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String Ensemble One: Vi Ola middle school Setting: A. Middle school String Ensemble B.

Elective course for instrumentalists with prior string experience th th C. Open to 6 graders with fifth grade string experience or 7 graders with six grade experience D. One semester, two-three times weekly, 50 minutes Prerequisites:

A. At least one year previous string experience strongly recommended B. Private study congruently encourage C. Prior exposure to standard notation I: Goals (aims and objectives) A. National Standards for Arts Education: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards/full-text/k-4-standards/aspx B. Cohesive String ensemble C. Right Hand Skills: A. Have developed martele, spiccato, sautille and detache strokes. B. Rhythmic patterns with bow C. Consistent Parallel bowing D. Smooth direction change E. Good tone with slow and fast bowing F. 3 and 4 note slurs G. String crossing at moderate to fast tempos D. Left Hand Skills: A. Beginning Vibrato B. Scales of 3-sharps to 3-flats C. 2 octave arpeggios D. Consistent left hand position E. Consistent finger patterns in low and medium range F. Knowledge of 1st-5th positions and proper shifting G. Learning minor keys E. Reading: A. Read and name notes of the major scales learned B. Sight read example melodies in each of major scales with different rhythmic patterns C. Construction of major/minor keys D. Simple and compound meters F. Aural: A. Imitate short melodic phrases in known keys B. Imitate rhythmical patterns C. Play simply melodies by ear in different keys D. Tuning with harmonic E. Ability to play and tune as a group G. Social Development A. Teamwork, working together towards end goal B. Confidence, and leadership

H. Historical: A. Understand historical concepts learned about repertoire taught B. Knowledge of composer and musical era C. Societal significance of II. What subject matter and experience will most likely help students achieve these goals? *See Attached resource list III. How can these be put together programmatically? *See attached timeline IV. How will the curricular results be evaluated? A. B. C. D. E. F. Informal Observation of posture and technique during rehearsals Six Formal individual performance hearings, periodically held until concert Three short quizs for historical and reading based knowledge Concert and attendance will be the majority of semester long grade Chair auditions, held at starts of semester, challenged by peers Class grade percentages a. 30% concert participation and attendance b. 10% class assignments c. 10% quiz each d. 5% hearings each

Resources Hamann, Donald L. and Gillespie, Robert (2004). Strategies for Teaching Strings: Building a Successful String and Orchestra Program. Oxford University Press. Litrell, David (2008). Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra, Vol. 1, 2 and 3. GIA Publications, Inc. Straub, Dorothy and Bergonzi, Louis and Witt, Anne (1996). Strategies for teaching String and Orchestra. MENC. ISBN1-56545-082-5. Rolland, Paul (1958). Success with School Orchestras. University of Illinois. Erwin, Joanne (2004). Prelude to Music Education. Prentice Hall. www.isme.org www.stringpedagogy.com

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Timeline/Schedule -Introduction Establish supportive classroom environment -Establish instruments and good placement within the room -Warm-ups used within classroom and at home -Learning to tune as an ensemble and individual -Introducing stand partner -First piece introduced -major/minor scale of first song introduced, finger patterns and reading exercises -listening, form, and historical context of song discussed -Small reading and composing exercises in key of first piece -Performance Hearing #1 -Continuation of first piece -Phrasing and dynamics of song talked about and worked on -Vibrato starting to be introduced -Complicated parts in piece isolated and worked on -Continuation of first piece -Addition of second piece -major/minor scale of second piece introduced -listening, form, and historical context of song discussed -Reading exercises -Performance Hearing #2 -Full run through of piece.1 -Isolate hard parts of piece.2 -Phrasing and shifting of piece.2 -review of historical and theoretical aspects of the first two pieces -Quiz 1 -Breaking down parts of the pieces to update exercises and warm-ups -continue running and working parts of piece.1 -Start running piece.2 completely -Begin more advanced finger exercises, including two octave arpeggios - work on reading and writing for seven major scales Eb to A -shifting 1st through fifth positions -Performance hearing #3 -Begin piece.3 -Historical and formal analysis of the new piece -Student led exercise, working on correct finger and bowing for new -begin reading short examples of all scales (the seven Eb-A) as part of warm-up -Play minor modes of A, and D -Bow games, associated with new bowings in Piece.3 -Playing rhythmic and bow patterns on open strings, and scales (in unison)

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-Piece.1 work towards really good intonation and musicality -Students write short compositions that their peers sight read -Performance hearing #4 -Piece.3 continued working through challenging parts -Piece.2 Work towards really good musicality -students compose a minor piece in 6.8 (four measure) for sight reading exercises -Quiz 2 -Piece.3 begin doing full run through -Work on trouble spots in piece.1 and .2 -week to challenge chair, or stand partner -Begin to play the pieces in full without stopping, in preparation for concert -Focus on bowings, and make sure everyone is using correct -Practice playing excerpts as softly as we can, and as loud, with correct posture and bow technique -Performance hearing #5 -Work of vibrato, vibrato games, with each finger -Shifting patterns -Work solely on small parts of pieces, working them measure by measure -Make sure they have good practice routines -Spend some time on scale games, and shifting games -Kind of fun week but working on a lot of technique for pieces, but away form them -Have some of the first chairs lead the pieces from the front, as concert masters -rhythmic bowings, scales with 8, 4, 3 ,2 ,1 bows, as well as patterns -work on pieces, 1-2 of the problem areas, adding measures before and after -Performance hearing #6 -Play in concert order from start to finish -Work on musicianship, dynamics, expression, vibrato of each song and worry less about intonation -Go through concert procedure of conductor walking out, and tuning, and who they tune too -Practice routine -review of all reading and historical information for last quiz -Quiz 3 -Performance

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