Holden Berlin

MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Comprehensive Musicianship Unit Plan

Circles of Stones by Anne McGinty

Circles of Stones is piece based on the symbolism that stone circles represent in all
cultures. The composer, Anne McGinty, was inspired by ancient music. McGinty represents the
ancients by using open intervals throughout the piece along with primitive percussion
instruments. McGinty also is inspired by the physical aspect of stone circles weaving melodies
into each other creating phrases that are passed around the ensemble through elision. Circles of
Stones ternary form also represents the idea of a circle as the beginning returns once again
following the Allegro Molto section.
The piece, commissioned by the Clark County School District Middle School Honor
Band, Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been dedicated to the Assistant Director of Student Activities
and Fine Arts: Dr. Harold Boyce.

Anne McGinty
McGinty is an accomplished composer of over 225 pieces. Her works are both musical
and educational, they are designed with educational material in mind. Mcgintys unique
instrumental colors and textures spark imagination for music that she has written. Her work at
Ohio State university, where she earned her degree in flute performance, and Duqesne
University, where she studied composition, has given her a strong background for writing
beginning concert band through advanced flute solos.
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
Lesson Plans
Circles of Stones Lesson Plan #1

National Standards Addressed:

7.1 Performing Music: Singing alone and with others
7.2 Performing Music: Playing an instrument alone and with others
7.6 Responding to Music: Listening to, Analyzing and Describing Music
7.9 Responding Music: Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture
Classroom Goals:
1. Students will play measures 1 -12 in Circles of Stones with reasonable accuracy in notes
in rhythm
2. Students will be able to identify which sections have melody during specific parts of the
music rehearsed
3. Students will begin to understand Phrase Elision. They will be able to define it and
understand how it is used in Circles of Stones
Materials: Baton, Tuner, Metronome, Developing Band Book no.7, Recording of Circles of
Stones, Piano
Procedure
1. Introduction
a. Has anyone seen Stonehenge? Through pictures or in person?
i. Show a slide show of Stonehenge
b. Describe Stonehenge: Built in 2500BCE, in England, as a religious site. Multiple
stone circles. The purpose Stonehenge: religious site.
i. Connect to ancient religious music
2. Warm up
a. Instructor prepares the students in the key of Eb major by playing an Eb Chord
progression
b. Instructor will lead echo patterns, on solfege, in the key of Eb
i. Falling down to C minor
ii. Triad
iii. Alto Sax Solo
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
c. Transitioning to instruments
i. Full scale
ii. Triads / Open intervals (Mainly 5ths; see measure two of Circles of
Stones)
1. Pass triads and scale degrees around the ensemble
a. Introduce Elision
iii. Alto Sax solo taught to all parts

3. Circles of Stones Part I

a. Listen to Circles of Stones measure 1- 12
b. Question students on the music
i. What is the time signature? Duple or Triple?
ii. Do some parts seem familiar?
iii. What voice has the solo that we learned?
iv. Describe the music?
c. Pass out the Circles of Stones parts to the students
i. Review the questions above
4. Circles of Stones Part II
a. Low brass/WWs: look at measure 11, finger and air the notes for a second while
the rest of the ensemble works on passing the melody along
b. The rest of the ensemble will look at measure 6 10
i. The passing of the eighth note melody from section to section, starting
with the Alto and Tenor.
1. Students only play the bars that they have eighth notes. They rest
on every bar.
ii. Review the round warm up strategy, PASS the melody around the
ensemble. Elision
iii. Play the 4 measures as written
c. Check on the Low Brass. Listen to measure 12
i. Give feedback
5. Circles of Stones Part III
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
a. Look at the top of the music
i. Review the Alto sax solo solfege in the beginning and have the entire
ensemble play it
1. Make sure it can be heard by everyone in the ensemble while they
are playing
ii. Play measures 1-6
1. Have the brass play with the Alto sax first while the flutes and
clarinets play the parts as written.
2. Repeat without brass
b. Play Measure 1- 10 as written
i. Stress that ensemble needs to be listening for the eighth note melody
passed throughout the ensemble.
6. Circles of Stones Part IV
a. Play Bars 11-12
b. Play entire opening measures 1-12
i. Feedback
ii. Address sections as needed.

7. Assessment
a. In Circles of Stones where can we find Elision?
b. How do you know?

Circles of Stones Lesson Plan #2

National Standards Addressed:

7.1 Performing Music: Singing alone and with others
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
7.2 Performing Music: Playing an instrument alone and with others
7.6 Responding to Music: Listening to, Analyzing and Describing Music
7.9 Responding Music: Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture

Classroom Goals:
1. Students will play measures 13-36 with reasonable accuracy in notes and in rhythm
2. Students will be able to identify sections with elision in the music rehearsed
3. Students will be able to play and identify open intervals, specifically a perfect 5th interval
and perfect 8th interval
4. Students will be able to identify sections with open intervals (P 5ths) in the music
rehearsed.
Materials:
Baton, Tuner, Metronome, Developing Band Book no.7, Recording of Circles of Stones, Piano

Procedure:
1. Introduction
a. Review Stonehenge and its purpose.
i. Ancient religious site
b. Play Gregorian chant Kyrie Eleison
i. Ask the students to describe the music
c. The importance of open intervals such as the perfect 5th and perfect 8th
i. Model on the piano a 5th and an 8th versus a dissonant or more compact
interval
2. Warm Up
a. Instructor prepares the students in the key of Eb Major by playing an Eb Major
chord progression on the piano
i. Instructor will lead echo patters on solfege
1. Triads
2. Intervals such as 2nds and 3rds
3. Octave, perfect intervals (4ths and 5ths)
ii. Instructor will split the class, having half the class sing tonic while the
other half sing a perfect 5th, octave.
iii. Ask the students to describe the interval once again
iv. Repeat step iii with a variety of intervals, asking the students to describe
the interval
v. End with an open interval once again
b. Transition to instruments
i. Full Eb scale
ii. Triads
iii. Split the class and have students play different intervals.
1. Begin and end with perfect intervals
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
a. Stress the importance of tuning on open intervals
b. Ask the students to describe the interval
i. Is it correct? Could they guess the interval? Is it
intune?
3. Circles of Stones Part I
a. Review measures 1-12
i. Provide feedback, fix any major issues
ii. Question the students if they are able to identify a section with perfect
intervals
iii. Play those measures
4. Circles of Stones Part II
a. Focus on measure 15-20
i. Similar to the slow section, the melody is passed through the ensemble
1. Have the trumpets and horns/tenors provide feedback to the
ensemble. Can they determine if the elision is smooth? Does it
sound good? How can they sound better? Let them be the ears of
the group.
ii. Provide feedback as necessary
5. Circles of Stones Part III
a. Measures 21-29
i. Have the woodwinds play while the brass follows along in their parts,
fingering and airing along.
1. Address any issues
2. Woodwinds play again, have the brass help provide feedback
ii. Repeat step i with roles reversed.
1. Have brass play section. WWs finger and air along
2. Provide feedback
3. Brass play again, WWs provide feedback
iii. Stress that moving lines take priority and should be heard over long tones.
1. Play together
a. Provide feedback
iv. Play measures 13-29 with new comments
1. Provide feedback
v. Review open intervals?
1. Are there any in these two sections?
6. Circles of Stones Part IV
a. Measures 29-37
b. Section can be described as adding Parts II and III together. Similar motives are
acting together. Combine both procedure number 3 and number 4.
c. Similar to part Circles of Stones Part I, have the parts who do not pas the melody
critique the parts of the ensemble who do pass the melody.
d. Take notice in the eliding parts in the WWs and trumpets.
i. As well as the open interval chords in the low brass.
e. RIT in measure 35 should take priority tempo must start at 132 and decrease to 66
In the two bars allowed for RIT.
7. Circles of Stones Part V (Assessment)
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
a. Talk entire chunk, measures 13- 37.
i. Students need to know who has melody when, if they are passing off
melody, and who they should be listening towards.
ii. Locate perfect intervals
b. Run entire section 13-37
i. Locate perfect intervals again (undiscovered perfect intervals)
ii. Group should provide feedback
c. Apply feedback as needed.

Circles of Stones Lesson Plan #3

National Standards Addressed:

7.1 Performing Music: Singing alone and with others
7.2 Performing Music: Playing an instrument alone and with others
7.6 Responding to Music: Listening to, Analyzing and Describing Music
7.9 Responding Music: Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture
Classroom goals:
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
1. Students will be able to play Circles of Stones with reasonable accuracy in pitch and
rhythm
2. Students will be able to recognize elision in Circles of Stones
3. Students will be able to identify perfect/open intervals in Circles of Stones
4. Students will be able to define and categorize Ternary Form (ABA)
Materials:
Baton, Tuner, Metronome, Developing Band Book no.7, Recording of Circles of Stones, Piano

Procedure:
1. Introduction
a. What are the ways so far that Circles of Stones kind of sounds circular?
i. Elision, melody around the ensemble, echoing.
ii. Form is slow fast slow in the piece.
b. Transition to Ternary Form concept
i. Model a short progression that is in ABA form on piano
ii. Can you compare the first section (model) and the second section (model)
1. Alike or different?
iii. Can you compare the first section (model) and the last section (model)
1. Alike or different
iv. Call alike sections the same symbol (letter, number, picture)
1. Students should deduce some form of ABA
2. Warm Up
a. Instructor prepares the students in the key of Eb Major by playing an Eb Major
chord progression on the piano
i. Instructor will lead echo patters on solfege
1. Triads
2. Intervals such as 2nds and 3rds
3. Octave, perfect intervals (4ths and 5ths)
b. Transition to Instruments
i. Eb scale
ii. Triads
iii. Perfect intervals
iv. Split the class in thirds and create a physical ABA form, have the ends of
the arches play similar or same passages while the middle of the arch
playing something new
3. Circles of Stones Part I
a. Measures 37-47
i. Similar to the opening section
ii. Have all students play 37-47
1. Compare and contrast 37-47 and beginning
2. Can they identify any Elision or open intervals?
iii. Feedback as needed
4. Circles of Stones Part II
 Holden Berlin
MUSE 355
Dec. 8th 2016
a. Measures 47- end
i. Isolate Sax solo
1. Is it similar or the same as the alto sax solo in the beginning?
a. Its the same
2. Review solo solfege and have all the students play it
ii. Isolate perfect intervals
iii. Isolate last note
b. Students play 47- end, with the same listening centers as the opening.
i. Feedback as necessary
5. Circles of Stones Part III
a. Run the entire piece
i. Identify elision points
ii. Perfect interval sections
iii. Review Form
b. Feedback as needed

Summative Assessment Quiz

Question 1
What is Elision and how is it used in Circles of Stones?
Question 2
What is a perfect interval and what are the three perfect intervals in a scale?
Question 3
Describe Ternary form using symbols and describe the sections in Ternary Form