Anyone Can Arrange!

Lesson plan
Andrew Fouse
Setting: A lecture taking place in a high school band room or auditorium for
music students.
Objectives:

Educate students as to what exactly arranging is

Communicate to students that arranging is an accessible craft
Teach students an easy and efficient method of arranging they can
replicate
Demonstrate to them how easy creating an arrangement can be

Instructional Strategy:

Play for the students a piece in a setting that it was not

originally written for, the piece will be selected at the
beginning of the lecture (if possible, Ill select something
theyre familiar with, or something likely to draw their
attention)
o Great Gate of Kiev
o Gymnopedie no. 1
o O Magnum Mysterium
Introduce myself and briefly mention what I do and why I do it
o Use why I do it as segue into powerpoint
Begin powerpoint and go through the slides providing my own
supplemental information
o Check in with students for questions at points in the
lecture
Auditory and Visual stimulus present in audio clips and
sample music

Demonstration:
o
o
o

Reveal that Ive brought with me a bag of music books and manuscript
paper
Ask for instrumentalist volunteers (limit it to 4)
Choose random student to choose random book from bag, then have
another student randomly open the book to a page

Tell the instrumentalists to go get their instruments and briefly warmup while I make an arrangement
o While Im working explain what Im doing step-by-step
if projector is available, show them what Im doing in
finale and leave parts up there
If only an image/desktop projector is available, Ill put the
original under the camera and walk them through the
steps as I do them by hand on manuscript paper
At this point, present the instrumentalists with parts (or direct them to
the overhead projector)
o If possible, find the original as an example of before/after
Direct the instrumentalists in playing the excerpt of the piece (likely an
intro and A section or first verse)

Conclusion:
o
o

Take any questions

Give handouts with the follow-up activity and provide my url on the
whiteboard/chalkboard or projector