Name: ___________________________

Technology Integration Lesson

Madison Hines

Introduction
Every student should have the opportunity to create and compose during their music
education. For secondary students, creating arrangements is a great way to allow them to
experience the creating process without coming up with new material on their own. In this
project, students will arrange a 32-bar holiday piece for a quartet of their instrument or
instrument family using MuseScore. Students will perform their arrangement with other
class members with less than two notation errors in their final draft.
By using technology and a notation software (MuseScore), students can arrange tunes in
a time-efficient manner and become familiar with instrument writing software instead of writing
it out by hand. The program also allows them to hear their work in real time with the timbre of
their instruments of choice, which gives students without piano skills a better access to
arranging. The performance aspect of this project allows the students to share their work with the
peers and perform a piece that they created, allowing them to take ownership of their work and
help prepare an ensemble for performance.

Process
1. The teacher will introduce the project to students with the following guidelines:
a. Students will choose 32-bars of an approved holiday piece provided by the
teacher that has four parts already written.
b. Each student will write for a quartet of their instrument or instrument family.
i. Students must ask if someone is willing to play in their ensemble and the
teacher must approve all final ensemble choices to make sure that there is
even distribution.
c. Students will use MuseScore on computers to create their arrangement.
2. The teacher should describe the difference between a transcription and an arrangement –
an arrangement uses primary material from other songs but makes slight differences to fit
the need of the ensemble. Transcriptions copy note-for-note.
3. Teacher will give a tutorial for using MuseScore on the computers. Important topics to
cover include:
a. Initial set up of the page (typing in the title, arranger, selecting the instruments,
choosing the key, choosing the time signature, etc.)
b. Understanding the transposition function of MuseScore (turning on “Concert
Pitch” since they will be arranging from a piano score)
c. Using the notation functions (inputting notes, changing durations, using the tool
bars for other elements)
d. Using the keyboard to aid in the music
4. Students will then spend time determining how they want to distribute their parts. The
teacher should discuss voicing of different instruments and staying in reasonable ranges.
a. Emphasize the need for SATB
b. For students who are arranging for instrument families – encourage them to ask
their peers about reasonable ranges and key signatures before asking the teacher!
(Promote collaboration)
5. Once students have a plan for their parts, they can begin to arrange in MuseScore
 Name: ___________________________

a. Remind students to keep the “Concert Pitch” function on

6. Teachers will review their first drafts, looking for:
a. Correct transpositions
b. Correct voicing/instrumentation
c. Rhythmic accuracy in the arrangement
d. Musical elements (articulations, dynamics, phrasing)
e. Overall readability and organization
7. Students will improve their drafts based on teacher comments.
8. Once students have made their final edits in the score, the teacher will show them how to
export parts
a. Make sure that the formatting transfers to the parts and make edits as necessary
9. During the following class period, students will schedule rehearsals with their ensemble
and run through the piece.
a. The teacher may elect to come listen to the various ensembles or have them
schedule run throughs before/after school.
10. Students will perform in their quartets for each other during class time.
a. Other groups will give written feedback to each of the performance groups about
what they found effective about the arrangements and what can be improved. This
will allow the students feedback on their performance and will allow the other
students to learn from the way that others arranged.

Assessment
Each student will turn in final copies of their score and each of the parts. The final drafts of the
student’s arrangements will be assessed with a rubric in the following areas:

 Correct voicings/instrumentation
 Correct transpositions
 Integrity of the original music
 Musical elements
 Readability and organization of score and parts

Students who excel in these areas show mastery of using the technology to create clean, readable
parts that are accurate for performance. They will also have gained a foundational knowledge for
arranging by showing proficiency in their voicings and musical elements.

Reflection
Because technology is so prevalent in our daily lives and we have received a good
amount of training on using music technology, I felt confident designing this lesson plan and
teaching the technology (especially since MuseScore is the notation software program that I have
used throughout college). I think that it is easy to run and it’s free, which increases student
access to the program. I found myself thinking more about how I would teach the arranging
elements and for what grade level this would be appropriate. With the right amount of time and
scaffolding, students could be very successful at this project and I feel that it would be something
that they would be proud of.
 Name: ___________________________

Holiday Arranging Project Rubric – Score and Parts

Missing (0) Below Meets Exceeds

Expectations (1) Expectations (2) Expectations (3)
Correct Voicings Voicing choices One or more Instruments are Instruments are
are ineffective instruments are correctly voiced, correctly voiced,
and prohibit the playing in the but there are and all parts are
performers from wrong voicing, problems with effectively
playing and prohibit ranges in some playable by the
effectively. some players voices that make performers
from performing the piece
effectively. challenging for
the performers.
Correct Instruments are All instruments
transpositions not transposed are transposed
correctly, or correctly.
parts are left in
concert pitch.
Integrity of The piece is The piece is The piece is The piece is
original music unrecognizable somewhat recognizable, distinguishable,
or the melody recognizable, but and the and performance
was unapproved the arrangement arrangement of this tune is
by the teacher. distorts the keeps the enhanced
original structure original structure through the
and makes it of the original arrangement.
unclear. tune.
Musical Student includes The piece The piece The piece
elements no musical contains musical contains musical contains musical
elements in the elements, but elements, elements that
piece. they are including complement and
uncharacteristic articulations and enhance the
or take away dynamics, that performance,
from the overall positively including
performance of contribute to the articulations,
the piece. piece. dynamics, and
phrasing.
Readability and Score and parts Score and parts Score and parts Score and parts
Organization of are not are submitted, are submitted are submitted,
Score and Parts submitted prior but they are and readable by and are readable
to the final unclear and the performers. and well-
performance prohibit organized for
performers from performers.
performing
successfully.
 Name: ___________________________

Peer Assessment Form – Performance

Arranger: ___________________________________________

Performers: ___________________________________________________________________

Describe what you enjoyed about this arrangement (2 sentences)

Describe what you enjoyed about this performance (2 sentences)

Provide any constructive feedback that will help the arranger or the performers (2 sentences)