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INCLUDING IMPROVISATION IN A BEGINNER BAND CURRICULAR UNIT FOR LOCKHART, TX JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
By HOWARD CASEY THOMPSON
SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: DR. RICHARD S. WEBB, CHAIR
DR. KEITH P. THOMPSON, MEMBER
A PROJECT IN LIEU OF A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARITIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF MUSIC
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2015
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Dedication
This curricular unit is for my students at Lockhart Junior High School in Lockhart, Texas. As a
product of the Lockhart Independent School District, I dedicate this curricular unit to you. May
music bring you joy throughout your life as much as it has mine.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my parents for their support throughout my life and musical
endeavors. My parents are beginning their 37th year, respectively, in education. Their joys and
excitement to wake up everyday and touch the lives of their students have inspired me to be
more than just a teacher, but an educator. After nine years of teaching, my prophecy of being a
band director has come true.
To the two music educators that have most inspired me to pursue a life as a musician,
Janet Pearson, who taught me piano from third to eighth grade, and Roxanne Vickers, my band
director from 7th-12th grade. Without your guidance, I would have missed the many musical
experiences that I most treasure.
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Abstract
This project outlines improvisational units included in a beginner band curricular unit for
Lockhart Junior High School in the state of Texas and includes a review of literature based on
research related to improvisation in the music classroom. This review of the literature suggests
that creativity should be part of the music classroom. Improvisational skills can be applied to a
variety of musical styles and be used as a teaching tool to support and reinforce musical skills
and concepts taught in the classroom. Goals and objectives for student learning are based on the
newly implemented 2015 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which stem from the
national music standards created by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME),
and will be incorporated in my beginner band program in the fall of 2015.
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Table of Contents
Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 3
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 5
Including Improvisation in a Texas Beginner Band Curricular Unit for Lockhart Junior High
School ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Part 1: Review of Literature ............................................................................................................ 8
Improvisation Instruction in the Practitioner Literature ........................................................... 17
Assessments for Improvisation ................................................................................................. 20
Improvisation Lessons and Resources ...................................................................................... 21
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 26
Part 2: Lockhart, TX Junior High School Beginner Band Curricular Units ................................. 27
State of Texas Music Requirements ............................................................................................. 29
Curricular Unit Template .............................................................................................................. 29
Lesson Plans ................................................................................................................................. 30
Unit 1: Sound Exploration ........................................................................................................ 35
Sound Exploration Sample Lesson Plan 5 ........................................................................... 46
Unit 2: Marching Bands ............................................................................................................ 55
Marching Bands Sample Lesson Plan 4 ............................................................................... 65
Unit 3: Musical Forms .............................................................................................................. 71
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Musical Forms Sample Lesson Plan 1 .................................................................................. 80
References ..................................................................................................................................... 84
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Including Improvisation in a Texas Beginner Band Curricular Unit
for Lockhart Junior High School
The goal of this capstone project was to create comprehensive curricular units for the
Lockhart Junior High School beginner band program. The coursework in this project would span
one-quarter of the year from a percussive (mallet/snare), woodwind (saxophone), and brass
(trombone) viewpoint. The curricular unit was based on instruction and concepts from
coursework at the University of Florida. As with any curriculum, assessments are involved.
Assessments based on the Assessing Music Learning course by Dr. Timothy Brophy served as a
foundation for creating strong valid assessments and rubrics to measure student learning for this
project. The curricular unit is closely aligned with the national standards and the Texas
Essentials of Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). These standards are the end goals and foundations
from which this curricular unit was to be built.
The curricular unit will incorporate creative opportunities covered in the Creative
Thinking in Music course at the University of Florida. Based on the readings and ideas acquired
through the course by Dr. Peter Webster, I will have my students create their own melodies. The
American Vernacular Music course created by Dr. Dale Bazan served as another course of
inspiration. Students can learn vernacular music through different styles of music as they learn to
improvise.
Lockhart is located thirty miles south of Austin, Texas. Inside this commuter town
resides Lockhart Junior High. The band program has 250 students from grades six through eight
taught by two directors with the assistance of the three high school directors. The band curricular
unit has evolved based on performance events. These events drive what is taught in classroom.
While a performance-based curriculum is acceptable, the curriculum needs to incorporate all
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 8
standards and skills to be comprehensive. The curriculum needs to meet today’s standards. The
state of Texas has revised and implemented new TEKS starting the 2015-2016 school year. The
beginner band program is the best place to start the implementation of the new requirements. A
curricular unit in alignment with the new TEKS will ensure all TEKS are covered in addition to
the continued performances. Currently, our curriculum is based on the old TEKS as well as the
Band Expressions band method book, which is a classroom textbook. Band Expressions will no
longer be published so the new curriculum will have to align with Essential Elements band
methods book (Lautzenheiser et al., 2004), as the new class textbook, and the 2015-2016 TEKS.
Part 1: Review of Literature
The national standards play a vital role in laying a foundation from which music
programs can base and build their curriculum. Creating music is part of these standards (NAfME,
2014). From these national standards, the first three common anchors are devoted to creating
from composing and improvising melodic and rhythmic ideas to evaluating, refining, and sharing
these creative ideas. From experience, incorporating these standards can feel like time is lost
from performing, especially when preparing for any performance. Often times in performance-
based ensemble groups, these standards may quickly be addressed if not completely ignored
(Riveire, 2006). The research suggests otherwise. Students need opportunities to create music
just as much as they need to know how to read music notation, perform music, and analyze
music (NAfME, 2014).
This review of literature includes studies that explored the inclusion of creativity through
improvisation and composition in the musical classroom. Through the research on creative
thinking and improvisation I sought answers to several questions. Why is improvisation
important? What skills can students attain through improvisation? How does the inclusion of
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 9
improvisation in a music curriculum affect performance-based ensembles? Which techniques or
approaches are available and best suited for implementing improvisation in the beginner band
setting? Answers to these questions allowed me to develop a curricular unit for beginners that
include improvisation from a research basis.
Azzara (1993) studied how audiation-based improvisation techniques affected the
musical achievement of elementary-age instrumental students. This study included 66 fifth-grade
students from Rochester, New York taking instrumental music in two schools. Students were
given the Musical Aptitude Profile (MAP) to measure musical aptitude based on tonal imagery,
rhythm imagery, and musical sensitivity. The musical achievement for each student was
calculated based on the performance of three etudes composed by the researcher. The first etude
was to be performed without teacher assistance. The second etude was performed with teacher
assistance. The final third etude was sight-read. All four judges received training for using the
five-point rating scale for performance skills in three areas: continuous criteria tonal dimension,
continuous criteria rhythm dimension, and additive creative expression dimension. The 66
students, 45 from school A and 21 from school B, were placed in an experimental group or
control group at each site. One teacher from each school participated in the study. Each teacher
taught both groups at their respective campus for control teacher effect (Teacher 1/school A and
Teacher 2/school B). The teachers were instructed by the researcher on how to give instruction to
the students for the experiment. Each student was given the MAP prior to instruction and
classified by the recommended procedures. Students were randomly assigned to the experimental
group or the control group. Students received one 30-minute lesson and participated in one
ensemble rehearsal each week for 27 weeks. Both groups received the same instruction with the
experimental group receiving improvisation performance activities during 16 of the 27 lessons.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 10
Students then performed the three etudes at the end of the 27 weeks of instruction and were
measured by the judges using the MAP. The results showed that students who received
improvisational instruction scored higher on the composite etude scores, Etude 2, and Etude 3,
compared to those students who did not receive improvisational instruction.
Beegle (2010) examined the music improvisation and social interactions of fifth grade
children. The research took place in a public school in the Pacific Northwestern United States
that served 410 children from kindergarten through fifth grade with a ride range of
ethnic/cultural backgrounds. Forty-six of the 48 students from two fifth-grade classes
participated and completed the study. Each was assigned to a group of four, for a total of six
groups in each class based on teacher input on student interaction. Two groups of four from each
class were selected as focus to groups, which would receive closer observations, more interview
time, and reflection time to discuss their thoughts. Data were collected over 12 weeks through
interviews, participant observation, video- and audio-taped sessions, and questionnaires based on
the tasks to engage children in a group setting collaborate on group improvisations. Students
were able to use a variety of instruments. Students received 12 improvisation lessons divided
into three units based on different prompts: (1) poem, (2) painting, and (3) music composition.
Each unit required the students to improvise a piece one minute in length. The lessons allowed
students to revise and refine their creations. iMovie was used to record the performances. The
performances were analyzed based on the characteristics of timbre, melody, rhythm, and
structure. As a result of social interaction through the musical process, four components were
found in each group: role assignments, exploration, run-throughs, and discussion and
negotiation. In response to the three prompts, students responded most to the art painting and
least to the music composition. Three themes emerged when student created and performed
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 11
musical ideas: (a) imitation, (b) memorization, and (c) motivic development (p. 230). When it
came to the evaluation of improvised products, the children considered: (a) planning and
organization, (a) ensemble cohesion, and (c) instrumentation and texture choice (p. 230).
Brittin (2002) explored if instrumentalists assessed solos performances differently based
on CD accompaniment, piano accompaniment, or no accompaniment. Participants were 188
students participating in a summer camp for band and orchestra students, grades six through
twelve in the western United States. Students listened to the recordings of 12 stimuli in groups of
10-20. Students were asked to use a 1-6 rating scale ranging from “Not very good” to
“Excellent” to judge how well the soloist performed. They were also asked to indicate the best
performance attribute and what they thought the soloists needed to work on the most such as
notes, rhythm, tone, tuning, tonguing, expression, and “other”. The listeners also rated the
accompaniment from 1, “did not like,” to 6, “like a lot” (p. 66). “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” and
“London Bridge” were the chosen beginner solos. Each solo was recorded on a trumpet and
clarinet with various accompaniments from Essential Elements 2000 and Accent on Achievement
method books. The trumpeter and clarinetist each performed the solo (a) without
accompaniment, (b) with CD accompaniment in the style of soul, country, hip-hop, and polka,
and (c) with blocked-chord piano accompaniment. Then they switched instruments to perform on
a secondary instrument following the same procedures. All performances were recorded on a
Roland VS 880EX onto separate tracks. The results showed that unaccompanied solos were rated
higher compared to piano-accompanied solos. CD-accompanied solos were rated highest.
Younger students rated weaker-quality performances higher due to the influence of the CD
accompaniment. Students rated highly the CD accompaniment styles except for polka, which
received the lowest ratings. Twenty-five percent of the students chose rhythm as the best
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 12
attribute of the performances with the same proportion choosing tone as needing improvement.
Accompaniment condition was not a factor. Students were able to assess the quality of
performances and give feedback.
Hickey (2001) conducted a study to test the interjudge reliability using Amabile’s
consensual assessment technique while testing for the reliability of the consensual assessment
technique when assessing the musical compositions of children. The data originated from a study
conducted in 1995. Twelve compositions were randomly chosen from 21 original compositions
created by fourth and fifth graders. The compositions were a result of students given unlimited
time to compose using MIDI and a Macintosh computer. Seventeen music teachers of various
teaching levels and experiences, three professional composers, four college-level theorists, 14
seventh grade children, and 24 second grade children made up the five groups of judges. The
children came from contained classrooms in a northeastern private school in the United States.
The compositions were recorded randomly for each group of judges. The judges rated the
compositions independently using the consensual assessment forms. Although creativity was the
only item for comparison, craftsmanship and aesthetic-quality items were on the rating forms as
suggested by Amabile. The composers and theorists used an 18-item consensual assessment
rating form. The items either fell under creativity, craftsmanship, or aesthetics. A seven-point
Likert-type scale, with “low,” “medium,” and “high” anchors, was used for each item. The
seventh graders used separate “Liking” and “Creativity” forms. The Creativity form was a five-
item scale. The second graders used a form with icons ranging from plain faces to more silly
faces. The results showed the music teachers had a high positive correlation with each other as
compared to the other groups. Composers had a negative correction within themselves. Teachers
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 13
were the best candidates to use the consensual assessment technique when assessing creative in
student musical compositions.
May (2003) designed a study to examine factors that influence jazz improvisation
achievement and to examine if knowledge of jazz theory, aural skills, aural imitation, and
background could predict instrumental jazz improvisation. Eighty-five undergraduate college
wind players enrolled in college jazz ensembles from five Midwestern universities in the United
States were the subjects; however, only 73 complete data sets were collected. Only three women,
consistent with the percentage of women in the jazz field, were part of the study. Several
measures were used. The 70-item Measure of Jazz Theory Achievement (MJTA) examined the
subjects’ knowledge of jazz theory. The 48-item Measure of Aural Skills (MAS) measured the
aural skills of the subjects by naming intervals, scales, chords, and motives. The 40-item
Measure of Aural Imitation (MAI) measured the subjects’ ability to imitate on his or her
instrument an idea on a tape-recorded example after two hearings. The Instrumental Jazz
Improvisation Evaluation Measure (IJIEM) measured the subjects’ ability to improvise along to a
recorded Jamey Aebersold track and using a lead sheet with chord changes. The three judges that
judged the improvisation were trained for interjudge reliability. The Subject Experience Survey
(SES) gathered background information from each subject such as year in school, instrument,
and piano experience. The results suggested that jazz theory, aural skills, imitation, and
improvisation should be developed simultaneously instead of sequentially.
McPherson (2005) studied the skill development of children during their beginning stages
of learning an instrument over three years. One hundred fifty-seven grade school children
between seven and nine years of age participated in the study. They attended one of eight
primary schools of various socioeconomic backgrounds in Sydney, Australia. Students received
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 14
one or two ensemble rehearsals each week in addition to small group or individual lesson each
week. Essential Elements and Standard of Excellence were the method books used in the
schools. The study focused primarily on students the played clarinet, trumpet, flute, or
saxophone. Attrition occurred over the study. One hundred thiry-one students completed the first
year; 109 completed the second year; and 107 completed the third year. Data were collected
before and after each completed year through interviews as well as digitally recorded
performances. Mothers of the children were interviewed nine times throughout the process to
collect practice times calculated in hours. Performance measures were created for the study. A
20-point scale ranging from .5 to 10 measured the overall quality and difficulty of a rehearsed
performance piece. A composite score for year one and two ranged from 1 to 17 with the final
measure being a composite score of 2 to 23 for all three years to indicate the increase of skill
over the study. Sight-reading was assessed using the Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale
(WFPS). Playing from memory was scored through five memory tasks. An 11-point scale from 0
to 10 was used to measure pitch and rhythmic accuracy. The same scale was used to measure the
four playing by ear tasks. Improvising was measured using a 21-point scale from 0-10 in .5
increments. The results showed that students improved across the five measured skills from year
one to two, but from year two to three improvising was the only skill that did not improve, while
some students did not improve at all over the study. Most significant improvements occurred for
playing from memory from year one to two and playing rehearsed music from year two to three.
Improvising had the least amount of improvement across the year groups. Through conducted
interviews and discussions with colleagues, McPherson came up with a set of strategies to be
taught for each skill measured during the study. Performing rehearsed music strategies include:
(1) keeping track of what is to be learned, (2) order of practice, (3) practicing to improve, and (4)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 15
self-correction strategies. Strategies used for sight-reading included: (1) studying the first
measure, (2) identifying the key signature, (3) identifying the time signature, (4) establishing an
appropriate tempo before playing, and (5) scanning music to identify obstacles. Playing from
memory strategies were: (1) independent of the instrument and how the melody would sound, (2)
independent of the instrument but involving the chanting of the rhythm or letter names of the
notes, (3) trying to sing the melody but not explicitly linking this with instrument fingerings, (4)
trying to chant the rhythm or pitch with rough contour while fingering the melody through on the
tin instrument, either in sections or from the beginning to end, and (5) linking the sound of the
melody to instrument fingering by mentally rehearsing. The five mental strategies for playing by
ear included: (1) conceptually employing a visual approach by thinking independently of their
instrument and how the melody sounded, (2) conceptually thinking independently of their
instrument but including chanting of rhythm or singing while trying to decide which notes they
might be, (3) kinesthetically trying to think about how the notes might be related to instrumental
fingerings, (4) physically fingering through the melody while chanting or singing, and (5)
combined mental rehearsal with physical fingering of notes on the instrument.
Russell and Austin (2010) conducted a study on the assessment practices of secondary
music teachers through a survey. Questions to be answered by this study were: (1) what types of
school district frameworks and classroom contexts are secondary music teachers operating
within as they assess learning and grade students, (2) which specific assessment and grading
practices are most commonly employed by secondary music teachers, and (3) do any contextual
or individual difference variables influence secondary music teachers' assessment and grading
practices? The researchers targeted 4,889 secondary music teachers part of the Southwestern
division of MENC during the 2007-2008 school year. Three hundred fifty-two questionnaires
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 16
were usable from the stratified random sampling of 1000. The Secondary School Music
Assessment Questionnaire (SSMAQ) was used for the questionnaire. SSMAQ addressed three
areas: school district assessment framework, classroom context, and classroom assessment
practices. The results showed majority of participants’ (95%) school districts use the traditional
letter grade system. 83% of the school districts equally weighed ensemble grades with academic
subjects and 86% awarded credit toward graduation for ensemble participation. Ninety-two
percent of the participants reported administration rarely monitored or offered guidance, while
70% reported standards-based curricula had little to no impact on how they assessed their
students. In context of the classroom, participants on average had 224 minutes of instructional
time each week, prepared on average ten major performance in a year, and were charged with
assessing 117 students on average. The claim is that there is not enough time to assess students.
The SSMAQ did indicate that 79% of secondary music teachers provide students with a formal
grading policy in writing, which was in alignment with assessment experts. Teachers also used a
variety of achievement and non-achievement assessments. Written knowledge and student
practice were the least weighted while performance, attitude, and attendance assessment were
most weighted. Sixty percent of music assessments were non-achievement based with little grade
differentiation. The researchers found that secondary music teachers’ assessment practices do not
align with the practices of assessment experts. Assessments should be achievement based and
align with the curriculum. There is also enough time to assess students. Russell and Austin found
that some of the largest programs had the best assessment practices. Administration should train
music teachers to encourage them to rethink their thoughts on assessments.
Sawyer (2012) discussed creativity in his book Explaining Creativity: The Science of
Human Innovation. Sawyer theorized an individualist approach to creativity and the creative
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 17
process in eight stages: (1) find and formulate the problem, (2) acquire knowledge relevant to the
problem, (3) gather a broad range of potentially related information, (4) take time off for
incubation, (5) generate a large variety of ideas, (6) combine ideas in unexpected ways, and (7)
select the best ideas, applying relevant criteria (p. 88). Sawyer defined the sociocultural
approaches to creativity and how society through its own constructs decide what is creative. He
outlines creativity in the domains of visual arts, writing, music, theater, and science. Each
domain has its own set of experts that define what big creativity is. The last section of the book
discussed creativity that occurs everyday and how it can be applied in education.
Improvisation Instruction in the Practitioner Literature
The idea of improvisation as a tool for creating and learning is not a new one. Although
improvisation has been closely associated with jazz music, it has been around long before the
emergence of jazz. “Music and improvisation have been inextricably linked throughout history”
(Azzara, 1993, p. 328). Improvisation has been around for centuries and can be found in classical
music. When Beethoven sought the mentorship of Mozart, he was asked to improvise (Gould &
Keaton, 2000). The authors also found that J.S. Bach was asked to improvise a fugue based on a
subject by his son’s employer provided. This suggests creativity through improvisation can be
applied to a variety of genres and many musical styles (Beckstead, 2013). Gould and Keaton
stated that the degree to which a jazz musician improvises is greater than that of a classical
musician. Students should have the opportunity to learn improvisation in a classical or traditional
setting just as they would in a jazz setting.
According to the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, improvisation has been
defined as “the art of thinking and performing music simultaneously” (Blom, 1954). Creative
thinking is then fostered through the improvisational process. Creative thinking is a 21st century
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 18
learning skill (McPherson, 2005; “Thoughtful learning,” 2014). Students can acquire critical
thinking, collaboration, and communication skills, all part of the 21st century learning skills, by
incorporating improvisational activities and lessons in a beginner curriculum. Only a
reconceptualized curriculum would be able to achieve this.
A reconceptualized curriculum takes into account students’ musical experiences and
knowledge as the basis of the curriculum (Barrett, 2005). Examples of a reconceptualized
classroom include an environment where students can explore their musical interests and solve
musical problems, and one in which student collaboration is encouraged. A need for
reconceptualization is evident with the implementation of 21st Century skills. Creating
opportunities for students to problem-solve their own musical problems individually or through
peer collaboration is a great way develop those skills. Students develop their skills through social
interactions (Beegle, 2010).
From a neurological standpoint, there are positive implications for improvisation in the
classroom. Brain research has found that different areas of the brain are engaged when one
improvises versus playing prepared “over-learned” music (Beckstead, 2013). The researcher
found that a different area of the prefrontal cortex associated with multi-tasking and
daydreaming was highly active during improvisation. Implementation of a curricular unit that
includes improvisation engages not only a different part of the brain, but prepares students to
think critically and creatively.
The national standards are broadly structured so they could easily be adapted into any
existing music program (Conway, 2008). This allows great flexibility for performance-based
programs. Some performance-based programs had on average ten major ensemble performances
(Russell & Austin, 2010). Skill-based instruction through improvisation can reinforce and
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 19
enhance those skills needed to perform. More importantly this allows students to perform with
their ears and not just their eyes (Conway, 2008). From a beginner curriculum standpoint, this is
ideal. Conway argued the reason improvisation and composition are stated before reading music
was to promote audiation before notation. This means beginners can learn by sound through rote
teaching before reading music notation. They will have a better understanding of musical
concepts when it comes to read notation on a page. Research has found that aural imitation, also
known as ear-to-hand coordination, has been linked to musical achievement (May, 2003). Priest
(2002) suggested students should be able to play through notation as well as play by ear.
Students might receive a more comprehensive music education by addressing both and not solely
focusing on one or the other.
Azzara (1993) stated, “Teaching students to improvise promotes acquisition of higher-
order music thinking skills” (p. 330). The researcher implied beginners would be able to acquire
these thinking skills in addition to playing notated music with a better understanding.
Improvisation can “increase a student’s ability” to mentally change “the structures of music with
purpose and meaning” (p. 330). Through single-note improvisation, students would be able to
focus on, manipulate, and reinforce musical concepts and skills without musical notation (Bitz,
1998; Volz, 2005). Students could focus on dynamics or articulation while playing a single note.
Performance skills could be reinforced before students have to read music in a beginner setting.
Azzara found that students that received improvisation as part of the music curriculum scored
higher and performed better than students that did not receive improvisation (1993). Students
have a better understanding of musical concepts, which can be applied to reading notated music.
Furthermore, creative products could be performed and/or displayed and heard at the thematic
concerts (Robinson, Bell, & Pogonowski, 2011). Improvisational instruction can strengthen
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 20
music programs by providing students opportunities to refine musical skills needed for ensemble
performances.
Assessments for Improvisation
Teachers can assess creative work in music such as improvisation and composition.
Hickey (2001) endorsed Amabile’s “consensual assessment” of creativity to assess creative work
in music. Creativity was rated based on the expert’s or the teacher’s subjective definition of
creativity since it was difficult to come up with exact objective criteria for products of creativity.
Hickey also stated that objective criteria could be used to assess the craftsmanship and the
technical quality of the creative work. This may be a different approach to thinking about
assessment in regards to creativity, but a reconceptualized assessment is fitting for a
reconceptualized curricular unit. Hickey’s research found that teachers were the best experts and
well qualified to subjectively rate student creative music work due to their experiences working
with students.
Assessments should match the behaviors that align to instrumental goals (Russell &
Austin, 2010). Russell and Austin cautioned teachers to assess goals that are based on
achievement and deemphasize assessment on non-achievement goals. As beginners start to
improvise, assessment is an important key for providing feedback. Improvisation can be
assessed. Keep it light. Start with informal, non-graded assessments in the beginning. This gives
students feedback and allows them to work without fear of it affecting their grades. Informal
assessments can lead to formal assessments as students become more comfortable (Riveire,
2006). Peer- and self-assessment were evident during group improvisation activities (Beegle,
2010) Through these collaborations on projects, teachers could better assess the depth of
knowledge that students gain (Barrett, 2005).
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 21
Assessment can take on many roles in the classroom (Scott, 2012). Scott defined the three
roles of assessment as: (1) assessment of learning, (2) assessment for learning, and (3)
assessment as learning. Assessment of learning was the traditional, teacher-centered assessment.
Teachers assessed student work without the opportunity for students to respond to the
assessment. Quizzes and tests would fall under assessment of learning (Scott, 2012). The
constructivist approach was collaboration between teacher and student. This was assessment for
learning. Students were active learners and the feedback given was towards progress (Scott,
2012). Assessment as learning was self-reflective and personal. Students relied on their own
assessments towards learning and progress (Scott, 2012). Rubrics can be used as a way of
assessing student work. According to Brophy (2015), “A good rubric is clear to students and to
the scorers, and presents mutually exclusive levels of achievement for each criterion” (p. 1).
Rubrics that are closely linked to student learning objectives can allow students to receive
feedback and to continue their progress toward those learning goals and objectives.
Improvisation Lessons and Resources
Many teachers are intimidated by improvisation due to lack of training (Volz, 2005).
Beckstead (2013) stated, “Simple does not mean elementary,” meaning there should be a
simplification of teaching improvisation (p. 72). A simple start would allow teachers to be
comfortable with teaching improvisation. In turn, students may become more comfortable and
open to improvisation. The author gave five suggestions for improvisation in the music
classroom: (1) avoid complexity by starting simple, (2) structure the task make students
comfortable, but not limit their creativity, (3) dispel the fear that improvisation is for jazz
musicians only, (4) compose since compositions usually begin with some sort of improvisation
starting point, and (5) educate students about the importance of improvisation in many styles of
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 22
music (2013, p. 73). This suggests that teachers as well as students can be comfortable with
improvisation and lesson plans should reflect a simple approach.
Bitz (1998) laid out six steps to help students overcome the fear of improvisation and
allow them to become more comfortable: (1) choose a single genre and stay away from the jazz
genre, (2) once a genre has been chosen, research the genre to better guide students in that style
of music, (3) gather resources that will give students examples and inspiration to improvise in
that genre, (4) introduce the genre through recordings to familiarize the students, (5) encourage
group improvisation so students can learn from each other, and (6) let students explore (p. 24).
Through this exploration, students would learn to improvise. Exploration was important (Volz,
2005).
May (2003) suggested jazz as an important part of music education. However, it was
encouraged to stay away from jazz and use genres with which students are most familiar (Bitz,
1998). As students became comfortable with improvisation, they could start to improvise in a
simple jazz setting (Beckstead, 2013; Brophy, 2001). This suggests from a curricular standpoint,
a process to eventually introducing students to jazz improvisation. A possible jazz unit in the
spring semester could address this process.
As students learn to improvise, provide an accompaniment or CD track for students to
play along with. Students preferred playing along with an accompaniment than playing
unaccompanied (Brittin, 2002). As Brittin stated, this was particularly beneficial to beginner
brass players. There was a noted improvement in matching pitch and decrease in pitch errors in
Brittin’s study. Brittin’s research suggests that beginner musicians can improve their intonation
through improvisation using musical styles familiar to them.
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Creativity is also considered a process (Sawyer, 2012). Four pedagogical prerequisites
must happen before embarking creative strategies or process: (1) one must be creative to teach
creatively, (2) teachers must ask open-ended musical questions that stimulate thinking, (3)
educators must function as guides through creativity and not direct or lead, and (4) a safe and
nurturing environment must be established (Robinson et al., 2011, pp. 51-52). These pedagogical
strategies structured an environment conducive for creative learning and exploration.
Sawyer explained the creative process in seven stages. These stages were: find the
problem; acquire knowledge; gather potentially related information; take time off for incubation;
generate a variety of ideas; combine ideas in unexpected ways; and select the best ideas (Sawyer,
2012, pp. 88-90). This is very similar to the creative process Brophy outlined for children. The
stages were: exploration; process-oriented; product-oriented; fluid stage; structural stage, stylistic
improvisation, and personal improvisation (Brophy, 2001). Brophy focused on how one achieves
improvisational skills. The biggest difference between the two processes outlined by Sawyer and
Brophy is that Sawyer allowed time for thought and reflection through the incubation stage for
creativity to occur.
Brophy (2001) stressed the importance of creating improvisational activities that matched
the students’ skills set and experience. This is crucial in a beginner band setting when students
have musical ideas, experience, and knowledge and now must figure out how to manipulate an
instrument. Simple improvisational exercises can allow students to learn to manipulate the
instrument. Brophy (2001) also found that students could learn through imitation,
antecedent/consequent response, variation, and origination exercises. The author also stated that
teachers must shape the lessons through medium, context, and materials. For example, students
could improvise using instruments (medium) to create a soundscape of the jungle (context) based
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on the motivic rhythm learned in class (material). While he focused on elementary age children,
the approach could allow a smooth transition from elementary music to secondary music.
Students would be able to transfer previous knowledge and skills to their new experience with
musical instruments.
Robinson et al (2005) outlined a seven-step instructional model that included
improvisation, composition, and performance to develop creativity and a better understanding of
music: (1) find a topic as a springboard for a creative music strategy, (2) develop open-ended
musical questions, (3) brainstorm, (4) personal exploration, (5) large-group conducted
improvisation and small-group planned improvisation (composition), (6) record for reflection,
and (7) reflection (pp. 53-55). At the end of the process, more questions may emerge as another
springboard for continued creativity.
Priest (2002) provided a framework for fostering creativity in the classroom. He
continued that opportunities should be available for students to share their improvisations or
compositions. Not only can this can happen in the classroom, but it can also happen
simultaneously without taking away from class. Students can record their improvisations in
another room. He also found that students performed better creatively when they were alone
because there were no pressures. The author was also a proponent of inspiring students by
providing examples of improvisation. Examples could be from recordings or from experiences
and information that students already know. He also suggested sharing the control of creativity
process. Priest also suggested that students can lead improvisational activities such as call and
response moments, have guidelines or criteria for the improvisation set for them, and can be
encouraged to problem solve by finding problems in their improvisations. Identifying problems
and finding solutions gets students to think critically. According to Volz, the problem was how
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to make music and the solution was through exploration (2005). The author stated that
exploration leads to improvisation. Problem solving might lead to more creative ideas and
products (Priest, 2002).
Giving students opportunities to be creative can allow them to develop the skill set to
think creatively as adults. Students should be allowed time to explore ideas and experience these
creative stages. It could be as short as a 10-15 minute exercise or span of a few days, depending
on the task or project (Riveire, 2006). Improvisation can be used as a teaching tool. It could be
incorporated in the curriculum without taking time away teaching skills and preparing for
performances. Riveire also suggested calling solo/conversations and register improvisational
exercises games to alleviate any fear or negative disposition students may have towards
improvisation. These games taught new techniques, introduced new notes, or taught social skills
and problem solving in small group settings (Riveire, 2006; Volz, 2005). This was another way
to reinforce tonic and dominant tonalities in beginner band curriculum by having students
improvise over accompaniments that strictly adhere to tonic and dominant chords. The author
also suggested repertoire for improvisation is available which can be performed on concerts as
part of the performance-based music program. Allow beginners time to play and time to explore
sounds. Play led to a greater understanding of new concepts on a personal level (Riveire, 2006).
Improvisation does not have to be a solo activity. Beegle (2010) allowed students time to
plan in small groups. Groups allowed more student involvement, which can help minimize the
time needed for improvisation activities or lessons. Students also used creative thinking and
problem solving skills through collaboration. Beckstead mentioned that soundscapes were a great
way for students to explore sound (2013). Soundscapes can be programmed as performance
pieces for concerts.
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The literature provided activities and exercises that could be incorporated into a
curricular unit. Students should be allowed time to explore and play as part of the creative
process. Improvisation should be used in musical styles or settings familiar with students.
Improvisational games can be part of the lesson plan and not take time away from the learning
process.
Conclusion
Improvisation is manipulation of sound (Riveire, 2006). It should be a hands-on activity
for the students and the teacher. It is a journey that both teacher and student should take together.
Creativity through improvisation is not only relevant for the music classroom, but it a standard
that should be part of a reconceptualized curriculum for the 21st century classroom.
Improvisation also engages an area of the brain that music reading does not engage. Research
also shows that creativity can be assessed through different roles. Assessment for learning will
provide the best feedback for students as both the teacher and the student work on improvisation
together. Research also shows that there are many ways to incorporate creativity through
improvisation into a beginner band curriculum. Based on the review of literature, I will present
in the second part of this paper curricular units that have been reconceptualized to integrate ideas
and themes of improvisation into a beginner band music program.
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Part 2: Lockhart, TX Junior High School Beginner Band Curricular Units Part 2:
LOCKHART, TX JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL BEGINNER BAND CURRICULAR UNITS
Music, Middle School 1, Band
Grades 6-8
TEA PEIMS Code 03154130, Local Course 3516
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These comprehensive beginner band curricular units have been developed for Lockhart,
TX Junior High School students in grades six, seven, and eight. The curricular units align with
the new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to be implemented starting the 2015-
2016 school year and will be incorporated in my beginner band program starting Fall 2015. The
curricular unit includes lessons that address the TEKS, which stem from the national music
standards created by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). These standards
are the end goals and foundations from which this curricular unit is to be built. The new
curricular unit, which spans one-quarter of the school year, is to improve the beginner band
program by creating a stronger curricular unit that is standard-, goal-, and performance-based.
The coursework will span one-quarter of the year from a percussive (mallet/snare),
woodwind (saxophone), and brass (trombone) viewpoint. The curricular units will be based on
instruction and concepts from coursework at the University of Florida. The Instructional Design
in Music Education course was a springboard to developing cohesive units and lesson plans. The
curricular unit will incorporate creativity opportunities that reinforce and enhance student
learning. Through Sawyer’s creative process (2012), students will create their own melodies.
Assessments based on the Assessing Music Learning course by Dr. Timothy Brophy served as a
foundation to create strong valid assessments and rubrics to measure student learning for this
project. Creativity can be found in music performances, composition, and listening (Webster,
2002). Webster also suggests improvisation is a creative process that falls under music
performance. In these curricular units students will be provided many musical performance
experiences as they share their improvisational pieces through performances in the classroom.
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State of Texas Music Requirements
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) governs all courses offered in the state of Texas.
TEA oversees all primary and secondary public schools. The mission of TEA is to provide
resources, guidance, and leadership to help schools educate students for success in a global
society (The Texas Education Agency, 2015). TEA requires that every student earns one fine arts
credit during their time in grades six, seven, or eight. Lockhart offers instrumental music courses
through Middle School 1 Band, Middle School 2 Band, and Middle School 3 Band. Any student
that would like to learn a band instrument may sign up for Middle School 1 Band.
The music TEKS are devised to allow students to explore and create while developing
higher-order thinking skills that will prepare them for college, careers, and life. The TEKS are
divided into four strands or foundations: (1) music literacy, (2) creative expression, (3) historical
and cultural relevance, and (4) critical evaluation and response, through which the knowledge
and skills are organized. There are 26 TEKS, or standards, that students are required to learn,
understand, and master throughout the beginner level course.
Curricular Unit Template
The format of the template implemented in the curricular units is a personal format. I
have incorporated essential questions, student understanding, and evidence of learning from
Understanding by Design (UdB) (Wiggins & McTighe, 2011), which was an integral part of the
Instructional Design Course I took as part of the masters program at The University of Florida.
The curricular units begin with the unit name and general information pertaining to the number
of instructional days to cover the unit; any non-instructional days such as holidays and teacher
professional development days; major performances that occur during the unit; and terminology
students will need know. There is a brief overview of the unit followed by the learning objectives
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 30
from national music standards and the TEKS. Those objectives are then written into student-
directed goals. The generated learning experiences are found in the learning plan (Wiggins &
McTighe, 2011). The assessment section shows parts of the lessons and goals that should be
assessed either formally or informally to measure student growth and give feedback to foster
mastery of goals and objectives. The teacher should be well informed of the unit before
implementing the lesson plans for that unit.
Lesson Plans
The first sample lesson plan is the fifth lesson from musical sounds unit. Students prefer
to play along to an accompaniment or song than to play along to a metronome, so I usually pick
three to four songs that span different styles and genres of music as the accompaniment. We Got
the Beat is an imitation and call/response game that I use with my students. The goal is for
students listen for the beat and demonstrate they can stay with the beat by tapping their foot.
Initially, everyone claps to the beat until everyone is comfortable. I soon have students echo
what I clap. I start with quarter notes and rests allows in four-beat patterns. Students then are
allowed to lead the group as everyone follows their rhythms. Students that are more independent
and confident may solo their rhythms or create a duet with the teacher. We Got the Beat is an
activity the slowly introduces improvisational skills. As students become familiar with different
rhythms demonstrated by the teacher and their peers, they, too, can start to improvise their own
simple rhythms based off rhythms they know. As the year progresses, students will create new
rhythms with new notes, which is one approach to introduce new note values. This is the
beginning of the school year and students do not have the skill set to play an instrument.
However, these activities will allow students to create and make music as they begin to learn
about their new instruments. Through chants, students learn the lines and clefs of the clefs.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 31
Again, this is another opportunity for students to create their own chant for the clefs in groups or
individually. The musical alphabet exercise is very simple. Students must say the letters
ascending and descending in time to accompaniment beat. This is an assessment for progress and
grades are not taken. Students do earn stickers to mark their progress. Through breathing
exercises, students not only learn how to breathe properly, but they also learn note values such as
whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes. This is an opportune time to talk about articulation
without distractions from instruments and mouthpieces. Before playing the fully assembled
instruments, students spend a lot of time on mini instruments. Mini instruments are just
mouthpieces or head joints for wind instruments and sticks and practice pads for percussion. The
focus is on correct sound production through embouchure setting and hand position. This is a
great way for students to explore their own sounds as well as the sounds of their peers. Students
describe the sounds they hear in their own words. Throughout the year students will learn to use
musical terminology to describe musical sounds. The last part of the lesson includes playing their
first notes on their instruments. This is where students will improvise rhythmic and melodic
phrases using newly learned notes. The notes will be introduced before reading notation from
Essential Elements, which will allow them the freely create without the hindrance of reading
skills. This 10-15 minute activity is built from the We Got the Beat activity. Students transfer the
improvisation activity of improvising rhythms from clapping to articulating on specific notes on
an instrument. Students will improvise rhythms on each single pitch before creating melodic
phrases. The melodic phrases will be created from the newly learned notes. Students will
perform their final creations for each other in class. While students are working on their rhythmic
phrases, the teacher can informally assess student articulation and give them feedback. This
assessment becomes a dialogue between teacher and student (assessment for learning). The
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simple rhythmic phrase rubric can be used as a way to assess how each student is articulating
while he or she is creating phrases.
Lesson four from the second unit titled marching band shows students participating in
Drum Corp International (DCI). Students can tryout for DCI groups in high school and this gives
them something to look forward to. Some students gravitate to concert band and others to
marching band. This is just one unit that explores the many areas of band. A real-world
connection is to have a high school student that has marched DCI talk to the beginners about
their experiences. The rest of the lesson will involve the beginners playing and preparing for
their first performance after only five weeks of playing. While students are limited in the notes
they can play, students can lead the class in how a warm-up will be played. Allowing students to
choose whether the penta-scale is played ascending, descending, or starting in the middle, gets
them involved in the learning process. “Go Tell Aunt Rhodie” is the performance song for the
beginners at Band-O-Rama, where all band students, grades 6-12, play before the Friday varsity
football game. Beginners learn to memorize their music through games. One involves giving
students two minutes to practice their music using whatever techniques they need. When time is
up, the stand is turned around so they cannot see the music. Students then play the song together,
missed notes and all. The process is repeated a couple more times. Students receive instant
feedback towards the progress they make in memorization. As students become familiar with
“Go Tell Aunt Rhodie,” students can apply different styles or moods to the piece present it in a
different way; this is a precursor to theme and variations addressed in the next unit. This
improvisation activity lasts 10-20 minutes. The teacher can write different styles, emotions, or
ideas on index cards. The teacher will hold up a card and give students a minute or two to create
the same music within context of the card. Students can eventually add ideas to the stack of ideas
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 33
for future improvisation lesson activities. The final part of the lesson is a live improvisation
activity. Students will play a rhythm over four beats (or a single measure in four quarter time)
one after each other. Students are creating a song by adding one measure each. Students are
creating rhythms on the spot as well as using listening skills to know when it’s their time to play.
This activity can include up to two to three notes as students become comfortable. The key is to
start simple. The teacher can assess rhythmic phrases, tone production, and correct entrances,
which is a performance skill of knowing when to play and when not to play. This is also an
activity that does not require students to read notation.
The final sample lesson plan is a lesson on theme and variations. Lesson one starts with
something most students know, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (TTLS). Students sing the first
phrase making sure they sing with full characteristic sounds. Students are asked to find ways to
make the phrase a little different by creating variety and interest. In groups or individually,
students explore through singing ways they can make TTLS a little different. Students give
suggestions on how to change the music. Once they have ideas from which to work, they can
apply these ideas to their instrument and use Line 31 as a guide for notes. Students are given
ample time to explore sounds in addition to creating new ways TTLS can be played. Students
have the guide of the notes to play, but they can completely create their own arrangement.
Students begin creating their variations through improvisation. Eventually these improvised
variations become part of a class composition on a theme and variation, which could be
performed on a concert at a subsequent date. The lesson concludes with listening to a
professional recording a theme and variations of the same melody. Throughout this lesson the
students are given the rubric that assesses style and variation. Students need to know that they
need to create a clear style for their variation. Creativity is also important to this activity and they
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should be encouraged to be as creative as possible while maintaining a consistent style. Lesson
one will take 20-30 minutes of class. Time is necessary for students to go through the creative
process.
In the following units, learning, and lesson plans, the improvisation activities are
highlighted in bold.
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Unit 1: Sound Exploration
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Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration
1
August 24 -‐ September 11, 2015 Time Frame: 3 weeks (14 days) Beginner Grades: 6, 7, and 8 Special Dates: September 9: Labor Day Major Performances: None Terminology: Posture, Articulation, Mini Instrument, Instrument Parts, Staff, Clefs, Musical Alphabet, Note Values, Unit Overview: The sound and exploration unit is the foundation unit of the curricular unit. Students will learn how to produce sounds on their own instrument. Many opportunities will be provided for students to explore sounds through vocal manipulation and instrumental manipulation. Students will work toward mastery of performance skills, such as articulation, through improvisational activities. Students will demonstrate mastery of those skills by selected lines out of the band methods book Essential Elements for Band. Students learn correct assembly and maintenance of their instruments. National Standards: • Common Anchor #1: Compose and improvise melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that reflect characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal. (MU: Cr1.1.E.5a)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 37
2
• Common Anchor #2: Select and develop draft melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal (MU: Cr2.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #3: Share personally -‐ developed melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts studied in rehearsal (MU: Cr3.2.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #4: Select varied repertoire to study based on interest, music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the individual or ensemble (MU: Pr4.1.E.5a)
TEKS: • Describe tonal and rhythmic musical elements using standard terminology such as instrumentation, voicing, intervals, solfège, absolute note names, and rhythmic values, and counting systems (FMLA-‐B)
• Describe musical elements of rhythms, including whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, paired and single eighth
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 38
3
notes, sixteenth notes, corresponding rests, and meter, including 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4, using standard variations (FMLA-‐C)
• Explore health and wellness concepts related to musical practice such as body mechanics, hearing protection, vocal health, hydration, and appropriate hygienic practice (FMLA-‐E)
• Identify music symbols and terms referring to notation, including repeats sign; dynamics, including crescendo, decrescendo, piano, and forte; tempi, including accelerando, ritardando, moderato, and allegro; and articulations, including staccato and legato (FMLV-‐A)
• Notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics using standard symbols in a handwritten or computer-‐generated format (FMLV-‐B)
• Create rhythmic phrases using known rhythms and melodic phrases using known pitches at an appropriate level of difficulty with an established system of notation (FMLV-‐C)
• Read music notation using appropriate cognitive and kinesthetic responses such as inner hearing, silent fingering, shadow bowing, or Curwen hand signs (FMLV-‐D)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 39
4
• Demonstrate, alone and in groups, characteristic vocal or instrument timbre (CE-‐A)
• Perform music alone and in groups, demonstrating appropriate physical fundament techniques such as hand position, bowing, embouchure, articulation, and posture (CE-‐B)
• Create rhythmic phrases using known rhythms and melodic phrases using known pitches at an appropriate level of difficulty (CE-‐G)
• Identify relationships of music concepts to other academic disciplines such as the relationship between music and mathematics, literature, history, and the sciences (HCR-‐C)
Essential Questions • How is sound created? • Which three components must be engaged to produce a characteristic sound?
• Why do we have notation? • Why must we take care of our instruments? • What is the purpose of articulation?
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 40
5
The students will understand… • Vibrations through air (wind instruments) or touch (percussion) create sound.
• A characteristic sound is created through a combination of air support, posture, embouchure, and grip.
• Music can be learned by sight as well as by ear. • Proper care and maintenance of an instrument ensures the instrument will function properly to create characteristic sounds.
Students will know… • Proper instrument assembly and care. • The musical alphabet • Note values of whole, half, and quarter notes and their respective rests
• The meanings of musical symbols. Students will be able to… • Notate music notes and symbols on and off a staff. • Articulate clearly while playing music.
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
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Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
6
Assessment (evidence of learning) • Students will apply the musical alphabet to note reading by playing music lines out of Essential Elements.
• Students will demonstrate proper instrument assembly through verbal and written instruction.
• Students will play specified musical phrases from Essential Elements
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Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
Learning Plan
Lesson 1
1)Drop the needle: song recognition.
2) Class discussion on past musical experiences. Students
already have musical knowledge to bring to the beginner
band setting.
3) Go over course goals, objectives, and syllabus.
4) Introduce musical alphabet and staff through imitation.
5) Identify instrument and instrument parts
6) Discuss sounds in relation to song recognition.
Lesson 2
1) Review musical alphabet and staff.
2) Clef Chant.
3) Breathe and articulate!
4) Review instrument parts through assembly.
5) Care and maintenance.
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Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
Learning Plan
Lesson 3
1) Favorite songs list.
2)We got the beat.
3)Review staff, clef, and alphabet.
4) Review care and maintenance.
5) Review breathing and articulation. (4, 2, 1)
6)Mini-‐instrument and embouchure.
7) Assembly and instrument carriage.
Lesson 4
1) Submit song for list.
2) Review clef.
3) Breathe and articulate. (4, 2, 1)
4)Mini-‐instrument, embouchure, first sounds.
5) Concert F, Eb, and D.
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Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
Learning Plan
1
Lesson 5*
1)We got the beat.
2)Review clef, and alphabet.
3) Review breathing and articulation. (4, 2, 1)
4)Mini-‐instrument and embouchure.
5) Assembly and instrument carriage.
6)Concert F, Eb, D.
a. Improvise rhythmic phrases on unison pitch.
b. Improvise melody using newly learned pitches.
Lesson 6
1) Clef quiz.
2) Breathe and articulate. (4, 2, 1)
3)Mini-‐instrument, embouchure, first sounds.
4) Concert F, Eb, and D.
5)Introduce C, and Bb.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 45
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 1: Sound Exploration (continued)
Learning Plan
2
a. Improvise rhythmic phrases on unison pitch.
b. Improvise melody using newly learned pitches.
Lesson 7
1)We got the beat: Rhythms songs.
2)Mini-‐instrument and embouchure.
3) Full instrument: Bb penta-‐scale
4)Rhythm songs on two pitches.
Lesson 8
1) Song List Day.
2)Mini-‐instrument and embouchure.
3) Full instrument: Bb penta-‐scale
4)Rhythm songs on two pitches.
*Lesson Plan 5 is located at the end of the unit.
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Sound Exploration Sample Lesson Plan 5
Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan
Unit 1: Lesson 5
1
Age: First year students in 6th, 7th, 8th
Goal:
• Students will demonstrate mastery of steady beat.
• Students will improvise new versions of chants.
• Students will review the musical alphabet.
• Students review and demonstrate instrument assembly.
• Students explore sounds created on mini instruments and
full instruments.
• Students will improvise rhythmic and melodic phrases
using newly learned notes.
Materials
• Sounds system
• 3-‐4 songs of various styles and metronome
• Instruments in cases
• Essential Elements, book 1
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Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
2
• Music stands and chairs
Procedures
1)Review we got the beat.
a. Students sit correctly and tap their foot to the beat
of song chosen by students or teacher.
b. Teacher claps rhythm over four beats.
c. Students clap rhythm created by teacher while
tapping a steady beat.
d. Students lead we got the beat.
e. Students create their own rhythm as a group and
individually.
f. Students perform created rhythms in groups and
individually.
g. Students notate rhythm using correct symbols.
2)Chant lines and spaces of the clefs.
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Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
3
a. In groups of 3 or 4, students choose style/genre
for chant.
b. Students create lines and spaces chant in correct
style.
c. Group performances of chants in class.
3) Students say the musical alphabet ascending and
descending.
a. Students keep time, pat their lap, and clearly say the
letters.
b. Students perform in groups and individually for
assessment.
4) Breathing exercises
a. Students breathe in and out for designated lengths for
proper breathing.
b. Students lead the exercises while the teacher gives
feedback to individuals and the group.
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Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
4
5)Mini-‐instrument and embouchure.
a. Remind students that cases are placed on the floor
with latches facing the correctly before opening the
case.
b. Call on individuals to walk the class through the
assembly process while assessing student progress.
c. Students are given time to explore through guided
practice what it feels like to have correct embouchure
and to hear the sounds created.
d. Students verbally describe in their own words the
sounds made by individuals. Each day the students
will refine their sounds and their descriptors through
discussion.
6) Assembly and instrument carriage.
a. Students discuss with a partner how to assemble the
instrument.
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Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
5
b. Students will give peer feedback and assessment.
7) Concert F, Eb, D.
a. The teacher will model how to position each note.
b. Students will demonstrate correct note positions.
c. Students will sing the note while positioning.
d. Students will play the notes.
e. Students will explore and create various rhythms
with correct articulation on single pitches of their
choice (F, Eb, D).
f. Improvisation activity: rhythmic phrases
i. Students choose F, Eb, or D.
ii. Students may create any rhythm as long as
they use correct articulation.
iii. Students will spend 3 minutes to choose
phrase they are satisfied with.
iv. Students perform their phrase in class.
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Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
6
g. Improvisation activity: melodic phrases
i. Students choose 1 of 3 previously created
rhythmic phrases.
ii. Students explore melodies based on D, Eb,
and F.
iii. Students will spend 5-‐7 minutes to create
their melodic phrases. The only guideline is
that the phrases must start and stop on the
same pitch.
iv. Students perform their melodic phrases in
class.
h. Students will perform lines 1-‐5 in class.
i. Lines 6 will be reviewed at home.
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Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
7
Assessment
• Assessment for learning. Use criterion-‐referenced
assessment to help students learn. Assessment may or may
not be taken for a grade.
o Assess if students can identify the beat by tapping
their foot.
o Assess listening skills. Are students imitating rhythms
correctly through call and response?
o Visually and aurally assess if students understand
lines and spaces of clef through chant performance.
o Can the students improvise rhythmic phrases?
o Can the students improvise melodic phrases?
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 53
Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
8
Differentiation/Accommodations
Differentiated learning will be based on individual students
needs through teacher observations and interactions with
students. IEPs and 504 plans will be followed closely for those
students that need services provided for them.
Aural imitation is based on May (2003). Improvisation activities
are based on Azzara (1993), Bitz (1998), Hickey (2012), Volz
(2005). Assessments are based on Barrett (2005), Brophy
(2015), Riveire (2006), Russel & Austin (2010), Scott (2012).
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 54
Lesson Plan 1: Sound Exploration
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 1: Lesson 5
9
Assessment Rubric
Rhythmic Phrase 1. Beginning: articulation is consistent for less than 50% of the notes performed 2. Development: articulation is consistent for 50%-‐79% of the notes performed 3. Competent: articulation is consistent for 80%-‐99% of the notes performed 4. Outstanding: articulation is consistent for 100% of the notes performed Assessment for learning: students receive feedback for continuous improvement. Rhythmic improvisation activities will continue throughout the units as students learn new notes, articulations, and expressions.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 55
Unit 2: Marching Bands
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 56
1
September 14 -‐ September 25, 2015 Time Frame: 2 weeks (10 days) Beginner Grades: 6, 7, 8 Special Dates: None Major Performances: September 25: Band-‐O-‐Rama Terminology: Marches, Marching Band, Penta-‐scale, and Ties Unit Overview: The marching band unit covers the marching band today and the students’ experiences with marching band. Students will learn about the history of marching bands. Students will be exposed to marches and composers that wrote marches. At the end of the unit students will perform with the high school marching band at a football game. National Standards: • Common Anchor #1: Compose and improvise melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that reflect characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal. (MU: Cr1.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #2: Select and develop draft melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal (MU: Cr2.1.E.5a)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 57
2
• Common Anchor #3: Share personally -‐ developed melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts studied in rehearsal (MU: Cr3.2.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #4: Select varied repertoire to study based on interest, music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the individual or ensemble (MU: Pr4.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #4: Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how knowledge of formal aspects in musical works inform prepared or improvised performances. (MU: Pr4.2.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #7: Identify reasons for selecting music based on characteristics found in the music, connection to interest, and purpose or context. (MU: Re7.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #7: Identify how knowledge of context and the use of repetition, similarities, and contrasts inform the response to music. (MU: Re7.2.E.5a)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 58
3
TEKS: • Experience and explore exemplary music examples using technology and available live performances (FMLA-‐A)
• Describe tonal and rhythmic musical elements using standard terminology such as instrumentation, voicing, intervals, solfège, absolute note names, and rhythmic values, and counting systems (FMLA-‐B)
• Describe musical elements of rhythms, including whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, paired and single eighth notes, sixteenth notes, corresponding rests, and meter, including 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4, using standard variations (FMLA-‐C)
• Explore health and wellness concepts related to musical practice such as body mechanics, hearing protection, vocal health, hydration, and appropriate hygienic practice (FMLA-‐E)
• Identify music symbols and terms referring to notation, including repeats sign; dynamics, including crescendo, decrescendo, piano, and forte; tempi, including accelerando, ritardando, moderato, and allegro; and articulations, including staccato and legato (FMLV-‐A)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 59
4
• Notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics using standard symbols in a handwritten or computer-‐generated format (FMLV-‐B)
• Create rhythmic phrases using known rhythms and melodic phrases using known pitches at an appropriate level of difficulty with an established system of notation (FMLV-‐C)
• Read music notation using appropriate cognitive and kinesthetic responses such as inner hearing, silent fingering, shadow bowing, or Curwen hand signs (FMLV-‐D)
• Demonstrate, alone and in groups, characteristic vocal or instrument timbre (CE-‐A)
• Perform music alone and in groups, demonstrating appropriate physical fundament techniques such as hand position, bowing, embouchure, articulation, and posture (CE-‐B)
• Perform independently and expressively, with accurate intonation and rhythm, developing fundamental skills and appropriate solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble performance techniques (CE-‐C)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 60
5
• Create rhythmic phrases using known rhythms and melodic phrases using known pitches at an appropriate level of difficulty (CE-‐G)
• Perform music representative of diverse cultures, including American and Texas heritage (HCR-‐A)
• Describe written and aurally presented music representative of diverse styles, periods, and cultures (HCR-‐B)
• Identify relationships of music concepts to other academic disciplines such as the relationship between music and mathematics, literature, history, and the sciences (HCR-‐C)
• Demonstrate appropriate concert and stage etiquette as an informed, actively involved listener and performer during live and recorded performances in a variety of setting (CER-‐A)
Essential Questions • Why are there marching bands? • From which background do marching bands come? • How have marching bands changed over time?
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 61
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
6
The students will understand… • Marches are one style of music. Soldiers would step in time to marches.
• Tie makes musical sounds longer. Students will know… • Marching bands come from a military background and today there are many styles of marching bands.
• The differences between marches and other styles of music.
• Ties increase note lengths. Students will be able to… • Step in time to a march • Improvise and compose pieces incorporating ties.
Assessment (evidence of learning) • Students will create and compose music that correctly uses ties. They may use notes and rhythms they know.
• Students will perform individually and as a group #18 “Go Tell Aunt Rhodie” from Essential Elements in marching band setting.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 62
7
• Students will present information on marching bands and military bands through discussion and written format.
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 63
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
Learning Plan
Lesson 1
1) Introduce marching band through video clips and
recordings.
2) Class discussion on experiences with marching bands.
3) Explain their first performance will be with the high school
marching band.
4) Introduce performance songs.
5) Instrument assembly/review notes.
6)Essential Elements #7-‐11
Lesson 2
1) History of marching bands.
2) Review notes.
3) Review Essential Elements #7-‐11
4) Lines 12-‐14
5)Disassembly, care and maintenance.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 64
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 2: Marching Bands (continued)
Learning Plan
Lesson 3
1)History of marching bands continued.
2) Bb penta-‐scale ascending and descending.
3) Review Essential Elements #12-‐14
4) Lines 15-‐18
5)Song on the go!
Lesson 4*
1) The world of DCI
2) Bb penta-‐scale ascending and descending.
3) Performance piece #18 “Go Tell Aunt Rhodie”
a. Play piece in a different style!
4)Song on the go!
a. Live improvisation in the moment.
*Lesson Plan 4 is located at the end of the unit.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 65
Marching Bands Sample Lesson Plan 4
Lesson Plan 2: Marching Bands
Sample Lesson Plan
Unit 2: Lesson 4
1
Age: First year students in 6th, 7th, 8th
Goal:
• Students will learn about Drum Corp International and
how to be a part of the organization through video clips
and a guest speaker.
• Students will demonstrate self-‐reliance and self-‐
assessment.
• Students learn and practice memorization techniques.
• Students prepare for their first performance.
• Students explore rhythms through improvisation.
• Student will improvise live.
Materials
• Projector and screen
• DCI video clips
• Essential Elements, book 1
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 66
Lesson Plan 2: Marching Bands
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 4
2
• Music stands and chairs
Procedures
1)Marching band music plays as students enter.
2) Play vide clip of DCI that has interviews, show excerpts,
rehearsal excerpts.
a. Guest speaker: high school student in DCI.
b. Open discussion about DCI and joining.
3) Students assemble instruments.
a. Students may now warm up on long tones prior to full
group warm up.
b. Students are now able to self-‐assess their playing:
reeds working, correct posture, characteristic tones.
4) Students choose penta-‐scale warm-‐up (ascending,
descending, in the middle.
5) Students review “Go Tell Aunt Rhodie”.
a. Students perform for each other in groups and
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 67
Lesson Plan 2: Marching Bands
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 4
3
individually.
b. Students begin memorization process.
i. Turn the stand around game
c. Students spend a minute creating their own
adaptation of the piece in a style presented by the
teacher (ex. legato, hip-‐hop, sad, angry).
d. Students then perform the pieces in class.
6)Students create a rhythm over 4 beats on a single
penta-‐scale note of their choice. Students then play
their rhythm one after another to create a song.
a. The teacher picks a CD track for students to play
along.
b. Each student creates a rhythm over four beats in
succession. Students must start their rhythm on
beat 1.
c. Students are improvising rhythmically in real
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 68
Lesson Plan 2: Marching Bands
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 4
4
time.
d. When student are comfortable they can choose a
rhythm and then apply 2-‐3 pitches from the
penta-‐scale. Students can continue adding notes
throughout the year as notes are learned.
Eventually students can improvise using notes
based on new scales learned.
Assessment
• Assessment for learning. Use criterion-‐referenced
assessment to help students learn. Assessment may or may
not be taken for a grade.
o Assess if students know when to start playing.
o Assess student articulation.
o Can the students improvise a phrase using 2-‐3
pitches?
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 69
Lesson Plan 2: Marching Bands
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 4
5
Differentiation/Accommodations
Differentiated learning will be based on individual students
needs through teacher observations and interactions with
students. IEPs and 504 plans will be followed closely for those
students that need services provided for them.
Improvisation activities are based on Azzara (1993), Bitz
(1998), Hickey (2012), Volz (2005). Assessments are based on
Barrett (2005), Brophy (2015), Riveire (2006), Russel & Austin
(2010), Scott (2012).
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 70
Lesson Plan 2: Marching Bands
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 4
6
Assessment Rubric
Entrance (Counting) 0. Student did not play in time on beat 1. 1. Student played in time on beat 1. Rhythmic Phrase 1. Beginning: articulation is consistent for less than 50% of the notes performed 2. Development: articulation is consistent for 50%-‐79% of the notes performed 3. Competent: articulation is consistent for 80%-‐99% of the notes performed 4. Outstanding: articulation is consistent for 100% of the notes performed Tone Production 1. Beginning: Less than 50% of the notes played with characteristic tone. 2. Development: 50-‐79%% of the notes played with characteristic tone. 3. Competent: 80-‐99% of the notes played with characteristic tone. 4. Outstanding: 100% of the notes played with characteristic tone. Assessment for learning: students receive feedback for continuous improvement. Rhythmic improvisation activities will continue throughout the units as students learn new notes, scales, articulations, and expressions. Student performance skills are also assessed throughout the improvisation activity.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 71
Unit 3: Musical Forms
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 72
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Forms
1
September 28 – October 16, 2015 Time Frame: 3 weeks (15 days) Beginner Grades: 6, 7, 8 Special Dates: None Major Performances: None Terminology: Musical Form, Rondo, Binary, Ternary, Unit Overview: The musical form unit introduces binary, ternary, rondo, and theme and variations. Examples of those forms presented to the students. Students will have the opportunity to explore those forms and compose songs, individually and in collaboratively, within those guides. National Standards: • Common Anchor #1: Compose and improvise melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that reflect characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal. (MU: Cr1.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #2: Select and develop draft melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal (MU: Cr2.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #2: Preserve draft compositions and improvisations through standard notation and audio
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 73
2
recording (MU: Cr2.1.E.5b) • Common Anchor #3: Evaluate and refine draft compositions and improvisations based on knowledge, skill, and teacher -‐ provided criteria. (MU: Cr3.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #3: Share personally -‐ developed melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts studied in rehearsal (MU:Cr3.2.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #4: Select varied repertoire to study based on interest, music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the individual or ensemble (MU: Pr4.1.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #4: Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how knowledge of formal aspects in musical works inform prepared or improvised performances. (MU: Pr4.2.E.5a)
• Common Anchor #7: Identify reasons for selecting music based on characteristics found in the music, connection to interest, and purpose or context. (MU: Re7.1.E.5a)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 74
3
• Common Anchor #7: Identify how knowledge of context and the use of repetition, similarities, and contrasts inform the response to music. (MU: Re7.2.E.5a)
TEKS: • Experience and explore exemplary music examples using technology and available live performances (FMLA-‐A)
• Describe tonal and rhythmic musical elements using standard terminology such as instrumentation, voicing, intervals, solfège, absolute note names, and rhythmic values, and counting systems (FMLA-‐B)
• Identify musical forms presented aurally and through music notation such as binary, ternary, phrasing, rondo, and theme and variations
• Explore health and wellness concepts related to musical practice such as body mechanics, hearing protection, vocal health, hydration, and appropriate hygienic practice (FMLA-‐E)
• Notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics using standard symbols in a handwritten or computer-‐generated format (FMLV-‐B)
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 75
4
• Create rhythmic phrases using known rhythms and melodic phrases using known pitches at an appropriate level of difficulty with an established system of notation (FMLV-‐C)
• Read music notation using appropriate cognitive and kinesthetic responses such as inner hearing, silent fingering, shadow bowing, or Curwen hand signs (FMLV-‐D)
• Demonstrate, alone and in groups, characteristic vocal or instrument timbre (CE-‐A)
• Perform music alone and in groups, demonstrating appropriate physical fundament techniques such as hand position, bowing, embouchure, articulation, and posture (CE-‐B)
• Perform independently and expressively, with accurate intonation and rhythm, developing fundamental skills and appropriate solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble performance techniques (CE-‐C)
• Perform independently and expressively a varied repertoire of music representing various styles and cultures (CE-‐D)
• Create rhythmic phrases using known rhythms and melodic phrases using known pitches at an appropriate
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 76
5
level of difficulty (CE-‐G) • Perform music representative of diverse cultures, including American and Texas heritage (HCR-‐A)
• Describe written and aurally presented music representative of diverse styles, periods, and cultures (HCR-‐B)
• Identify relationships of music concepts to other academic disciplines such as the relationship between music and mathematics, literature, history, and the sciences (HCR-‐C)
• Demonstrate appropriate concert and stage etiquette as an informed, actively involved listener and performer during live and recorded performances in a variety of setting (CER-‐A)
Essential Questions • Why is musical form important? • Can musical ideas be written in different forms?
The students will understand… • A musical idea can be applied to different forms. • Musical form is a guide or outline for music. • The differences between rondo, binary, and ternary form
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 77
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
6
Students will know… • Rondo form has a repeating A section with other sections being different.
• Theme and variations can be rondos. • The differences between musical forms.
Students will be able to… • Step in time to a march • Improvise and compose a rondo • Identify rondo, binary, ternary, march forms
Assessment (evidence of learning) • Students will create and compose a rondo (ABACA) using the Bb pentatonic scale and rhythms they know.
• Students will identify the musical forms of excerpts aurally.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 78
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
Learning Plan
1
Lesson 1*
1) Theme and variation model: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
2)Discuss how changing rhythms and styles create
variations on a main idea or theme.
3)Students explore creating their own variation of TTLS
a. Students apply previous knowledge of styles,
articulations, and rhythms to create a variation.
b. Students will add their variation to the full class
composition.
4) Line 31: A Mozart Melody (TTLS).
5) Play example of Theme and Variations.
*Lesson Plan 1 is located at the end of the unit.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 79
Lockhart Beginner Band Curricular Units
Unit 3: Musical Form (continued)
Learning Plan
2
Lesson 2
1)Rondo: TTLS continued.
2) Students use penta-‐scale to create their own phrases
completely different from TTLS.
3) Play an example of a rondo.
Lesson 3 & 4
1)Students choose to create a theme and variations or a
rondo. Students will work in groups.
2)Teacher assists and assesses groups, making sure they
are on task.
Lesson 5
1) In-‐class performances of compositions.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 80
Musical Forms Sample Lesson Plan 1
Lesson Plan 3: Musical Forms
Sample Lesson Plan
Unit 2: Lesson 1
1
Age: First year students in 6th, 7th, 8th
Goal:
• Students use their voices to improvise.
• Students create their own variations.
Materials
• Sounds System
• Essential Elements, book 1
• Music stands and chairs
Procedures
1) Students sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (first phrase)
2)Discussion: How can we change it up a little to make it
sound different?
a. Students have the opportunity to sing on their
own to come up with suggested ideas.
b. Students volunteer ideas.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 81
Lesson Plan 3: Musical Forms
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 1
2
3)Students apply ideas to their instrument using Line 31
as a guide.
4)Students create a variation. The teacher plays the
theme.
5) Students hear examples of themes and variations.
Assessment
• Assessment for learning. Use criterion-‐referenced
assessment to help students learn. Assessment may or may
not be taken for a grade.
• Assessment of learning. Use norm-‐referenced or criterion-‐
referenced assessment. Grades may be taken for a grade at
the end of the unit as students evaluate and refine their
variations for a final performance.
o Assess if students applied consistent style throughout
variation.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 82
Lesson Plan 3: Musical Forms
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 1
3
• Can the students compose a variation by incorporating
different rhythms and styles?
Assessment Rubric
Style 1. Beginning: Style is rarely consistent and not clear throughout the variation. 2. Development: Style is mostly consistent and sometimes clear throughout the variation. 3. Competent: Style is consistent and clear throughout the variation. Variation 1. Beginning: Variation has no creativity and is not related to the theme. 2. Development: Variation has little creativity and slightly related to the theme. 3. Competent: Variation has mostly creative and related to the theme. 4. Outstanding: Variation is very creative and closely related to the theme.
Assessment for learning: students receive feedback for continuous improvement. Improvising variations allows students to be creative while working within structured guidelines to foster individual creativity.
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 83
Lesson Plan 3: Musical Forms
Sample Lesson Plan (continued)
Unit 2: Lesson 1
4
Differentiation/Accommodations
Differentiated learning will be based on individual students
needs through teacher observations and interactions with
students. IEPs and 504 plans will be followed closely for those
students that need services provided for them.
Creative Product These variations can be combined to create a full class composition, which can be incorporated on a concert.
Improvisation activities are based on Azzara (1993), Bitz
(1998), Hickey (2012), Volz (2005). Assessments are based on
Barrett (2005), Brophy (2015), Riveire (2006), Russell & Austin
(2010), Scott (2012). Creative product is based on Webster
(2002).
INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 84
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INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 85
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INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 86
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INCLUDING IMPROVISATION 87
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