Jenny Bjoin

Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow

Teaching Plan
For my final project piece for conducting class, I have chosen to
teach and conduct Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, arranged and
adapted by Kirby Shaw. I performed this piece as a member of my high
schools Chamber Choir as a sophomore, and still to this day, I get the
melody stuck in my head. Ive always wanted to teach this piece to a
group of people, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
This piece was written really fairly recently, as the copyright date
is 2007, which puts it in the contemporary style period. This style is
quite wide-ranging, and includes minimalist, modernist, postmodern,
and pluralist music. During this time, composers began to reject the
experimentation of intense dissonance and atonal composition, and
instead began to return to the previous themes of neoclassicism. They
also started playing with looping and repetition, leading to minimalist
writing. Sometimes, this more contemporary music tried to reject the
values of the previous Romantic era, making the music more
impersonal. So, the variety of experimental styles in the contemporary
style period is so vast, and since we are still in this age, there may be
some aspects we might not realize until much later as the values and
characteristics continue to change. In my opinion, Rise Up, Shepherd,
and Follow, doesnt fit in with many of these contemporary
characteristics. Although it has a jazzy flare with many of the chords

used, especially in the middle of the piece, and has quite a bit of
repetition, as the second half of the piece is very similar to the first
half, except raised up a half step and with different text, I dont feel the
text is impersonal or attempting to reject Romantic values. It also isnt
experimenting with much dissonance at all. Most all of the dissonance
used is in the form of seventh chords, adding to the jazziness.
Kirby Shaw is a composer, conductor, clinician, and performer
who specializes in the areas of jazz and pop singers. His main passion
is choral music education, and has made a profound impact not only in
the United States, but also in many countries abroad. He holds degrees
in both Music Education and Choral Composition from San Jose State
University, as well as a DMA in Choral Conducting from the University
of Washington. When working with singers, he is known for his exciting
and humorous personality, as well as his extreme amount of musical
knowledge. He also now leads the Jefferson State Choral Coalition at
Southern Oregon University, as well as the Just 4 Kicks 4-man a
cappella group. He is known for his scat singing, as well as his huge
collection of over 3000 choral compositions and arrangements, which
have sold over 20 million copies. Although Shaw commissions many
pieces, this does not seem to be one of them. This piece is performed a
cappella, with the option of including percussion and a shaker. I have
chosen not to include those, as I like the pure choral sound without the

added instruments on top. I think it makes the jazzy chords pop even
clearer, and I think the percussion may make it just a bit too cheesy.
The text and tune used in this arrangement comes from an
African-American spiritual, most likely from the nineteenth century,
which has since been published in many hymnals in the last 40 years.
It consists of a refrain, which comes back throughout the piece, and
two verses, each in a different key. The text isnt biblically accurate, as
it was the wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem, not the
shepherds, but the message to rise up, and follow Jesus, leaving
everything behind, fits in with the theme of the New Testament. Of
course, in a public school, you cant talk about these kind of themes,
but you could talk about putting faith in someone or something or
following what you believe in. This piece would be ideal for Christmas
time, as it speaks about the night of Christs birth, and it is usually
sung in church as the anthem around the time of Christmas services.
The mood is upbeat and quite joyful, as the text is action-packed and
commands the audience to stand up and do something. The jazzy
seventh used throughout the piece, as well as the slides to open triads
also add to the joyfulness of the piece, as communicated through the
text.
This piece basically consists of two large sections constructed in
the same way, just with different words in the verse and the second
section is modulated up a half step. I see the chorus of the piece as the

rise up section that occurs in m. 1-8. So, the form of each section of
the piece is chorus, verse, then the bridge-like section that uses the
text leave your ewes. Each of these small sections within the larger
section is eight measures long. So, technically, the piece in its two
sections resembles a form of binary. At the end, there is a coda-like
section where the chorus is repeated once again.
Rhythm is definitely the most challenging aspect of teaching this
piece, as there are cases of syncopation in almost every measure.
There arent really consistent rhythmic motives that are seen
throughout the entire piece. However, in the chorus, a dotted quarter
followed by an eighth note is common, in the verses, many syncopated
quarter notes in a row, as well as fourth eighth notes in a row are
common, and in the bridge section, many syncopated quarter notes
in a row are the most common. Shaw also incorporates many accented
notes or hits on the offbeats. The syncopation, along with the
accentuated offbeats, creates the affect of fitting into the jazz style,
coming from Shaws extensive jazz background.
To me, the main melodic motive of the piece is what happens in
the soprano part in m. 13. Although the sopranos also have the melody
in the chorus on the first page, it is repetitive and homophonic with the
other three parts. However, at m. 13, the sopranos clearly have the
melody of the verse (some conductors even choose to make that into a
male solo), while the other three voices sing parts equivalent to

backgrounds in jazz style music. The melody remains in the soprano

part in the bridge section at m. 21, but again it becomes repetitive
and homophonic. At m. 29, everyone sings the melody in unison before
it returns back to the chorus. During the choruses, the melody is
almost solely stepwise, while as we move into the verses and bridge,
it begins to incorporate a few skips. The only large leaps that seem to
occur in the melody are in the soprano part from m. 18-19, 26-27, and
m. 36-37, as well as equivalent measures that occur in the second
section. The tonality of the piece stays in major, but just modulates
from C Major to Db Major. The basses seem to have a bit of a
countermelody in the choruses, as between each exclamation of rise
up, they jump in with a propulsion of text leading to the next
exclamation. Overall, the rhythm provides the intensity of this piece,
rather than the melody, but the jazzy melody which incorporates
altered blues scale tones can also add interest.
The harmonies used in this piece seem to be fairly standard for
the jazz style. Most of the chords are either triadic or incorporate a flat
seventh, which then resolve into another triad. The harmonic rhythm
stays together for all four of the parts, and there is one modulation in
m. 41, where melodies, rhythms, and harmonies stay the same but are
just transposed up a half step from C to Db Major. There is not a whole
lot of dissonance used in this piece, but when it is used, it is almost
always created by a 7-6 suspension, a seventh chord that resolves into

a triad, or putting notes that are close in proximity together in the

same chord, then quickly resolving it. The dissonance isnt maintained
for very long. I love the chord on follow in m. 3, as it creates the first
hint through the harmony that this piece is going to have a jazzy flare
to it. Almost each chord up to that point was a triad, or just an
extension of one. These jazz-like chords add to Shaws idea to create
an upbeat arrangement of this spiritual text, as well as show off his
knowledge of and affinity toward the jazz style.
The colors of this piece are created solely by human voices, as it
is performed a cappella (that is, if you choose to perform it without the
optional percussion). The colors Shaw creates with his voicing and
arrangement are bright, which lends itself well to the joyful and actionfilled text. This helps create a joyful reaction to the news of Christs
birth and an upbeat and motivational mood for the listener. The piece
is generally homophonic, with the exception being during the verses.
Although the voices move at generally the same time, its clear that
the soprano section is singing the melody, while the other voices are
singing background parts on doo. This only places in this piece where
the texture changes are during the unison measures of m. 29-30, 3334, 61-62, and 65-66. This creates more interest, as after these couple
bars of unison, the piece jumps back into four part harmony.
There are no dynamic markings in this piece, except for the
mezzo forte marking at the very beginning, so its up to the

conductors discretion to decide where to start each section

dynamically and how to make the phrases rise and fall. I hear the
dynamics of this piece in my head as follows: mezzo forte in m. 1,
piano at m. 9, mezzo piano in the soprano part at m. 13, mezzo forte
when the entire ensemble says rise up in m. 15, mezzo piano at m.
21, mezzo forte when rise up is said in m. 23, mezzo piano at m. 29,
mezzo forte at m. 31, forte at m. 35, mezzo forte at m. 37, and parallel
dynamics in the second half of the piece. I want a crescendo to forte in
the last three measures, starting at m. 75. I think these choices of
dynamic create a lot of interest for the listener, as it is constantly
alternating back and forth every couple of measures for each rise up
statement. I can also definitely apply the rule of every time the pitch
goes up, crescendo, and every time it goes down, decrescendo, as
these phrases rise and fall so much. As far as articulation, I want to
make sure that each note is spinning into the next note, and there isnt
too much space or stagnant singing between long notes, especially
during lengthy syncopated passages, such as m. 25. Shaw also marks
staccato articulation on particular notes throughout the passage to
create more of the jazzy sound, so I will need to make sure the
appropriate sections articulate those correctly. Lastly, I feel the tempo
he marks for this piece isnt too slow, but instead creates a great
groove where the singers can just slot in their pitches. The groove is
easy to feel, once the singers become accustomed to it. However, I

find myself wanting to take the piece a tad faster than the marked
tempo.
Shaw creates tension and release mainly through seventh chords
that resolve into triadic I chords, such as in m. 19-20. He also uses a
recurring suspension occurrence, which first happens at m. 16.
Contrast is created by the number of parts being sung at a particular
time. For example, from the start, all four parts are singing together,
but at m. 13, it becomes a one voice melody, while the others are the
background beat. Each time a rise up statement occurs, however, all
four voices come back together. There also is a small amount of unison
singing that occurs at m. 29 and 33, as well the parallel place. In m.
68-end, a descant is added to create yet another part. These
differences in amount of parts going on at once create much contrast
for the audience member. However, it all seems united, as the voices
come back together for each reiteration of rise up, and all sections in
the first half of the piece are repeated again in the second half, just in
a new key. This makes the piece feel extremely unified. Interest is both
created through the changes in dynamic and phrase shape, as well as
the momentum from the groove created by the jazz-like rhythms.
The most difficult aspects of teaching this piece are definitely
rhythmic accuracy, the key change, and balance. The jazz rhythms can
be very hard to read and execute on the first couple of tries, especially
since so much syncopation is incorporated, so a lot of my time is going

to have to be spent teaching rhythms, whether thats by ch-ching,

clapping, swaying, writing on the board, or all combinations of these
strategies. The key change will also be difficult to execute, both
because it is a cappella and it is only moving up by a half step. Its
going to be very hard to lock the chord on the downbeat of m. 41, so
that section will need a lot of repetition and stopping on that chord. I
may also use many warm ups where we continue to step up by half
steps, but let them hear it and do it themselves, rather than playing
them on the piano or having me sing the change for them. It would be
even more helpful if I create a warm up like this where the parts are
singing in chords, which then have to move up by half steps in those
chords (which match the chords sung at this part in the music). Finally,
balance could be tricky, especially at the sopranos solo part at m. 13
and during the unison parts, beginning at m. 29. It will be important to
get everyone to listen to one another and fit their sound into the
ensembles sleeve. Another large challenge will be vowel work in this
piece, as there are so many dipthongs, such as every time the choir
sings rise. I will need to work on the purity of vowels throughout,
making sure no dipthongs sneak in too early and nothing ever turns to
a flat uh sound. The biggest conducting challenges of this piece will
be to find that groove tempo-wise and to help them to execute all of
the off beat hits, while maintaining a constant beat in my right hand.

I want to teach this piece not only because it was one of my

favorite pieces from high school, but also because I believe many
concepts can be taught through it, both musically and non-musically.
Musically, I think much can be done with rhythm reading (it seems like
oftentimes, the stereotype is that vocalists cant read rhythm or feel
groove, so I want to prove that wrong), and teaching of syncopation,
diction (many words have great beginning and ending consonants),
listening to one another for balance and tuning of chords since it is a
cappella, and work on hearing key changes by half step. I feel that
many singers have difficulty with this if there is no piano and you have
to change key, but dont end on the do pitch, even at the collegiate
level, so it will be a challenge for me to figure out appropriate ways to
teach this. Non-musically, I think we could have great discussions
about the African-American spiritual and where these tunes come from,
what it means to have faith in something, and learn about the roots of
the jazz style and how it has evolved to the present day. I think a heart
statement of this piece could be through syncopated rhythmic
propulsion, the use of scat syllables, the seventh chord dissonances,
and the gentle use of slide and scoop in particular places, Shaw
creates a piece that maintains the essence of the original AfricanAmerican spiritual, as well as adds a jazz flare to the original Christmas
tune.

Skill Outcome #1: By the performance time of the concert, students

will be able to demonstrate the syncopated rhythms throughout the
piece accurately.
Strategies: At the beginning of each rehearsal, I could ch-ch rhythms in
the music just in the air, and they will ch-ch them back to me. While
doing this, I could have them sway to the beat to start feeling the
groove of the music. Another strategy I could use is a quick game of
Poison Rhythm at the beginning of class. With this game, I give them
one rhythm to listen for that is deemed the poison rhythm. In this
case, I would probably use a rhythm in the piece that they are singing
consistently incorrectly. During the game, I will clap consistently
correct rhythms from the piece, and they will clap them back to me.
Then I will throw the poison rhythm in there. If they begin to clap it
back to me, they are out and must sit down. The game can continue
for however long it seems necessary or appropriate.
Assessment: This skill seems to be observed best through observation,
so I would definitely work on this piece and see where each individual
student is at with this skill during the individual lessons throughout my
day. I could also have many quartets or double quartets sing during
class.
Skill Outcome #2: By the time of the performance, students will be
able to sing with great vowel shape, particularly every time they sing

rise up, without putting a huge dipthong on rise or letting up turn

to a horizontal uh sound.
Strategies: During warm ups, I could work a lot on vowel shape and
singing pure vowels, particularly using handsigns while doing the kee
eh ah oh oo warm up. I could also record the choir singing m. 1-8,
then play it back for them so they can hear what they really sound like.
Many times, the choir may think they are singing it correctly, but if you
play it back for them, they can hear that it sounds very young, bright,
and horizontal.
Assessment: This is also assessed mostly through observation, so like
in skill outcome #1, I could hear how each individual student is doing
with this outcome in their individual/group lessons with me throughout
the day, as well as by just watching vowel shape in choir or having
quartets/double quartets sing m. 1-8 during class.

Knowledge Outcome #1: Students will be able to describe

characteristics of the African-American spiritual, as well as discuss the
culture surrounding these tunes.
Strategies: This outcome would be especially good if I was working in a
diverse school, because its so important for students to feel their
heritage, ideas, thoughts, and cultures represented in their education. I
could have discussions in class about the characteristics of spirituals,
while looking at many other spirituals to determine similar and

differing characteristics of those to Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow. I

could also have the history teacher or an expert in the field of AfricanAmerican culture throughout time come in to talk to the students about
the culture surrounding spirituals and how it relates to our piece.
Assessment: At the end of the rehearsal of this piece, I could give a 10minute writing reflection at the end of class where I ask the students to
each write a paragraph or two in which they share details about
spiritual characteristics, the African-American culture surrounding this
piece, and what it has meant to them/what they have liked
most/learned the most from studying this piece, as well as the context
of it in history. (I need to make sure to do something like this with all
cultures and heritages throughout history, and pick pieces that can
teach about them, particularly if Im in a diverse school with many
minority students.)
Knowledge Outcome #2: Students will be able to list qualities of the
jazz style, as well as describe the place and evolution of jazz music in
American history.
Strategies: I could have students divide up into partners or groups of
three that each do a small amount of research about a particular
aspect of jazz culture or style. I could then call upon certain groups in
class to share a little bit of what they learned from their research while
discussing a certain characteristic in the music. I could also have
students create a timeline as a class that we could put above the board

that shows the evolution of jazz music and the most important events
of its history. We could then discuss the impact of it on popular music
then and today. (I know this piece isnt strictly jazz; it is a spiritual. But,
it does incorporate many aspects of jazz style, so I think this would be
a great opportunity to discuss connections between the two. Shaw is
also big into jazz music, so I think this arrangement reflects his own
musical experiences and tastes.)
Assessment: I will be able to assess students research both based on
the responses they are able to give in class, as well as their ability to
help put together a timeline. I could also play a game of Jazz History
jeopardy after the final concert to assess how much they have learned
and what concepts still need to be touched on again.

Affective Outcome #1: Students will appreciate feedback and

collaboration with a real life composer, as they communicate and work
with Kirby Shaw on this piece, understanding the other side of the
page. (not sure if this would be able to be a possibility, but even some
communication back and forth through email to receive feedback for
the students would be wonderful. My students could design some
questions for a real life composer, and Mr. Shaw may be able to answer
them and work with the students a bit).
Strategies: I could email or write to Kirby Shaw, explaining that my
students are rehearsing this piece, so I open a line of communication

to him for my students. Through our communication with him, students

will learn about what its like to want to perform the music as best as
they possibly can because theyve built a relationship with the person
who wrote this music. I could also ask him come to do a masterclass
with the students, if possible, so they further invest in this composer
relationship. It may even inspire them to start composing their own
music.
Assessment: At the end of the rehearsal of this piece, I could give them
a 3x5 notecard and ask them to reflect on our experiences with this
piece, using questions relating to what was inspiring about speaking
with Shaw, did this make learning/performing this piece different for
you, etc.? We could then discuss these and reflect as a class.
Affective Outcome #2: Students will appreciate the different cultures
and heritages in the peers they work together with everyday, as well
as be thoughtful about the impact of diverse cultures on the different
pieces we sing together.
Strategies: I could again have someone who is an expert on AfricanAmerican culture throughout history come in to talk to the students
about the impact the culture has had on its music and this piece. I also
could give an assignment where students write about their own
cultures and traditions and how those shape them as a person. Even
partnering up and collaborating with the History/Social Studies
department to create a project centered on these ideas could be a

possibility, helping them to connect their learning across disciplines. It

also would be a cool idea to partner students up (students who dont
know each other all that well) and have them interview one another
about their cultures and traditions.
Assessment: After these interviews, I could either have each partner
share a few tidbits of information with the class in a presentation-type
format, or I could have them submit in writing what they learned about
the traditions of their classmate. I could then give them all time at the
end of class to write on a 3x5 about if and why they think differently
about diversity, and what their culture and traditions mean to them. I
could then ask them to also write about the aspects of culture that
surround this piece, but also the other pieces we worked on for the
previous concert (such as Igrai Kolce, Veniki, etc.)