Band 7 - 12

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course will provide a student the opportunity to play a musical instrument.  Students will be taught a wide variety of musical techniques including: phrasing, breathing, and tonguing (legato and staccato).  Students will also become acquainted with standard symphonic band music.  Students will learn to play a traditional band instrument with proficiency to enable him/her to sight read a selection with some degree of accuracy.  The student should be able to control dynamics and have a sense of phrasing, rhythm, and meter.

Students will have studied their instruments either through private lessons or school instruction. Student will be required to attend all public performances.

Band is divided into two major areas:  Marching and Concert.

Marching Band:  The season begins with band camp that begins in early August.  The school calendar and the date of the Washington County Fair determine the exact dates for band camp.  All students (with the exception of late transfer students) must attend band camp. Students must have been in Concert Band in sixth grade to participate in Marching Band. The music performed during marching season is to be suitable for outdoor performances at parades, football games and pep rallies.  Music repertoire consists mainly of pop/show tunes and marches, but is by no means limited in any sense.  Students should be aware that some of the band’s activities take place outside of school and on some selected Saturdays.  Grades are determined by attendance at the events and participation in rehearsals. Students who are members of the band will earn one credit.  (Drill team members and majorettes will earn one credit only if they are members of the band.) Requisite:  Participants in band (marching and concert) must attend all public performances.  See Band Handbook for more information.

Concert Band: Participants in concert band must be members of the marching band. This program is to provide the student an opportunity to become acquainted with the ever-growing field of symphonic and pop concert music.  An effort will be made to present all types of music in order to elevate the student’s understanding of the aesthetic, historical and theoretical aspects of instrumental music.  The repertoire consists of overtures, show music, pop music, instrumental solos with accompaniment, small ensembles, and symphonic band pieces.  Students should realize that some activities outside of school will be required.  Two concerts are traditionally scheduled:  A Christmas concert and spring concert.  Requisite:  Participants in concert band must perform in all scheduled activities.

• The student will demonstrate proper posture, embouchure, hand position, and playing position.

•   The student will produce a characteristic tone that is clear, free of tension, sustained, and unwavering in pitch.  

•   The student will adjust intonation and match pitches.

•   The student will incorporate tempo changes and a variety of rhythms and meters in materials being studied.

•   The student will demonstrate a variety of articulations.

• Play staccato, legato tongue, accent, marcato, and tenuto on wind instruments.

• For percussion students, select the appropriate implement with which to demonstrate these articulation styles.

• The student will perform major scales, ascending and descending.

• Play E, A, D, G, C, F, B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat scales on wind and mallet instruments, two octaves (when appropriate) at M.M. quarter note = 100.

• Play D-flat, G-flat/F-sharp, and B scales, one octave at M.M. quarter note = 72.

• The student will perform a chromatic scale, ascending and descending, two octaves in eighth notes (M.M. quarter note = 72).

• The student will use dynamic contrast and technical skills as means of expression.

• Use vibrato, alternate fingerings, trills, and grace notes when performing on wind

instruments.

• Use multiple mallet techniques on three timpani, tuning drums to reference pitches

without gauges and making changes during performance of an instrumental work.

• Demonstrate appropriate techniques on auxiliary instruments when performing on

percussion instruments.

• The student will demonstrate musical phrasing through the use of dynamics, tempo, and

melodic contour.

• The student will demonstrate ensemble skills.

• Blend instrumental timbres.

• Match dynamic levels, style, and intonation.

• Respond to conducting gestures in simple and compound meter.

• The student will perform music from a variety of cultures, styles, and historical periods.

• The student will demonstrate increased learning through a variety of music activities.

• Maintain attendance with required materials.

• Demonstrate completion of assignments and/or practice.

• Participate in concerts, performances, cross disciplinary activities, and co-curricular

activities.

• Demonstrate concert etiquette as a performer and listener.

• The student will read music.

• Use a syllable, number, or letter system to read simple melodies in the appropriate clef, individually and in large ensembles.

• Use a syllable, number, or letter system to read and write rhythmic patterns that include whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes, rests, and dotted notes, and triplets in simple and compound meters.

• Identify, define, and demonstrate standard notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.

• The student will identify and analyze cultures, styles, composers, and historical periods from materials being studied.

• The student will identify, define, and apply music terms and symbols from materials being studied.

• The student will analyze concepts common to music.

Anchor Standard #1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard #2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard #3. Refine and complete artistic work.

Anchor Standard #4. Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation.

Anchor Standard #5. Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.

Anchor Standard #6. Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Anchor Standard #9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Anchor Standard #10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Anchor Standard #11. Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

Unit:  Posture

Lessons:

• Proper posture
• Embouchure
• Hand position
• Playing position.

Unit:  Tone

Lessons:

• Producing a clear tone,
• Keeping tone tension free
• Sustained and unwavering pitch.

Unit:  Intonation

Lessons:

• Concept of flats and sharps in

regard to intonation

• How to correct pitch on a particular instrument.

Unit:  Tempo

Lessons:

• Performing tempo changes
• Changes in rhythms and tempo
• Changes in meters and tempo

Unit:  Articulation

Lessons:

• Staccato
• Legato
• Tonguing
• Accenting
• Marcato
• Tenuto

Unit:  Dynamic Contrast, Phrasing, and Expression

Lessons:

• Using dynamic contrast and technical skills as a means of expression.
• Vibrato,
• Alternate fingerings, trills, and grace notes on wind instruments.
• Musical phrasing

Unit:  Ensemble Skills

Lessons:

• Blending instrumental timbres
• Matching dynamics
• Matching style
• Matching intonation
• Responding to conducting gestures in simple and compound meter.

Unit:  Scales

Lessons:

• Major scales
• Minor scales
• Chromatic scale
• Perform the 40 Percussive Arts Society (PAS) International Drum Rudiments (Percussion Students Only)

Unit:  Music Reading

Lessons:

• Using syllables, numbers or letter systems to read melodies in the appropriate clef individually and in large ensembles.
• Using syllables, numbers or letter systems to read rhythmic patterns
• Whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes
• Whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth rests
• Dotted notes and rests
• Triplets in simple and compound meters.
•  Sight reading

Unit:  Music History

Lessons:

• Performing music from a variety of cultures, styles, and historical periods.
• Identify and analyze cultures, styles, composers, and historical periods from performed music.

Unit:  Instrument Knowledge

Lessons:

• Identifying parts of the instrument
• Demonstrate proper care and maintenance.

Unit:  Performances

Lessons:

• Proper dress for performances
• Concert etiquette as a performer and a listener.
• Concert etiquette as an active listener.
• Copyright law