Course Information: Description: Instruction Level: Grade 7 Total Credits: Prerequisites: Textbooks: Course Seventh Grade Band Seventh Grade Band is for second year instrumental music students, however, students may join band at any time. Lessons are once per week for 22 minutes and large group rehearsals are every other day. Students will continue to learn musical skills through these lessons and rehearsals, as well as through solo/ensemble, honors bands, and marching band. Seventh grade band students march in two parades in the spring of their seventh grade year. Both parades are in town. The first is Memorial Day and the second is Butterfest. Fees are charged for school instrument use, books, reeds, oils and other maintenance items. N/A N/A Music Standard: Reading and Notating Accent on Achievement, music for concerts, solo/ensemble music, marching band music. Students will be able to read music containing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, dotted quarter notes and dotted eighth notes by the end of their second year of instruction. Students will be able to identify and write a measure of music containing 2, 3, 4 and 6 beats per measure. Students will be able to read and name the notes in the Concert B flat scale, the Concert E flat scale and the Concert F scale. Music Standard: (alone and with others) on a varied repertoire of music. Students will be able to perform music containing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, dotted quarter notes and dotted eighth notes by the end of their second year on instruction. 1 Page
Students will be able to perform the Concert B Flat, Concert E Flat and Concert F scales by the end of their second year of instruction. Students will use varied articulations and dynamics while performing. (tongue, slur, accent, staccato, legato, tenuto, piano, forte, mezzo piano and mezzo forte. Students understand varied Italian terms in music and the tempo markings for which they are associated. Music Standard: Evaluates Music and Students will determine if a performance was good and how they can improve. Music Standard: History and Culture Units Students will know the History of some of the pieces of music they perform. We also discuss some of the cultures in which a piece of music originated. (Order according to calendar) 1. Winter Concert 2. Solo/Ensemble Festival 3. Large Group Festival 4. Spring Concert 5. Marching Band Unit Outlines 1. Winter Concert Note: Students will perform 3-4 pieces of music of varied repertoire. Evaluate Music and Relate Music to History and Culture 2 Page
Did we play our pieces accurately? Did we present ourselves in an appropriate manner? How was our posture? What could we do to improve our performance? Students will know how to accurately play the pieces performed. They will appreciate the audience response to their performance. 2. Solo/Ensemble Note: Solo/Ensemble is optional for students. They may perform a solo, a duet, trio, or quartet for a judge. Evaluate the. What are some things a judge looks at and listens for when evaluating our performance? How will playing a solo in front of a judge prepare me for giving speeches in high school or doing a presentation for a group of people? How did it feel playing by myself in front of a judge? Students will know what it feels like to perform by themselves or in a small group in front of a judge. They will learn that it gets easier with each performance. 3. Large Group Festival Note: A Clinician (a band director from another middle school, high school or college) comes to our school to listen to our bands play 3 pieces each. One of the pieces needs to come from a WSMA music list. The other 2 pieces are the director s choice. The clinician listens to the performance, critiques it and then works with the band for approximately 40 minutes. We end our day with an evening performance for the community. Evaluate the Relate Music to History and Culture 3 Page
What are things that the clinician looks at when critiquing us? How can we accomplish each of these elements in music? Students will gain experience performing for and working with another director. Professionalism will be an important part of the success for the day. Ways to improve Tone, Intonation, Balance, Technique, Interpretation, Expression and Presentation will be an asset to our band. 4. Spring Concert Note: Students will perform 3 pieces of music of varied repertoire Evaluate Music and Relate Music to History and Culture. Did we perform our pieces accurately? How was our posture? Did we look and act in a professional manner? What could we do to improve our performance? Students will know how to accurately play the pieces we performed. They will listen to their winter concert performance and compare it to the Spring concert, noting improvements. 5. Marching Band Note: Seventh grade band students will be introduced to marching band. They will march in 2 parades along with the eighth grade band students. Evaluate How can we learn to march while playing our instruments? What is the best way to memorize our music? What are some ways to help keep our lines straight while marching? 4 Page
Students will gain experience marching with practice (keeping the upper body still while moving the feet, marching with hands out or using rope for straight lines, etc). Students will learn how to memorize music. 5 Page