Full Year Curriculum

Music 512
Ryan Moos
Contents
Course Description: ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Program Goals:.............................................................................................................................................. 3
Course Goals: ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Course Objectives: ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Skill Development: ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Mission Statement: ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Scope and Sequence ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Fall Concert ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Holiday Concert........................................................................................................................................... 11
Spring Concert............................................................................................................................................. 14
Festival ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
Course Description:
Mixed choir for grades for 7 and 8. Continue to develop beginning and intermediate musical
techniques based on the National Standards for music. Allow student exposure to beginning
musicianship skills through ensemble work, activities and discussion based learning.

Program Goals:
-Perform a wide variety of musical styles found in different historical periods and
cultures
- Respond to said musical styles with proper breath support, tone and placement
- Create a congruent ensemble sound and develop individual musicality
-Develop knowledge of music theory through melodic variations, improvisational skills
and pitch relationships
-Analyze, identify and describe musical characteristics ascribed to specific time periods
-Read and notate music through small compositional projects and arrangement variations
-Listen to recordings and list differences and similarities to each corresponding piece
- Instill practice habits that enable the student to succeed within and outside of the
classroom

Course Goals:
- Creation of a congruent ensemble sound by singing in two or three part harmony
-Performance of a wide variety of musical styles from different historical periods and
cultures
- Comprehension of the cultural and historical background of concert and festival pieces
- Recognition of adequate and inadequate breath support
- Interpretation of musical styles shown through articulation and phrasing
- Recognition of pitch relationships and note functions through melodic variations
- Ability to read and notate music demonstrated through small compositional projects
- Develop critical musical listening skills
- Development of positive practice habits that enable student achievement
Course Objectives:
- Students will perform selected repertoire in two to three part harmony
- Students will recognize defining cultural music characteristics
- Students will summarize historical concepts that influenced the piece
- Students will assess their use of breath support
- Students will choose an interpretation of musical styles through articulation and
phrasing cues
- Students will evaluate the function of notes and pitch relationships through the context
of the piece and develop melodic variations
-Students will evaluate musical selections through listening skills
- Students will construct practice habits which allow them to develop their individual
musicality

Skill Development:
- Identification of melodic and harmonic lines visually and aurally
- List common musical and social characteristics of a specific era
-Application of music history to musical characteristics found in the repertoire
-Develop proper breath support, tone and placement of vowels
-Interpret musical lines based on articulation and phrasing cues
-Understand the function of notes through pitch relationships and develop melodic variations
- Progress and develop listening skills
- Develop practice habits that enable their musicality

Mission Statement:
I believe a student will enjoy a piece of music more (or understand why they dont enjoy it) if they
understand the history, musical characteristics and pitch relationships hidden in their musical
repertoire. I also believe students will become more engaged in rehearsal when they can talk about the
context of the piece and what influenced them to make a specific musical decision. All of these
previously listed skills will enable a student to develop a deeper understanding of their repertoire. I plan
to introduce these skills to my students by first beginning with the history and cultural context of the
piece. I plan to give my students information about the era and culture as well as allowing them to
research their own information. Students will then listen to multiple recordings of the pieces and discuss
the similarities and differences of interpretations of the piece.

After my students understand more about the piece we will begin to analyze the music. As a class and
in small groups, students will discuss how they want to interpret the musical lines. The students will take
into account articulation, phrasing and the function of notes through the pitch relationships. Once the
students understand their musical lines we will engage in mini activities allowing the students to
develop melodic and rhythmic variations of the music. After the students have analyzed their phrases
they can begin to understand what kind of breath support they will need to achieve their musical
decisions. Students will also decide what kind of tone and musical characteristics to apply to their
phrases. All of these actions will aid the student in developing practice habits that will benefit the
student at home. As we progress throughout the year my students will begin to develop the proper skill
sets needed to delve into a piece of music on their own.
Scope and Sequence

Fall:
Content selection: Sing, Sing, Sing; In Stiller Nacht; Hine Ma Tov
Skills/ Elements addressed:
Sing, Sing, Sing (Rhythm, Form, Harmony, Musical Expression)
In Stiller Nacht (Rhythm, Musical Expression, Harmony)
Hine Ma Tov (Melody, Timbre, Texture)
Styles/ Genres: Swing, Germanic Folk Song, Hebrew Folk Song,
Historical Periods: Romantic
Cultures: Jewish, German
National Standards: 1, 5, 6, 7, 9

Winter (Holiday Concert):

Content selection: Baloo Baleerie, Candlelight Canon, Fugue for Fast Food
Skills/ Elements addressed:
Baloo Baleerie (Musical Expression, Harmony, Melody, Texture, Timbre )
Candlelight Canon (Musical Expression, Harmony, Texture, Timbre)
Fugue for Fast Food (Rhythm, Harmony)
Styles/ Genres: Lullaby, Canon
Historical Periods: Ancient
Cultures: Scottish, Cross-cultural
National Standards: 1, 4, 6, 8, 9

Spring:
Content selection: All Night All Day, Danny Boy, Cielito Lindo
Skills/ Elements addressed:
All Night All Day (Texture, Harmony, Timbre, Rhythm)
Danny Boy (Musical Expression, Harmony, Texture)
Cielito Lindo (Melody, Musical Expression)
Styles/ Genres: Spiritual, Copla, Folk
Historical Periods: Mexico in 1882, Slavery in America during the 18th and 19th centuries
Cultures: Spanish, African American slavery
National Standards: 1, 3, 7, 8, 9

Festival:
Content selection Jambo, Cantate Hodie, American Folksong
Skills/ Elements addressed
Jambo (Timbre, Rhythm, Texture, Melody)
Cantate Hodie (Musical Expression, Rhythm, Form)
American Folksong (Melody, Musical Expression, Texture)
Styles/ Genres: Multicultural/World, Sacred, Folk
Historical Periods: America in the 19th and 20th century
 Cultures: African American
National Standards: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Fall Holiday Spring Festival

Style/ Genre Secular, Folk Lullaby, Secular, Spiritual Multicultural/World,
Fugue (Gospel), Copla, Sacred, Folk
Folk
Historical Period Romantic 11th century Mexico in 1882, America in the 19th
Scotland America in the and 20th century
18th and 19th
century
Culture Jewish, German Scottish, Cross- Spanish, African African American,
cultural American slavery Latin
National Standard 1,5,6,7,9 1,4,6,8,9 1,3,7,8,9 1,3,5,6,7,8,9
Fall Concert

Content Performed
- Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima arranged by Philip Kern
- In Stiller Nacht by Johannes Brahms arranged by David L. Weck
- Hine Ma Tov arranged by Henry Leck

Skills/ elements addressed

- Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima arranged by Philip Kern
-Rhythm, Form, Harmony, Musical Expression
- In Stiller Nacht by Johannes Brahms arranged by David L. Weck
- Rhythm, Musical Expression, Harmony
- Hine Ma Tov arranged by Henry Leck
- Melody, Timbre, Texture
S/G,H,C,NS addressed
Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima arranged by Philip Kern
Style: Swing
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances

In Stiller Nacht by Johannes Brahms arranged by David L. Weck

Style: Germanic Folk Song
Historical Period: Romantic
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Hine Ma Tov arranged by Henry Leck

Genre: Hebrew Folk Song
Culture: Jewish
National Standards
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Rationale for song selections and skill development
Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima arranged by Philip Kern
-I chose this piece as a relatively easy and fun way to jump back into the school
year. This piece is also great for introducing students into the swing rhythm feel
since the harmonies are relatively simple. It is important for students to
experience different styles of music to understand that not all music is sung with
the same beat emphasis. This piece will be great for the students to develop their
new ensemble sound with two part harmonies through balance and listening skills.
This piece does not have any crunchy dissonances so students will listen closely
to the other parts and confidently sing their part without becoming too
overwhelmed. Lastly, this piece has the form of intro, verse, chorus, bridge, verse,
chorus and outro. The students are already familiar with this type of song form
(ex, songs on the radio) so this would be a nice introduction into song form before
we delve into more complex forms.

In Stiller Nacht by Johannes Brahms arranged by David L. Weck

- In Stiller Nacht will allow my students to develop awareness of phrases and
musical direction. It is easy to hear the rise and fall of each phrase within each
individual part so there will be no ambiguity on whether the phrase starts or ends
in a certain place. My students may have also never sang in a simple triple meter
that 3/2 and not 3/4 so this will be a great introduction into a new simple triple
meter. There will be no new rhythms introduced in this piece but how the students
count the rhythms will be different. This piece will be the most complex piece
regarding harmonies on their fall concert. Luckily, it is only two pages so it will
not seem overwhelming to the students. The students will sing mostly in chordal
progressions with a few non-harmonic tones and dissonances.

Hine Ma Tov arranged by Henry Leck (melody, timbre, texture)

- Hine Ma Tov has a distinct melody that is heard throughout the duration of the
piece. Both parts have the opportunity to sing the melody as it alternates between
each part. The students will also experience an intentional change in their vocal
color as they sing the Hebrew. This piece will be a great exercise to work on
placement as their tone will need to be more bright and forward than they are used
to. Hine Ma Tov also focuses on texture changes. In the beginning one part begins
the piece and cycles through the whole melody before the second voice comes in.
As the piece goes on there is a descant that solely sings on ah and does not sing
any of the words. The students will experience the feeling of their voice part
being exposed and then again being joined by the other part.
Sample Lesson Plan
Activities: NS #6
Decoding song forms. Students will pick one of three lullabies I have listed and
decipher the form. This will be a great introduction into song form and will fit well with Sing,
Sing, Sing.
Assessment:
Formative
Tools:
In-class activity, graded worksheet
Rationale:
It is important for students to understand the road map of the piece they are
working on. Knowing the form of the piece helps students to identify similarities and differences
within the broader spectrum of the piece.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities: NS #3
In pairs, create a rhythm that is 6-8 measures in a simple meter of your choice.
Assessment:
Formative
Tools:
In-class activity and deliverance
Rationale:
I want my students to become aware of all the meters that are categorized under
simple meter. A student may think simple meter must be 2/4, and not understand that any meter
is simple as long as the beat can be divided into two parts.
Holiday Concert

Content Performed
- Baloo Baleerie
- Candlelight Canon
- Fugue for Fast Food

Skills/ elements addressed

-Baloo Baleerie
-Musical Expression, Harmony, Melody, Texture, Timbre
-Candlelight Canon
- Musical Expression, Harmony, Texture, Timbre
-Fugue for Fast Food
- Rhythm, Harmony
S/G,H,C,NS addressed
Baloo Baleerie
Style: Scottish Lullaby
Culture: Cross-cultural
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines
outside the arts
Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Candlelight Canon
Style: Canon
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances

Fugue for Fast Food

National Standards
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances

Rationale for song selections and skill development

 Baloo Baleerie
Baloo Baleerie will allow me to introduce the unifying culture that a lullaby brings to our world.
Students will learn that the lullaby has been around for generations and is used across all
cultures. Baloo Baleerie is also a great avenue for young singers to learn to control their breath
support for a soft dynamic. Students will have to learn how to express the piece within a
controlled dynamic level. Since this is a lullaby there is also an evident melody that students will
be able to listen for and see throughout the whole piece.
Candlelight Canon
I chose Candlelight Canon so students could experience a round if they havent already. With
Candlelight Canon students are very responsible for listening to their own section and not getting
swept away into another section. Texture is very evident in this piece as well as it moves from
unison, to two and three part harmony, and then further into the round section. Candlelight
Canon also has a great message of world unification using the candle as a symbol of piece. This
piece would open up an avenue of discussion regarding symbolism in their generation, culture,
and world.
Fugue for Fast Food
I think this would be a fun piece to mix up the serious tone of the other two pieces. I believe it is
important to balance more serious pieces with a light hearted piece. This piece also has a lot of
technical aspects the students will have to work on such as polyphony and syllabic text settings. I
think the students will not realize the difficulty of this piece as they focus on having a good time
saying the silly words. This will be a great piece for the students to continue working on keeping
an internal pulse as they will want to rush once they can finally say all of the words.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities: NS #8,9
In small groups find a lullaby from another culture and perform it for the class.
Or, find a recording of a lullaby from another culture and give a presentation regarding the
culture it originated from.
Assessment:
Formative
Tools:
Rubric, In class perforamance
Rationale:
There is only so much explaining I can do as a teacher about topics that are so
broad. I think the students would learn more about other lullabies if they did the research
themselves. Then by giving a presentation the students will learn from the students giving the
presentation.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities: NS #4
 In small groups create a fugue based on a holiday theme. The melodic phrase
should last 4 8 measures and be reintroduced three times. It could be re-introduced as a canon
(round) or by ascending or descending in pitch.
Assessment:
Formative
Tools:
In-class delivery, Rubric
Rationale:
To understand something is to re-create it. If a student is able to create their own
mini-fugue I will know they understand what a fugue is. I think it is important for students to
understand different forms of music and what they mean.
Spring Concert
Content Performed
-All Night All Day
- Danny Boy
- Cielito Lindo

Skills/ elements addressed

-All Night All Day
- Texture, Harmony, Timbre, Rhythm
-Danny Boy
- Musical Expression, Harmony, Texture
-Cielito Lindo
Melody, Musical Expression

S/G,H,C,NS addressed
All Night All Day
Style: Spiritual
Culture: African American Slavery
Historical Period: Slavery in America during the 18th and 19th century
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Understanding Music in relation to history and culture

Danny Boy
Style: Irish Folk Song
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and discipline
outside the arts

Cielito Lindo
Genre: Multicultural/world music
Culture: Spanish
Historical Period: Mexico in 1882
National Standards
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
 Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Rationale for song selections and skill development

All Night All Day-
I planned this piece in coordination with the other two pieces to show how the
same piece of music can be sang formally and informally. This piece is a traditional spiritual
written for three part voices. With this piece students are able to work on syncopated rhythms as
well as more complex harmonies. All Night, All Day also provides an avenue for students to
learn more about African spirituals. Students can learn about who sang these spirituals and when
and where they were typically sung.

Danny Boy
This works as a great introduction to text setting and arrangements. Students will
learn that you can set a specific text to a variety of tunes, or use one tune with multiple texts.
Since there have been multiple arrangements of this text students will have the opportunity to
listen to a multitude of arrangements. The students will compare and contrast voicing, meter and
tempos within the different arrangements. With Danny Boy students are also able to work on
singing legato, expression, and breath support. This piece contains many long phrases that
require ample breath support in order to achieve the rise and fall of the line.

Cielito Lindo
This piece features unison at the octave between the two parts. I think this is a
great opportunity for students to shift their focus. With this piece the students will be able to
focus on developing their ensemble color and group sound. This will give the students an
opportunity to listen to the voices that surround them. As with the spiritual they are working on
this piece also creates an avenue to delve into the history of the Spanish copla. The students will
learn about what made this song so popular in the Spanish culture.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities:
In pairs, students will choose a Dr. Seuss poem and arrange the words to two
different tunes. Arrangement must be 16-20 measures in a key of their choice. Students may
decide between simple or compound meter. Students may create harmonies throughout the piece
as they wish.
Assessment: NS #4
Interim
Tools:
In-class performance, checklist of requirements met
Rationale:
 This project gives students an opportunity to be creative within small limitations
and introduces students to the concepts of arrangements. Also, before this project students may
not realize that you can take a specific text or tune and arrange it to fit the group that is
performing.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities: NS #9
Alone, research African American Spirituals and find two other spirituals along
with a recording for each. Research the context of the spiritual, when and where was it sang and
what was this spiritual sang for?
Assessment:
Interim
Tools:
Project submission with a graded rubric
Rationale:
In my classroom I want to emphasize the importance of learning a pieces
historical context. I believe if students understand who, what, when, where and whys of a piece,
they will delve deeper into their musicality as a group and individual.
Festival
Content Performed
-Jambo
- Cantate Hodie
- American Folksong

Skills/ elements addressed

-Jambo
- Timbre, Rhythm, Texture, Melody
-Cantate Hodie
- Musical Expression, Rhythm, Form
-American Folksong
-Melody, Musical Expression, Texture

S/G,H,C,NS addressed
Jambo
Style: Multicultural/ World Music
Culture: African American
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
Listening to analyzing and describing music

Cantate Hodie
Style: Sacred Concert Music
History: Latin
National Standards:
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and discipline
outside the arts

American Folksong
Genre: Folksong
Culture: American culture
National Standards
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Reading and notating music
Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
 Listening to analyzing and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Rationale for song selections and skill development

Jambo
This piece will allow students to experience singing in an unfamiliar foreign
language. Students will also be given the task of writing in the translation to the text. I think this
is a fun and upbeat song full of specific articulation and texture changes. The students will also
experience singing along to only a percussive accompaniment.

Cantate Hodie
Cantate Hodie is another piece in the students concert repertoire that will allow
them to continue working on polyphony. The students will have to listen across the room and
look at the other parts of their music to find when they have a duet with another part or all three.
Students will also have the challenge of switching rapidly between Latin and English text.

American Folksong
This is a great piece for students to work on passing off the melody to other parts.
There is a continuous round of Get along home, that gets passed from part to part. Syllabic text
setting is also a big factor in this piece as well as dynamic contrasts. Students will have to work
hard at the dynamic contrast in this piece due to the syllabic text setting and constant changes in
melody and harmony.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities:
Alone, students will write in the translations for Jambo.
Assessment: NS #9
Formative
Tools:
Checklist
Rationale:
It is important for students to understand what they are singing about. This
enables the students to connect with the piece they are singing.

Sample Lesson Plan

Activities: NS #6
Alone, students will find all of the parts in their music where they have a duet
with another part. This may be through sharing pitches, or rhythms.
Assessment:
Formative
Tools:
Checklist
Rationale:
 Students must develop awareness of other parts in order to help develop their ear
training and sight reading skills. I think it is important for students to be aware of other parts and
be able to listen for those parts.