The teacher of PK-12 music has skills in listening to, analyzing, and performing music. To sum it all into a giant category, the first step is to know the technical and symbolic vocabulary of music. Through the studying of research, we know that music is a diverse language. As a teacher we also know that music was created and founded in various countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, America, and Africa. When we see a composition, it will provide who the composer is, and as a teacher, we need to embrace who the composer was, and where did he or she originate from. One of the things that many composers embraced was ‘Nationalism’, which can mean a lot of things, but on their level and to our knowledge, it meant how their culture is represented in music. From looking at previous scores, they would also list tempo markings where some may be Italian, some may be German. Either way, it’s usually from a composer’s perspective. The second step is to understand the sound, and describe to the students how to play a German march. Based on studying German marches of the past, I can say that many German marches are powerful and rich, in comparison to an American march that sounds fast and peppy. What styles can the students create if I told them to play a staccato note that sounds separated and not short? I can always play the example through a recording, but the best way to also do it, is tell the students why their part is important, and sometimes it can be parts that usually don’t have much meaning in a march, such as the french horn. The third step is to have common interaction through both the listening and visual analysis. If I can see a score, I can tell them how I want it to be played. Sometimes it’s great, but it always depends on the type of composition. For a good example, if my piece of music repertoire is by Modest Mussorgsky, I would share with my students what the piece sounds like as they look at their part. As a class we’ll talk about the piece, and I will ask them questions such as “How do you think Modest would want this section to sound?” or “What do you think is the meaning behind this passage and phrase?” That way we all have a better communication and understanding all while giving instructions to listen, play, and perform. Throughout the entire process, it will take time in class for assessing what they do, so when it comes time for performance, the students know what to do, and will have completed the tasks of listening, analyzing, and performing.
The students will be able to improve on a daily basis. The first time they’re handed a piece of music, they will look at it. If I play a recording, it will give them the chance to finger along the part. After doing so, and warming up, the students will also be able to sing through their parts while keeping track of a pulse, if I ask another section to play. Throughout various classes, they will analyze what they hear, describe things, and keep in contact with their performing. As classes continue, their performance skills will develop, and through it all, they will learn about the composer, the heritage, the culture, and the different techniques used. This will have the students to become familiar with many terms of music, and will have a diverse learning experience of other cultures. If I was planning on a concert in the fall, this will all happen in days and weeks, but it is meant to build. In the long run, the main goal is not just learn about culture, but to understand music through listening and analyzing, and by the concert, they will have a top-notch performance.
This below is an entire unit plan using the march Alte Kameraden. With this renown German march, I offer a full analysis, as well as how it should be played by the band. This ranges from dynamics, to rhythm, to balance and blend.
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Open in new tab This below is an analysis of the band version of 1812 Overture. Here I am analyzing the score so I know what to teach the band, and how to teach it to the band.
