The Jackson High Music Department has numerous ensembles. I am lucky to be working closely with the four bands, and on occasion, the jazz band. The department also offers numerous classes in music appreciation, music theory, keyboard midi lab, guitar, orchestra, and a choice of four choirs. Below I have included a few of my lesson plans. I do the same warm-up with each band, and then my plan is organized according to the order of the bands I teach.
Week One:
Topic: Warm – up and Sight - Read
Literature: Scales and basic chorales
Objective: Students will get their minds and bodies focused into the subject matter, and prepare their lungs and embouchure for the rest of the hour. We will also begin increase our lung capacity through long tones and slow tempos on the chorales.
Standards:
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P. 3. Perform an appropriate part in large and small ensembles, demonstrating well-developed ensemble skills.
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Materials:
Music
Instrument
Band Set – up
Procedure:
Warm – up: 10-15 min
Use scales C a D b
Whole Notes: key C
Long Tones: (8 counts – 12 counts) Key C
Quarter Notes: Key
C, a, D, b
Eighth Notes: Key C, a, D, b
Work Articulations: with MAJOR Keys!
Slur two, tongue two, slur two
Legato
Staccato
Work on an etude or chorale.
Run the piece
Play with tempo
Adjust conducting style
Strict and harsh
Smooth and easy
MAYBE do a new set of scales each day. Tuesday = C a. Wednesday = D b. Thursday C, D, and ask what the minor scales would be and run through them with eighth notes. Friday a mix.
*** Do not be afraid to play with them! *****
Sight - Read! Northlake Festival Overture and Flickertail March (10 –12 min. each.)
RULES!!!
NO talking
Point things out to your stand partner, but do not talk.
Raise your hand if you do not have the music.
I will take questions immediately
before we play.
Music should be on stands. Make sure EVERYONE has a piece.
Take a moment to look at the piece.
Format
Sing and Finger
Instruments up like you were playing. This means you are sitting up as well.
Announcements about the piece
Repeats, key changes, rhythms (demonstrate if needed)
Play!
Stop only when majority is lost
Sing parts as needed.
Address Issues
ONE MORE TIME!!!!
Reflection: I thought the lessons today went really well considering this is my first time in front of the bands and my coordinating teacher was not there. I began with letting them know my expectations, and how I would like to run rehearsals. I had to lay down the law immediately with my Varsity band because some of the trumpets thought it would be funny to talk, mimic me, and basically do whatever they wanted. I stared at them with the “I’m not happy look, explained myself, and moved on.” This let the entire band know that I meant business, and the rehearsal went well.
During warm – ups, I forgot to mention that all the scales I talk about are in concert pitch. I had quite a few people who were playing there C scale and not C concert scale. I need to remember to say concert in front of any pitch I say.
The march was beyond the playing level of Varsity Band. I took the tempo too fast to read with them, and therefore the piece was a bit of a waste of time. Knowing this, I prepared for the Cadet band and when we slingered and played it, I took the tempos way down. I also made sure to read them the program notes so they knew why the piece was composed. I found that it helped in the performance.
The overture was a much better piece. Every band made it through, some more spectacular than others, but they all understood it and did not miss too much. I was pleased that the Symphony and Wind Ensemble were able to create some very good music out of it. They really watched me at the rall, tempo changes, and all the dynamics. The coolest thing happened at the end of the piece, when I was able to build this beautiful chord, allow the band to balance it, and then add the trombones and baritones to the bottom on my cue. It was one of the moments I have always lived for. I could not believe the control the band was giving me at that point in time.
As for things I need to work on, there are many. The first thing I want to make sure I do is whether I’m totally confident or not, I need to look at my students and have superb eye contact on the downbeat of the song. I also need to practice getting my dynamics on cue with my left hand and conducting hand. Sometimes, they cross each other and it makes a mess to look at for my ensemble.
Week Three:
Literature: Scales and basic chorales, Northlake Festival Overture, Air For Band, and Sight - Reading Materials.
Objective: Students will get their minds and bodies focused into the subject matter, and prepare their lungs and embouchure for the rest of the hour. We will also begin increase our lung capacity through long tones and slow tempos on the chorales. We will then focus on accuracy and musicality of the specific concert pieces, and improve our sight - reading skills.
Standards:
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P. 3. Perform an appropriate part in large and small ensembles, demonstrating well-developed ensemble skills.
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Materials:
Instrument
Band Set – up
SR music
Procedure:
Warm – up: 10-15 min
Use scales A, f#, E, c#
Change TEMPOS SLIGHTLY
Long Tones: (8 counts – 12 counts) Key D - REVIEW
Quarter Notes: Keys
Triplets:
SCALE to RHYTHM of the WEEK!
TBD
Work Articulations: with
MAJOR Keys! 
Slur two, tongue two, slur two
Legato
Staccato
DYNAMICS!!!!
Work on an etude or chorale.
Run the piece
Play with tempo
Adjust conducting style
Strict and harsh
Smooth and easy
Varsity Band:
Northlake Festival Overture (10-15min) *
Measure Assignment: 24 – 45 or 65
Style – Marcato – what does this mean?
Nice and light, short and separated.
Check out the dynamics and TRY IT!
Punch beat 2 of m32 – nice accent – see if they are watching – if not do it over!
MELODY: Trumpet 1 and 2 baritone, tenor and trombone
Play it together – slower and work it up. Nice short crisp and clear!
EVERYONE should listen because they need to play under this MF dynamic and keep the same style!
Run section to 45!
Melody: Flutes, saxophones, clarinets, t.sax and horn
Play it together slow first then work up VERY light! Let’s really hit those accents and make obvious articulation changes. But don’t change the style or drag.
M.57 first group! Take it back out the way you did it the first time!
Sight – Read Now the Winter’s Come to Stay (5-8 min)
Remember NO TALKING!
Point things out to your stand partner, but do not talk.
Raise your hand if you do not have the music.
I will take questions immediately before we play.
Take a moment to look at the piece.
Walk through the
piece with them
QUESTIONS?????
Read program notes
Sing and Finger
Play
Sight – Read Foxwood Overture – IF TIME!!!!
Same as above
Cadet Band:
Air For Band (6-9 min)
Rehearsal Assignment: E possibly D to the end
Who composed this piece? - look at it and see if you see any similarities with the Baladaire we played!
Starting in section B – eighth rest and fill in with the eighth notes
huge crescendo through a moving chord progression.
Measure before E
Cl. And Fl.
What are those lines in the last three measures?
Tremolo, and explain what it is and how to do it.
Sing it like we are performing it!
Let’s be sure to start this nice and soft. Remember there is a poco a poco crescendo starting fourth measure of E and we need to start and stay soft so we can build this into good fortune!
People with those eighth note entrances lets make sure those are brought out a bit. (Make sure the others are playing soft enough or say the opposite!)
Last 3 measures!
Fortissimo! - everyone should be giving it their all! Let’s try it.
Each of you ask yourself if you can give more? Try it
Rit. – WATCH!!!!
Feel the music and give separate beats?
Big RITARD because huge ending!
Sight – Read Foxwood
Overture; Now Winter’s Come to Stay (20min)
Remember NO TALKING!
Point things out to your stand partner, but do not talk.
Raise your hand if you do not have the music.
I will take questions immediately before we play.
Take a moment to look at the piece.
Walk through the piece with them
QUESTIONS?????
Read program notes
Sing and Finger
Play
Symphony Band and Varsity Wind Ensemble:
Sight – Read Circus Days (8 min)
Who composed this? What do we know about his marches and composition style?
Look at the march on your own. If you talk I hold the right to start the
piece without any preparation.
Walk through it and point out repeats M.5-22,22-39, Trio = DS sign Fine
at 71.
Read
program notes
Sing and Finger – REMEMBER Like you are performing
We need to sing those dynamics just like we were in a concert.
Questions!!????!!!!
Play it once a bit slower, then race off with it so it sounds like circus!
Sight Read – Hymn to Yerevan (10min)
Look at the piece on your own. If you talk I hold the right to start the
piece without any preparation.
Walk through it and point out form and points of interest
Read program notes – ANCIENT music – do we need to discuss this?
What is it? Discuss Modes and where they originated.
Greek musicians may have been the first to understand the relationship between mathematics and music theory. They created what we understand as the major and minor scales. A traditional scale is divided into 8 notes, but the intervals between those notes are not always equal. The Greeks developed scales which began and ended on each note of the original major scale (Ionian) we still hear today. The Greeks named the different scales after cities which reflected the mood of the seven modes of music. Modern music theorists now call these modes Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.
Basically all you do is take the scale and start on the second degree or in this case the fifth degree, and start and end the scale on that note using the original key.
Sing and Finger – REMEMBER Like you are performing
We need to sing those dynamics just like we were in a concert.
Questions!!????!!!!
Play it once
Get style in the ear!
Try it again this time let’s put some feeling into it!
Week Five:
Work on an etude or Topic: Rehearsal
Literature: Scales and basic chorales Air for Band; Northlake Festival Overture
Objective: Students will get their minds and bodies focused into the subject matter, and prepare their lungs and embouchure for the rest of the hour. We will also begin increase our lung capacity through long tones and slow tempos on the chorales.
Standards:
|
P. 3. Perform an appropriate part in large and small ensembles, demonstrating well-developed ensemble skills.
|
||||
|
|
Materials:
Baton?
Instrument
Band Set – up
SR music
Procedure:
Warm – up: 10-15 min
Use scales E, c# and Bb maj. Dorian, nat. harm. Mel. – for QUIZ!
Change TEMPOS SLIGHTLY
Long Tones: (8 counts – 12 counts) Key E -
Quarter Notes: Keys
Dotted Eighth Sixteenth
SCALE to RHYTHM of the WEEK!
TBD
Work Articulations: with MAJOR Keys!
Slur two, tongue two, slur two
Legato
Staccato
DYNAMICS!!!!
Give time to rehearse for quiz!
Chorale Flow Gently Sweet Afton
Watch your breathe marks!
Look up and react!
HMWK: think about your breathing and how you use your air to conquer your notes!
Varsity Band:
**Writing assignment soon!** See attached sheet!
Please see hand written rehearsal sheet plan for next couple rehearsals. Also check post – it and pencil notes in the score!
Focus points for the weeks: Dynamics! Make it nice!
Lyrical Music! Common Create something!
Think about the image we need to paint!
Cadet Band:
***Coming Soon: Same writing assignment as varsity
band!*** See attached assignment sheet.
See hand written rehearsal plan as well as score and pencil notes.
Varsity Wind Ensemble: David of White Rock
Review
Pull apart the ending! Get that last bit solid – see notes.
***See rehearsal plan and notes on score for exact information or if more time allows.
Reflection: I am doing my lesson plans this way for the week. It’s a test to see if it allows me more flexibility with my teaching on the podium and lets me relax. Oh man, this idea really helped make a great rehearsal. I had things that I could work on, but since I had everything planned for rehearsing the entire piece, I didn’t have to drill just one section. I could jump a little. This was nice because sometimes you can run and work and work a spot and it will never happen. It is at these times you need to move on, and having a full thought out rehearsal plan, I can move on. I you take a moment to look at my lesson plan, you will see I wrote a lot of things in afterwards. Those are my notes to tell me what I did accomplish and what I need to work more on in the sections I worked. I think my lesson plans may look messy to some people, but I am going to do them this way from now on, and allow more space between bands.
The varsity band has really brought up their performance in the classroom and it really excites me. Although there are still things that bother me, we have improved and that’s all that I am asking. The cadet band still has some issues, but after talking with Joel, I feel that their performance level for me is very good.
I tried something new with learning the scale today. Instead of jumping in, I worked the circle of 4ths, and then when back half way and stopped at the key I wanted to work on. The students picked this up so fast. I was surprised. There was no guessing game to figure out the correct notes, they knew where they were within the circle and pulled it out. Even though this is not the ultimate goal to playing scales, it is a good step.
A Sample of the new Score prep I am trying! After rehearsal I write notes in my lesson plan of what I did, the next steps, and the game plan for the next rehearsal.
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The pictures below show the Varsity Band at various rehearsals.
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