Music Lesson Plan

Name: Jeffrey Malone

Grade/Level: 8th Grade Band Duration: 20 minutes Topic: Phrasing and Musicality

Materials Needed:
• Baton
• Score for On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss
• Recording of On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss
• Computer/speaker system
• Watch

Lesson Objectives:
• Students will discuss phrasing of the melody of On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss and will
sing and play with proper phrasing as is discussed, demonstrated, and rehearsed by the
instructor.
• Students will write in their parts, notes about phrasing and expression while listening to a
recording of On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss.
• Students will sing and play their parts with intentional expressive variations.
• Students will play their instruments with accuracy of notes and rhythms, while playing in
time and producing a characteristic tone.
• Students will verbally critique and evaluate the recording of On a Hymnsong of Phillip
Bliss listened to in class and will concisely articulate their opinions on the piece.

AZ State Standards Addressed:

• Strand 1, Concept 1, PO 102: Students will demonstrate proficiency by singing their own
instrumental parts in tune with appropriate articulation, phrasing and dynamics.
• Strand 1, Concept 1, PO 104: Students will demonstrate proficiency by singing their own
instrumental parts with good posture and with proper breath support.
• Strand 1, Concept 2, PO 116: Students will demonstrate proficiency by playing together
as an ensemble (e.g. tempo, balance, phrasing).
• Strand 1, Concept 5, PO 104: Students will demonstrate proficiency by playing
expressively, on pitch and in rhythm, dynamics, phrasing, tempo markings encountered
in the repertoire.
• Strand 1, Concept 5, PO 105: Students will demonstrate proficiency by using appropriate
terminology to describe and explain music encountered in the repertoire.
• Strand 2, Concept 3, PO 104: Students will demonstrate proficiency by identifying and
explaining music preferences.
• Strand 3, Concept 1, PO 111: Students will demonstrate proficiency by identifying the
expressive qualities of music.
 • Strand 3, Concept 1, PO 112: Students will demonstrate proficiency by listening to
musical examples with sustained attention.
• Strand 3, Concept 2, PO 102: Student will demonstrate proficiency by using teacher
specified criteria to evaluate a musical performance.

National Music Standard(s) Achieved:

#1 Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
#2 Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
#3 Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
#4 Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
#5 Reading and notating music
#6 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
#7 Evaluating music and music performances
#8 Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
#9 Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Musical Focus:
Rhythm Melody Harmony
Singing Listening Playing Instruments
Form History Theory
Moving Conducting Intonation
Tone Color Vocabulary Creating
Expression Balance/Blend Other: Phrasing

Introduction/Anticipatory Set (connect the lesson objectives to previous knowledge):

• Students will expressively sing and play a Concert Db Major scale (previously worked on
in class) in three parts. Scale will be performed in whole notes. Director will not conduct
through exercise, but will show expressive and musical gestures (dynamics, style,
phrasing, etc.)
o Q: What are my conducting gestures telling you to do? Did the ensemble respond
to these gestures?

Activities:
• Students will listen to a recording of On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss multiple times and,
as they do so, will be guided through activities designed to enhance their sense of
interpretation, phrasing and musicality. The order of events and listenings is as follows:
(1) Listen and follow along with finger, (2) Listen to the melody and point to the section
in the band as it is played (3) Q: What did you like about that recording? How did it make
you feel? How could this recoding be improved? What about musicality?, (4) Trace the
rise and fall of the phrase with your finger. As director, give gestures that help show
dynamics, phrases, etc. (5) Sing your part with that same expression that you just showed.
Continue to trace phrase with your finger. Don’t be afraid, really go for it! Get out of
 your comfort zone. Make music! (6) Write in music elements of expression we have been
discussing – (de)crescendos, goal notes, phrase direction, phrase breaks, etc.
o Plan for 100% engagement:
§ All students will listen to Hymnsong multiple times
§ With each listening, students will be complete a task related to Hymnsong
o Modifications/Accommodations:
§ Ensure that any students that may have trouble hearing are positioned in a
location that allows them to best hear the recording
§ Have recording set up and ready to go at the beginning of class. We will
listen to only the climax of the piece (~2:30 – 3:30)
§ Make sure students get their music out to follow along with. If a student
forgets their music, have them share with another member of their section
and dock their participation points.
o Formative Assessment:
§ Move around the classroom to check for engagement and participation:
• Following along in music with finger
• Air and wind pattern
• Fingering along
• Notes written in music
§ Ask questions
§ Student focus and engagement
o Instructional Strategy (type of instruction occurring):
§ Discussion
§ Question and Answer
§ Collaborative
o Time allotted 10 minutes
• Students will play On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss both in a full ensemble setting and in
smaller groups. Students will apply the concepts discussed during the listening exercise.
Start by playing Hymnsong in the normal concert band set-up. After this, break students
off into four separate “pods” with mixed instrumentation around the room. Each pod will
play individually and receive feedback and constructive criticism from the rest of the
ensemble (Two roses and a thorn). Q: Do you hear anything new in this setting? Is there
someone playing the same part as you that you didn’t know was doing that? Lastly, return
to the large group, but allow students to sit wherever they want (no like instruments
together). Play through Hymnsong in this configuration and reflect on the impact it has on
the ensemble sound.
o Plan for 100% engagement:
§ All students will play through On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss
§ Students not being worked with will finger through their music, track their
music, tap rhythm or tap the steady beat as instructed by the director
§ Ask questions
o Modifications/Accommodations:
§ Accommodate students with physical limitations by ensuring that they
have a clear path to move around the classroom or bring their small group
to them
 § Use pods that are not playing to tap steady beat should there be timing
issues
§ To assist students, communicate musical intent through gestures and facial
expressions
§ Push all students outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to be
uncomfortable and requiring them to listen to new things.
o Formative Assessment:
§ Visual assessment of posture, carriage and correct breathing technique
§ Listen for ensemble timing, interpretation, phrasing and general musicality
§ Student involvement, focus and participation
o Instructional Strategy (type of instruction occurring):
§ Small/Large group
§ Question and answer
§ Direct Instruction
o Time allotted 10 minutes

Concluding Activity/Success Experience:

• Students will play through On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss in a normal concert ensemble
set-up
o Q: Do you hear the improvement that our ensemble has made from the beginning
of class? What do you notice about the way we are playing now and compared to
the last time we played this piece? Imagine how amazing we would be if we
improved this much every day!
• Why is musical expression important?
o Music is far more than just notes and rhythms or even a concert at the end of the
semester (Process over product). It the rawest form of human connection and
communication. It is natural, expressive and incredibly powerful. Every person
and every ensemble connects to music in a unique way. Today, we have begun the
process of developing our own musical. Continue to channel the way the music
makes you feel into your playing and translate this to every piece that we play!

Extensions:
• If time allows, students will:
o Evaluate their performance and the performance of others, while providing
feedback and constructive criticism on ways to improve the quality of the
composition and performance
o Work on matching articulation lengths throughout Hymnsong
o Apply concept of phrasing and musicality to the rest of our repertoire
Summative Assessments (if performance objectives are not formally assessed--i.e., grade
attached/end of a unit, etc.--during this lesson, how would you assess individuals in the future?):

• Music Checks
o Ensure that every student is writing in their part what is being discussed in class
• Playing Test
o Check for accuracy of notes and rhythms as well as expressive intent
• Participation Points
o Prepared for class with all the materials they need
o Participating in class discussions
• Concert Attendance/Reflection (Rubric below)

Excelling Average No Credit

Criteria:
10 points
Starts with detailed
summary of the concert
experience including the
Summary
repertoire performed and a
general impression of the
concert as a whole
7 points 0 points
Starts with a vague
summary of the concert
experience. May not include Poor quality or not
repertoire performed or completed
general impression of the
concert

Mentions some elements

Describes all elements that that went well, but not all Poor quality or not
Successes
went well and does so without much completed
detail
Accurately identifies areas
Accurately identifies areas
Areas for for improvement and Poor quality or not
for growth, but does support
Improvement provides support for these completed
claims
claims

Identifies personal and Identifies only personal or

Goals for Next Poor quality or not
ensemble goals that they ensemble for next semester,
Semester completed
hope to achieve but fails to mention both

Reflection paper is clean

Reflection paper is clean,
Grammar and and is labeled with a Poor quality or not
well-formatted, labeled with
Appearance heading, but contains typos completed
a heading, and free of typos.
or is improperly formatted