4-4-2014

Communicating through Music Performance Subject: Choir Kylie Shatto

Overview: Music is a form of communication. Whether the music contains words we understand, words in another language, or nonsense words, the syllables and sounds musicians use communicate a message to an audience. The message musicians communicate is important. Being able to read music helps musicians to understand the message they are supposed to communicate more deeply. Reading music is a form of literacy. Aim: Students will recognize performing music is a form of communication. Objectives: 1. Students will sight read music with at least 75% accuracy. 2. Students will analyze an unfamiliar piece of music. 3. Students will participate in discussing the performance aspects of a piece of music. Materials: Stand Together by Jim Papoulis sheet music Recording of choral performance of Stand Together, speakers Sight reading packets or materials Note cards Pencils Sequence/Methods: 1. Warm-ups begin immediately when the bell rings (10 minutes) a. Focus (goal: focus student attention)Amazing Grace sung on syllable Lo b. Breathing warm-ups (goal: focus student breathing and develop breath support) in through a straw, out on a hiss; diaphragm panting; sighs c. Vocal warm-ups (goal: focus student sound, warm-up student vocal range)Lile-lai-le-li; Ma-me-mi-mo-mu; I love to sing d. Solfege warm-ups (goal: to practice hand signs and solfege syllables before sight reading exercises)Do, Do-Re-Do, etc. twice e. Group warm-ups (goal: mold individual sounds into a cohesive corporate sound)Ah-eh-i-oh-u f. Agility warm-up (goal: to improve student vocal agility and flexibility) Laughing 2. Introduction (5 minutes) a. Take attendance b. Teacher tells students we will be learning a new song for our final concert; students and teacher will brainstorm together on the board ways that humans communicate with each other (teacher will interject questions about music as a form of communication; nonsense words as a form of communication; solfege as

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a form of communication). Explore as a group how different kinds of communication are forms of language. Sight reading exercise/guided practice (10 minutes) a. Teacher will have students take out sight reading packet from their binders. b. Explain that students are going to score themselves using their notecards (which they picked up on the music stand as they entered the classroom) after they have completed the sight reading exercise on a scale of 1 to 10 (10=I got everything right; 1=I didnt get anything right). After completing the exercise, they will score themselves and hold up the notecard for me to see. c. Teacher will give students one minute to look at sight reading exercise on page, #. d. Students will complete the sight reading exercise one time then score themselves. Students will then repeat the same exercise and score themselves again. Students will complete the sight reading exercise a third time with a third score. The goal is to have all students with a minimum score of 7-8 by the third exercise. Sight read Soprano 1 line of Stand Together (10 minutes) a. Distribute Stand Together to students. Have all students find the Soprano 1 line. b. Have all students sight read the Soprano 1 line measures 5-17 on solfege syllables. Using another notecard, have the students give themselves a score 1-10. c. Repeat sight reading Sop1 line twice more, scoring after each reading. The goal is to have all students give themselves a minimum score of 7-8 at the end of three readings. Listen to a recorded performance of Stand Together (5 minutes) Discussion (8 minutes) a. Have students break into their sections (Soprano, Alto, Tenor/Bass) and discuss the performance (5 minutes). Three questions to discuss: What is the message of this piece? In what ways did the performers communicate this message? What techniques that we already know will we use to communicate this message when we perform the work? b. Bring the group back together and allow one person from each section to share highlights of their discussion (3 minutes). Wrap-up/Closurefinal reading of Stand Together (2 minutes) a. Have students read the Soprano 1 line again, this time using words. Ask them to focus on communicating the meaning already discussed.

Assessment: 1. Self-assessment of sight reading skills through notecard scores; did students read with at least 75% accuracy? 2. Informal analysis of the message of the piece of music through small group discussion; did the students analyze an unfamiliar piece of music? 3. Discussion of performance of a piece of music as a form of communication; did students discuss the performance aspects of a piece of music? Standards: Idaho State Humanities StandardsMusic 9-12 1. Mu.1.1.4 Identify the roles of musicians in society.

2. Mu.2.1.2 Describe and analyze aural examples of music using correct musical terms pertaining to form, meter, rhythm, basic keys, and simple harmonic progressions. 3. Mu.2.2.5 Evaluate constructively the quality of ones performance and the performances of others. 4. Mu.3.1.2 Sight-read simple melodies and rhythms in clefs applicable to the performance medium. 5. Mu.3.1.3 Read music that contains level-appropriate technical demands, expanded ranges, and varied interpretive requirements. 6. Mu.3.2.1 Perform in groups, blending vocal/instrumental sounds, matching dynamics, breath control, phrasing, and interpretation in response to the conductor. 7. Mu.3.2.3 Interpret/perform a musical selection, respecting the intent of its creator. 8. Mu.3.2.5 Demonstrate interpersonal skills by working collaboratively and productively with others.