Long-Term Planning Calendar: Music
Teacher: Mr. Jeffrey Malone
Grade/Class/Ensemble: High School Jazz Ensemble
Unit’s Main Objective: Playing and Improvising in a Variety of Jazz Genres: Developing the Complete Jazz Musician
Primary Repertoire: Lester Leaps In, Recorda Me, Slo Funk, 12 Bar Bb Blues
Monday
3 4
Main Obj: Students will play
together, as an ensemble,
while sight-reading
Activity 1: Discuss sight-
reading techniques/strategies
and read program notes
Activity 2: Sight-read Lester
Leaps In and Recorda Me and
then reflect upon/evaluate
performance
Repertoire: Lester & Recorda
10
Main Obj: Students will
understand the physical factors
required to play their
instrument
Activity 1: Posture and
breathing reminder/check-up,
reinforced in breathing gym
Activity 2: Apply to the
stamina requirement of
Recorda Me, need to pace
yourself throughout the piece
Repertoire: Recorda Me
17
Main Obj: Students will
improvise over the chord
changes to Slo Funk
Activity 1: Review pentatonic
scales, dominant sevenths and
ii-V-I progressions
Activity 2: Chord extensions
and their place in jazz
improvisation: 9ths, 11ths, 13ths,
altered chords
Repertoire: Slo Funk
24
Main Obj: Students will
recognize the composers’
motivations in Lester Leaps In
Activity 1: What was Lester
Young’s motivation in writing
this piece? What does it
convey to you emotionally?
Activity 2: What affect does
this have on the way we
interpret this work? Play it
down
Repertoire: Lester Leaps In
Notes:
Lester Leaps In (“Rhythm Changes”) – Up-tempo swing; Recorda Me – Bossa; Slo Funk – Slow Funk; Bb Blues – Slow-Medium Swing
Use iReal Pro for backing tracks so all rhythm section players can practice improvisation (Drum Set à Vibes)
Tuesday Wednesday
Main Obj: Students will
compose an original Bb Blues
head for their own instrument
Activity 1: Discuss chord
tones, scales and listen to/sing
through blues progression
Activity 2: Pair-Share activity
with Blues heads (play each
other’s composition and
provide feedback)
Repertoire: 12 Bar Bb Blues
11
Main Obj: Students will
improvise over the chord
changes to Recorda Me
Activity 1: Review scalar
patterns and chord tones of
changes in Recorda Me
Activity 2: Focus on rhythmic
diversity: solo over changes
using only one or two notes
(follow guides tones; 3rds & 7ths)
Repertoire: Recorda Me
18
Main Obj: Students will
compare multiple recordings of
the same piece of music
Activity 1: Listen to multiple
recordings of our concert
repertoire & provide feedback
Activity 2: Free write to help
students distinguish musical
preferences from musical
judgements
Repertoire: All charts
25
Main Obj: Students will utilize
appropriate stylistic elements
reflective of history and culture
Activity 1: Listen to recording
of Recorda Me; have band play
along with recording to improve
comfort with bossa style
Activity 2: Students analyze
the way they are playing
compared to the recording
Repertoire: Recorda Me
Thursday
5 6
Main Obj: Students will play
expressively, on pitch and in
rhythm, in the appropriate style
Activity 1: Read through Slo
Funk and count/sing through
difficult rhythmic passages
Activity 2: Play through the
jazz heads that were created
yesterday and pick a class
favorite (for warm-up/improve.)
Repertoire: Slo Funk
12
Main Obj: Students will
analyze music form various
cultures and genres
Activity 1: Students will
present, in a group, a project
on their assigned jazz genre
Activity 2: Students will take
notes on these projects and
apply their knowledge to the
literature we play in class
Repertoire: All charts
19
Main Obj: Students will
perform together literature from
a variety of genres
Activity 1: Full run through of
concert program, without
stopping
Activity 2: Record
performance to be listened
to/reflected upon during the
next class period
Repertoire: All charts
26
Main Obj: Students will play
repertoire accurately and with
good breath control/tone
quality
Activity 1: Play through tutti
section of Slo Funk making
sure all rhythms line up across
the ensemble
Activity 2: Make sure students
blow through the end of all
phrase, don’t die out
Repertoire: Slo Funk
Main Obj: Students will improvise
over the chord changes to Lester
Leaps In
Activity 1: Have all students sing
over the chord changes to Lester
Leaps In before playing
Activity 2: Identify other Jazz
standards that implement the
“Rhythm Changes” chord
progression; listen to these
Repertoire: Lester Leaps In
13
Main Obj: Students will sing their
own instrumental parts with
proper technique
Activity 1: Sing through chorus of
Slo Funk; check for precision
attacks/release/dynamics, etc.
Activity 2: Translate attention to
detail to instruments and play with
precision in the correct funk style
Repertoire: Slo Funk
20
Main Obj: Students will analyze
and articulate the quality of their
performance
Activity 1: Make notes in part
while listening to recording from
the previous day
Activity 2: Student led discussion
on the quality of their
performance (Two Roses and a
Thorn)
Repertoire: All charts
27
Main Obj: Students will evaluate
the effect of the audience on the
performance
Activity 1: Class Discussion:
How should our audience feel
after listening to our program?
How should we feel?
Activity 2: Apply this to final
checks on balance, intonation,
releases, dynamics, etc.
Repertoire: All charts
Friday
7
Main Obj: Students will identify
and play articulations as they
occur in the repertoire
Activity 1: Define jazz
articulations, noting how them
differ from concert band
Activity 2: Identify how
articulations differ across
genres (articulations change
from swing to bossa to funk)
Repertoire: All charts
14
Main Obj: Students will play
scale structures appropriate to
the repertoire encountered
Activity 1: Learn ii-V-I scale
patterns and apply this pattern
to the Bb Blues turnaround
Activity 2: Introduce blues,
octatonic (diminished) and
whole tone scales and their
applications in Jazz music
Repertoire: 12 Bar Bb Blues
21
Main Obj: Students will
examine their role within the
textural fabric of the ensemble
Activity 1: Have students
identify how the melody moves
around the room
Activity 2: Examine how the
harmony, accompaniment, etc.
contributes to the overall
interpretation of the music
Repertoire: Lester Leaps In
28 Concert Day!
Main Obj: Students will adjust
to acoustic properties as they
affect the performers/space
Activity 1: On stage sound
check for tonight’s concert while
playing through transitionary
material
Activity 2: Reflect upon where
we started to where we ended
up (Process over product)
Repertoire: All charts