Middle School Band I – Concert Band

Musical Element: Performance

&nbs= p; The musical element of performance includes all of the various aspects of producing so= und, from rehearsing, to listening, to polishing and performing. For the purposes of the Curriculum= Web, it will include any facet of making music that is not covered by Theory or History.

Objectives: The students will…

<= /span>

Rehearsal Skills

Students wi= ll learn appropriate rehearsal skills necessary to succeed in a large gro= up performing ensemble.
Demonstrate= good habits in terms of instrument care (assemble, clean and store instrume= nt properly)
Identify by= name the different parts of their instrument

Tone

Demonstrate correct posture
Demonstrate correct instrument carriage
Demonstrate correct hand position
Demonstrate correct embouchure (matched grip for percussion)
Learn to us= e a full supported breath
Identify instrument specific problems that would lead to poor tone (improper re= ed preparation or placement, air leaks, etc.)

Balance/Blend

Identify the melody line or moving line in a composition.

For exampl= e, in a piece of sheet music students would be able to identify that at rehea= rsal letter B the clarinets have the main melody.

Identify if= parts are melody or accompaniment

For exampl= e, in a piece of sheet music students would be able to identify that as a s= axophone, at rehearsal letter B they are playing an accompaniment part.

Intonation

Adjust post= ure, air support, embouchure, and instrument length with teacher assistance= to produce usable relative pitch.
Match pitch= in pairs aurally with teacher assistance.

Articulation

Perform not= es with proper air attack and air release
Perform mel= odic lines with slurs
Perform mel= odic lines with staccato notes
Perform mel= odic lines with legato or full value notes
Learn to pe= rform melodic lines with accented notes

Technical Facility

Demonstrate mastery of all material through page 35 in Standard of Excellence Book 1 by Bruce Pearson.=
Demonstrate ability to perform a one octave Concert Bb Major scale
Learn to pe= rform Concert Eb and Concert F Major scales.=

Altered pa= rts are acceptable, for example brass can learn the Concert Eb scale with optional low E and low F as written on page 42 of Standard of Excellence Book 1.

Learn the following instrument specific technical challenges:<= /li>
- Flute: per= form up to a Bb above the staff with a resonant sound
- Clarinets: crossing the break (A natural to B natural).
- Brass: flexibility studies (up to third space C for trumpets and correspondi= ng partial for other brass instruments)
- Percussion= :

Expression

Perform mel= odic lines in four different dynamic levels: p, mp, mf, f=
Demonstrate ability to indicate and follow breath marks
Perform mus= ic with four measure phrases

Music Reading & Sight-reading

Maintain st= eady pulse and tempo when reading music
Use a syste= m for counting to decipher rhythms
Correctly interpret and perform notes and rests of eighth, quarter, half, and wh= ole note values, as well as note values of dotted half and a set of four sixteenth notes
Perform dot= ted quarter notes, dotted eighth notes, and their respective rests. –= ;mastery not required
Perform syncopated rhythms (eighth note followed by quarter note followed by eighth note) –mastery not required
Learn to co= unt with subdivision

Repertoire

Synthesize,= apply and exhibit performance skills in a variety of band literature
Perform representative literature from a variety of cultures and historical periods

Performance Skills

Demonstrate appropriate concert behavior at school concerts
Explain the different expectations for performer and audience etiquette at jazz concerts, rock concerts, formal classical concerts

Resources:

Teacher model=

Instrument

Standard of Excellence, Book 1 – Bruce Pearson

Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 1 = – Richard Miles

Terms:

phrase – a natural division o= f the melodic line, comparable to a sentence of speech

<= /span>

dynamics – the loudness and quietness of sound

ensemble – a group of musicians that perform as a unit

fine &= #8211; word that indicates where a song ends

tempo markings – indications of the speed of the song

harmony - The sounding of two or more tones simultaneously; the vertical aspect of music

Unit Assessment:

<= /span>

T= eacher observation and singing tests are both ongoing assessment tools, since the concepts are taught throughout the year.

<= o:p>

For the Teacher Checklist, click here.

<= /span>