Advanced Band Curriculum

2020-2021
Clark Elford
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Contents
Program and Course Goals..........................................................................................................................2
Scope and Sequence....................................................................................................................................4
Course.........................................................................................................................................................5
Performance 1 Overview: Fall Concert....................................................................................................5
Performance 2 Overview: Winter Concert..............................................................................................6
Performance 3 Overview: Spring Concert................................................................................................7
Performance 4 Overview: Festival...........................................................................................................8
Assessment..................................................................................................................................................9
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Program and Course Goals

Program Goals

 Students will be self-sufficient musicians who are able to diagnose problems in their own playing
and develop their own musicianship.
 Students will be technically proficient on their instrument(s) and will have the knowledge to
improve on their own.
 Students will be able to analyze music playing, both their own and others, and recognize the
strengths and weaknesses.

Course Goals

 Students will play expressively in a variety of styles and have strategies to develop expression
elsewhere.
 Students will be familiar with various styles of music and express them accurately.
 Students will develop rhythmic accuracy through the use of both simple and complex rhythmic
structures.
 Students will discuss rehearsals and performances to diagnose what went well and what could
go better.
 Students will improve their tone and, if applicable, airstream through the rehearsal and
performance of differing styles of pieces.
 Students will come up with ideas for musical expression through collaborative discussion and
experimentation.
 Students will be proficient in at least eight of the major scales and be able to play them
memorized with one or fewer missed notes.

National Standards

 1. Create
o 1.1. Imagine: Through the use of guided discussion, students will be generating their
own musical ideas for various pieces.
 2. Perform
o 2.1. Select: Each piece is selected specifically to cater to the musical growth of the
students in various capacities, including expression, technical skill, and exposure to
musical characteristics.
o 2.2. Analyze: Through lessons and discussion, students will be analyzing portions of the
pieces in order to make informed and appropriate musical decisions.
o 2.3. Interpret: The use of various genres of music will influence the musical decisions
made by both myself and the students and will inform the use of said decisions in
performance.
o 2.4. Rehearse, Evaluate, and Refine: Rehearsal strategies will be developed and refined
according to the strengths and weaknesses of the ensemble.
o 2.5. Present: The use of varied styles, genres, and cultures of music will be refined
through the improvement and focus on musical expression.
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 3. Respond
o 3.1. Select: See Performance Overviews.
o 3.2. Analyze: The culture and context, if applicable, will be relayed to students and
informed musical decisions will be made off of that.
o 3.3. Interpret: Through the collaborative guided discussion, students will focus the
creator’s intent through the lens of the ensemble to create musical expression.
o 3.4. Evaluate: See Performance Overviews.
 4. Connect
o 4.1. Synthesize and Relate Knowledge: To help facilitate musical expression and good
music making, various knowledge and personal experiences will be related to music.
o 4.2. Relate Musical Ideas: Musical ideas will be related to everyday life in order to feed
back into music.
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Scope and Sequence

Scope

This course will focus on making students better individual musicians in a variety of ways, but will lean
into development of musical expression first and foremost. Musical expression is the foundation of a
good performance and a good musician. Other aspects of good musicianship will be worked on in
conjunction with this focus on expression and will provide a feedback loop that will elevate both
expression and the other areas, such as technical proficiency. Fundamentals of good wind playing (such
as airstream, scales, intonation, articulation, etc.) will be focused on at various points in order to help
facilitate technical proficiency and musical expression.

Sequence

During rehearsals for the first performance, there will be more focus on fundamentals and exaggerated
musical expression. Warm-ups will include scales and breathing exercises daily and will often
incorporate sight-reading or a chorale in order to facilitate sight-reading skills and/or basic musical
expression. The literature for the first concert focuses on the development of musical expression
through highly interpretive pieces that come alive when played with exaggerated and deliberate musical
expression. This concept will be carried into the second concert that will widen the musical exposure
and will provide students with ample opportunity to interpret music of differing styles. At this point,
there will still be focus on scales and breathing, but warm-ups will begin to shift focus towards ensemble
blend and balance as well as varied technical aspects of playing. For the second semester, the third
concert will challenge students both in terms of technical mastery of their instrument, but also to
include musical expression alongside these challenges. However, there will be pieces that are also more
open to interpretation to help facilitate the open and exaggerated expression in the more difficult Holst
suite. For contest, all of the work on expression will culminate in two pieces, one of which needs
exaggerated musical expression and technical mastery to be successful, the other of which will require
adjustment, creativity, and dedication to style in order to express effectively. During the second
semester, concepts will be focused wherever the ensemble is lacking from the first semester or where
the pieces require mastery of concepts the ensemble is lacking.
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Course
Course Description: The (Advanced) Wind Ensemble is the top performing wind group in which students
will be playing advanced-level literature at a high level of musicality. Individuals will be expected not
only to maintain a high level of individual proficiency, but also to improve their proficiency through
practice and reflection.

Course Objectives

 Students will accurately and appropriately develop musical expression for the pieces selected.
 Students will become familiar with musical styles and conventions from the cultures present in
the pieces selected for concerts.
 Students will develop technical proficiency on their instruments through warm-ups, targeted
practice, and rehearsal.
 Students will blend and balance successfully as an ensemble and know how they can individually
contribute to a good ensemble sound.
 Students will take the time and effort to improve as an individual musician in order to help
improve the experiences both of themselves sand the ensemble.
 Students will listen and be able to diagnose successes and issues both in their own playing and
in the playing of others.
 Students discuss and come up with ways to express the music both through the lens of the
composer(s) and the ensemble.

Performance 1 Overview: Fall Concert

 Content Performed
o Frank Ticheli – Shenandoah
o Samuel Hazo – Arabesque
o Jacques Offenbach ed. Bourgeois – Galop
 Skills/Elements
o Rhythm: Syncopation, triplets contrasted with eighth notes, sixteenth notes, mixture of
duple/triple feel
o Melody: Lyrical folk melody to develop lyrical musicality, melody in a Middle Eastern
style for expression in unfamiliar styles, Galop develops baroque styles of expression
o Harmony: Modal harmonies in Arabesque that students will need to get accustomed to,
major and minor harmonies
o Texture: Woodwind dominated texture for much of Shenandoah with dramatic shifts
throughout, Arabesque will have students develop balance with several melodies and
countermelodies interweaving, as is the case with Galop.
o Timbre: Students will have to develop a range of timbre including vast, deep sounds for
Shenandoah; rich, full tones throughout.
o Form: Students will deal with a range of compositional structures between the three
styles and will have to adjust to each, from the straightforward folk style to the complex
form of the Middle Eastern and Romantic styles.
o Musical Expression: This is the area that will be challenged the most in this concert.
Shenandoah requires a large amount of musical expression and a complex
understanding of it in order to perform it successfully and emotionally. Arabesque
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presents an entirely different set of challenges, including the difficulty in shifting roles
constantly throughout the piece as all the other parts do as well. Finally, Galop will act
as a baseline that students will already likely be somewhat familiar with.
 Styles/Genres, Historical Periods, Cultures, and National Standards
o Styles/Genres: Romantic Galop, Folk Song,
o Historical Periods: Romantic, Modern (late 1900’s)
o Cultures: Middle Eastern, American, French
o National Standards: 1.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5
 Rationale: To start off the year, I would challenge students with two pieces that they would be
somewhat familiar with (in terms of style and genre) in the form of Shenandoah an Galop. In
addition, I would challenge them with Arabesque to begin developing musicality in areas outside
of the Western music they are used to. The Ticheli will challenge musical expression and allow
for students to start to get comfortable going above and beyond in terms of what they are
willing to do dynamically. As a whole, this concert set begins to develop several different skills
while also being somewhat familiar, which should allow for accessibility as well as educational
value.

Performance 2 Overview: Winter Concert

 Content Performed
o Andrew Boysen – Kirkpatrick Fanfare
o John Barnes Chance – Variations on a Korean Folk Song
o John Philip Sousa – Semper Fidelis
 Skills/Elements
o Rhythm: Triplet syncopation, emphasis on unusual beats, sixteenth notes
o Melody: Development of melodic feel despite a syncopated and segmented melody,
understanding of Korean culture and melodic tendencies in it, development of effective
march playing.
o Harmony: Pentatonic harmony, major
o Texture: Students will need to adjust to the unfamiliar textures dominated by unfamiliar
instruments (such as oboe) in Korean Folk Song Suite that range from woodwind-centric
to low-brass focused.
o Timbre: Confident and bright for the fanfare, rich and somber for much of the folk song
transitioning into energetic playfulness, confidence in march playing.
o Form: March form, movement-based structure in the variations that is interconnected
throughout, unusual structure for the fanfare.
o Musical Expression: A large range of expression is present here, from various styles of
the folk song to the classic Sousa march to the Irish-inspired Kirkpatrick Fanfare.
Students will be challenged with the vast range of styles present here and will need to
develop in several different areas at once in order to perform the set successfully.
 Styles/Genres, Historical Periods, Cultures, and National Standards
o Styles/Genres: Fanfare, Folk, March
o Historical Periods: Early 1900’s, Late 1900’s
o Cultures: Korean, Irish, American
o National Standards: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4
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 Rationale: The feature piece for Wind Ensemble on the concert, Variations on a Korean Folk
Song would build off of not only the folk song present in the first concert, but also of the non-
Western style in Arabesque. It contains several variations based on one theme, which allows for
creative expression through several different avenues and challenges students to be able to
successfully portray them all. In addition, it develops technical playing for players, having faster
runs in the majority of the wind parts. Kirkpatrick Fanfare allows for a good open to the concert
and contains rhythmic challenges not present so far. Semper Fidelis will allow students to begin
or continue to develop good habits for playing marches and gaining knowledge of the structure
and general style of the march. As a whole, this concert builds on the first in terms of
expression, melody, rhythm, and more while also introducing new concepts.

Performance 3 Overview: Spring Concert

 Content Performed
o Gustav Holst – First Suite in E-flat
o Percy Grainger – Shepherd’s Hey
o J.S. Bach arr. Topolewski – Chorale in C minor
 Skills/Elements
o Rhythm: Eighth notes, sixteenth notes, syncopation
o Melody: From Bach chorales to folk to the more complex melodies present in the Holst,
students will be challenged with the variety of melody present. In addition, lower voices
will be featured on the melody for much of the Holst.
o Harmony: Minor and major tonalities, some more complex shifts in the Holst.
o Texture: Low-dominated often in the Holst, lots of full-ensemble in various proportions
and balances.
o Timbre: A vast amount of timbres will be required just for the Holst, including bright and
delicate, deep and bold, energetic, sweet, etc.
o Form: The Holst will be the primary challenge in terms of form. Not only in terms of the
three separate movements, but each movement has a different structure within.
o Musical Expression: Students will again be faced with folk song expression, which should
be familiar, a Bach chorale, which should also be generally familiar, and the Holst Suite.
The expression in the Holst is vast and varied, even within a single movement. Students
will need to be flexible like never before to transition between several different styles
not only throughout the piece, but throughout each movement.
 Styles/Genres, Historical Periods, Cultures, and National Standards
o Styles/Genres: Chorale, Folk Song
o Historical Periods: Late 1900’s, Early 1900’s, Baroque
o Cultures: British, German
o National Standards: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2
 Rationale: Holst’s First Suite in E-Flat is a culmination of the previous semester and will challenge
students in numerous different areas. Each movement is basically a miniature piece with its own
challenges and shifts in style, timbre, etc. It is a masterwork of band literature and every student
should play it at least once in their career as a musician. Every individual in the ensemble will be
challenged in one way or another as nearly every instrument in the ensemble has melodic
material at some point. Shepherd’s Hey is not only a great folk song that would build upon
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previous concerts (primarily Shenandoah, though,) but it would also prepare for the upcoming
Mannin Veen as there are sections in it that are very similar to the Grainger. It will also have
students get a taste of a different culture of folk. The Bach chorale is a necessary addition for
the sake of musical expression and will have students build ensemble sound, timbre, tone, and
more. The stronger the fundamentals of the ensemble are, the stronger the chorale will be, and
by this point this should not only be a solid piece to demonstrate growth, but should also
facilitate growth.

Performance 4 Overview: Festival

 Content Performed
o David Maslanka – Mother Earth (Fanfare)
o Haydn Wood – Mannin Veen
 Skills/Elements
o Rhythm: Sixteenth notes, contrast between sixteenth and triplets, eighth notes.
o Melody: Both pieces will challenge students in terms of melodic content. The Maslanka
is unconventional and students will have to adjust while the Wood shifts melody
between parts and between styles consistently while maintaining themes throughout.
o Harmony: Modal/minor, major
o Texture: Mother Earth has low-brass heavy portions, percussion-centric areas,
woodwind-led areas, and more. Mannin Veen also has complex textures, but not to the
extent of the fanfare.
o Timbre: Students will have to make a big adjustment to the timbre required for Mother
Earth, which is dark, brooding, but still energetic. There are even changes throughout.
o Form: The form of both pieces warrant mentioning, with the Maslanka having an almost
through-composed style with only a few threads linking the sections while Mannin Veen
has not only theme changes, but drastic style changes along with them.
o Musical Expression: While other performances have challenged students in terms of
scope of expression, this set will challenge expression at face value. Mother Earth is an
almost violent and turbulent fanfare that still manages energy, and expressing this to an
audience is difficult. Mannin Veen takes what we have learned the rest of the year and
takes it to the next level.
 Styles/Genres, Historical Periods, Cultures, and National Standards
o Styles/Genres: Tone Poem, Fanfare
o Historical Periods: Early/mid 1900’s, 2000’s
o Cultures: Manx/Celtic
o National Standards: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2
 Rationale: Mannin Veen is the culmination of the year’s work. It contains styles that have either
been played by the ensemble before or are similar enough for them to generalize and refine. It
will challenge students with its variety of styles and will require precise and emotional execution
of concepts that were built up over the entire year. Mother Earth is an unusual fanfare that will
challenge students to have seemingly contrasting timbre and style, with a dark and brooding
feel that still has energy and fanfare. It has challenging harmonies that students may not have
seen before and requires the full ensemble to work in complete tandem to be a stylistic success.
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Assessment
Types

Exit ticket, guided class discussion, section playing in rehearsal, individual prompting, playing tests,
down-the-line playing, modeling, Quizlet or similar programs

Examples

Class discussion over musical expression in a chorale without markings.

Exit ticket to notate a major scale.

Prompting a section to play a portion of a piece in rehearsal.

Limited playing tests as-needed for portions of a piece that there is struggle with.

Down-the-line playing in case of emergencies with lack of expression or in case of glaring errors.

Having individual students model for their section or the ensemble if they are comfortable.

Quizlet on music markings, key signatures, scales, etc.

Prompting individuals to answer questions about musical interpretation, analysis, etc.

Rationale

The less “special” or “dedicated” assessment is, the more accurate the results you will get. That is to say
that students will be less likely to see the assessment for what it is and will therefore be more relaxed or
willing to show what they know/what they can do. The focus on things like discussion or during-
rehearsal assessment is so that not only is assessment more efficient in terms of time, but also in terms
of accuracy and effectiveness. However, there are times when more conventional forms of assessment
are necessary, such as in the case of extended and repeated issues with a particular portion of a piece.
In this type of situation, using things such as a recorded or live playing test may be necessary in order to
ensure that students are not only improving, but know how to improve for themselves. There are also
methods of assessment that are half-formal, such as an exit ticket. Students often will not think of them
as an assignment or a test, but they are nevertheless a concrete and efficient way to gauge student
learning on a particular topic without dedicating rehearsal time to it.