Lesson Plan 4-3

 Objectives
o Option 1
 Students will work on vertical alignment in the faster section while matching
articulations.
 Students will have dynamic contrast in the faster section that isn’t just loud the
entire time.
o Option 2
 Students will have good vertical alignment during the beginning section of the
music and will be active musicians.
 Students with whole notes will support the melody without overpowering the
melody.
 Students will be actively engaged in the music making process and will watch
the conductor for dynamics and musicality.
 Procedures
o ASK EVERYONE WHAT WE NEED AT THE BEGINNING OF REHEARSAL?? (the answer is
thinking caps )
o EIGHT MINUTE WARM-UP AT THE MOST!!!
 Ok now that everyone has their thinking caps on, I know it’s going to be a
great rehearsal! I want everyone to get their function chorales out and we will
start there. Pick your favorite part, but NOT the soprano part for right now.
We will run through it 3 times, the first time I want you to play it as written.
 Play through the chorale, ask questions after the fact regarding
intonation and balance. Give cues for crescendos and decrescendos as
well to force the ensemble to watch you.
 For this second run through we will play quarter notes. (Don’t say this but they
will be watching you for the style and articulation.)
 Did your playing match my conducting? Try it again.
 One more time as quarter notes. (Again they will watch for style)
 Ok for our last run through I want to have flutes, French horns, and tubas play
the soprano line. Think of how this makes you expand your ears.
o Depending on how the warm-up goes make the decision between working the
beginning or going directly to m. 63 and having the ensemble work on vertical aligment.
 Options for this is have the ensemble just play their quarter notes, as
well as have them stomp in their seats.
 Option 1. M. 63 only play your quarter notes. (Are we together) If no then lets
fix it.

 Option 2: Now go ahead and get Celtic Air and Dance No. 3 out and we are
going to start at m. 5. Whole notes only. Come in when you have whole
notes. (The purpose of this is to work on vertical alignment as well as the
shaping of the phrase without the melody. I will stop conducting about 2
measures in.) Have the ensemble sing these parts as well in order to establish
better intonation.
  After this have the entire ensemble play at m. 5.
 Assessment
o Option 1
 Did the students have proper vertical alignment? Proper articulation?
 Did the students have dynamic contrast in the faster section? Musical contrast?
o Option 2
 Did the students have good vertical alignment in the beginning section of the
piece? Where they active musicians?
 Did the students with whole notes support the melody? Did the whole notes
support the musical line?
 Where the students actively engaged in the music making process? Did they
watch for musicality and take ownership for the music making process as well?