricted access when posting negative comments about students that could be damaging to them. E.Be aware that liking or sharing a post can imply agreement with the post's sentiment and should be considered accordingly.
Which THREE of the following statements regarding Ludwig van Beethoven are correct?
A.His works were infrequently published and performed during his lifetime. B.He experienced deafness during his later years. C.His life and works are generally divided into three periods. D.His compositional style is noted for the development of themes and motifs. E.The bulk of his compositional output is in opera.
Which THREE of the following care and maintenance routines for classroom instruments should be implemented at the end of the school year?
A.Loosening the bolts on the heads of natural-skin drums B.Treating xylophone and metallophone bars with cleaning oil or another agent C.Removing stickers and other debris from xylophone and metallophone bars and sound boxes D.Washing recorders with a disinfecting soap solution and thoroughly drying before storage E.Cleaning the heads of drums with a solution of diluted bleach
Students in a high school advanced theory class have been tasked with writing four-part chorales in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach with a classroom partner. Which TWO of the following statements describe benefits or advantages to this instructional approach?
A.Students with differing amounts of motivation will usually do more or less work than their partner. B.Students with differing aptitudes and strengths can learn from each other. C.Students who think, pair, and share may feel more comfortable receiving feedback from a peer than from the teacher. D.Students will learn at the same pace. E.Students in a group will receive the same grade for their work.