Andrew Sowatzke

School:
Class: Concert Band
Hour: 1st (8:20 AM - 9:04 AM)
Date: March 5th , 2015
Age Group: 10-12th Grade
Objective:
-

Students will perform alone and as an ensemble, within the given style for a certain work.
Students will evaluate their own performance as an ensemble, taking into consideration
balance and tone production.
- Students will be able to demonstrate through performance an understanding of proper
ensemble balance, tone, and dynamics.
- Students will be able to perform with a given tempo, with no external beat source.
Skills Taught:
-

Ensemble Performance
o Ensemble Dynamics vs. Individual dynamics
o Ensemble Balance
o Ensemble Listening
o Direction of Phrases and Proper Phrasing
Standards:
-

MU:Cr3.1 Evaluate and refine selected musical ideas to create musical work that meets
appropriate criteria.
- MU:Pr4.3 Develop personal interpretations that consider creators intent
- MU:Pr5.3 Evaluate and refine personal and ensemble performances, individually or in
collaboration with others.
- MU:Pr6.1 Perform expressively, with appropriate interpretation and technical accuracy
and in a manner appropriate to the audience and context.
- MU:Re9.1 Support personal evaluation of musical works and performance(s) based on
analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Materials:
-

Cross, Travis J. Be Thou My Vision Booney and Hawkes 2007

King, Jeff and Richard Williams Foundations for Superior Performance: Warm Ups &
Techniques for Band Neil A. Kjos Music Company Publisher 1997
Sousa, John Philip The Liberty Bell March Jensen Publications 1982
Assorted Instruments as required for the instrumentation of the above pieces

Andrew Sowatzke

Lesson:
- Warm Up
o Scales
Circle of 4ths
Articulation patterns to emphasize patterns seen in Liberty Bell
Use balance used from Tuesdays lesson
o Bach 95
Steady air flow will give us the sound that we want
Was this the same or different than Tuesdays sound? Do we, as an
ensemble, like this better or worse?
Play using different given Ensemble Dynamics
Mezzo Forte
Piano
Forte
Mezzo Piano
Ask whether the group thought they had achieved the proper ensemble
dynamic after each one
Which dynamic level did we think sounded the best?
What voices are heard more at each level? Does this affect out
balance? What should we be listening to?
With the established dynamic, as a conductor, lead the group to phrase the
piece in different directions
Do we want to push to the end of each phrase? (m.4, 8, 12)
Is the push for the middle of each of them?
As an ensemble which makes the most musical sense?
Having the students establish what musical style they think sounds best is
a great place for critical thinking skills
Why do we want to phrase it this way?
What makes the softer/louder dynamic different in group balance?
Always have the student explain why they feel the way they do.
How does what we just talked through apply to Liberty Bell March?
Dynamics, Balance, and Phrasing

Andrew Sowatzke

Liberty Bell March

o Piece is in Concert F, make sure key signature is correct
o Melody must always be heard
Euphonium at meas. 22
Raise their dynamic to a solid Forte
Have them play this section by themselves
Emily is playing this with a more full tone than Rachel is, address
Rachels tone
o Drop the jaw
o More air
o Think of this as a song
Once their sound is semi-unison continue on
Play Meas. 22 with everybody
All backgrounds to the euphonium is at an ensemble Pianissimo
Blend the ensemble into Euphonium sound
Where is the high point of the phrase?
Trio
What is the dynamic of the ensemble at 54?
Play 54
o Where are crescendos led from?
o Can we hear the trills and the upper flutes over the
ensemble?
o How does this phrase work within the concept of the piece?
Does this piece contrast the parts before or is it similar?
Talk through 86
o Ensemble dynamics
o Balance
o What are we listening for?
o This is to establish that they understand and are thinking of
what I might say prior to playing. Most mistakes are
happening because they are not engaged prior to playing
Play 86 with those considerations in mind
o Lows dynamics will shape this section
At 110 have only the upper voices play
o This is the voice being lost within the ensemble
Perform the entire piece
Hand out Quiz over Ensemble Performance and cover
announcements regarding next weeks rehearsals