Sarah Dawson

April 10th, 2019

Class: Middle School Band

Songs rehearsed:

1) A River’s Fury by James Swearingen

2) Children of the Shrine Concert March by James Swearingen

Objectives:

TSWBAT perform measures 1-16 in A River’s Fury in legato style with attention to
dynamics and phrasing to teacher satisfaction.

TSWBAT perform the transition from measure 16 to measure 17 with accurate rhythm and
tempo change in the percussion section so that the rest of the band can securely enter the
new tempo area.

TSWBAT perform measures 17-47 with accurate rhythm within the changing time
signatures (6/8, 3/4 2/4) to teacher satisfaction.

TSWBAT perform the Trio section (measures 40-71) in Children of the Shrine in a legato
style with attention to soft, blended dynamics that contrast with the opening of the
march across each section to teacher satisfaction.

TSWBAT perform measure 72 to the end in Children of the Shrine in a marked, separated
march style to teacher satisfaction.

TSWBAT perform the molto rallentando/gradual slowing in tempo in measures 92-95

followed by the suddenly quicker tempo and key change in measure 96 to the end of
Children of the Shrine to teacher satisfaction.
Standards:

National Standards

MU:Pr4.2.E.Ia: Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how

compositional devices employed and theoretical and structural aspects of musical
works impact and inform prepared or improvised performances.

MU:Pr4.3.E.8a: Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a

varied repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.

MU:Pr4.2.E.8a: 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:Pr6.1.E.8b: Demonstrate an understanding of the context of the music through

prepared and improvised performances.

MU:Pr6.1.E.Ia: Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities

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

State Standards

PA9.1.12.A: Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in
the arts and humanities.

PA9.1.12.B: Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements
and principles to produce, review, and revise original works in the arts.
Terms/Vocabulary:
Legato
Phrasing
Molto rallentando

Pre-Rehearsal: [3 MINUTES]

- Students enter he band room and unpack instruments/music

- The two pieces to be rehearsed for the day are written on the board for students to
see (A River’s Fury and Children of the Shrine)

Rehearsal Procedure:

- Warm Up [5 MINUTES]
o Concert C Major scale (to prepare for the opening m. 1-16 of A River’s Fury)
▪ In 4/4 time
▪ Legato style
▪ Eighth notes
▪ After concert C Major, concert F Major (one flat for non-transposing
instruments)
▪ After concert F Major, concert B-flat Major (two flats for non-
transposing instruments – in the key of the opening for A River’s
Fury)
▪ Focus on playing expressively in a smooth, connected, legato phrase
o Concert B-flat Major scale (to prepare for the m. 17-47 section of A River’s
Fury)
▪ In 6/8 time
▪ Slur two-tongue one articulation pattern
▪ Plus-one note pattern
 • Ascending: 123 234 345 456 567 678 789 land on 8
• Descending: 876 765 654 543 432 321 217 land on 1
- Announcements [3 MINUTES]
- A River’s Fury opening section: m. 1-16 [10 MINUTES]
o Call to the students’ attention the style marking at the beginning of the
piece
▪ “Very expressive”
▪ The word we use to describe this is “legato”
• Legato means connected, flowing, and smooth (like a calm
river!)
o Have the 1st Clarinets, 1st Alto Saxophones, 1st/2nd Horns, and Trumpets
(when they come in) play the first five measures
▪ Emphasize attention to the legato style (have them try again if not
adequate the first time)
o Have the 2nd Clarinets, Bass Clarinets (if you have any!), Bassoon (again, if
you have it, good for you!), 2nd Alto Saxophones, Tenor Saxophones,
Euphonium/Baritone, and Tuba play from the beginning
▪ Emphasize attention again to the legato style, but focus on how to
apply legato style to the longer note values that are not the melody
• Smooth transition between notes
o Full band – play from the beginning up to m. 17 with the legato style in
mind that was just demonstrated
▪ Encourage closely listening across your own section, as well as the
whole band
▪ Stop and fix as necessary if things fall apart
▪ Play until it reaches teacher satisfaction
- A River’s Fury changing meter section: m. 17-47 [10 MINUTES]
o Have students clap along with the macrobeats of the changing meters from
6/8 to 3/4
 ▪ 1-2 1-2-3 etc.
o Go back to start at m. 17 to put it in context
o Set the tempo, have the class clap along to internalize it, then get the
percussion going on their line
o Once the percussion is solid, have the entire band begin at m. 17
▪ Fix and clean as needed
▪ Review the 6/8 and 3/4 (then to 2/4) meters changes as needed also
- Children of the Shrine Trio section: m. 40-71 [10 MINUTES]
o Remind the band that the Trio section of a march is in a legato style
▪ This relates to the opening section of A River’s Fury
• Ask them to recall the meaning of legato and play accordingly
o If they do not play with a legato style, reinforce the
ideas involved (smooth, connected phrasing,
musical/expressive playing) and try again!
o Clean/fix as needed
o Address balance in the Trio section
▪ Have any eighth-note moving parts brought out of the texture to
emphasize motion and keep it driving forward
• fight against dragging/boring playing
o keep it expressive and energized through the legato
line
- Children of the Shrine closing section coming out of the Trio to the end: m. 72-end
[10 MINUTES]
o Point out that this is a complete style change from the previous Trio section
o Have students count aloud the dotted eighth-sixteenth eighth eighth
rhythm
▪ One-ee-and-a two-and
▪ Caution against “swinging” this rhythm
• Keep it precise and in time
 o Have the full band play beginning with pick-ups to m. 72
▪ Attention to the rhythm just addressed (mainly syncing between
winds and percussion)
▪ Forward motion on the sixteenth-note runs (upper woodwinds)
▪ Fix and clean as needed
o Try to continue playing through the end
▪ Problems may occur around m. 92 at the molto rallentando
o Fix the molto rallentando in m. 92-95 and the transition into m. 96 with the
suddenly quicker tempo change
▪ Ask the band to watch the conductor and LISTEN to each other
▪ Heavy, weighted (but separated) accents
▪ Play through the transition until it meets teacher satisfaction
▪ Fix and clean as needed throughout
▪ No blasty tone – supported, full, rich forte/fortissimo (not too much
too soon!)
- Closure [2 MINUTES]
o Remind students of any important announcements
o Remind students to keep listening to online recordings of all band pieces!
o Give them time to pack up

Materials:

Conductor scores, baton, band room…kids and instruments with music

A River’s Fury score: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13-

Sb4a_TwDvgh7QYnkMXcZWyzmlaUcqi/view?usp=sharing

Children of the Shrine score:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16_eY0Toc_MmzthIbU88IAwzJcPGJv-
wP/view?usp=sharing
Assessment:

- Informal assessment
o Throughout rehearsal
o Listening to individual sections
- Check for understanding with various concepts with both pieces
o Were students able to clap/play/speak rhythms correctly?
▪ Did these exercises help to reinforce the concepts in the pieces?
o Did the students play with adequate balance/proper dynamic contrast?
o Did the students transition/adapt well to the legato and separated march
styles?

Reflection:

- Did I provide a clear outline and direction for the rehearsal to the students?
- Did the students understand what the music indicated with the specific sections
we rehearsed?
- Did I explain my expectations for musical concepts clearly?
- Were the warm-ups effective in reinforcing/introducing concepts relevant to the
rehearsal of the pieces?
- What should I change for next time?