Stetson University Music Education

Name: Kelly Wildermuth Date: 2/19/20 Period: 6

Ensemble or Class: 6th Period – Vocal Ensemble Lesson Topic: Warm-Ups, Sight Reading, Sisi ni moja,
Dirait-on
Standards: (CCSS/NGSSS) MU.912.S.3.2 MU.912.S.3.4 MU.912.S.3.5 MU.912.C.2.2

Long Term Goal: Receive at least Excellent or Superior at District MPA in March

Instructional objectives(s): Students will improve resonance during the warm-up. Students will perform rhythm #6 (pg. 3)
measures 9-16 with 90% accuracy. Students will perform melodic sight reading #28 (pg. 22) measures 9-16 with 90%
accuracy and without stopping. Students will perform accurate accents in Sisi ni moja in sections A and B of the piece.
Students will sing accurate pitches and rhythms from letter D to the end of Dirait-on.
Key Vocabulary (are you using any new or important Instructional Materials/Resources/Technology:
musical vocabulary terms today?) 2012 FVA Sight Reading Packet
Piano
Syncopation
Accent
Triplets: Quarter vs. Eighth note
D flat Major
Critical Thinking: Lesson Structure:
1. What measure will be most difficult in the rhythmic sight Warm-Ups, Sight Reading, Rehearsal
reading and why?
2. How can we make sure the choir does not stop and
always keeps going even if mistakes are made?
3. Which buzzing feels more comfortable to you? The ng or
the v? Why?
4. Why did the composer insert accents on the particular
notes/words in Sisi?
ESE Modifications CPLAMS Access Points http://www.cpalms.org/Standards/AccesspointSearch.aspx
(identify access point, if needed)
Independent: MU.912.S.3.In.a,b,c.

Supported: MU.912.S.3.Su.b,c.

Participatory: MU.912.S.3.Pa.b

Lesson/Rehearsal Procedures:
Pacing: Assessment:
Highlight Differentiated Instruction in Yellow
Introduction Procedures:
1 minute Have students grab a 2012 FVA Packet before class starts. Make sure the students have their
packets.
Lesson/Rehearsal Procedures:
Warm-Ups:
1 min 1. Stretch to activate the body – shoulders, neck, back and hips. Watch for participation in stretches.
1 min 2. Consonant exercise: t’s and k’s – I will model a rhythmic Listen for clear, succinct, and unison
sequence of these aspirate consonants and the students will consonants on the appropriate beats.
mimic me. Listen for proper resonance on the buzz.
1 min 3. V buzz S-D-S starting in D flat major. Listen for proper resonance in the ng
1 min 4. Hung-ee S-F-M-R-D starting in B major. and compare to the v buzz.
Stetson University Music Education

5. Yah-yah exercise starting in D major working up to the upper Listen for proper vowel placement and
1 min register (at least a high A). upper register tone.
Total: 6
min Sight Reading:
1. Looking at #6 on page 3, we will review the difference between Assess student responses to CT
2 min quarter note and eighth note triplets along with the CT questions questions and retention of concept of
and perform measures 9, 13, and 15 is isolation as a class. triplets and syncopation.
2. Then, the students will perform #6 measures 9-16 singing on an Listen for accurate rhythms.
2 min A flat.
3. After the performance, the students will repeat any measures Listen for accurate rhythms.
2 min with issues or errors in isolation.
4. Then, students will transition from A flat to D flat and sing a D Listen for proper intonation and blend.
2 min flat major scale, repeating intervals fa to la, do to fa, and do to la.
5. Students will identify the starting pitches of #28 measure 9 on Listen for accurate rhythms and pitches
2 min page 22 and sing the example, measures 9-16 WITHOUT stopping. in each part. Assess if students keep
Ask the students how we can ensure this – CT. going.
6. We will work parts in isolation that are having difficulty – Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms
2 min probably measures 11 for altos and basses, 13 for tenors, and 14 and improvement in these elements.
for sopranos. Everyone will sing the part we are fixing together in
their octave. Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms
7. Then, we will sing the example again, this time focusing on in each part.
3 min both accuracy and continuation. After the second performance, I Assess student responses and evaluate
Total: 15 will ask the students to compare and rate their performances. ability of students to self-reflect.
minutes
Sisi ni moja:
2.5 min 1. Students will perform Sisi Ni Moja with the track from the Listen for proper pitches and rhythms
beginning until page 9. and if the accents are being observed.
1 min 2. Then, we will discuss the purpose of the accents throughout Assess student responses to CT
the piece and how the students will be able to correctly execute discussion about accents in the music.
them.
2 min 3. The sopranos will sing, a capella, from the beginning of the Listen for proper execution of the
piece, correctly observing the accent marks throughout the accent marks.
section up until square A. The other parts will assess the
soprano’s execution of the accents.
2 min 4. Then the tenors and basses will sing their part from square A to Listen for proper execution of the
square B, correctly observing the accent marks. The other parts accent marks.
will then assess the tenor/basses’s execution of the accents. Altos
will select the best section.
2 min 5. Then, everyone will sing at letter B, focusing on observing the Listen for accents and blend in the
accent marks throughout. homophonic section.
2.5 min 6. Finally, the students will all sing from the beginning to the Listen for improvement in performance
bottom of page 9, observing the accents. The students will then of the accent throughout the first half of
Total: 12 self-evaluate the accuracy of their accents using the 3-thumbs the piece.
minutes scale.

Dirat-on:
1 min 1. Sopranos will sing their melody at letter D to letter E on text. Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms.
1 min 2. Then, altos and tenors will sing their parts at letter D together Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms.
while I play the parts along on the piano.
1 min 3. Finally, the basses will sing their part at letter D as well, along Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms.
with the piano.
1 min 4. Then, all four parts will sing together from letter D to letter E Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms,
on text. balance, and independence.
Stetson University Music Education

3 min 5. Any parts with errors or issues will be isolated and fixed Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms.
through repetition.
1 min 6. Starting at letter E, sopranos and altos will sing their parts Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms.
together to letter F.
1 min 7. Then, tenors and basses will do the same. Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms.
4 min 8. Next, all four parts will sing together from letter E to letter F on Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms,
text. Any parts with errors or issues will be isolated and fixed balance, and independence.
through repetition.
30 sec 9. Sopranos will sing their part from letter F to the end. Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms
30 sec 10. Altos, tenors, and basses will sing their parts together at letter Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms
F still on text.
2 min 11. Then, all four parts will sing from letter F to the end. Any Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms,
issues will once again be fixed with isolation and repetition. balance, and independence.
2.5 min 12. All the students will sing from letter D to the end of the piece Listen for accurate pitches and rhythms,
on text. balance, and independence.
4-5 min 13. If time allows, I will work with the students on lightening the Listen for improvement in lightening the
low A in the reappearing melodic figure – the students will listen tone of the low A in the melodic figure.
as I model and then work to lighten the low note.

Closure Procedures:
1 min 1. Congratulate students on a successful rehearsal (if it is) and
encourage students to (continue) to work hard during rehearsal
as MPA is fast approaching.

Post Rehearsal or Lesson Reflections

Content Adjustment: Based on diagnostic and formative assessments during today’s lesson/rehearsal, list any repertoire
or activities that were omitted from the plan. Why? Will the omitted items need to be included in tomorrow’s
lesson/rehearsal?

Nothing was omitted from the rehearsal, although the section of rehearsal for Sisi ni moja was shortened to allow more
time on the other parts of rehearsal. The students know the piece very well, so they get burnt out working on that
particular piece of literature too long during rehearsal.

Rehearsal or Lesson Adjustment: If you were going to re-teach today’s lesson/rehearsal, how would you have done it
differently.

I would have wanted to move through the sight-reading more quickly and possibly given the students an opportunity to
practice the example on their own prior to the class performance. This would mimic the procedure at MPA, which the
students will need to get more familiar with as MPA approaches.
Also, I would like to try moving the students around more during rehearsal. I noticed about three-quarters of the way
through my lesson that even though the students are engaged, they have not moved from their assigned positions in the
room other to stand or sit. I would like to incorporate part circles, mixing up, or even one big circle to introduce spatial
variety into the rehearsals.
Reflection on Teaching: Analyze and evaluate your lesson/rehearsal and classroom management.

I thought this lesson went VERY well. The students were successful with the sight-reading example that had been giving
them A LOT of trouble for the past few days. Breaking down the example into a smaller chunk helping the students
significantly. Also, stating the objective to the students as completing the excerpted example without stopping was
successful in getting the students to make mistakes and move on from them, rather than getting frazzled and stopping the
ensemble from continuing. The discussion about the resonance of the v buzz and the ng were also very productive and
Stetson University Music Education

most of the students seemed engaged in the conversation and wanted to understand how the two resonance exercises
differ in technique and feeling. This group of students are good at self-reflecting as a group, but I would like to see more
individuals speak up during these discussions. It seems that the same students always answer the self-reflecting questions.
I would like to try just calling on people rather than letting the students raise their hands. Their work on Sisi was productive
and they achieved the objective in section B while section A (the soprano melody) could still use more work on the accents.
The ‘h’ accent on ‘heja’ was much improved and exactly what I wanted, but the sopranos and altos did not achieve the
accuracy of their accents in section A of the piece yet. They will continue working on this concept, probably with Ms. Hood
next rehearsal. My goal for Dirait-on today was to get through learning the end of the piece with correct pitches and
rhythms. That objective was achieved, and the students focused well today. The sequencing of the lesson was effective,
and the students responded well to the scaffolding. They still need to work on pronunciation and expression among other
things.
As far as classroom management, I think the class was well-behaved during rehearsal. Although the start time is still not
where I would like for it to be, there was improvement today. I started warm-ups even though not all the students were
ready to begin, and that quickly brought the students to their assigned positions and singing. Transitions are also still too
long but have seen significant improvement. There was some background chatter, especially in the Soprano section, but
most of the time, it did not interfere with rehearsal, so I did not hound on the talking too much. I addressed the talking a
couple of times by just being silent and waiting for students to stop talking and interrupting (with teacher face of course). I
also asked the soprano section a question about the rehearsal when they were not listening and talking instead.