Teaching

Music Educators | Innovative Practitioners

The music educator must show a thorough understanding of their subject content and pedagogical knowledge so that their students may have the necessary information for them to succeed. It is also important for the music educator to have a multitude of teaching techniques under their belt, since what may work for one student or group of students may not always be an effective teaching tool for another student or group of students.

Rehearsal from Carl Hayden High School

Sight Reading Practice Carl Hayden High School

Corona del Sol Holiday Concert

Rehearsal from Corona del Sol High School

Recruitment Video

Self Reflection

Our group chose to focus our recruiting video on the instruments as much as possible. Each person had a segment where they gave a description of the instrument, and the possibilities available for the students if they were to choose that instrument, as well as a short playing demonstration. Had we had a bit more time with this project, it would’ve have been helpful to also include some sort of ensemble playing demonstration. Perhaps it may even be a good idea to showcase instruments both in a traditional ensemble setting, as well as small/chamber ensemble setting. After the assignment was over, it occurred to me that it would also be extremely beneficial to include different styles of music being played by the same instrument. Working as a group definitely brought the advantage of six different brains all sharing a wide variety of ideas. We are then able to choose from that pool of ideas the best ones that suit our needs.

Rhythm Reading Lesson Plan (November 2022)

"Sous le Ciel de Paris" Edith Piaf

Sample Score
Length of Lesson: 30 Minutes

Materials: student instruments, metronome, score, music stands, sheet music

Class Setting: Symphonic Band 1-2 class consisting of students with at least one year of musical experience, comprised of 9th through 12th grade students.

Standards Addressed:

• MU.PR.5.PE.HS2a: Develop and apply appropriate rehearsal strategies to address individual and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of music

• MU.PR.6.PE.HS1b: Demonstrate attention to expressive qualities in prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures, styles, and genres. 

Lesson Objectives:

• The students will be able to accurately read the provided musical notations and play them with rhythmic accuracy

• The students will be able to "trade eighth notes" at Letter K in Sous le Ciel de Paris while keeping a proper tempo

Personal Objective: I will provide direct feedback and formative assessment to the class and provide frequent checks for understanding

Activities/Procedures:

1. Begin band in full group setting in band room. Go through announcements.

2. Divide and conquer! Weingartner takes half of group into South auditorium pod, Ochoa
   takes other half into North auditorium pod.

3. Re-set up group in the North pod. Go through warm-up routine.
   a. Assign students into 3 different groups to play Bb scale in a round. Group 1 plays Bb scale first, Group 2 starts after 4 counts, Group 3 starts after 8 counts
   b. This will help prep the lesson going into letter K in the music!!
   c. Instruct students to listen to the other parts, but to not let the other parts affect
   their own!

4. After warm-up, transition over to Sous le Ciel de Paris at letter K. Students stay on
   SAME groups from warm up that correlate with their part in the music. (Group 1 –
   Piccolos, Group 2 – Oboe & Alto Sax, Group 3 – Flute & Clarinets)

5. Students clap the downbeat of their part at letter K @ a tempo of about 180bpm.

6.   Students add in the second “upbeat” of their part at letter K.
a. Instruct students to listen to the other parts, but to not let the other parts affect their own!

7. Students continue to clap their part at letter K, add in verbal counting to reinforce
   rhythmic understanding of the eighth note patterns in letter K. Repeat a few times until
   we near 80% to 100% rhythmic accuracy.

8. Once confident on clapping and saying counts at loud, students play their parts on their
   instruments.

a. Instruct students to listen to the other parts, but to not let the other parts affect their own!
9. Repeat a few times until we near 80% to 100% rhythmic accuracy.

Closing Activity: Instructor will offer the challenge of asking what student is able to play as much of the exercise as possible with 100% accuracy before a mistake is made

Assessment: The student is able to play the rhythms at Rehearsal Letter K with a steady tempo of at least 180bpm

Sample Lesson Plan (November 2019)

"Hanukkah Dance" Matt Conaway 

Length of Lesson: 10 Minutes

Materials: baton, iPad/score, computer, metronome, speaker/sound system

Class Setting: Wind Ensemble consisting of sophomore, junior, and senior year band students. Students have had at least 3+ years of experience.

Standards Addressed (State and/or National): 

• MU.PR.5.PE.HS2a: Develop and apply appropriate rehearsal strategies to address individual and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of music

• MU.PR.6.PE.HS1b. Demonstrate attention to expressive qualities in prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures, styles, and genres.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: 

• The students will adjust the volume of their playing to achieve a better sense of ensemble balance and blend.

• The students will be able to listen for and adjust to tempo changes. 

Activities/Procedures: 

1. Ensemble will warm up using their 1-1, 3-1, and 3-2 warmup exercises from their method book.

2. Students will rehearse measures 33-37 of Hanukkah Dance. Explain that everything from this section forward in their music is marked f or ff and that in order to make it more interesting we must add our own dynamics 

3. Instruct students to add a two-measure diminuendo down to p in measures 35 and 36. Ensemble will stay at piano until measure 43

4. Starting in measure 43, low brass (melody) will crescendo up to ff in measure 45 and then continue to play the written dynamics. Everyone else will only crescendo up to a mp at measure 45, and then the entire ensemble will play the written dynamics at measure 49. 

5. In the very last measure, the entire ensemble will add a crescendo through the last note.

6. Instruct students that there will be an increase in tempo every four measures starting in measure 37 (the students already have various tempo markings that we’ve added in previous rehearsals, this is just to solidify a better sense of tempo)

7. Practice new tempo changes from 37 to the end. 

8. Remind students of all of the new information, give them about 30 seconds to make sure they and their stand partner have all of the same information written down in their music, and end with a run-through of the piece. 

Assessment: 

• The students will be able play the tempo changes starting at measure 37

• The students will adjust their volume to match the balance of the ensemble in measure 45

Sample Lesson Plan (October 2019)

Post-Concert Reflection

Length of Lesson: 15 Minutes

Materials: scores, computer, sound system

Class Setting: Advanced middle school ensemble consisting of a mix of 7th of and 8th graders.  

Standards Addressed (State and/or National): 

• MU.RE.8.PE.8a: Identify and support interpretations of the expressive intent and meaning of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts, and (when appropriate) the setting of the text

• MU.RE.7.PE.8b:  Describe how the elements of music are manipulated to inform the response to music.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: 

• The students will describe what went well during their concert.

• The students will think of things that could be improved for their following concert. 

Activities/Procedures: 

1. Listen to recording of a piece from last night’s concert.

2. Instruct students to listen from beginning to end in complete silence and without following along in their music, allowing them to focus their complete attention on the sounds that they are listening to.

3. Give students 1 minute to discuss with their neighbor things that went well during their performance.

4. Ask student to raise their hands and give comments that had to do with things that they or their section did well.

5. Ask students to then raise their hands give comments that had to do with things that others did well.

6. Give students 1 minute to discuss with their neighbor things that could be improved for a future performance.

7. Ask students to raise their hands and give constructive comments on things that could be improved and what they can do to accomplish that goal.

8. Repeat steps 1-7 with each following piece.

Assessment: 

• The students will be able to think critically about their concert performance and be able to talk about what they did well and what they could improve upon.

Sample Lesson Plan (September 2019)

“Windsprints” Richard Saucedo  

Length of Lesson: 20 Minutes

Materials: “Windsprints” score, baton, whiteboard, whiteboard marker, metronome/loudspeaker, instrument

 Class Setting: Wind Ensemble consisting of sophomore, junior, and senior year band students. Students have had at least 3+ years of experience. 

Standards Addressed (State and/or National): 

• MU.PR.5.PE.HS2a: Develop and apply appropriate rehearsal strategies to address individual and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of music

• MU.PR.6.PE.HS1b. Demonstrate attention to expressive qualities in prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures, styles, and genres. 

Lesson Objectives Addressed: 

• The students will perform the 3:3, 4:3, 5:3, and 6:3 polyrhythms in measures 13-16.

• The students (woodwinds) will add a breath accent on the first note of every measure in measures of 21-29.

Activities/Procedures: 

1. Warm up with exercises 1-1, 3-1, 3-2, and 2-1

2. Introduce the idea of counting polyrhythms, start by having students say the counts to a 3:2 polyrhythm out loud

3. Instruct students to count polyrhythms backwards – ideally, this should be a little easier

4. Once students have gotten the hang of 3:2, move on to 4:2, 5:2, etc… counting backwards every single time (ie: 3-2-1, 4-3-2-1, 5-4-3-2-1)

5. Ask students to find measure 13 in “Windsprints” and practice counting the 3:3, 4:3, 5:3, and 6:3 rhythms the same way they were counting during the warmup. 

6. Once they are comfortable saying it, the woodwinds who aren’t playing the polyrhythm will clap the 3’s, while the brass that have the polyrhythms will clap the 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, and 6’s

7. Repeat step 6, except this time brass will play their music as written. 

8. Once this feels comfortable, transition to measure 21 and play through measure 29.

9. Ask students with eighth note runs to add a “breath accent” and the first note of every measure to serve as an “anchor point” 

10. Rehearse the chunk of music at 80 bpm, 120 bpm, 160 bpm, and then 180 bpm

Assessment: 

• The students will play a 4:3 and 5:3 polyrhythm with 80% accuracy

• The students will be able to play eighth note runs at measure 21 with more accuracy after adding the breath emphasis

Sample Lesson Plan (May 2018)

Lesson Plan for Introducing a Section of a Piece 

Materials: score, baton

Percussion: Timpani*, Wood Block, Snare Drum, Tom-Tom*, Crash Cymbals, 2 Suspended Cymbals, Chimes, Bass Drum, Marimba, Triangle, Bells, Tam-Tam, Vibraphone

• Concepts:

  • Aleatoric section at Triangle A (measures 95-96)

• Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)/Assessments:

  • The students will create aleatoric music following my gestures and using their own imaginations to make the musical choices in this section.

  • The students will define the term “aleatoric music”

• Personal objective: Giving more specific formative feedback, and not make broad comments.

• Introduction: In order to boost the ensemble’s confidence, they will do a mass improvisation exercise:

  • Ask the students to choose a note and play what my gesture shows

  • Ask the students to describe the sounds they made

  • Tell students why the piece was written and what the composer’s intentions are at Triangle A

• Procedure This lesson will actually rely very little on me and will give the students an opportunity to make the creative decisions themselves. I will guide the students through the music and conduct slightly, but how the music is played will be at the discretion of the ensemble.

  • Start at A and try playing as indicated

  • Ask the students to describe the sounds they made

  • Explain the concept of aleatoric music, and apply to the music

  • Start at A and sight-read to measure 96

• Closure Research and listen to a couple of different performances of the piece, and find out what you like and dislike about their interpretation of this section.