Praxis Music case studies
Praxis Music · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Praxis Music refers to the Praxis Subject Assessments used for educator certification in music, administered by ETS as part of its Praxis® teacher certification program. Candidates are typically prospective K–12 music teachers who must satisfy their state's licensure requirements, and ETS advises checking state requirements first so you register for the correct test. The Praxis Music case studies are 5 cases and about 2,304 words.
1The Choir That Sings Sharp
A high school chamber choir of 24 singers has three weeks until festival. In the past two rehearsals, the ensemble has drifted about 30 cents sharp by the end of an unaccompanied Renaissance motet, though the accompanied pieces stay in tune.
453 words, about 2 min2The Modulation That Wasn't
A student composer brings a 32-bar popular song in C major to a lesson. The bridge (bars 17–24) uses the chords Am–F–Dm–G, and the student insists it 'modulates to A minor' because the section 'feels sad.' The melody over the bridge centers on A and E, and the final cadence returns to C major at bar 25.
461 words, about 2 min3The Student Who Can't Play Loud
A trumpet student in a high school wind ensemble can play accurately and in tune at mezzo-piano and below, but every attempt at forte or above produces a pinched, thin tone and frequent cracked notes, especially above the staff. The student practices 30 minutes daily and has been told by a peer to 'just use more air.' The director needs the student audible in an upcoming march that requires sustained playing at forte in the upper register.
482 words, about 2 min4The Program Note Problem
A community orchestra is preparing a concert of three works: a Baroque concerto grosso, a Romantic symphony movement, and a contemporary piece written in 2019 by a living composer. The orchestra's program committee wants program notes but has no budget for a professional writer.
428 words, about 2 min5The Scale That Won't Stick
A middle school band student has been assigned the B-flat major scale for a playing test in two weeks. The student can play it slowly with the sheet music but cannot play it from memory, and last week's attempt at a faster tempo fell apart at the top of the scale.
480 words, about 2 min