LESSON PLANNING:

DEVELOPMENTAL HIERARCHY FOR VMRC

 

From O% to 100% in 10 Rehearsals of 6 Minutes: 

One Suggested Sequence 

Sept 6- Detwiler Auditorium: Rehearsal 0 – “Hook” 

and introduction to the piece (tone set games, rote 
introduction, and rote to note in the music.) 
 
Sept 13-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 1 – Hook 
transferred into music, map the piece and learn 
Section A – melody all 
 
Sept 20-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 2 - Review 
Section A and teach all harmonies, if time, repeat it 
in all the A sections that are the same or slightly 
different throughout the piece. 
 
Sept 27-Strite Auditorium, or Oct. 4-Detwiler 
Auditorium Rehearsal 3&4 - B Sections - melody, 
harmony and text   
 
Oct. 11-Strite Auditorium/ Oct. 18-Strite Auditorium: 
Rehearsal 5 – Review B for corrections, link A and B 
Sections, singing long chunks, review for meaning 
and expression. 
 
Oct. 18-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 6 - What’s 
different or new?! Sections C & D OR perfecting 
tone. 
 
Oct. 25-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 7 - Review 
what’s different (Sections C & D) or new and link to 
A and B sections, if time, sing all the way through 
 
Nov. 8-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 8 - Sing all the 
way through, improving and perfecting tone, adding 
reminders about meaning 
 
Nov. 29-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 9 – “Buzzwords” 
to deepen expression, tone, and sophistication 
 
Dec. 6-Detwiler Auditorium: Rehearsal 10 - Run Fix 
Run, INSPIRE! (Any extra rehearsals? Digging deeper, 
 working on tone, breathing, meaning, expression, 
sophistication!) 

VMRC Intergenerational Choir

Rehearsal Number 1: Schedule and General Lesson Plan:
Sept. 13, 2018 (50 x minutes = 30.9 min. = Golden Mean of the Class = Harder stuff
before this!)

1. REHEARSAL # 1: NAME__Doug Ritcher____________(6 minutes each!)

REHEARSAL THREADS: Learning the “hook” (melody) of the piece through tone set 
games, rote introduction, and rote to note in the music.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Establishing clear pitch and beautiful tone, and tuning 
octaves.

Assessment Strategies:
Throughout this rehearsal I will engage in formal assessment by:

Throughout this rehearsal I will engage in informal assessment by:Listening for the choir’s familiarity with
the piece.

Start Timings Activity or Pie ce De ve lopme ntal Hie rarchy Differentiations

Time Totals Le ve l/Chunks, Plan and Se que nce

Time: (:30/6:00) Activity 1: Chunk 1: Welcome and Goals

Welcome & Goals

Activity 1: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1: Welcome and Goals

1s. Good Morning VMRC!

2v. Good Morning

1a. My rehearsal threads and goals for today to introduce the “hook” or the melody my song The First
Noel_ through games, echos and transfers to the music itself . The goals and objectives of this lesson ar
to learn the melody in a very clear way, establish clear pitch and beautiful tone.

TRANSITION WITH : 1d. Please echo me: (or just start singing!)

Time (1:00/1:30/6:00) Activity 2: Tone set Chunk 1: Tone Set Babble Patterns
echos: Melody and Chunk 2:
harmonies

Activity 2: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1: Tone Set Babble Patterns (You can do about 10 in a minute!)

1a. Babble #---Mi Re Do Re Mi Fa So on nu
2v. Choir echos
1a. Repeat Babble #1 Wind it forward:
2v. Choir echos -Pace this quickly,
trick them!
1a. Babble #2----- Do Ti La La So
2v. Choir echos Wind it back:
1a. Repeat Babble #2 -Go more slowly
2v. Choir echos
Wind it back:
1a. Babble #3------ Do Ti La So -Wait 4 seconds
2v. Choir echos between each
1a. Repeat Babble #3 pattern to let their
2v. Choir echos brains rest.

1a. Babble #4---- La Ti Do So Fa Mi

2v. Choir echos
1a. Repeat Babble #4
2v. Choir echos

Chunk 2: Tone Set Solfege Patterns

Repeat all your patterns above on solfege in the same order using hand signs
Repeat all your patterns above on solfege in a different order using hand signs!

3sra. Wonderful job! You have sung the main tone sets in the melody, and even most of the harmony!

TRANSITION WITH : 3sra. Great job! Let’s now move to (or sing or echo into the next Activity!)

Time: (2:30/4:00/6:00) Activity 3: Melody in Chunk 1: Phrase 1

solfege Chunk 2: Phrase 2
Chunk 3: Phrase 3
Chunk 4: Phrase 4

Activity 3: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1: Phrase 1
1a. Sing and sign the first phrase Mi Re Do Re Mi Fa So Wind it back : If
2v. Choir echos your solfege is
1a. Repeat Sing and sign the first phrase difficult, or if you
2v. Choir echos note that they are
not remembering it
Chunk 2: Phrase 2 as you make the
1a. Sing and sign the second phrase Do Ti La La So patterns longer,
2v. Choir echos switch to you
1a. Repeat Sing and sign the second phrase singing it on solfege
2v. Choir echos and they echo on a
neutral syllable.
Chunk 3: Phrase 1 + 2 Mi Re Do Re Mi Fa So Do Ti La La So
1a. Sing and sign the first and second phrases together
2v. Choir echos
1a. Sing and sign the first and second phrases together
2v. Choir echos Wind it forward:
If they guess the
Chunk 4: Phrase 3 Do Ti La So song, you sing it on
1a. Sing and sign the third phrase solfege and let them
2v. Choir echos echo on text!
1a. Repeat Sing and sign the first phrase
2v. Choir echos

Chunk 5: Phrase 4 La Ti Do So Fa Mi
1a. Sing and sign the fourth phrase
2v. Choir echos
1a. Repeat Sing and sign the fourth phrase
2v. Choir echos

Chunk 6: Phrase 3 + 4 Do Ti La So La Ti Do So Fa Mi
1a. Sing and sign the third and fourth phrases together
2v. Choir echos
1a. Sing and sign the third and fourth phrases together
2v. Choir echos

3sra. WOW! You did so well on all those echos and tonal memory exercises!

TRANSITION WITH :

1a. What song is this?!

2v. Choir answers!
1a. Exactly!
1d. Please open your booklet to page…

Time: (1:30/5:30/6:00) Activity 4: Read and Chunk 1: Melody on neutral syllable

singing the melody Chunk 2: Melody on text

Activity 4: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT: Wind it forward:

Sing on words
Chunk 1: Melody on neutral syllable Wind it back:
1d. Please sing the melody in your own octave on the neutral syllable_____ with me, while Tonya
accompanies us. Please keep a gorgeous tone and great breath support!
2v. Choir performs
3nsra. Great!

Chunk 2: Melody on text Wind it forward:

1d. Echo me: (chant the text!)
The First Noel------------------- rst-n Te ach a harmony
The angel did say------------------------------------angels part?!
Was to certain poor sheperds in fields as they lay--------------------lds
In Fields where they
Lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night-----------------------------ld--w Wind it back:
That was so deep
1a. (echo any danger words that you want to be sure the pronounce correctly from the start!)
2v. Choir echos

1d. Please sing the melody in your own octave on text, while Tonya accompanies us. Please keep a
gorgeous tone and great breath support!

3sra. Well done! I heard great tuning and great tone on this piece!

TRANSITION WITH : Great work! Let’s summarize our learning for today!

Time: (:30/6:00/6:00) Activity 5: Chunk 1: Reviewing rehearsal threads

Learning Summary and goals
Chunk 2: Transfer

Activity 5: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1: Reviewing rehearsal threads and goals

1a. My rehearsal threads and goals for today were introduce the “hook” or the melody my song
_The First Noel___ through games, echos and transfers to the music itself.

We very clearly met those goals, as we did great work on our tone set work, and then
transferred into reviewing the melody aurally and THEN we read the music!

You heard the great tuning we were achieving through all the octave work, and the clear
pitch and developing tone quality.

Chunk 2: Transfer and continuation

1a/1d. Let’s transfer all of this great learning to our next conductor’s work and to next week!

POST CLASS: Meet the choir members, help clean up folders and name tags!
VMRC Intergenerational Choir
Rehearsal Number 2: Schedule and General Lesson Plan:
Sept. 13, 2018 (50 x minutes = 30.9 min. = Golden Mean of the Class = Harder stuff
before this!)

1. REHEARSAL # 2: NAME________________________________(6 minutes each!)

REHEARSAL THREADS: Review Section A melody and teach all harmonies

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Through the A section in harmony 

Assessment Strategies: Differentiations

Throughout this rehearsal I will engage in formal assessment by:

Throughout this rehearsal I will engage in informal assessment by:

Start Timings Activity or Pie ce De ve lopme ntal Hie rarchy

Time Totals Le ve l/Chunks, Plan and Se que nce

Time: (:30/6:00) Activity 1: Chunk 1: Welcome and Goals

Welcome & Goals

Activity 1: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1:
1s. Good Morning VMRC!

2v. Good Morning

1a. My rehearsal threads for today are: Review Section A melody and teach all
harmonies, with the goals of singing through the A section in harmony!

TRANSITION WITH : 1d. Please open your music to page OR Please echo me

Time (1.30/2.00/6:00) Activity 2: Review Chunk 1: Review melody: Tone Set

Melody: Tone set, Chunk 2: Review on solfege/neutral syllable
solfege, and text Chunk 3: Sing on text

Activity 2: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT: Wind it forward:

Chunk 1: Review melody: Tone Set

1d. Let’s review the tone set for the melody

1a. Sing your tone sets Wind it back:

2v Choir echos
(do 3 of these different tone sets)

3sra. Wonderful job! Your pitch is very accurate.

Chunk 2: Review on solfege/neutral syllable

1d/a. I will sing the melody on solfege and hand sign while you listen
2v. Choir listens

1d. Sing the melody with me either on solfege or a neutral syllable

2v. Choir echos

Chunk 3: Sing on text

1d. Please echo me: (echo a little bit on text for correct diction
2v. Choir echos
1d. Sing the melody with me on text
2v. Choir sings on text
1d. Again, with taller vowels
2v. Choir sings on text

TRANSITION WITH : 3nsra. Great job!

1a. Transition…Let’s learn the (alto, bass, tenor – you pick!) part in the same way!

Time: (3:30/5:30/6:00) Activity 3: A Section Chunk 1: Babble 2 tone set patterns

Harmony Part for Chunk 2: Solfege 2 tone set patterns
__________(alto, Chunk 3: Sing the part in solfege and listen
tenor, bass) (2x)
Chunk 4: Sing the part in solfege together
(or neutral syllable) (2x)
Chunk 5: Sing on Text (2x)
Chunk 6: Harmony: Soprano + ____

Activity 3: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT: Wind it forward:

Chunk 1: Babble 2 tone set patterns

1d.

1a. Wind it back:

2v.

Chunk 2: Solfege 2 tone set patterns

1d.

1a.

2v.
Chunk 3: Sing the part in solfege and listen (2x)
1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 4: Sing the part in solfege together (or neutral syllable )

1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 5: Sing on Text (2x)

1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 6: Harmony: Soprano + ____

1d.

1a.

2v.

IF TIME: TRANSITION WITH : 3nsra. Great job!

1a. Transition…Let’s learn another part! (alto, bass, tenor – you pick!) part in the same way!

Time: (3:30/5:30/6:00) Activity ?: A Section Chunk 1: Babble 2 tone set patterns

Harmony Part for Chunk 2: Solfege 2 tone set patterns
__________(alto, Chunk 3: Sing the part in solfege and listen
tenor, bass) (2x)
Chunk 4: Sing the part in solfege together
(or neutral syllable) (2x)
Chunk 5: Sing on Text (2x)
Chunk 6: Harmony: Soprano + ____

Activity ?: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT: Wind it forward:

Chunk 1: Babble 2 tone set patterns

1d.

1a. Wind it back:

2v.

Chunk 2: Solfege 2 tone set patterns

1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 3: Sing the part in solfege and listen (2x)

1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 4: Sing the part in solfege together (or neutral syllable )

1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 5: Sing on Text (2x)

1d.

1a.

2v.

Chunk 6: Harmony: Soprano + Bass +____

1d.

1a.

2v.

TRANSITION WITH : Great work! Let’s summarize our learning for today!

Time: (:30/6:00/6:00) Activity 5: Chunk 1: Reviewing goals

Learning Summary Chunk 2: Transfer

Activity 5: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1: Reviewing Goals

1a. Today we met our rehearsal threads and goals of mapping the piece and learning
Section A - melody, harmony and text, with the goals of singing through from 4 – 8 measures
with at least one harmony part! Well done.

Next week we will learn the other parts and even more sections of the piece itself.
 
Chunk 2: Transfer and continuation
1a/1d. Let’s transfer all of this great learning to our next conductor’s work and to next week!

POST CLASS: Meet the choir members, help clean up folders and name tags!