Planning, long-term and short-term, define the success of a music program. Planning the year-long curriculum and goals is required before planning individual lessons—what should students be able to accomplish after their first month? Second? What about the year? Second year? Lessons should be differentiated to different grades and ability levels, and teachers should plan to expect certain levels of success depending on the experience and age of each class.
For planning daily lessons, a lesson plan must be formatted with 3 things in mind—the activity and methodology for instructing, the length of time, and the objectives (SWBAT—aligned with state standards). The objectives represent your long-term goals for students and meeting learning targets, the activity and methodology give a step-by-step walkthrough of the procedure to get there, and the length of time ensures you stay on task and keep the class moving.
During my student teaching internship, I conferred with my mentor teacher to learn about each school’s long-term curriculum, goals, and daily procedures. I then used this knowledge, and my observations from class time, to form my own lesson plans that both reinforce the teacher’s expectations and add my own ideas. Each class requires vastly different topics to cover depending on the level of the class, but teaching methodologies and strategies were very similar. The knowledge I gained form my 400-level GMU courses allowed me to organize and structure the teaching methodologies and ideas I gain throughout my musical life into a professional format that ties in objectives, standards, learning targets, curriculum, and an exact schedule to every class I teach—helping students succeed in the most organized way possible.
Primary School
At the elementary level, after observing the classroom procedures for a week, I found that the students worked on 4 things every day—warm ups and fundamental exercises, scales, method book songs, and a full band piece or two. Teaching band at the elementary level, during their second semester, was very similar to teaching beginning middle school. Students begin making their first sounds just by aural imitation and teacher modeling/demonstrations. Fundamental knowledge about breathing, air, embouchure, hand position, keys on the instrument, assembly of instrument, equipment purchases, and classroom rules are stressed. Learning the absolute basics of reading music (music literacy) are encouraged through the use of a method book (names of notes, staff, clef, etc.) A lot of methodologies use aural imitation and “call and response” techniques, with encouraging and positive guidance. More “fun” games are used to teach important musical skills in a fun way—through friendly “contests”, sticker charts/incentive programs, computer programs/games for music literacy, and songs. General classroom behavior and routine are encouraged at this age, and often times, music becomes a way for students to socialize and learn to have fun with creating music as a group.
In this lesson plan, students had already been introduced to classroom procedures and the rudiments of music, and are in the middle of preparation for the solo & ensemble festival. Daily warm ups, scales, method book work, and ensemble music were rehearsed, with usual reminders about the basics of rehearsal technique, reading music, and developing tone.
Handouts and Resources:
Elementary School “Practice Cards”
Secondary School
At the middle school, classroom procedure and routine remains paramount to this age group. Students begin the immersion into a musical culture based on rehearsal strategies and a large group setting. Students begin learning concepts about key signatures, concert pitch, range on an instrument, difficult scales (all 12 major scales and the chromatic scale), more advanced music literacy skills (reading grade 2-5 literature), responding to conducting gestures, adjusting intonation and pitch, etc. Students are assessed more seriously at this stage, with playing quizzes, written theory tests, rehearsal etiquette and behavior, and readiness for each rehearsal. Planning for this age group is similar to advanced elementary school students, but the pace can be much quicker in rehearsing music once music literacy skills become solidified. Secondary school music programs are more focused on assessment and performances of band literature, and most rehearsals focus on music being performed at an impending school concert date. Fundamentals are addressed, but only as they relate to this concert band music (music appreciation and exploration, various genres, and free improvisation are not encouraged). Lesson planning for advanced middle school bands can focus primarily on the musicality and advanced techniques of difficult pieces, rather than constantly reviewing basic vocabulary and playing techniques. Teachers must be sensitive to the ability and grade level of students in secondary school, and teach to higher levels when students show understanding of the rudiments of music.- In this lesson plan, highly advanced 8th grade band students have been introduced to a difficult piece of music for about a week. This lesson continues to correct rhythmic and pitch errors in the parts, and instructs more advanced concepts like balance, articulation, dynamics, and style. The lesson plan follows daily classroom procedures of breathing, warming up, tuning, exercises, and scales before getting into the literature.
Handouts and Resources:
I created Google Form Quizzes for each level of band, extracting unique musical terms and techniques from the repertoire for each class. These quizzes were assigned after we went over the various terms in class and discussed their meaning.
Cadet Band Music Terminology Quiz
Wind Ensemble Music Terminology Quiz
Concert Band Music Terminology Quiz
Symphonic Band Terminology Quiz
Suggested Literature List for Band (compiled from Student Teaching Internship)