Training Montage

Every great musician has a "behind-the-scenes" story that the audience never sees. Think of the legendary Canadian artists who spent years honing their craft in quiet rehearsal spaces across Ontario: they didn't just wake up with that talent! The Training Montage is your chance to pull back the curtain and show us the real work. This is where you document the small victories, the tricky rhythms that finally clicked, and even the moments where you had to stop and try again. By filming short snippets of your practice throughout the unit, you’re creating a visual record of your growth that is just as important as the final performance. At least 5 times per unit, please do a quick, informal recording of something you were practicing that day.

This assignment is all about the process, not perfection. We want to see you in your natural element, working through your Practice Plan day by day. Whether you’re practicing in your bedroom, a school music room, or your home studio, each clip is a building block in your musical journey. Seeing yourself progress from Day 1 to Day 10 is incredibly rewarding. It proves that "getting better" isn't a mystery, but the result of your own consistency and focus. Plus, stitching these moments together into a montage lets you be the director of your own musical story!

Don't worry about making every clip look "professional". The beauty of a montage is in its variety! It is perfectly okay to record a quick 30-second clip in whatever you’re wearing that day, in whatever lighting you have. The goal is to see the grit and the dedication you’re putting into your instrument. By the time you use Canva to put it all together, you’ll have a 3-5 minute video that doesn't just show me you did the work: it shows you how far you’ve come. You’ve got the skills and the plan; now let’s see that hard work in action. You can do it!

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤
    Pre-Submission Self-Assessment Google Doc
  • 📤

    Training Montage video including:

    • 3-5 minutes of recorded practice clips (use Canva to stitch them together!)
    • Footage covering the range of activities identified in your Practice Plan
    • Visual evidence of progress or practice routines spread out over the unit

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Monitor and reflect on personal musical growth through visual documentation

  • 🎯

    Demonstrate consistent practice habits and engagement with planned materials

  • 🎯

    Apply feedback and self-correction during the practice process

Success Criteria

I can:

  • Use the creative process to document practice of notated or improvised music and apply compositional techniques

    Expectations Covered: A1.1, A3.2
  • Demonstrate an understanding of notation and the elements of music through a variety of practice routines

    Expectations Covered: C1.2, A2.2, A2.3
  • Document my engagement over the course of the unit to show the progression of my creative work

    Expectations Covered: A1.2

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge/Understanding
How well does the student demonstrate an understanding of notation and musical elements in their practice clips?
Demonstrates a thorough and accurate understanding of notation and elements Demonstrates a considerable understanding of notation and elements Demonstrates some understanding of notation and elements Demonstrates limited understanding of notation and elements
Application
How well does the video document the student's consistent engagement with their practice plan?
Video provides a thorough and comprehensive record of consistent practice Video provides a considerable record of consistent practice Video provides some record of practice Video provides a limited or inconsistent record of practice
Communication
How effectively does the student use digital tools to present their progress and growth?
Communicates growth with a high degree of effectiveness through a polished video Communicates growth with considerable effectiveness through a clear video Communicates growth with some effectiveness Communicates growth with limited effectiveness
Knowledge/Understanding
Criteria: How well does the student demonstrate an understanding of notation and musical elements in their practice clips?
Level 4

Demonstrates a thorough and accurate understanding of notation and elements

Level 3

Demonstrates a considerable understanding of notation and elements

Level 2

Demonstrates some understanding of notation and elements

Level 1

Demonstrates limited understanding of notation and elements

Application
Criteria: How well does the video document the student's consistent engagement with their practice plan?
Level 4

Video provides a thorough and comprehensive record of consistent practice

Level 3

Video provides a considerable record of consistent practice

Level 2

Video provides some record of practice

Level 1

Video provides a limited or inconsistent record of practice

Communication
Criteria: How effectively does the student use digital tools to present their progress and growth?
Level 4

Communicates growth with a high degree of effectiveness through a polished video

Level 3

Communicates growth with considerable effectiveness through a clear video

Level 2

Communicates growth with some effectiveness

Level 1

Communicates growth with limited effectiveness