CMP (Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance) A ... · PDF fileCMP (Comprehensive...
24
CMP (Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance) A Brief Overview of the Model One paradox of master teaching is that it comes across as organic and easy, even though it is thoughtfully and carefully crafted. Similarly, this model for planning instruction seems quite simple and intuitive, but contains the possibility for infinitely complex and rich thinking. Music Selection Choose well crafted, quality literature that fits the unique needs of each ensemble. Outcomes What the students will learn--the skill, knowledge and affective goals. Strategies How the students learn--all the activities, questions and tools involved in teaching the outcomes. Analysis Learn as much as possible about the music through detailed score study and background research. Assessment The process of gathering information about what students know and can do, evaluating the data and then determining future actions.
Transcript of CMP (Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance) A ... · PDF fileCMP (Comprehensive...
CMP (Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance)
A Brief Overview of the Model
One paradox of master teaching is that it comes across as organic and
easy, even though it is thoughtfully and carefully crafted. Similarly, this model for planning instruction seems quite simple and intuitive, but
contains the possibility for infinitely complex and rich thinking.
Music Selection Choose well crafted, quality literature that fits the unique
needs of each ensemble.
Outcomes What the students will learn--the skill,
knowledge and affective goals.
Strategies How the students learn--all the activities, questions and tools
involved in teaching the outcomes.
Analysis Learn as much as possible about the music through detailed score study and background research.
Assessment The process of gathering
information about what students know and can do, evaluating the data and then determining future actions.
Mos
cow
, 194
1 by
Bria
n B
alm
ages
FJ
H M
usic
Com
pany
- G
rade
2
B
road
Des
crip
tion:
x
Prog
ram
mat
ic w
ork
expl
orin
g pa
intin
g th
e pi
ctur
e of
Mos
cow
in 1
941
x U
tiliz
es a
com
mon
Rus
sian
Fol
k Tu
ne "
Mea
dow
land
s" o
r "C
ossa
ck P
atro
l"
x G
reat
use
of p
ercu
ssiv
e ef
fect
s to
imita
te b
ombs
, hor
n gl
issa
ndos
and
woo
dwin
d fig
ures
to re
pres
ent w
arni
ng si
rens
x
Gre
at p
iece
to e
xplo
re ti
mbr
e an
d ov
erco
min
g gr
eat o
dds.
B
rian
Bal
mag
es
Bria
n B
alm
ages
(b. 1
975)
is a
n ac
tive
com
pose
r, co
nduc
tor,
prod
ucer
, and
perform
er. H
e received his bachelor’s d
egree in m
usic from
James M
adison
University
and
his m
aster’s d
egree from
the University
of M
iami in Florida. M
r. Balmages’ w
orks fo
r sym
phon
ic
band
, orc
hest
ra, a
nd b
rass
hav
e be
en p
erfo
rmed
thro
ugho
ut th
e w
orld
, inc
ludi
ng th
e C
olle
ge B
and
Dire
ctor
s Nat
iona
l and
Reg
iona
l C
onfe
renc
es, t
he M
idw
est C
linic
, the
Inte
rnat
iona
l Tub
a/Eu
phon
ium
Con
fere
nce,
the
Inte
rnat
iona
l Tro
mbo
ne F
estiv
al, a
nd th
e In
tern
atio
nal T
rum
pet G
uild
Con
fere
nce.
His
act
ive
sche
dule
of c
omm
issi
ons h
as in
clud
ed g
roup
s ran
ging
from
ele
men
tary
scho
ols t
o pr
ofes
sion
al e
nsem
bles
, inc
ludi
ng th
e B
altim
ore
Sym
phon
y O
rche
stra
, Mia
mi S
ymph
ony
Orc
hest
ra, t
he U
nive
rsity
of M
iam
i Win
d En
sem
ble,
Dom
inio
n B
rass
, and
oth
ers.
He
has a
lso
enjo
yed
wor
ld p
rem
iere
s in
pres
tigio
us v
enue
s suc
h as
Car
negi
e H
all.
As a
con
duct
or, M
r. B
alm
ages
enj
oys e
ngag
emen
ts w
ith n
umer
ous h
onor
ban
ds a
nd o
rche
stra
s, un
iver
sity
gro
ups,
and
prof
essi
onal
en
sem
bles
thro
ugho
ut th
e co
untry
. Not
able
gue
st c
ondu
ctin
g ap
pear
ance
s hav
e in
clud
ed th
e M
idw
est C
linic
, Col
lege
Ban
d D
irect
ors
Reg
iona
l Con
fere
nce,
Mid
-Atla
ntic
Win
d C
ondu
ctor
s Con
fere
nce,
the
Atla
ntic
Cla
ssic
al O
rche
stra
Bra
ss E
nsem
ble,
and
Mey
erho
ff Sy
mph
ony
Hal
l in
Bal
timor
e. H
e ha
s als
o se
rved
as a
n ad
junc
t pro
fess
or o
f ins
trum
enta
l con
duct
ing
and
actin
g di
rect
or o
f the
sy
mph
onic
ban
d at
Tow
son
Uni
vers
ity in
Mar
ylan
d.
Cur
rent
ly, M
r. B
alm
ages
is th
e D
irect
or o
f Ins
trum
enta
l Pub
licat
ions
for T
he F
JH M
usic
Com
pany
Inc.
in F
ort L
aude
rdal
e, F
lori
da.
He
resi
des i
n B
altim
ore
with
his
wife
, Lis
a, a
nd th
eir s
ons,
Jaco
b an
d C
ollin
.
As a
com
pose
r, I u
sed
to w
rite
mus
ic o
nly
for a
dvan
ced
leve
l ens
embl
es. H
owev
er, a
fter m
arry
ing
an e
lem
enta
ry b
and
dire
ctor
, and
with
the
supp
ort o
f nu
mer
ous f
rien
ds, c
olle
ague
s, an
d di
rect
ors,
I hav
e fo
und
grea
t joy
and
cha
lleng
e in
wri
ting
mus
ic fo
r you
nger
stud
ents
alo
ng w
ith m
y m
ore
diffi
cult
wor
ks.
Afte
r all,
the
youn
gest
of m
usic
ians
are
equ
ally
des
ervi
ng o
f goo
d lit
erat
ure
and
I can
onl
y ho
pe th
at m
y m
usic
will
insp
ire
them
the
way
I am
insp
ired
by
a M
ahle
r sym
phon
y."
— B
rian
Ba
lmag
es
CM
P Te
achi
ng P
lan
Chr
is G
leas
on
cpgl
eas@
spas
d.k1
2.w
i.us
C
MP
Teac
hing
Pla
n C
hris
Gle
ason
cp
glea
s@sp
asd.
k12.
wi.u
s
CM
P Te
achi
ng P
lan
Chr
is G
leas
on
cpgl
eas@
spas
d.k1
2.w
i.us
C
MP
Teac
hing
Pla
n C
hris
Gle
ason
cp
glea
s@sp
asd.
k12.
wi.u
s
B
ackg
roun
d In
form
atio
n Pi
ece
was
writ
ten
in 2
003.
Mos
tly m
inor
tona
lity,
with
ext
ensi
ve y
et p
laya
ble
perc
ussi
on p
arts
for m
iddl
e sc
hool
ers.
M
osco
w, 1
941
was
com
mis
sion
ed b
y th
e Pe
rry
Hal
l Mid
dle
Scho
ol B
and
and
fund
ed b
y th
e PT
A.
Piec
e w
as d
edic
ated
to L
arry
Bon
dar,
a w
ell l
iked
and
re
spec
ted
mus
ic te
ache
r in
the
Bal
timor
e ar
ea.
Mr.
Bon
dar i
s of R
ussi
an d
esce
nt, w
hich
was
insp
iratio
n fo
r the
pie
ce to
be
base
d on
the
fam
ous R
ussi
an so
ng,
Mea
dow
land
s •
This
pie
ce is
a se
tting
of t
he R
ussi
an fo
lk tu
ne M
eado
wla
nds. The
song
’s ly
rics a
re abo
ut th
e glory an
d ho
nor o
f the Red
Arm
y, w
hich
was a nickn
ame
for the
Sov
iet U
nion
’s arm
ed fo
rces. Sp
ecifically
it is abo
ut th
e event that too
k place in O
ctob
er 194
1 where th
e Red
Arm
y he
ld o
f the
Ger
man
arm
y,
whi
ch w
as o
nly
15 m
iles o
utsi
de o
f Mos
cow
. O
ver t
he n
ext 3
mon
ths,
the
Red
Arm
y w
as a
ble
to p
ush
the
Ger
man
s bac
k ne
arly
200
mile
s •
The
Mea
dow
land
was
from
Sym
phon
y N
o. 4
"Po
em fo
r the
Kom
som
ol F
ight
ers"
in D
maj
or a
fter G
usey
ev fo
r sol
oist
s, ch
orus
and
orc
hest
ra o
pus 4
1 (1
933–
1934
) com
pose
d by
Lev
Kni
pper
•
Lev
Kni
pper
was
a p
rolif
ic R
ussi
an c
ompo
ser w
ritin
g 20
sym
phon
ies,
5 op
eras
, and
mor
e. A
lthou
gh h
e w
rote
this
song
for t
he R
ed a
rmy,
dur
ing
the
Rus
sian
civ
il w
ar, h
e fo
ught
with
the
Whi
te a
rmy.
Whe
n he
retu
rned
to th
e So
viet
Uni
on h
e w
orke
d on
the
Sovi
et S
ecre
t ser
vice
•
The
wor
ds to
the
Mea
dow
land
s wer
e w
ritte
n by
Vic
tor G
usev
. H
e w
rote
lyric
s to
seve
ral R
ussi
an m
ilita
ry so
ngs
• Th
e w
ords
of t
he so
ng te
ll of
the
glor
y an
d pr
aise
one
rece
ives
be serving in th
e Re
d army. It m
ay be ha
rd if you
have loved on
e’s left b
ehind, but it w
ill
all for th
e bette
r when the men
return hom
e. T
here are also hints o
f bragg
ing to th
e wom
en, ‘he
y look
at u
s, we’re figh
ting for y
ou, k
eeping
you
safe’
• Te
chni
cal c
halle
nges: 2n
d clarinet part d
oesn’t go
over the break. Inde
pend
ent p
ercu
ssion pa
rts. Acceleran
di and
ritardan
di. Lo
ud su
stai
ned
phra
ses =
ai
r sup
port.
Pas
sing
of 8
th n
otes
. E
lem
ents
of M
usic
Mea
s. B
IG F
orm
Fo
rm
Mel
ody
Rhy
thm
H
arm
ony
Tim
bre
Tex
ture
E
xpre
ssio
n
1-4
Intro
Intro
. M
ilita
ry
fune
ral
mar
ch.
Perc
ussi
on o
nly
N
one
Subd
ued
Thin
and
tra
nspa
rent
to
set t
he st
age
of c
old
and
star
k.
Ver
y qu
iet a
ll pi
ano
to se
t the
“scene
”
5-10
In
tro -
Frag
men
ted
mel
ody
in
clar
inet
un
ison
.
Mea
dow
land
s mel
ody
- st
arts
on
third
of g
min
or
end
on fi
fth.
U
niso
n - B
ased
on
peda
l D (f
ifth
of g
m
inor
scal
e)
Low
regi
ster
of
clar
inet
- da
rk
tone
.
Thin
- st
ill
perc
. and
cl
arin
ets
only
.
Mea
s. B
IG F
orm
Fo
rm
Mel
ody
Rhy
thm
H
arm
ony
Tim
bre
Tex
ture
E
xpre
ssio
n
11-
13
Intro
- Fr
agm
ente
d m
elod
y co
ntin
ues i
n ho
rns a
nd
euph
oniu
m.
Third
sect
ion
of m
elod
y ch
ange
d to
end
on
fifth
. Si
mila
r to
abov
e.
Firs
t har
mon
y in
m
usic
- op
en 5
th
(stil
l bas
ed o
n fif
th)
Low
bra
ss -
war
m a
nd d
ark
soun
ds.
Thic
ker w
ith
addi
tion
of
low
bra
ss
Dyn
amic
s mak
e a
smal
l exc
ursi
on
to m
p.
14-
17
Tran
s
Tran
sitio
n fr
om
dom
inan
t to
toni
c w
ith
first “reve
al”
of fu
ll m
elod
ic
mat
eria
l
Mot
ivic
dev
elop
men
t of
the
eigh
th n
otes
. Pa
ssin
g ei
ghth
no
tes.
Still
bas
ed o
n fif
th
with
mov
ing
eigh
th
note
s in
g m
inor
pu
shin
g to
war
d to
nic.
Sta
rts d
ark
but
prog
ress
ivel
y ge
ts b
right
er
and
brig
hter
le
adin
g to
18.
Gra
dual
ly
thic
keni
ng.
Star
ts w
ith
clar
inet
s and
sa
xes,
but
adds
flu
tes/
oboe
an
d tru
mpe
ts
Tran
sitio
n is
m
ade
harm
onic
ally
, but
al
so w
ith th
e ad
ditio
n of
in
stru
men
ts a
nd
the
ritar
dano
and
cr
esce
ndo
tow
ard
18.
18-
25
A
A T
hem
e
Full Meadowlands m
elod
y.
The
first
hal
f of 8
bar
ph
rase
is p
laye
d by
Fl,
Ob,
C
l 1, A
S, T
S, B
ells
. Th
e se
cond
hal
f of t
he p
hras
e by
Bsn
, AS,
Tpt
, Eup
h.
Hal
f, qu
arte
r an
d ei
ghth
no
tes.
g m
inor
is
esta
blis
hed
- mel
ody
is h
arm
oniz
ed in
this
fa
shio
n:
i-v-i-
v-V
I-V
-iv-V
Th
e us
e of
maj
or
tona
l cen
ters
in a
m
inor
key
add
s to
the
hero
ic fe
elin
g cr
eate
d by
the
mel
ody.
N
eigh
borin
g to
nes i
n 25
-brin
g ou
t as
sugg
est “
pain”.
The
dyna
mic
ch
ange
s to
forte
, how
ever
th
e tim
bre
rem
ains
dar
k.
Woo
dwin
ds
have
the
mel
ody
with
br
ass c
hord
s be
neat
h it
then
ch
angi
ng to
m
ostly
bra
ss
to e
nd th
e ph
rase
. Pe
rcus
sion
fil
ls in
with
co
ntin
ued
light
scor
ing.
Firs
t for
te
dyna
mic
with
full
scor
ing
to b
egin
18
. Mel
odic
m
ater
ial n
eeds
to
rem
ain
lyric
al
and
conn
ecte
d an
d “P
owerful”
as st
ated
in th
e sc
ore.
Sus
tain
- es
peci
ally
th
roug
h th
e po
co
rit. i
n m
25.
26-
33
A’
A T
hem
e w
ith
coun
term
elod
y
Mel
ody
is h
eard
by
Fl,
Ob,
Cl 1
, Tpt
, Eup
h,
how
ever
this
tim
e w
ith
coun
term
elod
y in
Cl 2
, AS,
TS
, HN
. Cou
nter
mel
ody
sugg
ests
gro
win
g an
xiet
y an
d te
nsio
n.
Mor
e m
ovin
g ei
ghth
not
e pa
ssag
es in
the
coun
term
elod
y.
Sam
e ha
rmon
ic
prog
ress
ion
as in
fir
st A
stat
emen
t.
The
coun
term
elod
y in th
e “m
iddle
voices” is
hero
ic a
nd
pass
iona
te, b
ut
shou
ld n
ot g
et
too
brig
ht.
Bal
ance
mus
t be
ach
ieve
d be
twee
n m
elod
y,
coun
term
elod
y, a
nd
supp
ortin
g lo
w b
rass
no
tes a
nd
perc
ussi
on.
Still
lega
to a
nd
sust
aine
d. N
o br
eath
nee
ds to
be
add
ed fr
om
29-3
0 as
the
phra
se c
ontin
ues
and
shou
ld
cres
cend
o th
en
fade
bac
k to
34.
Mea
s. B
IG F
orm
Fo
rm
Mel
ody
Rhy
thm
H
arm
ony
Tim
bre
Tex
ture
E
xpre
ssio
n
34-
43
Tran
s
Tran
sitio
n
Ope
n fif
ths,
then
ano
ther
m
elod
ic m
otif
at 3
8 an
d 41
si
mila
r to
the
begi
nnin
g in
th
e C
lar a
nd A
S
Who
le n
otes
, th
en th
e ei
ghth
no
te p
assa
ges
from
the
begi
nnin
g.
Low
bra
ss e
stab
lish
open
fifth
s bas
ed o
n to
nic
g m
inor
. M
elod
ic m
otifs
in
unis
on fo
llow
ed b
y th
e ou
tlini
ng o
f a g
m
inor
7 c
hord
bef
ore
44 p
rope
lling
us t
o th
e ne
w se
ctio
n
Ver
y da
rk
agai
n.
Bec
omes
m
uch
mor
e tra
nspa
rent
an
d th
in
agai
n.
Muc
h m
ore
quie
t re
turn
ing
to th
e pr
evio
us p
iano
dy
nam
ic
mar
king
s. po
co
rit. b
efor
e 44
is
impo
rtant
to se
t up
the
new
se
ctio
n.
44-
47
Dev
4 m
easu
res -
pe
rcus
sion
5ths
in ti
mpa
ni
Sync
opat
ed
eigh
th n
ote
figur
es
g m
inor
toni
c B
right
er a
nd
we
mov
e to
war
d 56
Thin
to b
egin
w
ith. T
oms
add
acce
nts
on “an
d” of
beat
2
Star
ts q
uiet
ly a
nd
build
s unt
il fo
rte
at 5
6.
48-
51
4 m
easu
res -
se
quen
ced
mel
odic
m
otif
Low
B
rass
Mel
ody
base
d on
firs
t th
ree
note
s of m
elod
y th
en
sequ
ence
d
Rhy
thm
bas
ed
on m
elod
ic
mot
if
g m
inor
toni
c Lo
w B
rass
la
yer
52-
55
4 m
easu
res -
se
quen
ced
mel
odic
alt.
m
ater
ial i
n up
per b
rass
&
ww
.
Opp
osin
g ei
ghth
not
e m
elod
ic m
ater
ial c
reat
ing
tens
ion
as w
e m
ove
tow
ard
56.
Con
trast
ing
eigh
th n
otes
cr
eate
a st
eady
ei
ghth
not
e “b
attle
”
g m
inor
dom
inan
t U
pper
ww
an
d U
pper
B
rass
add
ed
56-
63
8 m
eaur
es -
of a
4 b
ar
“inten
se”
phra
se.
56-5
9 A
S, T
S, H
N, T
B
only
(no
perc
). A
scen
ding
st
epw
ise
mot
ion.
Qua
rter a
nd
eigh
th n
ote
phra
se th
at is
re
peat
ed.
Bas
ed o
n to
nic
of g
m
inor
but
add
ed
diss
onan
ce o
f Ab
and
C th
en fu
ll g
min
or c
hord
.
Agg
ress
ive
and
brig
hter
. Th
in fo
r fou
r m
easu
res
then
pe
rcus
sion
re
turn
s with
ac
tive
sync
opat
ed
part
mov
ing
us to
a
cont
rast
at
64.
Tem
po is
key
he
re a
s the
m
iddl
e vo
ices
ne
ed to
kee
p th
e en
ergy
up.
Mea
s. B
IG F
orm
Fo
rm
Mel
ody
Rhy
thm
H
arm
ony
Tim
bre
Tex
ture
E
xpre
ssio
n
64-
67
4 ba
r m
eado
wla
nd
them
e re
turn
s
Flut
e an
d cl
arin
et p
lay
harm
oniz
ed m
elod
ic
phra
se.
Rhy
thm
foun
d in
mel
ody
with
sy
ncop
ated
fig
ures
in
perc
ussi
on
Mel
ody
in C
min
or -
perf
orm
ed o
ver r
oot
in B
S, B
Cl
Sudd
enly
Dar
k Th
in w
ith
mar
imba
and
tim
pani
su
stai
ning
pu
lse
Mel
ody
is
slur
red.
68-
71
4 m
easu
re
sequ
ence
d br
ass f
igur
e.
Sequ
ence
d m
elod
ic
mat
eria
l B
rass
acc
ents
ar
e sy
noco
pate
d gi
ving
a fe
elin
g of
un
expe
cted
ness
Ab
Maj
or (r
elat
ive
to C
min
or)
Agg
ress
ive
. Tp
t mel
ody
with
pu
nctu
ated
br
ass a
ccen
ts.
Mar
cato
gro
win
g in
inte
nsity
72-
79
Mel
ody
in F
l &
CL
Cou
nter
mel
ody
in A
S, T
S Fa
nfar
e-lik
e St
atem
ents
in
bras
s
Firs
t hal
f of Meadowland
th
eme
hear
d in
har
mon
y.
Cou
nter
mel
ody
take
n fr
om
sequ
ence
d m
elod
ic
mat
eria
l. Fa
nfar
e is
bas
ic
chor
ds in
F m
inor
.
Mel
ody
is
Aug
men
ted
usin
g w
hole
no
tes,
half
note
s, et
c.
Cou
nter
mel
ody
in e
ight
h no
tes
and
fanf
are
utili
zing
dot
ted
figur
es m
akin
g it
mor
e ab
rupt
F m
inor
then
C
maj
or
Brig
ht a
nd
aggr
essi
ve w
ith
bras
s ver
sus
smoo
th a
nd
dark
ww
.
Shift
ing
grou
ps o
f so
unds
w
ithin
fa
mili
es o
f in
stru
men
ts.
Bal
ance
nee
ds to
be
ach
ieve
d be
twee
n “calming, dark
ww th
eme” and
C
ount
erm
elod
y.
Perc
ussi
on m
ust
be c
aref
ul.
80-
84
Tran
sitio
n Se
cond
hal
f of m
elod
y us
ed a
s mat
eria
l for
this
tra
nsiti
on. A
S le
ads t
hen
Upp
er b
rass
add
on.
Sync
opat
ed T
S,
BS,
BSN
, BC
l fig
ures
nee
d to
be
cle
an a
nd
exac
t.
Ab
Maj
or g
oing
to
an E
ped
al p
oint
(m
inor
6th
aw
ay).
Ver
y un
settl
ed.
Ligh
t, al
mos
t pl
ayfu
l, bu
t E
peda
l cre
ates
m
uch
tens
ion.
Star
ts v
ery
thin
(b
asic
ally
sax
choi
r, th
en
thic
kens
)
A b
uild
ing
figur
e th
at n
eeds
to
build
tens
ion
tow
ard
85.
85-
95
“Battle
” Sc
ene
Alte
rnat
ing
woo
dwin
d 5t
hs la
yere
d w
ith m
elod
y in
low
bra
ss b
ut e
ndin
g on
6t
h sc
ale
degr
ee n
ot 5
th a
s in
the
orig
inal
. Upp
er b
rass
ef
fect
s add
to th
e dr
ama.
Trad
ing
eigh
th
note
pas
sage
s, sh
arpl
y ac
cent
ed e
ight
h no
te p
airs
, ho
rn/s
ax
glis
ses,
and
slow
er m
elod
ic
mat
eria
l.
Woo
dwin
ds in
co
mpe
ting
open
5th
s (E
b-B
b vs
F-C
), M
elod
y in
g m
inor
(b
ut e
ndin
g on
6th
). C
aden
ce p
oint
ii, V
I, V
, i in
to 9
5.
Dar
k an
d su
stai
ned
mel
odic
m
ater
ial
cont
rast
ed b
y pu
nctu
ated
m
uted
bra
ss
and “chaotic”
ww
.
Text
ure
begi
ns th
in
and
then
gr
ows w
ith
laye
rs a
s we
appr
oach
95.
“Eminent
Dan
ger”
Woo
dwin
ds
figur
es. B
ombs
- B
D/T
imp
hit i
n ce
nter
. War
ning
Si
ren
-hor
n an
d sa
x gl
isse
s. B
uild
ing
to 9
5
Mea
s. B
IG F
orm
Fo
rm
Mel
ody
Rhy
thm
H
arm
ony
Tim
bre
Tex
ture
E
xpre
ssio
n
95-
110
A’
A T
hem
e w
ith
coun
term
elod
y A
ugm
ente
d
Lyric
full
rest
atem
ent o
f m
elod
y in
Cl 2
, Bcl
, Bsn
, Sa
xes,
HN
, Tb,
Eup
h,
Tuba
C
ount
erm
elod
y in
Fl,
Ob,
C
l 1, F
anfa
re in
Tpt
, Pe
rcus
sion
repr
ise
of
sync
opat
ion
and
16th
fig
ures
.
Sim
ilar t
o au
gmen
ted
mel
ody
befo
re
and
coun
term
elod
ies.
g m
inor
as s
tate
d ea
rly in
the
wor
k.
With
the
mel
ody
mov
ing
slow
er, t
he
coun
term
elod
y he
lps
to k
eep
inte
rest
.
Full
lush
so
unds
nee
ded
to so
und
“Triu
mph
ant”
as
writ
ten.
Full
scor
ing
with
sa
xoph
ones
an
d lo
wer
br
ass n
eede
d to
sust
ain
the
mel
ody
agai
nst
coun
term
elod
y an
d fa
nfar
es.
Dyn
amic
is F
F,
how
ever
a
bala
nce
soun
d ha
s to
be c
reat
ed
with
in th
e in
stru
men
ts
play
ing
mel
ody.
O
vera
ll ba
lanc
e ne
eds t
o be
co
nsid
ered
as
wel
l.
111-
End
Cod
a
“Inten
se
phrase” used
ag
ain.
Mel
odic
mat
eria
l fro
m 5
6 is
use
d to
pro
pel t
he w
ork
to th
e co
nclu
sion
. AS,
TS,
H
N, T
B g
et th
is p
hras
e fo
r 4
mea
sure
s the
n it
is fo
und
in n
early
eve
ry v
oice
for
the
final
4 m
s.
Qua
rter a
nd
eigh
th n
ote
phra
se th
at is
re
peat
ed.
Bas
ed o
n to
nic
of g
m
inor
but
add
ed
diss
onan
ce o
f Ab
and
C th
en fu
ll g
min
or c
hord
. End
on
a G
Maj
or c
hord
...”triu
mph
ant”
Ver
y fu
ll an
d br
ight
. So
mew
hat
thin
and
ex
pose
d w
ith
only
a fe
w
inst
rum
ents
pl
ayin
g th
e m
elod
y at
11
1.
Trom
bone
s ne
ed to
lead
.
The
puls
e ca
nnot
sl
ow d
own
as th
e pi
ece
mus
t kee
p m
ovin
g to
the
exci
ting
conc
lusi
on.
The
Hea
rt S
tate
men
t: T
he h
eart
of M
osco
w 1
941
is th
e da
rk, h
aunt
ing
Mea
dow
land
mel
ody
and
acco
mpa
nyin
g ha
rmon
ic
mov
emen
t whi
ch c
reat
es a
con
nect
ion
to th
e pr
oud
mem
bers
of t
he R
ed A
rmy
who
face
d bo
th b
leak
ness
and
triu
mph
. In
trod
ucin
g th
e Pie
ce:
Pla
y Y
outu
be v
ideo
of r
unne
r - fa
lling
dow
n an
d still finishing. A
sk que
stions like
“did yo
u an
ticipate that hap
pening
?” “W
hat c
an
we learn from
this?”
A
ffect
ive
Out
com
e: S
tude
nts w
ill e
xplo
re is
sues
of g
roup
iden
tity,
prid
e an
d pa
triot
ism
, bot
h he
alth
y an
d de
stru
ctiv
e.
Stra
tegi
es
I. IN
TRO
TO
GR
OU
PS
A.
Wha
t do
thes
e im
ages
hav
e in
com
mon
?
B.
Which
of the
se group
s do yo
u “ide
ntify
” with
the most a
nd w
hy?
II.
GR
OU
PS
A.
Why
do
grou
ps fo
rm o
r com
e to
geth
er?
1. “If y
ou w
ant to go
fast, g
o alon
e. If you
wan
t to go
far, go
toge
ther.” –
Afr
ican
pro
verb
B
. W
hat t
ype
of g
roup
s are
ther
e?
1.
Citi
zen
Act
ion
Gro
ups
a)
Sing
le is
sue
grou
ps—
NA
RAL,
Rig
ht-to
-Life
, NR
A, B
rady
Cam
paig
n to
Pr
even
t Gun
Vio
lenc
e
b)
Mul
ti-is
sue
grou
ps—
AA
RP, S
ierr
a Cl
ub, A
CLU
, AD
A, P
eopl
e fo
r the
A
mer
ican
Way
, Tow
nhal
l, N
RD
C, C
onsu
mer
s Uni
on, A
mer
ican
Ta
xpay
ers U
nion
2.
Tr
ade
Ass
ocia
tions—
Am
eric
an H
ardw
are
Ass
ocia
tion,
Man
y da
iry c
oope
rativ
es,
Am
eric
ans f
or E
nerg
y In
depe
nden
ce, A
mer
ican
Cou
ncil
on R
enew
able
Ene
rgy,
Nat
iona
l Aut
omot
ive
Dea
lers
Ass
ocia
tion,
etc
.. 3.
Pr
ofes
sion
al A
ssoc
iatio
ns—
Doc
tors
, Den
tists
, Nur
ses,
Prof
esso
rs, L
awye
rs, R
eal E
stat
e B
roke
rs, e
tc.
4.
Uni
ons,
Uni
ted
Gar
men
t Wor
kers
of A
mer
ica,
Sta
te a
nd M
unic
ipal
Em
ploy
ees U
nion
, Tea
mst
ers,
(Air
Traf
fic C
ontro
llers
), N
EA, A
FT, U
nite
d Fa
rm W
orke
rs.
5.
Peak
Ass
ocia
tions—
AFL
-CIO
, Nat
iona
l Ass
ocia
tion
of M
anuf
actu
rers
, Nat
iona
l Cha
mbe
r of C
omm
erce
. The
se a
re a
ssoc
iatio
ns o
f ass
ocia
tions
. 6.
C
orpo
ratio
ns—
the
mos
t fre
quen
t typ
e of
lobb
ying
eff
ort c
omes
from
cor
pora
tions
. Som
etim
es th
ey w
ork
with
thei
r tra
de a
ssoc
iatio
n, so
met
imes
th
ey w
ork
agai
nst t
hem
. (Sc
rap
tires
and
Goo
dyea
r).
7.
Team
s- m
any
leve
ls a
nd ty
pes o
f spo
rts
8.
Mus
ic - with
in m
usic w
e have “sections” and different typ
es o
f ens
embl
es.
C.
Man
y tim
es g
roup
s will
cre
ate
logo
s, ba
nner
s, sy
mbo
ls o
r spe
cial
nam
es to
repr
esen
t the
mse
lves
. 1.
Sh
ow v
ideo
of g
roup
s bei
ng se
lect
ed a
t Hog
war
ts
2.
Look
at t
hese
exa
mpl
es a
nd tr
y to
iden
tify
them
...
3.
Cre
ate
a ba
nner
or s
ymbo
l for
you
r sec
tion.
4.
A
ctio
nary
a)
A
ctio
nary
is a
cro
ss b
etw
een
pict
iona
ry, s
culp
tiona
ry a
nd c
hara
des.
(1)
Firs
tly c
ome
up w
ith a
list
of p
ictio
nary
styl
e w
ords
to u
se. T
ry to
use
wor
ds th
at m
ight
be
easy
eno
ugh
to d
raw
/scu
plt/a
ct.
Div
ide
the
grou
p in
to 4
team
s or b
y se
ctio
ns a
nd g
ive
each
team
a tr
ay o
f pla
y-do
h, so
me
pape
r and
som
e pe
ns.
(2)
The
lead
er w
ho is
runn
ing
the
gam
e st
ands
in th
e ce
ntre
of t
he ro
om, s
ituat
ed in
bet
wee
n al
l of t
he g
roup
s. Th
en e
ach
team
se
nds a
vol
unte
er u
p to
the
lead
er a
nd th
ey th
en g
et e
ach
play
er to
roll
the
gian
t dic
e in
turn
. (3
) Ei
ther
mak
e yo
ur o
wn
dice
with
"act
", "d
raw
" and
"scu
lpt"
or j
ust u
se a
nor
mal
dic
e an
d de
sign
ate
two
num
bers
to e
ach
type
. (4
) 1,
2 =
Cha
rade
s 3,
4 =
Pict
iona
ry 5
,6 =
Scu
lptio
nary
Th
en g
ive
all t
he p
laye
rs th
e fir
st w
ord
from
the
list.
The
play
ers w
ill th
en g
o ba
ck to
thei
r gro
up a
nd a
ct, d
raw
or s
culp
t out
the
wor
d, d
epen
ding
on
wha
t nu
mbe
r the
y ro
lled.
Onc
e so
meo
ne in
thei
r gro
up g
uess
es th
e w
ord
corr
ectly
, the
y go
up
and
roll
the
dice
aga
in a
nd re
ceiv
e th
e ne
xt w
ord.
The
firs
t tea
m
to g
et th
roug
h th
e co
mpl
ete
list o
f wor
ds w
ins!
II
I. PR
IDE
- When a grou
p yo
u are associated with
does s
omething
goo
d or helpful people sometim
es fe
el “pride”. W
hat d
oes “
pride” m
ean?
A
. M
ind
map
--- W
hat d
oes the w
ord “P
ride” m
ean? P
ride is an inwardly directed e
mot
ion
that
car
ries t
wo
com
mon
mea
ning
s. W
ith a
neg
ativ
e co
nnot
atio
n, p
ride
refe
rs to
an
infla
ted
sens
e of
one
's pe
rson
al st
atus
or a
ccom
plish
men
ts, o
ften
used
syno
nym
ousl
y w
ith h
ubris
. With
a p
ositi
ve
conn
otat
ion,
prid
e re
fers
to a
satis
fied
sens
e of
atta
chm
ent t
owar
d on
e's o
wn
or a
noth
er's
choi
ces a
nd a
ctio
ns, o
r tow
ard
a w
hole
gro
up o
f peo
ple,
and
is
a p
rodu
ct o
f pra
ise,
inde
pend
ent s
elf-
refle
ctio
n, o
r a fu
lfille
d fe
elin
g of
bel
ongi
ng.
B.
Whe
n ha
ve y
ou fe
lt pr
ide
in so
met
hing
you
acc
ompl
ishe
d pe
rson
ally
? C
. W
hat g
roup
s are
you
a p
art o
f?
1.
Whe
n ha
ve y
ou fe
lt pr
ide
in so
met
hing
a g
roup
you
wer
e as
soci
ated
acc
ompl
ishe
d?
IV.
MIL
ITA
RY
CO
NN
ECTI
ON
-
A.
Is th
ere
a gr
oup
that
repr
esen
ts u
s as a
cou
ntry
that
mak
es y
ou fe
el p
roud
?
1.
Wat
ch th
e M
arin
e vi
deo.
Des
crib
e yo
ur e
mot
ions
. 2.
H
ow a
bout
this
? (In
depe
nden
ce D
ay...
othe
r vid
eos o
ut c
urre
ntly
) B
. W
hat s
ongs
are
ass
ocia
ted
with
the
arm
ed fo
rces
? 1.
M
ilita
ry B
and
Stor
y - s
ense
of p
ride.
2.
V
ideo
of m
e pl
ayin
g at
Disn
ey
V.
MO
SCO
W 1
941
A.
Stor
y of
Wor
ld W
ar II
, The
Red
Arm
y, a
nd M
eado
wla
nds.
1.
Wha
t is t
he g
roup
in th
is st
ory?
2.
R
ead
the
Lyric
s a)
W
here
do
you
see
prid
e in
thes
e ly
rics?
b)
W
hy w
ere
the
sold
iers
pro
ud?
B.
Imag
ine
that
you
wer
e a
Rus
sian
sold
ier w
ho su
cces
sful
def
ende
d hi
s/he
r cou
ntry
- ho
w p
roud
wou
ld y
ou b
e?
VI.
MA
KIN
G IT
PER
SON
AL
A.
Hav
e yo
u ha
d tim
es th
at you
foun
d yo
urself with
a group
that w
asn’t d
oing
goo
d or helping
others? W
hat c
hoices do yo
u ha
ve?
B.
Wha
t “grou
ps” are yo
u a pa
rt of at sch
ool?
C
. W
atch
vid
eo -
of sc
hool
gro
ups.
Ass
essm
ent
I. W
ritte
n an
d au
ral r
efle
ctio
ns
II.
Sect
ion
grou
p bu
ildin
g pr
ojec
ts
III.
Fina
l Pro
ject
Cho
ice
Skill
Out
com
e:-
Stud
ents
will
per
form
with
cor
rect
har
mon
ic a
nd m
elod
ic b
alan
ce (h
oriz
onta
l and
ver
tical
) St
rate
gies
I.
PHY
SIC
AL
BA
LAN
CE
A.
Hav
e st
uden
ts st
and
and
bala
nce
on o
ne le
g. T
hen
have
them
do
it w
ith b
oth
eyes
clo
sed.
B
. B
alan
ce B
eam
- U
sing
pai
nter
s tap
e on
the
floor
- m
ake
a st
anda
rd si
zed
(or r
elat
ivel
y cl
ose)
bal
ance
bea
m o
n th
e flo
or (1
6 fe
et X
3.9
inch
es) *
*Not
e a
real
bea
m is
abo
ut 4
feet
off
the
grou
nd to
o! H
ave
stud
ents
try
to w
alk,
skip
, jum
p, a
nd sp
in a
roun
d on
the
beam
. C
. W
atch
vid
eo o
f Gab
by D
ougl
as -
bala
nce
uses
man
y se
nses
. II.
H
AR
MO
NIC
(VER
TIC
AL)
BA
LAN
CE
A.
Wha
t doe
s bal
ance
in b
and
mea
n? F
ill o
ut p
yram
id o
f sou
nd in
por
tfolio
s. B
. B
uild
the
pyra
mid
- bl
ack
and
whi
te.
Do
it rig
ht a
nd w
rong
man
y tim
es.
C.
Find
cho
rds i
n m
usic
- pl
ay c
hord
s onl
y - b
lack
and
white. T
his is c
alled “v
ertic
al balan
ce”.
II
I. M
ELO
DIC
(HO
RIZ
ON
TAL)
BA
LAN
CE
A.
Ever
yone
pla
y th
e m
elod
y.
B.
At 2
6 - W
ho h
as m
elod
y, W
hat d
oes e
very
one
else
hav
e?, W
ho n
eeds
to b
e th
e lo
udes
t? U
se e
xten
dabl
e ea
rs...
IV
. M
ix it
up
day
- 4 m
embe
rs o
f the
ban
d ca
n si
t in
any
sect
ion
(one
from
eac
h le
vel o
f the
pyr
amid
) V
. B
alan
ce in
Life
- w
here
els
e ca
n w
e fin
d ba
lanc
e?
Show
them
pic
ture
s of A
rt, A
rchi
tect
ure,
com
posi
tions
, poe
try, n
atur
e.
VI.
List
en to
reco
rdin
gs o
f oth
er b
ands
- w
hat i
s the
bal
ance
like
in th
eir e
nsem
bles
?
Ass
essm
ent
I. B
alan
ce in
a sm
all b
and
- have the kids create sm
all “
band
s” by gather 8
-10
kids
toge
ther
. The
y m
ust u
tiliz
e on
e pl
ayer
from
eac
h le
vel o
f the
bal
ance
py
ram
id. H
ave
the
smal
l ban
ds p
ract
ice
from
26-
36 b
eing
aw
are
of b
oth
verti
cal a
nd h
oriz
onta
l bal
ance
. II.
Fi
nal P
roje
ct C
hoic
e K
now
ledg
e O
utco
me:
St
uden
ts w
ill a
naly
ze, a
nd d
escr
ibe
the
role
and
impo
rtanc
e of
har
mon
ic p
rogr
essi
ons i
n m
usic
. St
rate
gies
I.
PAC
HEL
BEL
A
. D
o yo
u re
cogn
ize
this
pro
gres
sion
? (P
acha
bel C
anon
) I-V
-vi-i
ii-IV
-I-IV
-V
1.
Wat
ch P
ache
lbel
Ran
t II.
D
EFIN
ITIO
NS
A.
Wha
t is h
arm
ony?
The
com
bina
tion
of si
mul
tane
ousl
y so
unde
d m
usic
al n
otes
to p
rodu
ce c
hord
s and
cho
rd p
rogr
essi
ons.
B
. D
efin
e C
hord
s - T
wo
or m
ore
pitc
hes s
ound
ing
sim
ulta
neou
sly.
C
. M
ajor
vs M
inor
D
. M
ajor
and
Min
or S
cale
s 1.
M
ajor
= 1
M 2
m 3
m 4
M 5
M 6
m 7
d 2.
N
atur
al M
inor
= 1
m 2
d 3M
4m
5m
6M
7 M
E.
W
hat i
s a h
arm
onic
pro
gres
sion
? It
is a
serie
s of m
usic
al c
hord
s, or
cho
rd c
hang
es th
at "a
ims f
or a
def
inite
goa
l" o
f est
ablis
hing
(or c
ontra
dict
ing)
a
tona
lity
foun
ded
on a
key
. 1.
K
eith
Urb
an O
ne C
hord
Son
g II
I. 12
BA
R B
LUES
I
-IV-I-
I-IV
-IV-I-
I-V-IV
-I-I
A.
Stan
d up
at t
he to
p of
the
form
B
. Sa
y th
e ch
ords
out
loud
C
. St
and
on I
chor
ds, S
it on
IV C
hord
s, Su
per H
ero
Pose
on
V c
hord
IV
. M
OSC
OW
194
1 H
AR
MO
NIC
PR
OG
RES
SIO
N
A.
Usi
ng d
ocum
ent c
amer
a to
ana
ylze
mus
ic a
nd c
hord
s i-v
-i-v-
VI-v
-iv7-
V
B.
Play
mel
ody
with
i R
eal B
app
. C
. Pl
ay m
elod
y w
ith B
ass l
ine
war
m-u
p D
. U
se a
diff
eren
t sty
le. J
ust b
ecau
se th
e st
yle
chan
ges d
oes t
he c
hord
pro
gres
sion
s cha
nge?
Can
you
look
up
Mea
dow
land
s for
me
and
see
if w
e ca
n fin
d it in diff
eren
t styles? It has th
ree na
mes “ Cossack Patrol”, “Meado
wland
s”, “
Polyushk
a po
le”
V.
FOU
R C
HO
RD
SO
NG
- A
lot o
f pop
mus
ic u
ses t
he fo
llow
ing
chor
ds I-
V-v
i-IV
A
sses
smen
t I.
Writ
ten
wor
k in
por
tfolio
II.
O
bser
vatio
n II
I. Fi
nal P
roje
ct C
hoic
e
Patrick Marsh Middle School Instrumental Music Department Chris Gleason, Band Director NAME___________________________
7th GRADE 6th Hour BAND Third Quarter PORTFOLIO
Build Myelin
My Plan To Practice
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Moscow 1941 The song identifies with an extremely important moment in history during the Second World War, in which the Red Army, against all odds, successfully defended Moscow against the German invasion. In October 1941, German troops were only 15 miles outside of Moscow, an unfavorable situation for the Soviet Union. Two million people had evacuated Moscow, but Joseph Stalin stayed to rally morale. In November, the Germans launched a new attack on Moscow. The Soviet Army held their ground and brought the Germans to a halt. Stalin insisted on a counterattack; and although his commanders had doubts, they launched their own offensive on December 4.The Germans, caught off guard and demoralized by the recent defeat, were pushed back and began retreating. By January, they had been pushed back nearly 200 miles.
Soviet Army in Counterattack Moscow Kremlin
The Tune….”Meadowland” "Polyushko Pole" (Meadowland) is a Russian song. It is claimed that the song was originally written during the Russian Civil War and was sung by the Red Army.
For the Soviet variant of the song, the music was by Lev Knipper, with lyrics by Viktor Gusev. Knipper's song was part of the symphony with chorus (lyrics by Gusev) "A Poem about a Komsomol Soldier" composed in 1934. It was covered many times by many artists in the Soviet Union.
Several Western arrangements of the tune are known under the title "The Cossack Patrol", particularly a version by Ivan Rebroff, and some under other titles including "Meadowland", "Cavalry of the Steppes" and "Gone with the Wind".
Meadowland:
Meadowlands, meadowlands, Through you heroes now are treading
Red army heroes of the nation Heroes of the mighty Red army, ah!
Maidens are weeping
Their solitary vigils keeping Weeping for their sweethearts who are fighting
Fighting in the mighty Red army, ah!
Gay roads are winding The sunlight on them now is shining Over them the heroes are passing Heroes of the might Red army, ah!
Let ev’ry maiden
With heart no longer heavy laden Strike up the singing now more loudly Sing of fighting song so proudly, ah!
Lev Knipper
Chord Progression Instrument i chord iv chord v chord VI chord
C G-Bb-D C-Eb-G D-F-A Eb-G-Bb Bb A-C-E D-F-A E-G-B F-A-C Eb E-G-B A-C-E B-D-F# C-E-G F D-F-A G-Bb-D A-C-E Bb-D-F
i v v i VI v iv v
Group Identity
Percussion
What is balance in a band? Two types: Vertical (chords) Horizontal (melody, countermelody, bass line)
Pride
Living in Harmony Harmony is ___________________________. Chords are ___________________________. Major Scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Natural Minor Scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Moscow Project Options: Directions: Your Moscow project is due in band on ______. The project will be included in the assessment for Quarter 3. It will be graded on the following criteria: Showing Understanding of Content (accuracy) Effort Creativity Timeliness You may choose a project idea from the list or create your own project. However, if you decide to create your own project, please check it over with Mr.G before you begin. Quality projects will be used in a special video introduction for the music at our Spring Concert.
1) Think about a worthy cause or something that could be improved at school or in the community. Create a mission statement that defines the purpose of the group. Find other people that have the same vision and create an action plan. Follow through with the plan and write a report about the success of the plan. You will need to show evidence of the group, mission statement, and positive influence you had.
2) Create a video game or board game that would depict the events that occur in this
story. The board game must include directions on how to play it and a paragraph explaining how it relates to the story and music.
3) Learn a traditional Russian Dance and teach it to the rest of the ensemble. You
need to include a brief written description of the dance and it’s history. You will need to teach the dance to the rest of the ensemble using traditional Russian music like Meadowlands.
4) Pretend you are a newspaper reporter living in Moscow during these events and
write an article describing the events as they unfold.
5) Create a small band with members of each section based on the sound pyramid. Record yourselves playing Moscow 1941 for 5 minutes each day for one week. Analyze recordings for balance (both types) and show evidence of improvement.
6) Oher ideas??? Ask Mr. Gleason. Be creative!
Portfolio Grading Rubric 4
Flying High!
3
Taking Off!
2
Still On The Runway!
1 (Fix It)
Missed the Flight
Timeliness All portfolio entries are complete. Introduction is well prepared and thoughtful.
Nearly all portfolio entries are complete. Introduction is good, but could be more thought out.
Most portfolio entries are complete. Introduction is complete, but needs improvement.
Portfolio entries not complete and/or introduction not complete.
Understanding of Content (Accuracy)
Portfolio answers and introduction display evidence of clear understanding.
Portfolio answers and introduction nearly all correct with very few errors.
Portfolio answers and introduction contain mostly correct information, but with some errors.
Project and introduction contains many errors.
Effort Displayed thought and care in work. Good grammar/ spelling.
Good care and effort displayed. Only minor corrections needed.
Some effort is shown, but more effort is needed to complete project.
Student needs to put forth more effort and redo it.
Creativity Project displays creativity and good planning. Unique!
Project has some creative parts, but could be improved in areas.
Project needs to be more creative. Little imagination displayed.
Not creative or unique. Show your personality.
Where Are We Headed? Our country seems obsessed with increasing math and literacy scores. Terms such as “tougher standards”, “higher expectations”, “raising the bar” and “accountability” have been thrown around by politicians in recent years. Teachers have been besieged with new initiatives and terms such as the Common Core Standards, Educator Effectiveness, Danielson Framework, SLO’s, Smart Goals, and Data. All of this has caused me to ponder the following: What is the intent of all of these changes? Why are we so focused on the data collected from standardized tests? Why do these tests focus on a narrow area of the curriculum? Is what is most important about learning found on a standardized test? Can a single number represent a child, a teacher, a school, or a school district? Is it truly a Race To The Top? Can we afford to have winners and losers in education? What is the affect surrounding school for our students? Does it matter if kids love learning? Does it matter if teachers love teaching? Those who have attended a CMP Workshop the past few years know my opinion of Sir Ken Robinson. I have found great wisdom in his books, TED talks, and podcasts. His ideas seem to help me sort through all of the chaos in education today and to keep my attention on what is most important - the students. Below are a few excerpts from various authors including Sir Ken Robinson focusing on many of the questions raised above. Our Narrow Focus Of Academic Ability And Certain Disciplines. We have learned that intelligence is diverse, dynamic and distinct. So why are we so focused on math and reading? “All over the world, governments are pouring vast resources into education reform. In the process, policy makers typically narrow the curriculum to emphasize a small group of subjects, tie schools up in a culture of standardized testing and limit the discretion of educators to make professional judgments about how and what to teach. These reforms are typically stifling the very skills and qualities that are essential to meet the challenges we face: creativity, cultural understanding, communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Many people are diverted from their natural paths in life by the preoccupation in education with academic intelligence and the hierarchy of disciplines. It shows itself especially in the distinction between academic and vocational programs and the idea that doing practical work or studying for a trade is lower grade than taking an academic degree (Robinson 339) “One of the consequences of standardization is that the curriculum has become increasingly narrow” says Sir Ken Robinson in his book “Out Of Our Minds” (710). “In many school systems the emphasis is on languages and the so-called STEM disciplines - science, technology, mathematics and engineering -- at the expense of the arts, humanities and physical education. It is essential that there is an equal balance between these areas of the curriculum because each reflects major areas of cultural knowledge and experience, to which we all should have equal access” (710-711). Our narrow focus on academic ability and certain elevated disciplines in schools clearly alienate students whose real interests and abilities are found elsewhere. Standardized Tests Measure What Matters Least Companies continue to ask for more creative and innovative employees yet this is not shown on standardized tests. “National assessments emphasize ‘measurable outcomes’ and focus on testing students’ recall of factual knowledge and skills that can be measured comparatively. They generally take little account of
experimentation, original thinking and innovation. The focus of teaching narrows and so does students’ learning and achievement” (Robinson 722). Another real consequence of these tests is the effect it has on kids self-confidence. Kids are ranked, sorted and labeled. Being one of those kids who scored low on my ACT I thought for many years that I was not intelligent. As Einstein put it, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” However, there are many other flaws with standardized testing as pointed out in Alfie Kohn’s book The Case Against Standardized Testing. “The quest for objectivity may lead us to measure students on the basis of criteria that are a lot less important” (Kohn 4) Why? Because the tests “don’t assess the skills and dispositions that matter most. Even the exceptions--questions that test the ability to reason--generally fail to offer students the opportunity “to carry out extended analyses, to solve open-ended problems, or to display command of complex relationships, although these abilities are at the heart of higher-order competence” (Kohn 7). “Most standardized tests ignore the process by which students arrive at an answer, so a miss is as good as a mile and a minor calculation error is interchangeable with a major failure of reasoning” (Kohn 8). Moreover, the “more a test is made to ‘count’ -- in terms of being the basis for promoting or retaining students, for funding or closing down schools-the more that anxiety is likely to rise and the less valid the scores become” (Kohn 5). What Is In A Number? I’m troubled by how little information is conveyed by a single number, but how much weight and importance we are giving numbers when review our school and district report cards. “Any aspect of learning (or life) that appears in numerical form seems reassuringly scientific; if the numbers are getting larger over time, we must be making progress. Concepts such as intrinsic motivation and intellectual exploration are difficult for some minds to grasp, whereas test scores, like sales figures or votes, can be calculated and tracked and used to define success and failure. Broadly speaking, it is easier to measure efficiency than effectiveness, easier to rate how well we’re doing something than to ask whether what we’re doing makes sense. Not everyone realizes that the process of coming to understand ideas in a classroom is not always linear or quantifiable - or, in fact, that measurable outcomes may be the least significant results of learning.” (Kohn 4) Sir Ken Robinson states it like this “Not everything we know can be put into words and numbers, nor are words and numbers all that we know” (710). Einstein’s view is “Not everything important is measurable and not everything measurable is important.” However, the quote that puts it best is “Institutional assessment efforts should not be concerned about valuing what can be measured, but instead, about measuring that which is valued.” (T.W. Banta, J.P. Lunch, K.E. Black, F.W. Oblander) Loss Of Curiosity And The Love Of Learning So what...all of this reform stuff is here to stay--just deal with it right? We need to be concerned about the “affect” in education. Kids come to school with curiosity and love for learning. I have seen this begin to wane with my own children who are in elementary school. Do they grow out of this curiosity and love for learning or are they educated out of it? According to Chris Wink, founder/performer of the Blue Man Group, “on a metaphorical level, the traditional model of education is that children are freight cars and the school is a grain silo. It fills each of the kids up and then moves them down the track. We [The Blue School, NY] are creating a launch pad where kids are the rockets and we’re just trying to find the fuse.” (Robinson 733). We as educators need to shift our focus from trying to raise scores on bad tests to finding the fuse that will ignite each child’s love of learning.
I see politicians and administrators working harder than ever to get our school “machine” to run better and more efficiently. The problem though is that the “system” is outdated and will no longer meet the needs of our rapidly changing world. We need to embrace the concept that intelligence is broader that our current views. We need to realize that standardized tests do not give us definitive numbers in which we can solely base major decisions. We need to realize that “the task of education is not to teach subjects: it is to teach students. No school is better than its teachers” (Robinson 697). We need to see educators as professionals and give them the tools they need to make the best decisions for their students. We need to support educators with highly developed professional development which encourages collaboration and not competition. We need to make decisions based on data from multiple sources and look to research to find best practices. We need to take a vested interest in each of our students and realize that “at the heart of education is the relationship between teachers and students. If students are not learning, education is not happening” (Robinson 647). “We’ve bought into the idea that education is about training and “success”, defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and to challenge. We should not forget that the true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers” (Hedges 16). I’m not sure where we are headed in education. It is important for us all to ask questions and to continue to find wisdom as we navigate these uncharted waters. “Farmers and gardeners know you cannot make a plant grow...The plant grows itself. What you do is provide the conditions for growth. And great farmers know what the conditions are and bad ones don’t. Great teachers know what the conditions for growth are and bad ones don’t” (Robinson 2008). Chris Gleason is a band director at Patrick Marsh Middle School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He is past-chair of the CMP and the WSMA ML Honors Band and Chair-Elect of the WSMA ML Honors Project. [email protected] References: Banta, T.W., Lund, J.P., Black, K.E., & Oblander, F.W. (1996). Assessment in Practice: Putting Principles to Work on College Campuses. San Fancisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hedges, Chris. Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. New York: Nation Books, 2009. Print. Kohn, Alfie. The Case Against Standardized Testing. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 2000. Print Robinson, Sir Ken. “Developing Imagination in Education” Full Sail University, March 25, 2008. Lecture. Robinson, Sir Ken. Out of our Minds: Learning to be Creative. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing, 2011. iBook, Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Chris Gleason earned his BME at UW-Eau Claire in 1997 and his Masters Degree from UW-LaCrosse in 2002. He has taught band in the East Troy School District and the LaCrosse School District. He currently teaches concert band and jazz ensemble at Patrick Marsh Middle School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Mr. Gleason's 8th Grade Band has performed at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin State Capitol Rotunda, the "New Wisconsin Promise Conference", and the 2006 and 2009 Wisconsin State Music Conferences. The Patrick Marsh Middle School Band has commissioned composers such as Samuel R. Hazo (Blue and Green Music -2009), Brian Balmages (Sun Cycles – 2012), Michael Sweeney (Particles - 2013), Erik Morales (One Giant Leap - 2014) and John Mackey (TBA – 2015). In 1992 Mr. Gleason was selected as the Wisconsin Governor’s Scholar to Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. Mr. Gleason has performed professionally at Disneyland, Valleyfair, and the Mall of America. He has been
guest conductor of numerous camps and festivals including the National Band Association –Wisconsin Chapter Junior High All-State Band, Tri-State Honors Band, UW-Milwaukee Honors Band and UW-Whitewater Band Camp. He is the past-chair of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Committee, chair of the Wisconsin State Middle Level Honors Band and chair-elect of the Wisconsin State Middle Level Honors Program. He has taught CMP Workshops at VanderCook College of Music, the Los Angeles Unified School District in California, The Total Music Educators Workshop, numerous school districts in the Midwest, and recently in Hong Kong. Mr. Gleason was the recent recipient of the Vi Miller Award for Excellence by Dane Arts. Mr. Gleason is the founder and organizer of the Band Festival at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells. Mr. Gleason is a member of NBA, WMEA, and NAfME. Email - ([email protected]) Website - (http://www.spbb.org/patrick-marsh-bands.html)
THANK YOU! Contact me if you have any questions! Chris Gleason Patrick Marsh Middle School 1351 Columbus St., Sun Prairie, 53590 Email: [email protected] Website - (http://www.spbb.org/patrick-marsh-bands.html) 608-834-7625 CMP info at Wisconsin CMP Project http://www.wmea.com/CMP/ CMP info at Illinois CMP Project http://illinoiscmp.weebly.com/ Upcoming CMP Workshops: June 22-26, 2015 at Viterbo University, LaCrosse, WI July 7-10, 2015 at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL July 20-24, 2015 at VanderCook University, Chicago, IL
