CMP Teaching Plan

Katy Steklac
Beginning Band

Title: Anasazi
Composer: John Edmondson
(Arranger or Editor): N/A
Instrumentation/Voicing: flute, oboe (optional), B-flat clarinet, B-flat bass clarinet,
bassoon, E-flat alto saxophone, B-flat tenor saxophone (optional), E-flat baritone
saxophone, French horn (optional),
B-flat cornet/trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, bells, snare drum, wood block,
tambourine
Publisher (and publisher number): Queenwood/KJOS Q881002

Analysis
Broad Description/Type/Genre: Anasazi is a Grade 1 piece written for beginning band.
It is based on the history and culture of the Native American Anasazi Indian tribe.

Background Information

Composer (taken directly from conductor score): John Edmondson is an

internationally known composer and arranger with hundreds of publications to
his credit. His years of experience as a teacher, editor, performer and
conductor make him uniquely qualified as an authority in the field of
educational music for band.

History: Anasazi was written for the 1987 Anasazi Elementary School Band in
Scottsdale, Arizona, only several miles away from John Edmondsons home. From 1 A.D.
to 1300, the Anasazi Indian tribe lived in the four corners area of the southwestern
United States. While there was never an official tribe named Anasazi, archeologists
have coined that name for people who lived in the Four Corners region before 1300.
The word Anasazi means ancient ones or ancient enemies in Navajo.
The members of this tribe were primarily cliff dwellers, and their homes were built
in canyon walls or under rock overhangs. The Anasazi were important in the
development of roads and irrigation systems, and much of what they have left behind
has defined American Southwestern culture today, including the art style. Over time,
the population declined and eventually disappeared due to several raids and intrusions
that the Apache and Navajo tribes made on their territory as well as a chronic drought
that made it difficult to grow abundant crops. The modern day Hopi and Pueblo
consider the Anasazi its ancestors.
Traditional Native American music typically includes a rhythmic bass line
ostinato, which is present in Anasazi. Percussion instruments are very common, and
many native singers will not sing without a hand drum and or a rattle. The tom-tom is
never a phrase that the Native Americans use to describe their music, but their drums
typically have a hollowed out sound. Rattles are often made of raw hides, gourds or
metal cans, and dancers typically wear the rattles on their bodies in order to add
rhythm to the music. Often the music will not fit into a traditional 3/4 or 4/4 notation, and
it will have an air or wildness to it, which relates to the Native Americans close
relationship with the natural world. The songs are typically non-dance songs and are
usually more healing in nature or even lullabies.
Songs of the Pueblo, descendants of the Anasazi, typically have a great amount
of tension in the vocal parts. Often the vocal parts are preceded by a low pitched
introduction. Interestingly, their style is characterized by the close relationship between
the meter of the drum and the meter of the melody. Changes in melody are closely
matched by changes in the rhythm of the drum.

Additional Choral/Instrumental Information: The motive is not directly taken from

Anasazi Native American music but rather is a characterization of the style associated
with the tribe. However, the second movement of Three Hungarian Songs by Bela
Bartok is written similar in style, and other Bartok pieces are written in the arch form just
as Anasazi is.

Elements of Music:

Form: The piece is in arch form (ABCBA with an introduction and coda.) The
percussion parts often signal a new section.
Introduction: m. 1-2- begins with an ostinati in low brass/woodwinds/ percussion
A: m. 3-10- introduction of melodic motive in flute, clarinets and trumpets, original
ostinato continues
B: m. 11-18- percussion drops out, canon in winds begin, percussion only in m. 14
& 18, bass line ostinato continues
C: m. 19-34- ascending melodic lines, percussion only in m. 26 & 33-34, low winds
ostinato drops out at m. 27
B: m. 35-42- percussion drops out, canon in winds begin, percussion only in m. 38
& 42, ostinato reinstated
A: m. 43-52, restatement of motive, percussion comes back in with original
ostinato
Coda: m. 53-end, ostinato continues until end, final chord with full band

Edmondson uses the arch form to connect his ideas together. By starting and
ending the piece with the same motive and adding development in the middle, he
symbolizes a journey, but he emphasizes the importance of returning home.

Rhythm: There is a half-quarter-quarter note ostinato is stated from m. 1 in the

percussion and bass line. The ostinato drops out in section C (m. 27), and the section
is led by the high winds who play quarter notes and half notes. The ostinato comes
back as originally stated in measure 35. Because of the slow tempo (quarter note=
72), it is important to play the simple rhythms with a controlled steady beat. The most
complex rhythms are eighth notes in the A section with quarter notes permeating
the B and C development sections. In traditional Native American music, the vocal
part is preceded by a low-pitched introduction, which is present in this piece.

Melody: The simple eight bar melody can be described as a two bar melody that is
restated in a different way four times. However, the melody can be performed with
four bar phrases. Below is what the melody looks like the first time it is stated:
Every two measures that follows the original two bar statement is a slight variation of
the original with the rhythmic and melodic elements being altered in some way. The
simple melody is originally stated by flute, clarinet and trumpet. In the development
sections, there are predominantly ascending melodic lines that are layered among
instrument choirs. In the restatement of the motive at m. 43, the melody is canonic
with the flutes following the clarinets and trumpets.

Native American music typically has a great amount of tension in the melodic vocal
line, and it is intriguing that Edmonson hovers around the dominant for a majority of
the piece and doesnt finally resolve it until the final chord of the piece.

In addition, it the restatement of A at the end of the piece, the trumpets and
clarinets begin the melody, and the flutes come in one bar later to create a canon.
This creates a conversation between the instruments, and it illustrates how the
motive has been passed on through the development. It embodies the same idea,
but it has a new twist to it.

Harmony: This piece is written in G minor, but overall, a Dorian modality is prominent.
Each section is characterized by its own tonality/modality:

Section Modality/Tonality
A G Minor
B G Dorian shifts to G Minor (with a 2)
C G Minor (with a 2)
B G Dorian shifts to G Minor (with a 2)
A G minors

Interestingly, in the B-C-B development section, a lowered 2nd scale degree is

present in both the middle and low voices. Both times that the B section is stated, it is
written in canonic parallel thirds. This presents a unique challenge to beginning
players to work on blend and balance.

Timbre: The timber is primarily dark in nature. For a majority of the piece, it is heavily
scored with the low brass and woodwinds providing a strong harmonic foundation.
In the C section, there is an opportunity for a brass choir plus saxophones and
 woodwind choir to develop stronger blend and balance. Pueblo music often uses
percussion to signal a new idea, and Edmondson utilizes this concept. A tambourine
and snare drum with the snare turned off are used to symbolize the rattle and
hollowed out drums that are often used in native music.

Texture: Anasazi is written primarily in a homophonic texture with the high brass and
high and middle woodwinds playing the melody and low brass and low woodwinds
playing the accompaniment. This is important because in traditional Pueblo music,
there is often a vocal melody with percussion accompaniment. In B sections, the
canonic motive creates several layers, moving from moderate scoring to heavy
scoring.

Expression: The Dorian modality and minor tonality lends itself to a composer stated
style of subdued and mysterioso. The slower tempo and articulations offers young
students an opportunity to play phrases in a sustained and legato fashion. It is
important that as the melodic line ascends, the dynamic level should increase, and
as the melody descends, the dynamic level should decrease. Any time a whole
note is played at the end of the phrase, it should be tapered in volume. In the B
section, the dynamics are terraced into 4 bar phrases, with a crescendo and
decrescendo shaping the phrase.

The Heart Statement: Written in an arch form that connects multiple musical ideas,
Anasazi seamlessly connects the past to present.

Introducing the Piece (a strategy): Play a recording of traditional Native American

music. Ask students to describe what they are hearing, what emotions it evokes, etc.
Then we will sight read the piece.

Take out the Piece:

- Written in Dorian Mode
- about an ancient Indian tribe
- with title that means ancient ones
- that utilizes a canon
- about people who lived in the Four Corners areas of the United States
- where the low brass and woodwinds have a rhythmic ostinato
- that is in arch form
- by John Edmondson

Skill Outcome- Students will perform soft dynamics with a sustained and controlled tone.

Strategies
1. Long tones- Students will play each note of concert B-flat major scale in
whole notes in four different ways with a focus on soft dynamics:
- Forte
- Piano
- With a crescendo
- With a decrescendo
2. Garage Band/ Audacity- Project program up on to screen, and have
students play from m. 1-8 at different dynamic levels. Observe the sound
waves created on the screen, and watch how the sound waves change with
each dynamic. Challenge the students to make the smallest waves possible.
3. Hot and Cold Game- Hide a small object somewhere in the classroom while
one student is out in the hallway. When student reenters, students play m. 1-8
with dynamic contrast depending on how close the student is to the object.
They play louder as student gets closer and softer as the students moves
farther away.
4. Glass of Water- Play a concert B-flat, and as the teacher slowly fills a jar with
water, ensemble crescendos. As the water is poured out, the ensemble
decrescendos. Repeat exercise with the B sections of music.
5. Bouncy Balls- www.bouncyballs.org- This website will be projected up on the
interactive whiteboard. Students play from m. 1-8 using the dynamics written,
and depending on the volume, the balls bounce higher or lower. The focus
will be on keeping the balls from bouncing.
6. Recording- I will recorder the students playing the piece and then play it
back from them. They will self-assess themselves for how the tone and
dynamics correlate. Does the sound quality is maintained when soft
dynamics are played, or does it get worse?
7. Visuals: Use breathing exercises (using concentrated inhalation and
exhalation using a specified number of counts) using these visuals of air
speeds:
a. Piano- Think of a paper airplane gliding across the room
b. Mezzo forte- Throwing a dart
c. Fortissimo- bow and arrow
8. Levels: Introduce levels. This is something I use with my middle school students,
and this piece will be a great introduction to them. Playing a concert B-flat
major scale and then excerpts from the piece, we will play at different levels
(see below) and have a discussion as to why the lower levels are best in this
piece.

a. Level 0- silence
b. Level 1, 2, 3- pianissimo to piano (talking so quietly in the school library
so that the librarian doesnt get after you)
c. Level 4, 5, 6- mezzo piano to mezzo forte (talking to a friend during
quiet work time in class- talking to a friend in the cafeteria during lunch
time)
d. Level 7,8,9- forte to fortissimo (outside voices)
e. Level 10- Your loudest sound without sacrificing tone quality (yelling to
a friend during a sporting event)
 Assessment: Using SmartMusic, students will perform individual playing tests from
m. 1-8. Teacher will assess for tone and dynamics.

Knowledge Outcome- Students will understand how the composer uses arch form to
connect multiple ideas.
Strategies
1. Listening- To get the students thinking about how a piece of music is
constructed, we will listen to the following pieces and talk about how the
different sections sound different:
Fossils https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGI-hYVslPU
Viennese Musical Clock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ws0tATJLg

I will then give them packets with small sheets of paper labeled with A, B,
or C. With a partner, students will listen to March of the Wooden Soldier by
Tchaikovsky and using the cards, they will put in order what they believe
to be the musical form of the piece.
2. Movement- Play a recording of Anasazi. As a class, students will create a
movement for each section, keeping in mind that all of the like sections
should be same. However, during the second time the A section is stated,
the students will create a variation on their original A movement (For
example, if the original A movement is swaying back and forth, the A
movement might be swaying with hands over the head.) Students will
spread out in the space of the room and move to the music.
3. Happy- Use the abbreviated lesson from this blog
(http://makemomentsmatter.weebly.com/content/the-happy-song-pharrel-
and-form). Especially emphasize the bridge (What does a physical bridge
do? It connects things!) and how it connects two ideas that go together.
4. Design a week of class using arch form- Teach a simple 4 beat melody by
ear, and add to it each day. By the end of the week, students will have
learned a 5 bar melody by ear.
5. Smores analogy- Give each student ingredients for a smore (2 graham
crackers, 2 pieces of chocolate and a marshmallow.) After rehearsing
Anasazi in full, students arrange the ingredients in order that they think best
fits the form. Take a bite of one of the graham crackers to simulate A. At the
conclusion of this, the students will journal about why the composer used the
form he did:
a. How would be the piece be different if the composer didnt use the B
and C sections (AKA your marshmallow and chocolate?)
b. Why do you think John Edmondson started and ended with the same
idea?
6. Composition in arch form- Students will create 5 measure compositions in
arch form to explore how to connect musical ideas:
 a. Parameters
o Use only the 5 notes of the B-flat pentatonic scale
o Your composition should start and end on B-flat.
o You may use quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, and whole
notes.
o Your composition should follow the arch form of ABCBA.
o You should be able to play your own composition on your
instrument.

Assessment:
7. Part markings- Students will mark where new ideas begin and return on their
own part. Teacher will spot check for accuracy.

Affective Outcome- Students will discover the significant influence that tradition has in
other cultures and in their own lives.
Strategies
1. Turn and Talk- In pair, students brainstorm a list of societal traditions- weddings,
funerals, first day of school, 4th of July, December holidays, etc.
2. Tradition of Storytelling: Watch the video,
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNY7L_RdObA). Students the following
questions with a neighbor:
a. Why is storytelling important to the Native American culture?
b. Why is the tradition of storytelling important to us?
3. Telephone Game- Play classic game- one student says a secret phrase into the
ear of his or her neighbor, that person says it to his or her neighbor, and so on
until it gets to the last person. This will show how tradition is passed down to us. It
might not be in the original form, but the message is still important.
4. Journaling- Give each kid an index card, and ask them to write about the most
meaningful tradition in their lives.
5. Medicine Lodge woman:
a. Students will brainstorm what two foods they would eat if they could eat
nothing else. Have students brainstorm what their food list preference
might tell about a person. Ask students to explain why they have chosen
these particular food items. How and why do the food preferences differ?
b. Watch this video of the Medicine Lodge woman:
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/
c. Class Discussion: Begin a discussion of the traditional meal that Rosella
prepared. Why did she choose the food she did? What role did her family
have in preparing the meal? What were some of the traditions that were
present in this video?
d. Extension of class discussion: Students will discuss where her beliefs about
food originated? Have students discuss their food memories. Do the two
foods that they originally brainstormed have any connection to tradition?

Assessment:
 Interview- Students will interview an older family member about family
traditions. Students will write a short essay about what they learn, and it will
be assessed for student understanding of why that tradition is important to
their family member.
o What were some of the traditions you had in your family when
you were a kid?
o How has the tradition changed since you started doing it?
o How would the holidays be different if your family didnt do it?

Music Selection

Anasazi is a very unique musical piece written for beginning band. Unlike the majority of
Grade 1 concert band compositions, it is lyrical and written in a slower tempo. Its Dorian
modality lends itself to a different listening experience for young players. The technical
requirements for the piece are minimal, and it is written in a range that is very
accessible for beginning band students. Cornet/trumpets only play up to a C in the
staff, and clarinets do not cross the break. Tenor saxophone, oboe, and French horn
parts are optional.

In addition to the assessable technical requirements, the rich history of the Anasazi
Indian tribes allows for students to draw a greater connection between the past and
the present and convey a strong musical tradition.

Sources:

Teaching Music through Performance: Beginning Band-

http://faculty.washington.edu/sjmorris/305/Anasazi.pdf

http://pages.towson.edu/brenda/newmexico/anasazi.htm

http://www.crystalinks.com/anasazi.html

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ahc/who_were_the_anasazi.html