Unit Curriculum Project Elizabeth Scott Dr. Ryan Hourigan MusEd 395: Band Literature Spring 2010
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece & Style Introduction Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: March 28 April 2, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 1 Objectives: Students will sight-read the new pieces of music handed out each day to the best of their ability. (Standards 2 and 5) Students will describe the style in which they believe the music should be played based on their initial read as well as recordings. (Standards 6, 8 and 9) Procedure: Warm-up: Play scales and rhythmic exercises that are also audiated; chorales for balance Each day, one new piece will be handed out (the class meets 5 days a week for 55 minutes). o Monday: Gathering In the Glen (Sweeney) fun piece made up of Irish folk tunes o Tuesday: Light Cavalry Overture (Von Suppe/ arr. Williams) toughest piece on the concert due to length and rhythms; will require the most work o Wednesday: Crossings In Time (Sweeney) chorale-like; focus on dynamic expression o Thursday: Train Heading West & Other Outdoor Scenes (Broege) three contrasting movements based on Wild West o Friday: Storm Mountain Jubilee (Strommen) short but fun piece with hoe-down feel The students will be told that the goal for this concert is to learn about different musical styles (including both musical styles, such as fast versus slow, and predetermined styles, such as marches versus dances). To achieve this goal, historical and geographical aspects must be considered, along with what expressive elements will be used to portray the correct style. After receiving the music, students will look through the piece for 5 minutes for clues as to the style of the piece (and movements if applicable) such as dynamics, musical structure/form, written clues, tempo changes, etc. Following this, a recording will be played while the students follow along with their music. Style characteristics will be listened for again. These ideas will then be discussed as a class. The teacher will provide a verbal biography about the composer along with the composer s ideas for and about each piece for the students. This will allow the students to have a better understanding of what the composer was thinking while writing the piece.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece & Style Introduction This new knowledge will then be combined with the ideas of the class to create a class-approved idea of the style for each piece. The class will then slowly play through each piece, with the intent of playing through the entire piece. If needed, the teacher can stop and regroup the students, but must make sure to give the students some idea as to why there were difficulties. After playing through each piece, the class will discuss how their idea of style fits with the piece once having read it. Any changes they may feel are necessary will be recorded. Potential problem spots will be identified for each section, as well as places where the entire group will need to work due to a musical challenge (ex. maintaining balance while growing to an impact). Students will keep the pieces in their folders until next week, with instructions to practice the pieces at home and focusing on problem areas. Assessment: Formative Assessment: Before leaving each day, each section will be asked what spots they believe will be the most difficult, technically and musically, along with possible ways to practice these areas. These sections will be marked in the music so the students know areas they will need to practice the most. Summative Assessment: No summative assessment at this point, since the students have just received the new music. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Let the students know whether the run-through of each piece was stable or rough so they have an idea of which pieces are going to need the most work. Next week, individual parts of pieces will be focused on to help create style.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece Division into Sections Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: April 5-9, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 2 Objectives: Students will identify the individual sections in each piece of music. (Standards 5 and 6) Students will determine how each section is different, using clues from the expressive elements such as dynamics and articulations, and use these elements to create the difference in styles. (Standard 6) Procedure: Warm-up: Play scales and chorales using different expressive techniques, such as changing the dynamics or articulations. Each piece will be divided into sections based on context clues. The sections will then be rehearsed individually, paying close attention to how the expressive elements create a different feel for each section. Light Cavalry Overture o Intro (m. 1-23):! Fanfare section! Moderate stately tempo! Solo sections create contrast! Broad notes with space between each note! Thick texture o Sec. 1 (m. 24-58):! Faster; in 6/8 but eventually conducted in 2! Much thinner texture at first but stronger at m. 34 when whole band enters! Bouncy feel, especially in accompaniment! Broad separation like in Sec. 1 when notes are accented! M. 42-50: dynamics rise and fall very rapidly, building to m. 50-58 where the biggest impact of the section is felt o Sec 2 (m. 59-74):! Slow, lyrical section; almost mysterious feel! Again, texture starts out thin but builds after initial statement of theme! More legato/smooth feel to section articulations very important! Short attacks if only playing on downbeat (accompaniment)! Grow on fermata in m. 74; leads back to m. 24 o Coda:! Back to fanfare feel
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece Division into Sections! Dynamics follow the line of the music! Strong brass on low, accented notes! Each of the last four notes will be cued and need to grow to large sound for ending o Watch for accidentals in each section o Check balance in sections where texture is thin and melody exposed Gathering in the Glen o Intro (m. 1-12):! Walking tempo! Light, flowing! Flute starts melody in m. 2! Start building sound in m. 9 with long notes o Sec. 1 (m. 13-30):! Trumpet plays initial melody, then replayed when whole band enters! Long notes m. 13-20 help build to impact point in m. 21 dynamic increase! Dynamics build to a point, back down, and then rebuild! Long but detached notes through entire section! Slow down m. 29 to prepare for next section o Sec. 2 (m. 31-47):! Slower, sweetly (ballad section)! Exposed flute and clarinet with melody! Pay close attention to articulations to create difference in slurred and tongued sections! Constant dynamic growth! Smooth trade-offs of melody o Sec. 3 (m. 48-69):! March section starts in percussion m. 48! Heavier weight on notes, still smooth articulations! Loud during statement of melody! Strong ending start building from m. 60 o Piece is fun but flowing and smooth Crossings In Time o Sec. 1 (m. 1-25):! Initial statements of held out notes; addition of other instruments fills the sound! Full notes to create broad overall sound! Build to m. 17, where tempo increases slightly, then continue growing! Decrease sound and tempo from m. 22-26 o Sec. 2 (m. 26-43):! Faster melodic rhythms and tempo creates new mental image/picture
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece Division into Sections! Constantly growing to fortissimo impact in m. 40, with still a little growth up through m. 44 o Sec. 3 (m. 44-68):! Sudden drop off of sound! Return to Sec. 1 sounds! Constant dynamic growth and reduction leading up to end o Constant ebb and flow of dynamics in this piece must watch carefully o Bring out shorter notes points of interest Train Heading West o Mvt. 1! Native American feel long short short short rhythms must be carefully articulated! Broad, legato notes with little separation! Quick dynamic changes! Match articulations in tutti sections o Mvt. 2! Flute and Clarinet 2 supposed to sound like rain! Slower and sweeter! Quieter dynamics; smaller growth in crescendos! Build to m 19, then come back down to end o Mvt. 3! Train speeding up, then going off into distance! Tempo changes! Texture gets thicker while speeding up and then thinner while heading off into distance Storm Mountain Jubilee o Sec 1 (m. 1-48)! Bouncy! Quick tempo! Separated notes! long short on slurred notes o Sec. 2 (m. 49-64)! Smooth, connected notes! Same tempo, but sounds slower due to longer and connected notes o Sec. 3 (m. 65-80)! Original theme comes back! Build in last 4 measures to large impact on last note
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece Division into Sections Assessment: Formative Assessment: Listen to students while playing for their ability to create contrasting styles based on the expressive elements. Summative Assessment: During this week, the students will be asked to write a two-paragraph essay on one of the cultures relating to the pieces being played (Wild West, Ireland, etc). It will be due at the end of the week at the beginning of Friday s rehearsal. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Review ways to create stylistic differences. Begin work on rhythmic and note accuracy during the next week.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Piece Division into Sections Writing Assignment: How Cultures Shape Music Name: Date: Write a two-paragraph essay on the culture of one of the pieces from the next concert. The essay should include basic information about the cultural group, as well as how the differences in the culture could impact the way the culture s music sounds or is played.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Rhythm/Note Accuracy Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: April 12-16, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 3 Objectives: Students will develop rhythmic and tonal security through singing and clapping activities that will then carry over to playing. (Standards 1, 2 and 5) Students will evaluate their ability to transfer music that has been audiated to their playing. (Standards 1, 2, and 7) Procedure: Warm-up: Sing and play scales; call and response rhythms were students repeat the rhythm modeled by the teacher. The teacher will determine sections of each piece where students may have rhythmic and note accuracy issues. Each of these sections will be worked on throughout the week. The instructor will model each of these learning techniques so the students have a comparison. Clapping and counting aloud will be used for rhythmic areas; the students will be told to clap their rhythms while counting, and then reverse the process by clapping a steady beat and voicing their written rhythm. Students will sing their melodic line, after be given a starting pitch from the teacher, making sure to watch out for accidentals that may cause issues. Once the students are able to audiate the problems sections correctly, this will be carried over to their instruments. After correctly playing these sections, the problem sections will be incorporated back into larger sections so the students know how they fit within the piece. Light Cavalry Overture: (piece with most focus this week) o Rhythm! Even 16 th -8 th rhythms in flute/oboe/clarinet in m. 17-22! Feeling the 6/8 section in 2 (triplet figures)! Sixteenth note pick-ups to melody figure started in m. 25! Dotted eighth-sixteenth notes in melody line starting at m. 59! Check flam and roll lengths for snare drum throughout piece! Sixteenth-dotted eighths in m. 74 o Notes! Accidentals in the melody line of starting m. 59 Gathering in the Glen: o Rhythm! Syncopation in m. 5 in flute/oboe! Check evenness of eighths in flute/oboe m. 64, 66
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Rhythm/Note Accuracy o Notes! Key change in m. 31 to Eb major! Key change back to Bb major in m. 52 Crossings In Time: o Rhythm! Match entrances when entering on beat 3! Check quarter note entrances and changes m. 16-18! Even eighth notes in faster section! Cued entrances at the end o Notes! Watch for accidentals in faster section due to key change from C minor to C major! Make students aware of lack of accidentals after m. 44 when switches back to C minor Train Heading West: o Rhythm! Even eighth notes in Mvt. 1, despite articulations! Match entrances on tutti sections (Mvt. 1, m. 18, 22)! Steady tempo in flute and clarinet 2 when sounding like rain! Syncopated rhythm at start of Mvt. 3! Tempo changes in Mvt. 3 much be checked! Mvt. 3, m. 13: Make students aware of trade-offs in eighth notes and check entrances! Group entrances in Mvt. 3, m. 23-28, 33-40 o Notes! Check accidentals throughout piece for all instruments (Note: In the score, all instruments are written in the key of C major and accidentals are just written in when necessary for transposing instruments. The implementation of this would depend on if this is how the individual parts of written.) Storm Mountain Jubilee: o Rhythm! Entrances of accompanying instruments! Rhythm in melody initially played in m. 10-11 feels like it should be in the but is still in 4! Perc 1 entrances m. 24-25! Clapping rhythm m. 38-46 o Notes! Check accidentals: M. 14 saxes, horn, tuba M. 24 oboe, bass clarinet, saxes, horn, tuba M. 55 Horn M. 59-64 bass clarinet, saxes, horn, trombone, tuba M. 76-80 bass clarinet, saxes, trombone, tuba
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Rhythm/Note Accuracy Assessment: Formative Assessment: Check the rhythmic and tonal accuracy of students by having sections play through difficult sections at the end of class after working on them in class. Summative Assessment: Students will complete a short self-evaluation of their performance while singing, clapping, and playing as well as the transfer from singing/clapping to playing. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Make sure students understand all rhythms that may cause issues and have the counts written in their parts if needed. Dynamics will follow in the lessons next week.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Rhythm/Note Accuracy Self-Evaluation: Rhythm and Note Accuracy Name: Date: Did the clapping and singing help you understand the rhythms of your music? Why or why not? Did singing your part in the music help? Why or why not? Are there any pieces you feel very comfortable with in regards to the rhythms and your part? Any you don t feel comfortable with? What areas did you do well in today (singing, clapping, etc.)? What are some areas you may need to work on?
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Dynamics Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: April 19-23, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 4 Objectives: Students will create expressive contrast while playing based on dynamics, both written and shown by the director. (Standards 2, 5, and 6) Students will use dynamic contrast to create their own interpretations of the melody lines of a chosen piece (Standards 3 and 4) Procedure: Warm-up: Using scale and chorale exercises, have the students change dynamic levels and crescendo or decrescendo depending on the directions of the conductor. The overall topic of this week will be creating dynamic contrast, which will then lead into how the dynamics affect the style of a piece. The class will identify the dynamic range used in each piece. Using blanks sheets of paper, the students will draw the dynamic line used in each section of the pieces. One continual line will be used to show the rise and fall of the dynamics. The higher the line, the louder the piece; a lower area means softer dynamics. After doing this, recordings of each piece will be played and the students will compare their drawn lines to the lines played in the recordings. Ways to visually show dynamic contrast will be discussed. Students will audiate the dynamic changes on a given pitch while the conductor directs. After accomplishing the changes on a given pitch, the director will run the sections again, with students now singing their own lines. After successful audiation of their musical lines, the students will transfer the dynamic contrast made with their voices to their instruments. Ways to create a good tone while still creating contrast must be clarified at this point (faster air, do not overblow, etc.). This topic is crucial to all of the pieces on the concert. Due to the drastic contrasts that occur through the entire piece, Crossings In Time will be piece worked on the most during this week. However, this does not mean the other pieces will be ignored or given less value in relation to this topic. Other places where dynamic contrast is incredibly influential:
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Dynamics Light Cavalry Overture: o Balancing loud and soft when texture is thin o Growing to impact points o Decrescendos into smoother, chorale-like section o Following the rise and fall of the musical line to determine dynamic range Gathering In the Glen: o Building through the introduction to the first section o Quick changes back and forth between forte and mezzo-forte m. 21-25 o Using decrescendos to aid in slowing tempos (m. 30) o Building to impact points before and during the march o Large group impact at the end Train Heading West: o Mvt. 1 quick changes between piano and forte levels o Mvt. 2 Maintaining good tone while using quieter dynamics, growing to the impact point in m. 19, fading out at the end o Mvt. 3 terrace dynamics Storm Mountain Jubilee: o Legato section m. 26-29 o Chorale section m. 49-64 Assessment: Formative Assessment: Check the drawn lines to see that the match the written or discussed dynamic levels. Listen for dynamic changes while students are singing and playing; while doing this, make sure the students are using quality tone and not overplaying. Summative Assessment: Playing test: Students will use an 8-measure section of a piece of their choice. First, they will play the piece at the written dynamic levels. Next, they will change the dynamic levels as they please to display improvisation skills. Homework: Students will choose a different 8-measure section to write out and arrange with their own dynamic levels. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Check for dynamic and dynamic contrast understanding and playability. Next week will be focused on articulations.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan - Articulation Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: April 26-30, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 5 Objectives: Students will enhance their knowledge of possible articulations as well as how to produce these articulation types on their instrument. (Standards 2, 5, and 6) Students will discover and be able to verbalize how articulations help to create musical styles, especially relating to the background culture of different pieces. (Standards 6, 7 and 9) Procedure: Warm-up: The students will play scales and warm-up exercises using different articulations as described by the director. Different types of articulation, the proper way in which to produce these articulations on different instruments, and the way in which articulations can impact and enhance musical styles are the basis for rehearsals during the 5 th week of preparation for this concert. Each day, one piece will be chosen and the articulations used in that particular piece will determine the articulations that are discussed on that specific day. The teacher will model different articulations on their instrument and have the students describe what they hear in terms of length, weight, etc. Following these, the teacher will ask if any students know the correct musical terminology associated with the played articulation. Following teacher model, the students will create the different embouchure formations associated with the creation of different articulations. This will be done for multiple articulation types, and will need to be repeated until the students are able to create an acceptable sound. Students will play scales using articulation patterns, much as they did in the warm-up. However, this time the students will focus on using the mouth formation from the previous step; following this, students will evaluate their playing. Repetitions of this exercise will be done until the teacher is comfortable with the students creation of articulations. As with the dynamic lesson, the class will discuss ways the director can convey specific articulations through their conducting. Students will again play the scales, this time watching the conductor for clues as to which articulation to use.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan - Articulation Students will be asked to find sections in their music where the articulations being studied that day are found, and identify them to the class as a section using correct terminology. Sections of the piece will be rehearsed, with particular attention paid to the production of accurate articulations based on the proper creation learned in the previous exercises. The smaller sections of music will be rehearsed in bigger chunks, allowing the students to feel transitions between different articulation styles. A review session will follow, during which articulation terminology is discussed along with the way in which the different articulations affect the style of the piece. Specific sections used for articulation study: Light Cavalry Overture: o Separation of accented notes o Transitions between slurred, accented, staccato and legato tonguing (especially in the upper woodwinds) o The use of tonguing and syllable formation to create short attacks o Long short patterns in slurred and tongued alterations (m. 54-5 upper woodwinds) Gathering In the Glen: o Difference between legato tonguing and slurs o Accented sections should be long but detached Crossings In Time: o Creating a smooth line, focusing a great deal of staggered breathing and very smooth legato tonguing to produce the feeling of an extended line of music o Smooth initial attacks that do not splat o Fading out of held-out notes rather than just cutting off air supply Train Heading West: o Mvt. 1 Smooth transition between slurred and staccato eighths o Mvt. 2 long but detached notes to create the rain effect; legato tonguing o Mvt. 3 Difference between tenuto and staccato notes; difference between regular and accented staccato notes Storm Mountain Jubilee: o Match length of note in moving bass line, especially for those coming in on the off-beats o Smooth connection in held-out notes (m. 26-29, 49-60) o Check length of clapping unison sound o Match accent on final note
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan - Articulation Assessment: Formative Assessment: At the end of day, review the articulation style(s) discussed that day. When the week comes to an end, perform a verbal review of all styles by asking the class to describe the articulation the teacher announces. Summative Assessment: Students will be told about a playing test that will take place in the following week through the use of SmartMusic. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Review articulations and dynamics, as these two concepts will be combined in the following week.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Combine Articulation and Dynamics Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: May 3-7, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 6 Objectives: Students will apply the skills regarding dynamics and articulations learned in the previous two weeks to their pieces at the same time, rather than focusing on just one. (Standard 2) Students will develop personal musical skills that can be used to determine how dynamics and articulation affect the style of a piece of music. (Standard 6) Procedure: Warm-up: The students will play scales and warm-up exercises. First, different dynamics will be used for run-throughs. This will be followed by the use of different articulations, and finally the combination of both. The students have spent two weeks working on the creation of dynamics, dynamic contrast and various articulations. It is now time to combine these two skills. Since these are younger students, it will take a large chunk of time for the students to succeed at this goal, which is why an entire week is dedicated to this process. A review session of different articulations and dynamics will remind the students of what they have learned in the past two weeks. The teacher will model the different styles and ask the students to name what they did differently each time (staccato notes, crescendo, etc). Asking for definitions of a term or the term that accompanies a specific definition will also check their musical vocabulary. The students will then attempt to combine both areas of newly developed skills into the playing of their pieces to enhance the musicality. This must be done in small chunks at first to get students used to this process. The teacher will inform the students that this was the underlying goal of their warm-ups. A small section (four to eight measures each) of each piece will be chosen by the instructor. The articulations and dynamic changes will be rehearsed individually at first and then combined. In an attempt to prevent student frustration, the sections will be taken slowly at first and then sped up. Once the students are doing well with combining the expressive elements in the smaller section, the size of the section will be increased. Again, this will start slowly and be sped up as confidence increases. The above two steps will be repeated for other sections in the piece until the students and teacher feel comfortable and confident in the students ability to play expressively while still producing a good tone and note and rhythm accuracy.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Combine Articulation and Dynamics If certain sections are causing a great deal of problems for the group, they will be broken down into the two separate concept areas once again to determine whether is problem lies in the creation of dynamics or articulations. The problem area will be rehearsed until the playing is more solid, at which point the other element will be added back in. By the end of the week, the band should be able to run each individual section of the pieces with the proper expressive elements. The teacher should evaluate the performance of each section at the end of the rehearsal to determine which, if any, sections will need more work. The goal for Thursday of this week is to have run each section solidly at least once. This leaves the Friday rehearsal open to working on the sections with which the students are having the greatest problems. If necessary, individual sections may be pulled to work on certain sections. Assessment: Formative Assessment: The teacher will observe students while playing in class to check their ability to produce a good tone while adding the expressive elements into the pieces. Summative Assessment: Students will be pulled individually during the week to record themselves performing on SmartMusic. The students will have been given a specific song from their method book the previous week, so they will have had time to practice. The performance will be graded on note and rhythmic accuracy, but also the student s ability to create dynamic contrast and different articulations. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Check student understanding of how articulation and dynamics can impact style, which leads into the re-establishment of the style of each piece in the following week.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Re-Establishment of Style Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: May 10-14, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 7 Objectives: Students will verbalize the stylistic differences of each piece based on the skills developed during the past weeks of rehearsal. (Standard 6 and 7) Students will produce the stylistic differences through the application of their new skills (dynamic contrast and various articulations). (Standards 2 and 5) Procedure: Warm-up: The director will run scales and scale exercises; the students will be expected to change the way in which they perform the exercises based on visual cues from the director. Since this is the week before the concert, the class needs to start rehearsing the pieces as a whole rather than chunks or sections. Since the overall concept for this concert is the ability to use expressive musical elements to create different styles, the students will need to identify the different styles used in each piece so they have a solid idea of the expectations per piece. The teacher will quickly review articulation and dynamics with the students. Following this, the teacher will lead a discussion of how these elements of expression can affect or cause the style of music, particularly the pieces for the upcoming concert. Each section of each piece will be run through completely. Following each run through, the class will decide on a description of the style of the piece. Based on the class decision of style per section, a visual with be decided upon for each section. Examples are children laughing, an open field, royalty being presented to the public, or sleeping. This will give the students an image they can think of while playing the music, which will helpful for all of the students but especially the visual learners in the room. These images will be written on the students music so they are able to review them before playing. If images do not work for some students, feeling or descriptive adjectives can be used as well. The same process of picking an image or series of descriptive words to describe sections will now be applied to each piece as a whole. By doing this activity, the students are able to discover the overall meaning or feeling of the piece, but also ways to remember how individual sections vary in style within the same piece. After writing down words to help them remember the stylistic differences of each piece as well as the sections within the piece, the students must now make sure
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Re-Establishment of Style they are able to play each piece in a way that matches their style ideas for each piece. This may take a few run-throughs of either the entire piece or just sections, especially if there are many diverse sections as in Light Cavalry Overture. Once the style has been established for each piece, multiple run-throughs must occur so the students feel completely comfortable with the way in which the piece should be played for the concert. The goal for this week is to have created a specific image of the style of each piece. This allows the students to have a solid understanding of what they are trying to portray when they play each section of the pieces, as well as an overview of each entire piece. By creating the definite image the week before the concert, the students will have time to practice and rehearse the pieces for a decent amount of time and will not be rushed to change their general overview of each piece the week before the concert. Assessment: Formative Assessment: Make sure students are participating in the discussions of the different styles, and are working to produce these differences through observation of playing. Summative Assessment: Students will be asked to write a paragraph of their interpretation of the style of one piece a day based on their thoughts and class discussions. One piece will be assigned each day; the students will have 10 minutes at the end of the rehearsal to complete their paragraph. By the end of the week, all pieces will be covered. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: Remind students of the concert next week, and inform them the next week will be for detailed cleaning of their pieces in preparation for the concert.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Re-Establishment of Style Writing Assignment: Style Name: Date: Name of Piece: Write a paragraph describing the style of the piece of music assigned for the day. This can be an image you think of while playing, words about how it makes you feel how you want to describe it is up to you!
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Cleaning and Preparing for the Concert Name: Ellie Scott Class: 7 th grade Band Date: May 17-21, 2010 Rehearsal in Sequence: Week 8 Objectives: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of musical style through the performance of the prepared pieces. (Standards 2, 5 and 6) Students will evaluate their individual and group performance based on their musical knowledge and skills developed during the past rehearsals (Standard 7) Procedure: Warm-up: Each day, the director will cover scales related to the pieces being played so students have an idea of the tonal center. Rhythmic and tonal exercises should also be performed to prepare the students for the upcoming concert. The teacher may need to create these exercises on their own to guarantee that an effective tie-in with the concert pieces. The concert performance of the pieces the students have been rehearsing for the past seven weeks will be on Thursday, May 20, 2010. To guarantee a quality concert and that the students are completely prepared, the pieces will need to be run through as completely as possible, with stops only for critical errors that need to be corrected. After warming up the students, the teacher will announce daily goals at the start of each rehearsal. This may be something such as playing all the way through all of the pieces, getting through just one specific piece, or cleaning a specific section. By doing this, the teacher is letting the students know how much they need to accomplish in a certain amount of time. Each day should include a run through of at least one piece in entirety, and all pieces must be rehearsed for at least 5 minutes so that none are neglecting while cleaning others. If the teacher states that the group will be playing through an entire piece without stopping, the teacher must stick to this goal as often as possible. If a piece starts falling apart or a glaring mistake is made, the teacher made stop and clean that section; however, small mistakes must be overlooked unless they are repeated consistently. Cleaning should be primarily focused on during the first two days, while completely playing through most if not all of the pieces should be the goal of the last two days before the concert. When cleaning, make sure articulations and dynamic changes are matching the style decided upon and practiced the week before. As this has been the primary focus of this concert, it is imperative that the
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Cleaning and Preparing for the Concert students are able to maintain the expressive elements through every performance of the piece. The conductor must make sure that getting and maintaining the attention of the students, as well as how each piece will be started is practiced. This is essential to a successful concert, for it is far more likely the students will do this if it has been practiced rather out in advance than the day before the concert. The same can be said for entering stage and bowing procedures. As this is the week before the rehearsal, the students should not be learning anything too drastically new. Cleaning is acceptable, but at this late stage in the rehearsal sequence, the students will not have enough time to completely absorb new ideas, especially since they are still young players. This makes it highly important for the concepts to be solidified in the previous weeks, and that the teacher is constantly assessing the level of understanding for each individual student. If all seems to be going smoothly during the previous rehearsals, the concert should be a success for the teacher and the students. Concert order: Light Cavalry Overture Gathering In The Glen Crossings In Time Train Heading West & Other Outdoor Scenes Storm Mountain Jubilee Assessment: Formative Assessment: Check through observation that the students are prepared for the concert. Identify any weak spots so they can be checked and cleaned. Summative Assessment: On Friday, the students will listen to a recording of the concert from the night before. After listening, they will be asked to complete a self-evaluation critique based on their personal playing as well as that of the group. Feedback and ideas for next rehearsal: On Friday, the teacher will give their personal opinion of the concert after selfevaluations are completed. This is most likely the last performance for the group this school year. If not, the students should be prepped for the next performance. Otherwise, the teacher should start working on the final playing and written tests of the year by assigning music for the playing test and reviewing the knowledge needed to complete the written test.
MUSED 395 Lesson Plan Cleaning and Preparing for the Concert Self Evaluation: May 20, 2010 Concert Critique Name: Date: Describe how you felt the concert went: What were the greatest strengths of the group during the concert? Did you notice any problems or issues from the group? Describe your greatest strengths that were displayed in this concert: What are some areas you can continue working on for the next concert/year?