Name: Courtney Kuhn

Date: 2/3/15

Lesson Topic: American Folk Rhapsody beginning to measure 44: Intro and Colorado trail
Materials needed: American Folk Rhapsody score/parts, recording, baton, Habits of a Successful Musician
Grade level: Symphonic Band (mostly grades 10-11)
Standards:
- Strand 1 concept 5: PO 304: playing expressively, on pitch and in rhythm, dynamics, phrasing, tempo
markings encountered in the repertoire.
- Strand 1 concept 5: PO 307: recognizing and playing key signatures and accidentals in the repertoire
- Strand 1 concept 2: PO 306: identifying and playing articulations and symbols as they occur in the
repertoire. / PO 311: playing repertoire accurately and with good breath control, tone quality, and technique
at grade level 3-5 on a scale of 1-6.
Objectives and assessment:
Objective(s)/Assessment:
Students will rehearse measures 40 to 134 (Git Along Little Doggies) in American Folk
Rhapsody No. 3. The goal for this rehearsal is to maintain tempo and style throughout, while
ironing out the transition between sections (m. 40 to 46). Students will play with uniform
articulations during melody and accompaniment parts (short and light). Instruments with
the melody will be heard above the ensemble (flute/picc at m. 46, clarinets at m. 54,
horns m. 58,
horns/bassoon m. 76, sax/horn/low brass m. 84). Students will identify and
distinguish melody A
(6/8 melody) from melody B during this section (2/4 melody @ 76) and
will be able to sing the
melodies. Triplets at m. 120 will be steady but will not overbalance the
ensemble.
Personal objective:
My conducting will be clear with rehearsed use of left hand. I will keep talking to a minimum and
try to keep teaching cycles/feedback concise.

Introduction: Last time we rehearsed the beginning of this piece, so were just going to review the beginning again
and move through the second song in the medley, Git Along Little Doggies. Well work on identifying the two
different melodies in this section and our goal is to hear that melody get passed around the ensemble throughout this
section.
Procedure:
1) Warm Up: Habits of a Successful Musician p. 44 ascending/descending intervals (brass on
mouthpieces). Whole tone exercise / practice switching between quarter notes and triplets
2) Review of Section 1:
Confident entrances
Triplets start strong and fade back
Trumpets: loud in m. 3
Quarter note triplets: space between them m. 6
Separation between notes melody in m. 9
Horn melody m. 26- everyone decrescendo m. 25!
M. 35: Careful of the rest on beat 1 and count carefully
3) Transition
Soloists

 Low brass/reeds entrance in fermata bar (43)

Smooth out m. 44-46
4) Git Along Little Doggies:
Play through section through m. 74
Identify melody A (flutes/clarinets play)
Fix trouble spots: probably horn melody m. 58
M. 66 sustain long notes
M. 74: triplets enter and decrescendo

M. 76: horn and trombone melody! Clarity of pitches (augmented sound)

M. 84 strong melody, thick texture

M. 120: brass entrance on beat 2 in m. 121

5) Advanced (if there is time)

Run the section through
Dynamic contrast and shaping of phrases
Style of melody throughout the sections: hear one group play it and then the next (does it
sound the same? Is one group playing some notes longer/shorter?)
** Differentiated Instruction:
Play note by note (brass players centered on partials)
Singing parts (rhythmic accuracy)
Clapping rhythms or bopping a part
Isolating players or sections
Accommodations and modifications for Special Needs students (according to 504s and IEPs)
Reduced part (bass line)
Sing part and follow along in music
Iconic notation or writing in note names and fingerings
Closure:
Great work on this today- Im starting to hear the melody coming out throughout this. Keep listening for
that while were rehearsing this piece.