Subject: Music (Band)

 

Lesson: Rehearsal (sight-reading) of band transcription of orchestral piece

 

Input: Lesson will function as an introduction to a unit on romantic- and modern-era orchestral composers. Unit will expose students to well-known music of decades and centuries past, broadening their musical knowledge outside of just the purely band music realm.

 

Anticipatory Set: Director begins rehearsal by asking students, "Who knows anything about (composer's name)?"

 

Description: Director will conduct a read-through rehearsal of a transcription for wind ensemble of an orchestral piece (any one) by a well-known composer (any one). Actual instruction will be minimal; the goal is to familiarize students with the piece and begin the early stages of learning the piece. In addition, a recording will be played in class to give students an impression of the piece and to employ the sound technology in the classroom (this will also assist students when they find a recording on their own, detailed in this lesson's assessment).

 

Objectives: Students will be able to:

a.     Sight-read through a moderately difficult piece of music

b.     Develop their sight-reading skills

c.     Gain knowledge of orchestral literature

d.     Be able to search for and locate sound recordings in the mainstream media

e.     Understand what it means to play orchestral literature in a wind ensemble setting, and begin to understand the composer's style.

 

Checking for Understanding/Questions: Inquire as to whether students need any stylistic or technical advice on how to practice the piece. Students will gain more information on the piece and its composer both on their own (see assessment) and in class as the unit progresses.

 

Assessment Strategy: Students will be assigned to do minimal web research on the composer of the original orchestral piece, as well as on the piece itself. It would also be helpful to students to find their own recording of the piece, whether through the web or otherwise. Each of these activities fulfills NETS requirement #3, as they allow students to make academic inquiries through the web in addition to becoming fluent in its workings. Being able to find a musical recording online or elsewhere also helps students to know where to find this particular kind of technological resource.