High School

Symphonic Band Unit

Tripwire by JaRod Hall
 Table of Contents

About the Piece

- Composer Biography

- Program Notes

Unit Goals and Objectives

- National Standards

Lesson Plan Samples

- First sightread

- Introducing rhythm sheet

- Formative assessment example

- Final polishing rehearsal

Tools and Resources Created

- Rhythm Sheet

Assessments

- Assessments 1, 2, 3, 4

- Rubrics
 About the Piece
Composer Biography
JaRod Hall (b. 1991) is a Texas-native composer, educator, and performer. He holds a bachelor’s
degree in music education from the University of North Texas where he studied conducting
with Nicholas Williams and Dennis Fisher. JaRod's bands have received consistent sweepstakes
awards at the Texas University Interscholastic League Concert and Sightreading Evaluations, as
well as being recognized at the state level. In 2018 and 2019, JaRod's bands at Griffin Middle
School earned the Citation of Excellence award, honoring the top two non-varsity bands in the
state of Texas. Under his leadership, the R. L. Turner Marching Band in Carrollton, TX received
1st divisions and advanced to the Area Marching Contest for the first time in almost a decade;
his Varsity band at Sam Houston Middle School in Irving, Texas received the unanimous 1st
division ratings from all UIL judges for the first time in the school's history; his Varsity band at
Hobby Middle School in San Antonio, TX achieved the same feat for the first time in five years.

JaRod is a tuba and trombone player by trade and has been a part of many esteemed
ensembles such as the North Texas Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, 3 O’ Clock Lab Band,
Carrollton Wind Symphony, and Metropolitan Winds. During his time in high school, JaRod
made the Texas All-State Band for all four years of his eligibility - the first 3 years of which were
on tuba, eventually earning 1st chair Jazz Bass Trombone in the state his fourth and final year.
He served as drum major for the 2013 Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and was a member of
the 2014 Disneyland All-American College Band.

As a composer, JaRod's compositions appear on the Texas Prescribed Music List, The J.W.
Pepper "Editor's Choice" list, and the Bandworld Top 100 list. His composition Lost Woods
Fantasy was showcased at the 73rd annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago by the Berkner High
School Band composed of the first students JaRod taught as a band director in Richardson ISD.
His composition "Silver Fanfare" was selected as a winner of the Dallas Winds Call for Fanfares
and "Through the Storm" was selected as the 2021 Barbara Buehlman Prize winner for middle
school band - commissioned by David Puckett and the Keller Middle School Band, premiered for
Midwest by Robert Herrings the Artie Henry Middle School Band. Additionally, JaRod is a
nationwide marching band and WGI arranger and consultant.

JaRod is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Composition at Texas State University.
He resides in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Rachel (the smart one in the family) who is a
medical student at the University of Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Program Notes
“A tripwire is a low-bearing laser or string that sets off an explosion, trap, or alarm when
touched. This piece follows a team of bandits who must escape a secret hideout without being
detected or tripping the wire.
 Unit Objectives
Objective 1: Students will perform with accurate rhythm and counting by the concert.

Objective 2: Students will improve their individual rhythm counting skills while learning
Tripwire.

Objective 3: Students will perform syncopated rhythms with 75% accuracy by the concert.

Objective 4: Students will grow in individual confidence and demonstrate an understanding of

how their individual parts fit into the whole.

National Standards:
- Perform 4.2 - Analyze: Analyze the structure and context of varied musical works and
their implications for performance
- Perform 4.3 - Interpret: Develop personal interpretations that consider creators’ intent.
- Perform 6.1 - Present: Perform expressively, with appropriate interpretation and
technical accuracy, and in a manner appropriate to the audience and context
- Respond 7.2 - Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works
inform the response
- Respond 8.1 - Interpret: Support an interpretation of a musical work that reflects the
creators’/performers’ expressive intent
- Respond 9.1 - Evaluate: Support personal evaluation of musical works and
performance(s) based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
- Connect 11.0 - Relate Musical Ideas: Relate musical ideas and works with varied context
to deepen understanding.

Lesson Plans
1/17/23
 15 minutes: Full read and mini rehearsal
 Play top to bottom, stop as needed to regroup (4 -5 mins)
  Strategies:
 Count out loud if you aren’t playing
 After a full read, everyone count the rhythm that the lows have at m. 9
 Some have it, others have something like it, but we will all learn to count it!
 Flutes/oboes: m. 17
 Clarinets: something similar but different at m. 21 - who can tell me what’s
different?
 Bassoon, bass clarinet, bari sax, tuba at m. 9
 Tenor Sax, TBN, euph: m. 43
 Trumpets: m. 25
 Horns, altos, percussion: sorry, you don’t have it :( but you have other cool lines
no one else has!
 Process:
 I count first two measures, they repeat back (repeat 3X)
 Ask for a volunteer to count mm. 11 and 12?
 I count second 2 measures, they repeat back (2-3X)
 I count all 4 mm., they repeat
 Count and finger (those without line, just count)
 Sizzle and finger (same as before)
 Play it (others count out loud - or clap?)
 Start again at beginning after this

1/31/23
 Symphonic Band
 Run Tripwire rhythm warm-up for the first time 
 Lead them through writing in counts for first two lines 4 different ways!
 Count and clap first line, play on B flat
 Count and clap second line, play on B flat
 Play first two mm. of line 1 and first two mm. of line 2 in succession
 Group 1 plays line 1 and then group 2 plays line 2 after
 Group 1 plays line 1 and group 2 plays line 2 at same time
 Right into Tripwire rehearsal from 17 - 35
 Started at mm. 17
 Have them find the rhythms on warm-up sheet and clap along with those
who played
 Same for m. 25 - the rhythms from warm-up
 Then play 17 – 35

2/10/23
 Symphonic Band
 Sight Reading quiz
 Whole Tone scale - new notes
 Work on m. 82-89
  Take it 2 bars at a time, or even 1 bar - “What beat do we start on? And
what’s the next beat we play?”
 I sing the drum part while they play, be extra goofy to get them excited
about it
 Just be really animated about how exciting this part is, like scream count
the rhythms and be goofy, hopefully this gets them excited and having
fun with the part

2/15/23
 Symphonic Band
 Write in counts for Rhythms 3 and 7 on the board
 I model writing in counts for 7 
 Then i have them talk me through writing in counts for 3
 Or have one of the students volunteer to write up the counts for one if
they think they can
 Macro-micro-macro
 Then go back and polish m. 35 - 43. Here’s the sequence, follow it closely:
 Everyone who isn’t playing is keeping a steady beat - 
 Keep them engaged by changing up the ways they keep it with
each rep - clap it, count “1,2,3,4”, pat it on legs, sizzle a steady
beat, click their keys, tap their stands with pencils
 Group 1: bass line. I count it, then have them count with me (slow it
down if necessary)
 Count and finger
 I play, they finger along
 I play, they sizzle and finger (twice if necessary)
 Play it - fix as necessary, then play it again
 Switch to group 2: melody
 Same process
 Now play groups 1 and 2 together
 Now group 3: countermelody - hype up how special and cool this part is
 Same process
 Groups 1 and 3 play together
 Groups 1 and 2 play together
 Groups 2 and 3 play together
 Now move onto mm. 39-42
 Fix as needed
 Play 35-43
 Can we play m. 1-43 by the end of class? With me singing a lot for the percussion
parts

Resources
This is a warm-up sheet I created to use in class that takes students through every major
rhythm featured in this piece so we could practice it out of context. Students wrote in counts,
counted and clapped the lines, aurally identified which line they were hearing, and clapped or
counted it from their sheet while others in the band played it.
Assessments
Assessment #1: Pre-assessment

- Live in-class playing quiz, 1 octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on concert B

flat

- This assessment also functioned as a pre-assessment for the class to start off the

semester as it applied to every piece they were playing

Assessment #2: Formative assessment

- Eb sight-reading quiz using Sight Reading Factory

- Recorded in class

Assessment #3: Formative assessment

- Self-reflection questions following a recording assignment of Tripwire

- 1. What went well for you in this recording?

- 2. After this recording, what is one thing you think you need to work on or need help

with?

Assessment #4: Recording assignment of an excerpt of Tripwire

- Specific measures selected for each instrument, recorded in class

Rubrics:

- Main playing test rubric used for Assessment #1 and #2

- This rubric was adapted to be used for Assessment #4 by dividing it into two categories:

Note Accuracy and Rhythm Accuracy. Both categories were scored separately on a 25-

point scale, then added together to create a score out of 50.

POINTS EARNED GRADE LETTER GRADE DESCRIPTION POINTS EARNED

PERCENTAGE
25 Points 100% A All notes and 25 Points
rhythms are
 played correctly
the first time, or
are corrected
23 points 92% A 90% of the notes 23 points
and rhythms are
played correctly
after instruction
or corrections
21 points 84% B 50% to 90% of 21 points
the notes and
rhythms are
played correctly
after instruction
or corrections

- Rubric used to assess self-reflection questions

Points Earned: 0 1 2

Qualifiers: No reflection was Student completed Student completed

completed. self-reflection, either thoughtful self-
answering only one reflection, answering
of the questions, both questions fully
one-word answer, or
answering both but
without a thoughtful
response