Mark Taddonio

Lesson Plan for 2/20/15

Exeter High Concert (upper) Band

General Overview
The concert band will rehearse Graingers Irish Tune from County Derry with a focus on balance/blend and proper phrasing.
NH State Curriculum Standards addressed
2. Perform on Instruments, alone and with others
5. Read and notate music
6. Listen to, analyze, and describe music
Students will
1. Understand concepts of melody and accompaniment and be able to identify which instruments (incuding their own and others) have which of the two concepts at any point in Irish
Tune. (Standard 6)
+ Students will be asked to identify when a melody starts and when it ends; also
they will be asked to identify where it is proper to breath within a melody.
+Given students understanding of melody versus accompaniment, proper
ensemble balance and blend will be addressed.
2. Accurately read and perform their part in Irish Tune either with the full ensemble, smaller
sub-groups, or alone if asked. (Standards 5 and 2)
+Correct notes, articulations, and dynamics will be focused on.

Procedure
1. The band will tune to the oboe for pitch.
2. The band will tune bass voices to soprano voices to achieve an appropriate blend for the
style of Irish Tune
3. Because the band has this piece mostly under their fingers (they can play almost all of the
rights notes at the right time), the rehearsal will start with addressing certain problematic
sections of the band/piece as state below.
4. Students will be asked at various points to identify who has the melody and/or whether they
are melody or accompaniment in certain places
5. Students will be asked at various points what they think about balance/blend circumstances
at certain points in the piece. This may include whether they can hear the melody prominently enough or whether their accompaniment part is too loud or too soft.
6. Wrong notes/rhythms will be addressed.
7. The rehearsal will end with a full run-through.