TEACHER GUIDE

Appalachian Morning, Robert Sheldon

MUSIC 670 – Fall 2018
Jacob Wrobel

*Appalachian Morning by Susan Jenkins

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ========================================================== 2
 Unit Goals
 Unit Objectives
 Standards

Score Analysis ====================================================== 3 – 8

Unit Study ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3

Analysis Grid -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

Concept Lessons ==================================================== 9 - 10

 Lesson 1: Melody
 Lesson 2: Harmony
 Lesson 3: Texture
 Lesson 4: Historical Context
 Lesson 5: Visual Art

Warm-up Strategies ==================================================== 10

Additional References and Resources ======================================= 11

 Glossary
 Readings/Links

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 INTRODCUTION

Title – Appalachian Morning (2008) Publisher – Alfred Music Publishing

Grade Level – 3
Composer – Robert Sheldon (b. 1954) Duration - 3:00 minutes

Unit Goals:
 Gain a greater understanding on ensemble balance
 Learn about the significance of the Cumberland Gap and the Scottish and Irish settlers.
 Advance individual and ensemble listening skills to a higher level
 Perform Appalachian Morning in a pubic setting with good tone quality and ensemble
balance
 Advance their personal sound and tone quality
 Learn terminology like a “warm” sound or a “bright” tone and be able to differentiate
them in their playing
 Build error-detections skills while listening and performing to give feedback on what to
practice and improve upon

National Standards:
Performing:
MU:Pr4.2.E.5a Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how the
setting and formal characteristics of musical works contribute to understanding the
context of the music in prepared or improvised performances.

MU:Pr5.3.E.IIa Develop and apply appropriate rehearsal strategies to address individual

and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of music, and evaluate their success.

MU:Pr6.1.E.8a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in

prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing
diverse cultures and styles.

Responding:
MU:Re7.2.E.5a Identify how knowledge of context and the use of repetition, similarities,
and contrasts inform the response to music.

MU:Re8.1.E.5a Identify interpretations of the expressive intent and meaning of musical

works, referring to the elements of music, contexts, and (when appropriate) the setting of
the text.

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 SCORE ANALYSIS
UNIT STUDY
Unit 1: Composer
Born in 1954, Robert Sheldon has been awarded the Volkwein Award for composition and the
Stanbury Award for teaching by the American School Band Directors Association, and the
International Assembly of Phi Beta Mu honored him with the International Outstanding
Bandmaster Award. He taught in the Florida and Illinois public schools and has served as faculty
at Florida State University, teaching conducting and instrumental music education classes. Now
as a concert band editor for Alfred Music Publishing, he continues his career as a composer and
conductor, and still regularly accepts commissions for new works.

Unit 2: Composition
Appalachian Morning was commissioned by the Psi Chapter of Phi Beta Mu for the Kentucky
Music Educators Association in 2008. This piece provides several solo opportunities for students
in all sections and paints a beautiful picture of early settlers watching the sunrise as they are
traveling through the Cumberland Mountains. Through dynamic shifts, this piece allows students
to fully explore the dynamic range of their instruments with passages ranging from pianissimo to
fortissimo.

Unit 3: Historical Perspective

Influenced by the settlers from Scotland and Ireland in Kentucky, Appalachian Morning portrays
a musical walk through the woods and mountains of the Cumberland Gap. Located in the
Cumberland Mountains ranging through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, the “Cumberland
Gap” is a narrow pass near the borders of all three states. It was used by the Native Americans
until settlers discovered it in 1750 and used it to journey to the western frontier led by Daniel
Boone, who was known as one of the first American folk heroes for his exploration.

Unit 4: Technical Considerations

Throughout the piece clarinets, flutes, alto saxophones, horns, and trumpets will come across
grace notes or 32nd notes in the melodic lines, which add to the line stylistically but can be
technically hard for beginning players. Along with that, some players may experience issues with
the range of their part, with both trumpet parts needing to play a high F and the trumpet I part
going to a high G. Similar issues are in the low brass along with the need for flutes to play high
notes in lower dynamics. An issue with the percussion could be the entrances they have with the
wind players, as the bell player needs to come in precisely in time with the flutes. These can
normally be fixed with proper preparatory breathes and blowing the correct amount of air
through the instrument.

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Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations
Opening with a clarinet solo presenting the theme of the piece, it is important for the non-solo
instruments to stay under the melodic line as it is passed to other instruments. Players need to be
aware of what is the foreground, mid-ground, and background, as often some of the alto and
tenor voices will respond to the melodic lines with counter-melodic lines. While the rest of the
instruments (usually tenor or bass instruments) hold down the harmonic lines, outlining the
chords with long tones. Knowing their place in the music and the ensemble will help players
blend with each other and make the most out of the dynamic shaping of the piece.

Unit 6: Musical Elements

This piece contains so many dynamic shifts that players will need to understand their place in the
ensemble and focus on balancing with the instruments around them. Only taking nine measures
to bring the ensemble from piano to forte, and getting to fortissimo by measure 19, the ensemble
will need to express what dynamic they are wanting to play to sell the emotional impact. Along
with the dynamics are the melodic lines being passed around from instrument to instrument,
where the transitions are an important part of maintaining the shape and feel of the line. This
requires a level of listening through the ensemble so they can blend with the people around them.

Unit 7: Form and Structure

Appalachian Morning has a rounded binary form, with sections normally ending with large
dynamic shifts, and the recapitulation of the A section after a key change at measure 35. The A
and A’ sections are easily identified with several solo melodic lines that move around between
instruments, where the B section has more ensemble playing and contains the climax of the piece
at the forte-piano in measure 33.

Unit 8: Suggested Listening

Robert Sheldon, Fantasy on an Early American Marching Tune
Robert W. Smith, Suite of Appalachian Folk Songs
Nathan Daughtrey, Appalachian Air
Anne McGintyl, Cumberland Gap

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ANALYSIS GRID

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 CONCEPT LESSONS
LESSON ONE: MELODY
Objective:
 Students will be able to identify the melody and instruments in recordings of excerpts of
other band pieces
 Ensemble will sight-read the piece without stopping
 Students will identify which instruments are playing the melody at specific times
Activity:
Teacher will play recordings of excerpts of other band pieces like Appalachian Morning
and have the students identify which instruments are playing the melody. Then after listening to
a recording of the piece they’re playing; the students will sight-read it top to bottom and spend
time identifying where the melody is and which instruments trade it off.

LESSON TWO: HARMONY

Objective:
 Ensemble will build different chords and listen to each other to balance the harmony
 Ensemble will identify the melody and harmony of a chosen chord progression
 Students will listen for harmony in Appalachian Morning and identify the “crunchy”
chords and the “warm” chords
Activity:
Teacher will have the ensemble build chords used in Appalachian Morning and have the
students listen to the harmony. They will then be presented with a chord progression of a popular
tune (Viva La Vida or similar) and have the students focus on the harmonization. Then the
ensemble will perform a heavy harmony part of the piece and identify the “crunchy” and “warm”
chords and why they are that way.

LESSON THREE: TEXTURE

Objective:
 Students will identify specific instrument groups while playing and what they sound like
 Students will discuss the composer’s intentions for his chosen instrumentation
 Students will be able to develop their own definition of “Texture”
Activity:
The Ensemble will rehearse the first half of the piece and identify differing instrument
groups and the texture it creates. The students will discuss why the composer decided to write
that specific instrumentation. Teacher will then have the students come up with what they
believe the definition of “texture” is and apply it to their playing and rehearsal.

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LESSON FOUR: HISTORICAL/CULTURAL
Objective:
 Students will be able to identify where the Cumberland Gap is on a map
 Students will understand the history of the early settlers that is tied into Appalachian
Morning
 Students will create a story that Appalachian Morning is about
Activity:
Teacher will put up a map and ask a student to try and find the Cumberland Gap. After
it’s found, they will discuss what the early settlers might have had to deal with while traveling
through the Gap. After rehearsing the beginning and end of the piece, students will be asked to
create their own story to go along with the piece and present it next rehearsal.

LESSON FIVE: VISUAL ART

Objective:
 Students will present their stories about the piece in front of the class and recognize
similar themes
 Students will create their own artwork to describe the piece
 Ensemble will apply visual and story aids to their playing and identify what changed
Activity:
After the class presents the quick stories they made last
rehearsal, they will be presented with the painting, Appalachian
Morning by Susan Jenkins (pictured right) and discuss what
aspects of the painting look like the piece. Then given a piece of
paper and colored pencils, the students will make quick artworks
that they believe represents the piece and share. Finally, the
ensemble will run through the piece and discuss what the idea of
the stories and the drawings did to make their playing different.

WARM-UP STRATEGIES/IDEAS
 Basic scales that coincide with the key and key-changes of the
piece
o Use varying dynamics to help develop control of the
instrument in the lower and upper end of the dynamic
spectrum
 Chord progressions that emphasize a textured harmony
 Forte-piano shift exercises or other exercises that have quick
dynamic shifts
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 RESOURCES
GLOSSARY

Cumberland Gap:
A narrow pass through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian
Mountains, near the junction of the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Harmony:
The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord
progressions having a pleasing effect.

Instrumentation:
The particular instruments used in a piece of music; the manner in which a piece is arranged for
instruments.

Melody:
The principal part in harmonized music.

Texture:
How the tempo, melodic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition, thus
determining the overall quality of the sound in a piece.

Tone:
Characterized by its duration, pitch, intensity, loudness, timbre, and quality.

READING/LINKS
Appalachian Morning Score:
Sheldon, Robert. "Alfred Music | Appalachian Morning | Robert Sheldon | Part(s); Score."Alfred
Music | Appalachian Morning | Robert Sheldon | Part(s); Score. Alfred Music, n.d. Web.
25 Feb. 2017. <http://www.alfred.com/Products/Appalachian-Morning--00-29466.aspx>.

Composer’s Website:
Sheldon, Robert. "RobertSheldonMusic.com." RobertSheldonMusiccom. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb.
2017. <http://robertsheldonmusic.com/>.

Professional Recording
WindBandCentral. "Appalachian Morning by Robert Sheldon." YouTube. YouTube, 30 Dec.
2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Tx0H0BmUk>.

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