MUED 401 Music Curriculum Unit

Unit Title

Untangling Tone

Unit Topic of Focus

Production of a supported tone

Adolescent Grade Level: 6th grade Class Type: Concert Band

Lesson Topic/Focus Lesson 1 - Introduction to the concept of tone

Objective(s) Students will respond to the following prompts in one sentence each: what does it mean to
play with a “good tone” and why is it important for an ensemble to have “good tone”?
Students will play a long tone with supported air, generating a clear, characteristic tone for
their instrument in sections
Materials ● Sound and speaker system for playing audio
○ The University of Texas Bands. (2020, April 16). Mackey: The Frozen
Cathedral [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSwYGQApm5c
● Method books (conductor book)
○ Lautzenheiser, T. (1999). Essential elements 2000: A comprehensive band
method: Conductor book 1. United States: Hal Leonard.
● Instruments
● Music stands
Prior Knowledge How to put together their instrument, how to read sheet music at an elementary level, how to
make a sound on their instrument, how to play the first five notes of the concert B-flat scale
Planning with UDL Multiple Means of Engagement (Purposeful and motivated learners): internalize - Self-
Regulation: set the expectation that when the group plays together, everyone should be
http://udlguidelines.cast.org listening for each other to hear what sounded good and what needs improvement.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression (Strategic and goal-directed learners): executive
functions - playing their instruments
Multiple Means of Representation (Resourceful and knowledgeable learners): perception -
students will not only hear their own playing and learn from it, but they will hear the
teacher’s playing and the playing of the University of Texas wind ensemble from an audio
recording.
Assessment Performance Tasks
● Students will play a long tone with supported air, generating a clear, characteristic
tone for their instrument in sections (Tone production)
● If students can play a comfortable mezzo forte dynamic while sustaining their pitch,
then they will have completed the learning objective
● Students will reflect earlier in the lesson on their playing during their warmup and
will apply their conclusions in the assessment at the end of class
Learning Strategies / Instructional Procedures
Opening (Hook, Introduction, Before the students even know what the lesson is about, I will begin with a full-band
Warm-Up, etc.) warm-up from our method book (Print Literacy) on our instruments (Physical
Literacy) that involves long tones. This will help me introduce the concept of tone
later in the lesson.

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Instructional Strategies
Procedures:
MUED 401 Music Curriculum Unit
● Teacher modeling
● Leading questions - metacognition
● Group presentation
● Individual troubleshooting
1. Ask the class to describe how we sounded in our warmup.
a. Do we like how we sound?
b. Do we think others will think the same thing?
2. What makes someone sound “good”?
a. What are the components of the sound we produce on our instrument?
i. Dynamic level, air support, length of notes, register of the
note, what instrument is being heard
b. How can we change our sound with our body?
i. Embouchure, throat control, air speed, use of tongue
c. Undoubtedly, one thing that makes our playing sound good is air
support
3. Play a segment of Mackey: The Frozen Cathedral (Multi-media literacy) and
explain how the performers’ sounds are like laser beams, immovable and
straight.
4. Demonstrate what a good, supported note would sound like by playing it on
my instrument
a. Playing like this requires good breath support and we call this aspect
of playing our tone
b. Tone can be defined as how “steady” our note are
5. Have class play with me and aim for a supported sound (Retelling)
6. Go section by section and troubleshoot air support issues (Tone Production)

Closure We would now move on to a rehearsal of Earth Song by Frank Ticheli

Method book (print literacy)
Instruments (physical literacy)
Audio Recording (multi-media literacy)
Having students play back what they hear from the teacher (Retelling)

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 MUED 401 Music Curriculum Unit

Adolescent Grade Level: 6th grade Class Type: Concert band

Lesson Topic/Focus Lesson 2 - Visualizing how to play with a good tone

Objective(s) SWBAT imitate a characteristic tone on their instruments by visualizing it through props and
different activities. (Using imagery)
Materials ● Instruments
● Balloons
● Sheet of paper (sheet music is also acceptable)
● Recording device
● Sheet music for Earth Song by Frank Ticheli

Ticheli, Frank. Earth Song. Manhattan Beach Music, 2012.

Prior Knowledge
Planning with UDL
http://udlguidelines.cast.org
How to put together their instrument, how to read sheet music at an elementary level, how to
make a sound on their instrument, how to play the first five notes of the concert B-flat scale
Multiple Means of Engagement (Purposeful and motivated learners): Vary demands and
resources to optimize challenge, increase mastery-oriented feedback
Multiple Means of Action and Expression (Strategic and goal-directed learners): Offer
alternatives for visual information, highlight big ideas
Multiple Means of Representation (Resourceful and knowledgeable learners): Use
multiple tools for construction, guide appropriate goal-setting

Assessment Performance Tasks

· Students will take a pre-assessment for them to gauge how good their tone is. As a
group, they will play concert F five times in succession.
· At the end of the class, students will be asked to do the same assessment while
visualizing the characteristic tone that they have tried to imitate through class
activities. The sound will be assessed by the teacher through observation.

Learning Strategies / Instructional Procedures

Opening (Hook, Introduction,
Warm-Up, etc.)
Instructional Strategies
Procedures:
Hand out the balloons as students are walking into the class
● Guided practice.
● Pose leading questions.
● Independent practice.
● Group Discussion
1. Once students are ready to play, ask for a volunteer to read the objective

2. Students will warm-up by playing five consecutive concert F's. This will serve as
their pre-assessment for the day and the warm-up will be recorded.

3. Students will practice blowing on the balloon. After a breath, have students
release the air for 4/8/12/16 seconds. Remind students that they should not breathe
while they expand the balloon. (Non-print/physical)

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 MUED 401 Music Curriculum Unit

4. Ask students what they must do with the air as the release time gets longer. They
must play with good breath support, control the airspeed, and release small, consistent
amounts at once.

5. Next, have students stand up and play the "who can hold their note the longest"
game. Students must sit down if they: move, run out of breath, or articulate a second
note. (Non-print/physical)

6. Ask the winner of the game to explain to classmates how they are able to hold
their note for a long time. (The answer should be breath support, soft volume, and
controlled/consistent airstream)

7. Have all students hold their note as long as possible with controlled airstream.

8. Students will grab up a piece of paper by the top edges. It should be held front of
their face horizontally.

9. Count to 4/8 beats while students blow on the paper. The paper should move
toward the direction of the air and it should not come down for the duration of the
counting. (Non-print/physical)

10. Ask students how they accomplish the above. (The answer should be breath
support, soft volume, and controlled/consistent air stream

11. Students will be asked to play the same five concert F's that they played in the
beginning of the class, but they are to play the notes while visualizing the characteristic
tone that they have tried to imitate through class activities. The sound will be assessed
by the teacher through observation and the teacher will provide feedback. (Using
Imagery)

12. Students will begin rehearsing the piece Earth Song by Frank Ticheli. Ask
students to think about playing with a characteristic tone at all times. (Print)

Closure Listen to the recording of the warm-up. (Multimedia) Ask students how they sound is
different from the one at the beginning of the class. Have students recap how to
produce a characteristic tone by visualizing the activities that they have completed
today (using imagery)

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Adolescent Grade Level: 6th Grade Class Type: Concert Band

Lesson Topic/Focus Lesson 3- Playing with a steady, characteristic tone

Objective(s) Students will be able to generate a characteristic instrumental tone with air support in order
to perform concert repertoire with a beautiful tone.
Materials -Tuner (for line activity)
-Microphones
-Recording Software
-Ticheli, F. (2012) Earth Song.

Ticheli, Frank. Earth Song. Manhattan Beach Music, 2012.

Prior Knowledge In previous lessons, students learned and demonstrated understanding of dynamic levels, air
support, length of notes, register of the note, and what it means to have a characteristic tone.
Planning with UDL Multiple Means of Engagement (Purposeful and motivated learners): Help students
understand that the tuner task is very challenging, and they are not expected to hold the
http://udlguidelines.cast.org needle perfectly still (Self-Regulation)
Multiple Means of Action and Expression (Strategic and goal-directed learners): Give
examples from previous lessons about how to visualize air support (Physical Action)
Multiple Means of Representation (Resourceful and knowledgeable learners): Give
examples from earlier lesson on how to visualize air support through the instrument
(Perception)
Assessment Performance Tasks
-Students will show that they have learned what characteristic tone is and how to create it by
listening to the recording and circling areas of the music in which there is a strong
characteristic tone, and where there is room for improvement.
-Students will respond to their playing in the recording and self-assess their air support.
-Through this self-observation, students will be able to fix problem areas in the music and
perform at a level closer to mastery.
Learning Strategies / Instructional Procedures
Opening (Hook, Introduction, Begin the class by explaining that with a good, steady tone you will be able to play in
Warm-Up, etc.) tune and keep the needle in the same place. Place a tuner on the screen and have
individual students attempt to keep the needle in the same place, even if it is not
completely in tune.
Instructional Strategies -Guided practice based on previously learned knowledge
-Model air support with the tuner exercise
-Pose leading questions regarding how to create a characteristic tone.
Procedures: -Begin by stating the objective, and ask students how we can achieve a characteristic
tone on our instruments, aim for the students to respond with air support.
-Begin with the hook and have students playing into the tuner and try to keep the
needle steady using air support and a firm embouchure. (Non-Print/Physical)
-Afterwards, inform the students that they will be recorded as they run through earth
song, and their focus should be on their tone and air support through the whole notes.
(Multi-Media Literacy)
-After the recording, have students listen back to it and assess their playing based on
their tone production throughout the piece (Summarizing), and have them circle in
their music where the tone is better or worse. (Print Literacy)
Closure -Once the students have finished playing through the music the second time,
compliment them on areas that were improved, and remind them of areas that could

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still use improvement, and congratulate them on beginning to play with a characteristic
tone and creating beautiful music.