Introduction

The participants of my Student Teaching Portfolio were all presented with the option of
staying after school for a vernacular music-making experience. I made the after school project
available to all members of Charlotte High Schools Chorale Choir. This specific group of
students was selected due to their previous experience with the creation of music as well as their
understanding of notation and chord progression. As there are no music classes offered at
Charlotte High School apart from band and choir, the students had expressed an interest in
engaging popular music as a focal point for my project which I readily supported.
Attempting to cater to the student bodys needs and interests, I created my series of
lessons to incorporate the ideas of arranging and improvisation, all by means of pop music. In the
students current curriculum there is little to no focus on these two musical abilities even though
the students regularly express an interest in these topics. There are no acappella groups, theater
classes, sound production classes, or composition opportunities offered, which leaves the
students wanting for more. My goal in designing my STP was to expose students to a variety of
music-making experiences that perhaps they had never worked with before. I wanted the ideas to
be simple enough in practice so that the students would be able to draw from what they learned
and implement them in their daily musical lives.
Though the majority of the students involved in Charlotte High Schools advanced
Chorale Choir have experience with sight-reading, music theory, and making music on a
secondary instrument, not all of the members were equally as comfortable in all areas. For
example, though one student might struggle with sight-reading successfully using solfege and

hand signs, he or she might be able to sing with a rich tone and supported voice throughout the
vocal range. Furthermore, one students might be unable to easily read music but might be skilled
in piano improvisation. It is due to this factor, that I concluded this choir would be an appropriate
selection for my project. The students would be able to compliment one anothers strengths and
weaknesses.
Due to the range of ability of my group, planning for students to be engaged throughout
the lessons took a great deal of thought. I decided to use classroom instruments so that sound
production would not be an issue. I also allowed students to select their own songs to work with.
In this manner, I designed the creation and performance sections of my STP to be centered more
around students interested than my own. This is the reverse model in which their choir and band
classes function, where all repertoire is selected by the instructor. I felt that given the opportunity
to make their own decisions regarding their musical engagement, students would be more willing
to work and maintain focus. They would also be able to make a more personal assessment and
reflection of the experience as a whole.