The students featured in this series of lessons are in a high school wind ensemble, comprised of ninth through twelfth graders. The band is selectively auditioned.
Nearly all of the students have been in instrumental music since the sixth grade, as they are required to start their ensemble instruction at the introductory stage; the exceptions to this rule are few. Many of these students also have experience singing in curricular and after-school vocal ensembles, and in musical theater productions. Students are encouraged to take private lessons on their band instrument; many of those who do so are in this auditioned ensemble. Their high school music curriculum is centered around performance in a variety of large ensemble settings, including concert bands, jazz band, musical theater orchestra, symphony orchestra, and a non-curricular marching band, in which over two hundred of the two hundred and fifty students participate. Their music curriculum includes a variety of aural skills training and identification of musical terms and concepts. Having worked with these students for several months, I was able to tailor my expectations to what I know about their proficiency and knowledge.
The main goals of this lesson are:
In addition to these musical goals, these lessons will engage students in critical
thinking and assessment about the foundations of musical compositions, allowing them to demystify how musicians write and jam together in informal situations. Students may have a greater understanding of their own internal musical knowledge (without the instructional element of printed music) after engaging in these lessons.
This project will allow students to engage in assessing, performing, and creating music. Students will engage in creating music by means of writing their own ostinato parts during the exercise and taking turns improvising melodies over the combined ostinato patterns in later lessons. Students will perform music by means of playing ostinato parts on their instruments. Students will assess themselves and their knowledge through informal discussion, small group composition, and a written reflection.
Nearly all of the students have been in instrumental music since the sixth grade, as they are required to start their ensemble instruction at the introductory stage; the exceptions to this rule are few. Many of these students also have experience singing in curricular and after-school vocal ensembles, and in musical theater productions. Students are encouraged to take private lessons on their band instrument; many of those who do so are in this auditioned ensemble. Their high school music curriculum is centered around performance in a variety of large ensemble settings, including concert bands, jazz band, musical theater orchestra, symphony orchestra, and a non-curricular marching band, in which over two hundred of the two hundred and fifty students participate. Their music curriculum includes a variety of aural skills training and identification of musical terms and concepts. Having worked with these students for several months, I was able to tailor my expectations to what I know about their proficiency and knowledge.
The main goals of this lesson are:
- This lesson will engage students in improvisation.
- This lesson will give students the opportunity to practice composition, as derived from improvisation rather than notation.
In addition to these musical goals, these lessons will engage students in critical
thinking and assessment about the foundations of musical compositions, allowing them to demystify how musicians write and jam together in informal situations. Students may have a greater understanding of their own internal musical knowledge (without the instructional element of printed music) after engaging in these lessons.
This project will allow students to engage in assessing, performing, and creating music. Students will engage in creating music by means of writing their own ostinato parts during the exercise and taking turns improvising melodies over the combined ostinato patterns in later lessons. Students will perform music by means of playing ostinato parts on their instruments. Students will assess themselves and their knowledge through informal discussion, small group composition, and a written reflection.