Tkeyah Daley

Lesson Plan

Student: Hanson Greenwell

Song: America the beautiful

Before any singing can take place, we have to follow do two different kinds of warm-ups.
1. Physical warm up
a. First some exercises that help to relax the body
i. Shoulder shrug (up, back and down)
ii. Reach for the sky (Imagine you are reaching for something very high
up on a shelf)
iii. Rag doll
b. Exercises to help with posture
i. Left foot in front of your right foot
ii. Feet should be firmly on the ground for balance (No leaning, bouncing
or moving!)
iii. Puppet on a string exercise
iv. Heavy shoulders
c. Breathing exercises
i. Inhale for 5, sustain for 5, exhale for 5
ii. Maintain the same posture, dont deflate!
iii. Imagine blowing a feather and keeping it in the air
d. Mouth Posture
i. Lips are relaxed
ii. Tongue shouldnt be retracted or depressed. Should stay behind
bottom teeth, relaxed
2. Vocal Warm Up
a. Descending Warm-ups should be first
i. Va- va- va.
ii. Mama, mama, mama maaa.
iii. Ya, ya, ya. (as a jaw exercise)
iv. Sing the days of the week, starting with Monday on each pitch
Okay! Now were almost ready to sing!
3. Song Background
a. What is America the Beautiful about
b. What does the song mean to you?
c. What kind of scene can you imagine for this song?
d. Are there any characters?
4. Song Preparation
a. Say the words of the song in rhythm
b. We are only doing the second verse because no one really knows it.
5. Sing it!
a. Remember posture, stand straight, and dont move!
b. Remember the background and what the song represents to you
c. Keep tongue relaxed and in the proper positions
d. Remember to keep mouth rounded and as open as possible.