Bluegrass Country Lesson - November 26, 2013 Teacher: Christa Cook Materials: Bluegrass Country sheet music Objectives/Assessment:

The students will correctly play the rhythms in m. 5-12, m. 13-20, and m. 25-28. The students will differentiate between articulations in m. 1-28 (slurs, staccato, accents) and play these articulations correctly in the music. The students will identify the melody, harmony, and bass lines in m. 1-28 and balance dynamics accordingly. Personal Objective: My objectives for this lesson are to stylize my conducting to look like the way I want the piece to sound and to get through the warm-up a bit quicker so I have more time to rehearse the actual piece. Introduction: My name is Ms. Cook, and today I am going to be working with you on Bluegrass Country. 1. [Write rhythm patterns on board before lesson.] Echo me please. Speak Rhythm Pattern #1, students echo. Repeat if needed to ensure correct articulation. Repeat process with Rhythm Patterns #2 and #3. Rhythm Pattern #1 Rhythm Pattern #2 Rhythm Pattern #3

2. Speak a rhythm pattern and ask students to hold up one, two, or three fingers to indicate which pattern on the board matches. Repeat with each pattern. 3. Play each pattern several times and have students echo the patterns back, pointing to students when it is their turn. 4. Pluck on your open A and D strings this pattern: D A D rest. Basses, please join in with what is written in your part in m. 1-4. After students pluck pattern, briefly explain importance of bass line in the piece. 5. Find measure 5 in your music. Raise your hand if you think you have the melodythats right, violin 2 and viola! Raise your hand if you have the harmony part. Thats you, first violins! Model correct articulation on violin. Vln 2 and Vla play from m. 5-8. Focus on correct articulation and dynamic. Ask ensemble what they thought of their peers articulations and dynamics. All play from m. 5-12. 6. Raise your hand if you play at m. 13. (Model correct articulation in first violin part and explain how to do accents more bow weight and faster bow.) I would like to hear these

sections play from m. 13-20. If you do not play here, listen carefully to where the first violins are placing the accents, and watch where they are playing in the bow. After playing, ask students about location in bow and whether or not they heard accents in the correct places. Re-emphasize importance of accenting offbeats. Play again. 7. Look at m. 21. Does this part look familiar to you? Yes, it is the same as m. 5. Which sections need to be heard in this part? 8. Now look at m. 25-28. Raise your hand if you see a familiar rhythm pattern in your part. Which pattern is it? Play from m. 25-28. Play again if needed to solidify violin 2 and viola parts. 9. Go back to the beginning of the piece. We are going to play through from m. 1-28. Remember your articulations and follow the dynamics in your part. Play through first section of piece. Give feedback as appropriate. If time allows, run through one more time. 10. Closure: You did a great job of playing the different articulations in your parts, and listening across the ensemble to hear how your parts fit together. To make this piece really sparkle at your concert, keep practicing locking in your rhythms and articulations both within your own section and with the other sections, and balance your own playing with the section who has the melody.