The purpose of the student guide is to have all of the
information in front of students so that they are able to see what they need to
know. The teacherÕs job with this
method is to aide students in the discovery of answers. This can be introduced as homework done
in class. Students should be
allowed and encouraged to share answers with others as peers explaining
concepts learn much better than those who are taught. Questions in bold are designed to be done outside of
class. These questions will take extra
time and effort on the studentÕs part but will enrich the performance and
learning of the piece. Each bullet
will take ten to fifteen minutes to teach and can be done either in the time
frame suggested or stretched out over a longer period of time.
Composer Information:
Composer information is addressed in the first
rehearsal.
Melody:
Melody is addressed in the first
two weeks section. Students will
be asked to identify melody and countermelody, understand their relationships,
and identify when they have either the melody or the countermelody.
Rhythm:
Rhythm is addressed primarily in
weeks 3-4. Students are asked to
come up with practice ideas for rhythm.
They are also asked to notate and write counts in for several rhythms.
Harmony:
Harmony is addressed within the 3-4
week span. Students are asked to
look into various roles that they play in building harmonies as well as how
various volume and balance issues affect the sound of the ensemble. The teacher should then take the
opportunity to point out various instances where the principles discussed in
the packet can be applied to other areas.
Form:
Form is discussed within the first
two weeks both with regard to canon in the piece and the text. The discussion on form continues into
weeks 3 and 4 with the teacher explaining various aspects of the text and how
it relates to form. The teacher
should at this time point out relationships between the words and how the music
sounds.
Glossary:
The students are presumed to be of
high school age. They have a solid
knowledge of basic terms, but here is a chance for the teacher to teach the
concept of canon. Augmentation,
diminution, and interval are asked to be directly defined and canon is defined
through example.
Practicing:
Practicing is discussed at length
in weeks 3 and 4, as is the practice composition, which serves as a chance for
students to elaborate on what they feel is important to practice and how they
go about the task
Assessment
á
Assessment should be based on the completion of the
student packet (which should be graded as a worksheet with points given for
correct answers and valid or well-supported opinions.
á
Suggested Rubrics for the Web Quest and Practice
Composition are attached.
á
The weight of any assignment is open to instructor
interpretation, but I would weight the packet as:
o 15
pts. for the first rehearsal
o 20
pts for the first two weeks
o 20
pts. for the 3rd and 4th week
o 30
pts. for the Web quest
o 15
pts for the Practice Composition
o 100 total
points
á
In the grading process I feel it is important to grade
more on completion than on accuracy.
Thoughts should be valid and supported, but the emphasis should be on
completing the project as this will be for many a drastic shift in policy.
Possible Rehearsal Plan (5-6 weeks)
Warm Ups:
Warm ups should be designed to enhance various aspects of
the piece. As rhythm is less of an
issue for this piece than most grade three and four pieces, warm ups suggested
here will be focused on harmony, style, and intonation. Possible warm ups include:
á
Warm up in round of scales. Ask students to listen to balance. This will help prepare students for the piece as well as for
the discussion on harmony in weeks three and four. Lows start, then mids, and then highs. The warm up can be done in half notes
or in dotted halves to allow for a three four feel.
á
Remington warm up. This will help the band with intonation.
á
Scales in a lyrical style to help bring about shape and
phrasing.
á
Scales utilizing rhythms present in the student
guide.
First Rehearsal:
First Two Weeks:
á Evaluation
of melody
á Good
places to split up the sections are between questions four and five, between
eight and nine, and between ten and eleven.
á Examine
the melody and structure of the piece.
á Examine
form and various compositional techniques used to write the piece.
á With
the first eight questions done, ask students to identify their contributions to
the melody or countermelody.
á Ask
students to evaluate the text of the piece. What does it mean to them? Are there any similarities between text and form? For question eleven, you should not
offer guidance to the students at this time.
Weeks Three and Four:
á Assign
web quest.
á Explain
form and techniques to the students and how it relates to the text. Ask them to discuss what things were
discovered today that were new to them on question one. This should be done the rehearsal after
the text and form section done by students.
á Have
students evaluate practice techniques for the piece now that they have had a
chance to work on their own.
á Discuss
rhythms for the piece and how they break down. Have students write in counts at this time.
á Work
on students with questions five through nine. Use the final chord and have students who arenÕt playing
listen to a specific voice. For
example the clarinets could listen to flutes and the trumpets could listen to
trombones. Experiment with this
chord, bringing out each note (5ths, 3rds, root) and experiment with the sound
pyramid. Have students write their observations in questions seven through
nine.
á Have
students write practice idea that they have used to work on piece. Simple, 4-8 bars, to be submitted
electronically via drop box.
á Discuss
vocal parts with students and how they transfer to instruments. Play a recording for students (found on
Naxos or Youtube) and have students analyze vocal techniques and how they
transfer.
Weeks Preceding Concert
Collect
all previously done assignments.