Anna Fuhrman

Observation Lesson Plan

Symphonic Band (honors band class)
May 15 2023

Objective
● Students will be able to perform contrasting articulations and styles through
rehearsing varying styles in Pirates of the Caribbean in order to prepare for
our graduation performance.
Alignment with Standards
● Highly performance based lesson, majority of the lesson will be students
playing through music while also creating their own artistic interpretations
and responding to what the composer wrote
● Creating and performing music, responding to discussion about sight reading
in order to be a more effective player

Sequential Lesson
Warm up:
● Students will take out instruments and sit down, mentor teacher
announcements
● Breathing exercises, in for 4 out for 4, 12, 16, 20- give reminders about good
posture and breathing from diaphragm
● Sip breaths- take one large breath in and sip other breaths in while holding,
then breathe out as a class, repeat twice- check for students not creating
tension in their body while breathing
● Long tones exercises 1, 2, 3 (standard that they do every class)- check for
students starting and stopping together, well supported sound, good balance,
intonation in exercises 2 and 3, will make individual comments about these
issues during rests or in between exercises if needed, and will stop and
repeat part of the exercise if needed
● Have students review the A flat major scale on their own for a minute, walk
around to listen for any missed notes
● Go through the A flat major scale in half notes- listen for any missed pitches
and go back to hold them out and find mistakes if needed
● Go through the A flat major scale with 3 pitches on each scale degree while
conducting in a ¾ pattern
● Repeat this exercise 3x, and ask students to play each quarter note staccato,
then accented, then legato- check that students are matching length and
attack on these articulations and stop to model the articulation or have a
student example model if needed, make sure tempo is staying consistent
despite articulation

Pirates of the Caribbean:

● Start at mm. 91, ask students what articulations that we just played might be
used in this section, play under tempo from 91-119- listen for note accuracy,
tempo alignment, and separation between notes without making them too
short, ask students what beat is most important (beat 1) and make sure that is
given more emphasis
● Start at mm. 91 again at a faster tempo- listen for consistent and correct
articulation styles
● Start at mm. 119, talk about what articulation and style would be more
appropriate for this section and what it means to have contrast in a piece and
how that creates interest, get students to crescendo eighth notes to the long
note instead of just putting emphasis on beat 1, play 119-133- listen for
matching articulation when notes are tongued and make sure notes are
slurred when they need to be
● Start at 91 and go to 133- listen for contrast in articulation and style, note
and rhythm accuracy, putting emphasis and crescendo on correct beats like
we talked about