Andrew Westgate

Dr. Nichols
MUS 344
5/14/16
Unit Plan Outlines
Lesson 1: Introduction (Cognitive)
I have prepared a PowerPoint presentation on some basic information on the composer (Franz
Biebl) and the work we will be playing in class (Ave Maria). With the presentation (20
minutes), plus sight reading through the piece (5 minutes) with the newly introduced information
being connected to the piece for the first time (5 minutes), this will be an adequate 30-minute
lesson plan.
Assessment setup:
+Record the first sight reading
Lesson 2: Lyrics in Chorale (Cognitive)
Today will be a technical playing day. The students will have been given Bach Chorale books for
warmup purposes, but this lesson plan will be incorporating them into the rehearsal. I will have
the students play a Bach chorale to warm up. Then, I will hand them the lyrics to the chorale, and
we will briefly discuss the importance of lyrics in music, and how the vocal phrasing and band
phrasing should be the same. We will play through the chorale, trying to shape the phrases of the
chorale based on the lyrics. Then we will jump into the first repeated part of Ave Maria
immediately. We will have a brief discussion on the similarities in lyricism between the two, then
rehearse Ave Maria as a whole.
Assessment:
+Informal assessment. Can the band play with the lyrical style or not? What could be improved?
Lesson 3: Suspensions (Cognitive)
When the students enter the room, they will notice that I have written examples of suspensions
on the board. I will ask the students what they are, and we will discuss their importance in the
music, and how they are used to stretch out phrases, then resolve the chord (should not take more
than 5 minutes). Warm up using Bb major Remington exercise, then have band play a V7-I chord
progression, with the students on the 7th holding through the whole progression, then resolving
the 7th to the root upon a separate cue, demonstrating a suspension (also another 5 minutes).
Rehearse music for the remaining time, focusing on bringing out the suspensions. (18 minutes)
Assessment:

+Exit Slip. Students must write out a suspension --any suspension-- on a slip of paper before
they leave the classroom. (2 minutes)
Lesson 4: The Heart of the Music (Affective)
The first 5 minutes will be spent on warming up and tuning, then we will rehearse for 15
minutes, really drawing out the expressive elements of the piece. Since the students have had the
piece for a few rehearsals now and know a lot more about the piece than they originally did, we
will use the last 10 minutes of rehearsal to discuss what this piece means to everybody. I will
give every student a sheet of paper, and will have them write or draw what elements of this piece
are most significant to them individually (Exit slip type assessment).
Lesson 5: Cleanup (Psychomotor)
We will start with the usual warmup: F Remington, Chorale, tuning pitch. We will play all the
way through Ave Maria with the precursor instructions of listening around the ensemble for
trouble spots. After finishing the piece, we will point out areas that we think the ensemble needs
the most work on. I will have had notes and post-it notes in the score from score study and
analyzing the ensemble, but I would be curious as to what the students think needs the most
work. We will spend the whole rehearsal cleaning the technical aspects of the piece and
addressing the students concern areas.
Assessments:
+Informal Assessment: Pin point any sections that are struggling more than others, and pay close
attention to what areas the students are hearing most (this will lead into the next lesson of
listening around for important parts in the ensemble. See Lesson 6: Blend and Balance)
+Record the ensemble at the end of rehearsal
Lesson 6: Blend and Balance (psychomotor)
Students will warmup and tune, then we will jump straight into the piece, working the repeated
sections and really focusing on the important aspects of each portion. I will ask the students to
identify the melody, then ask what other parts they can hear from what instruments, and if they
can sing them. This will build their listening in the ensemble, and will hopefully build some of
their aural skills as well, because if you can sing it, you can play it! We will work the climax of
the piece towards the end as well, and balance the dynamic contrast of the piece, identifying
which parts are most important in tandem with the dynamics.
Lesson 7: Intonation
Warmup and tune, only this time we will spend more time on the F Remington, then a Bb Major
Remington, focusing on tuning the third and fifth in relativity the root (3rd pushing slightly flat,
and the 5th pushing slightly sharp. We will then rehearse the piece, and hold the chords at the
cadence points, and fix the ones that need help in the intonation aspect, especially the last 16
measures, where the parts become thin and unison, with a big major chord at the end that really
defines the piece as a whole. If it is off slightly, the rest of the piece is slightly soured.

Assessment:
Informal Assessment: Take notes on what the band is lacking or needs work on for next
rehearsal, which will be a cleanup rehearsal.
Lesson 8: Last Bit of Cleanup (psychomotor)
Warm up and tune, then we will work the piece lightly as to not make the piece too repetitive for
the students, since they have been playing the piece and rehearsing it pretty rigorously for the
past 7 lesson plan periods. We will work the parts that I am most concerned about, I will gather
their input as well as the parts that they want to work and why. This will be the final nit-picky
strict rehearsal for the rest of the concert cycle.
Assessment:
+Record ensemble one last time before concert
Lesson 9: Listening Day (Cognitive)
We will warmup and tune, then run through and rehearse the piece for the first 15 minutes, then I
will have the students quickly put away their instruments. I will have them listen to the first,
second, and third recordings that we obtained over the course of the concert cycle. I will ask
them to either make a Venn Diagram or just take notes to compare and contrast the recordings. I
will collect the notes and we will discuss them at the end of class. My hope is that the musical
quality increases with each recording, obviously, and I want the students to hear their
improvements.
Lesson 10: The Heart of the Music, again (Affective)
Warmup and tune. Then we will run through the piece in its entirety without stopping. Now that
the students are about to play the music for a concert and are hopefully playing the best they will
be on this piece and have the most knowledge they have gathered on the piece, I will ask them
what this piece means to them, and if it has changed from the last time we discussed the piece. I
will ask them if they enjoyed working on this piece, and what was most important to them that
they took away from working on this piece.
Assessment:
+Concert and Concert Recording