MSAD 75 Instrumental Music Curriculum Guide

MSAD 75 Instrumental Music Curriculum Guide

The MSAD 75 instrumental music program is a vertically structured, sequential system that is predicated on individual skill development. Band is an academic, co–curricular course offering, the foundation of which is the instrumental music lessons provided for all students in the program in grades 5-8. The following is a philosophical overview of the program along with specific scope and sequence information.

At each of the three levels (elementary, middle school, and high school), there are specific “points of emphasis” that are the most important areas of instruction. At each level, these points of emphasis are slightly different. At the elementary level, students must be taught basic fundamentals (breathing, embrochure formation, stick technique), basic music literacy, care and maintenance of the instrument and an introduction to ensemble development (i.e. knowing how to play in a band). At the middle school level, the primary focus is on individual technique development, meeting instrumentation goals and continuing ensemble development. In high school, the focus is on refining both individual musicianship and ensemble development.

Elementary (grade 5)

General Philosophy

Students are given the opportunity to begin an instrument in the fifth grade. The major focus of instruction at the elementary level is to give students proper habits from the outset. If students start with improper techniques, they will reach a point (sometimes within months, sometimes within years) where they will “hit the wall” and stop progressing because of these physical limitations.

Points of Emphasis

Introduce proper breathing technique and use of air (woodwind & brass)
Learning to breath and then use air efficiently and effectively is a crucial, basic skill and a prerequisite to instrumental music success.
Introduce robot style stick technique (percussion)
This is a stick technique that is the heart of the instructional method used for percussionists throughout the program.
Introduce correct embrochure formation and tone production (woodwind and brass)
It is critically important to the long term success of the instrumental music student that the embouchure is taught correctly from the start in order to produce proper tone.
Introduce fingerings and basic music literacy
Students should be able to recognize and understand basic rhythms, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, dotted quarter, and eighth notes and rests.
Introduce instrument care and maintenance of instruments
Students need to understand how to care for the instruments that represent a significant monetary investment. These instruments, in most cases, must last a student at least through high school and often well into adulthood.
Introduce ensemble development
In addition to the individual skills needed to play an instrument, students need to learn how to play with others in an ensemble.

Instructional Methods

Woodwind & brass instruments use the Standards of Excellence- Book 1. Students should not start in the lesson book until they can demonstrate proper breathing, embouchure, and tone production.

Instructional Setting

Lessons are taught in like instrument and like ability groups free of charge, once a week. A written evaluation will go home to parents at report card time, which will give a detailed report of their child's progress. This will help families, especially those paying monthly instrument rental fees, to make informed decisions regarding their child's continued involvement in this program.
Students will have a band rehearsal once a week for 10 weeks after school starting in the spring. Students qualify for band when they reach a predetermined page in the lesson book.

Middle School (grades 6, 7 & 8)

General Philosophy

This level is in many ways the key to a successful band program. Students must develop their individual technique to enable them to perform the band literature that they will play when they get to the high school band. It is also crucial to meet the instrumentation goals in order to ultimately have a balanced high school band, as well as a balanced middle school band.

Points of Emphasis

Refine individual technique
Through the use of the Rubank Method Books and the Dave Paiva Drum Method, individual technique will be emphasized.
Refine embrochure, tone production, intonation, phrasing and musical expression.
Meet instrumentation goals
At the middle school level, the instrumentation must be enlarged to prepare for the more difficult band literature that is performed at the high school level. Students need to be “drafted” to fill these slots. Potential drafts are identified by the director on the basis of demonstrated proficiency and motivation on their original instrument, and usually come from larger sections (i.e. flute, clarinet, trumpet). There will be a one month trial period during which the student and the teacher can determine if the switch will be effective and desirable. At the end of the trial period, if the teacher is satisfied with the student’s progress, and if the student wishes to continue on the new instrument, the student will be asked to make a long term commitment to the new instrument and to the program. The middle school band should include the following instruments:
Oboe- one every other class
Bassoon- one every other class
Bass clarinet- one every other class
Tenor sax- one every other class
Baritone sax- one every other class
French Horn- two each class
Baritone- one every class
Tuba- three every two classes
Refine music literacy
There will be an emphasis on rhythms and counting, in both lessons and band rehearsals. Students should be able to sight count, clap, and play any rhythms including notes up to sixteenth notes and rests in any combinations.

Introduce concepts of ensemble balance and blend.
Students need to know how to blend their individual part in order to produce a properly balanced total band sound. Balance and blend depends on the part being played within a section (i.e. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd parts), the relative pitch of the instrument (i.e. high/low), tone quality, and the type of musical material being played (i.e. melodic, harmonic, rhythmic).

Instructional Methods
Woodwind & Brass–Rubank Elementary Method (except Pottag–Hovey method for french horn; Edwards-Hovey for trumpet; Cimera-Hovey for trombone), followed by the Rubank Advanced Method Vol. 1 when students finish the elementary book. These books are used, because they effectively produce technical facility (through patterns and repetitions), and rhythmic understanding.
Percussion use the Paiva Drum Method. This book develops percussionists who can play rudimental drum parts with great facility. In addition, all percussionist learn keyboard percussion instruments.

Instructional setting
Lessons must continue to be taught in like instrument and like ability groups. Students will have one 40 minute lesson per week in addition to regular band rehearsals. Lessons are scheduled during the school day on a rotating basis. Students who have their lessons during an academic class are responsible for work missed and are expected to maintain a reasonable class grade average. Lessons will be graded with students expected to maintain a B- or better average lesson grade in order to remain eligible to play in the various bands.
Students in grade 6 participate in the Junior Concert Band where they are introduced to playing in an ensemble. The Junior Concert Band performs band literature from grades I-II and meets twice a week during school time.
Students in grades 7 and 8 play in the Concert Band and. The Junior Band will play quality band literature from grade II-IV and meets three times a week during school time.
In addition, students in grades 7 and 8 have the opportunity to play in the Junior Jazz Band, which rehearses before school.
Advanced students also have the opportunity to participate in various regional festivals (e.g. District III Honors Festival, Jazz Festival, etc.).

High School (grades 9-12)

General Philosophy
By the time students get to the high school band, they should have individual skills, fundamental technique and music literacy to be able to perform advanced quality band literature (grades IV-V). Music will be chosen that is educationally and artistically challenging, and represents a broad historical and stylistic range. The main focus at this level is refining individual and ensemble musicianship and putting all the training into practice. The high school bands will perform regularly at school concerts, festivals and competitions. As stated in the Mt. Ararat Performing Arts Curriculum, the high school band “does not exist to be a public service organization or a school spirit organization. Performances will be scheduled only if there is solid educational justification for the students involved in the performance. The band director will always justify a performance first and foremost by the educational benefits derived by the students from performing.”

Points of Emphasis

Refine individual musicianship and technique
Through the use of quality band literature grades III-V, students will develop individual musical maturity by continuing to develop and refine individual technique and style.
Refine understanding and performance of ensemble balance and blend.
Refine sight reading ability

Instructional Methods

The primary instruction method is the band music. Quality band music from a variety of styles and time periods will be chosen in order to be challenging both technically and musically. Students will also be encouraged to audition and participate in various honors festivals (i.e. All District, All State, All Eastern), outside musical ensembles (i.e. Brunswick Regional Youth Orchestra, USM Youth Ensembles), and extra ensembles at school as time allows (i.e. brass choir, woodwind choir, percussion ensemble)

Instructional setting

The primary setting is the band rehearsal. There are no lessons at the high school level. Students are assessed on the band music through individual playing exams twice per quarter. Grades for high school band are based on: playing exams (40%), attendance at required performances (30%), and rehearsal behavior and attitude (30%).
The major emphasis of the high school band program is on the performance of challenging and quality concert band literature. Students may elect to take any high school band course and have an Honors designation on their transcript (i.e. Honors Concert Band) by meeting requirements that go beyond the scope of the course components, such as taking private music lessons, auditioning and participating in district, state and regional festivals, and performing in outside musical organizations. Another way of challenging the more advanced and more motivated high school instrumental musician is the Independent Study Applied Music Performance course, where students take intensive applied music (private lessons). Students demonstrate their yearly progress in a recital performance or a recording.
There are two high school bands, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, each a regularly scheduled course. Concert Band includes everyone who wishes to be in band (primarily grades 9 & 10). The only prerequisite to being in Concert Band is that the student receive a B- or better grade in band the previous year. In the fall and spring, the Concert Band and Wind Ensemble combine to march in parades and/or marching competitions, such as the Memorial Day Parade, the Maine State Parade, and the Maine State Fire Fighters Convention Parade. Entrance into the Wind Ensemble, which is primarily for students in grades 11 & 12, is by audition. The Wind Ensemble and Concert Band combine for concerts to form the Symphonic Band. In addition, the Wind Ensemble performs it’s own separate and more challenging music.
Students also have the opportunity to play in the Jazz Band which meets once a week for two hours in the evening.