CMP Teaching Plan

Jacob Arnold

Irish Tune from County Derry

Percy Grainger
Southern Music Company Grade 4/3 mins., 20 secs.
Broad Description
Based off an Irish folk tune
This is a modern/contemporary piece of music for wind ensemble

Composer Biography
Percy Grainger was born on July 8th, 1882
Austrian-born composer, arranger and pianist
Studied at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt
Lifelong advocate for the saxophone
Would go around recording ordinary people singing folk songs on a phonograph

Background Information
The melody was based off of a tune from New Town, Limeade, Co. Derry, Ireland.
Melody is now associated with the lyrics to Danny Boy, but was not composed with it
in mind.
Part of Graingers British Folk Music Settings collection.
Does not use Italian music terminology such as crescendo in the piece.

Elements of Music
Played with a lot of feeling and warmth
Lots of gradual contrast in dynamics
Melody in every part at some point
A lot of rubato with the time
 Several different articulations.

The Heart Statement

Irish Tune from County Derry is much more than the quarter notes and half notes you
see on the page; it is a test of ones musical maturity and patience that creates
something very special.

Introducing the Piece

Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger is a piece written for concert band that
is based around the melody we know today as Danny Boy. This piece is not
technically challenging, but it demands patience and musical maturity with emphasis
in intonation, phrasing, and balance.

Affective Outcome:
Students will play through the music and make music through the beats.
Students will gain an appreciation for songs that are not technically challenging.
Students will communicate how they feel about playing slower pieces such as the Irish
Tune from County Derry.

Strategies
I will have the students write about what they like, dislike about playing slower songs
and then have them up with someone in a different section and talk about what they
wrote, then have them go back to their seats and have a few students share with the
whole class.

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 Students will find their favorite passage in their own part and communicate to
someone outside of their section why that is their favorite part. They will talk about
what they see in their part and why it stands out from the other sections in their part.

Assessment
Over the course of the semester the students will be asked to do short writings on
what they are experiencing when they are playing this song. Before the song is
passed out the students will write about how they feel about slow songs and if they
like them or not and why. After sight reading the piece for the first time the students
will write what they liked about the piece and what they didnt like about the piece
and why. In the middle of the semester they will write about what is challenging to
them about the piece. After the concert, they will be asked to answer the first
question that was asked, hopefully with a new outlook on playing slower songs and
talk about what the feel when they were performing the song on the concert. Grading
these writings is based off of how clearly, they can express their feelings about this
piece, it isnt about whether they like it or not, its about the why.

Skill Outcome:
Students will demonstrate the different articulations used throughout the piece.
Students will listen across the band and learn how their parts works with other parts.
Students will demonstrate playing long notes with a full and supported sound at all
dynamic levels

Strategies
I will put the score up on a projector and Ill have the band listen to the whole piece
two times, the first time they are not allowed to look at the own part and be

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 encouraged to look at other parts, the second time they can look at their part and find
who they are playing with at what time and who they should be listening for in terms
of who has the melody.

First make sure the students all have their pencils, then we will listen to a recording
and go through in our music and write what section has the important part. By writing
it in their parts they will see a visual reminder every time the play that section, but by
writing it down they will be more likely to remember on their own.

Assessment
In this test is to get students to assess their fellow classmates on whether or not they
are playing as a section or as individuals. There will be one test per section, students
will need to work together to come up with answers and talk about their ideas. Each
section will play measures 49-64 and the other sections will have a rubric that has 3
categories--intonation, balance and phrasing. Each category will have a rating from 1-
5, 1 being the best and 5 being the worst. The students will also need to write 1
constructive (not it was good) comment for each category. Students will then get
these sheets back during sectional time and they can read over their peer feedback
and work on improving on areas they struggled. This assessment isnt for a grade,
rather a way for students to give their fellow students helpful feedback on how to
improve as a section.

Knowledge Outcome:
Students will distinguish between the different types of articulation throughout the
piece.

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 Students will become aware of their intonation in not technical passages and adjust as
they go.

Strategies
Listen to recordings to get the sound of the articulation in their ear.
Mark in their part what to do when different articulations come up.
Practice playing in all of the different articulations out of context of the piece.
Record their own playing and analyze their own articulation and see if they are doing
what they want to be doing.

Assessment
This test will be a multiple-choice test, testing their students ability to hear the difference between
notes marked as tenuto, staccato, or accented. I first play 3 scales on my saxophone, all with
different articulations; the students will have the choices a) tenuto b) staccato c) accents to choose
from. Last, I will play a recording of 3 different sections in the piece and they again will have to
choose the articulation. These sections will be measure a) m1-2 b) m49-50 c )m56-57. Grading
will be based on whether they got the questions right or wrong.

Recommended Recordings
Dallas Wind Symphony -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-1Vvrgk6os
University of North Texas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA8lgeRAg1o

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