Instrumental Music Lesson Plans Introduction
In teaching instrumental music it is important to note that traditional lesson plans do not apply to
daily situations created by both a dynamic (ever-changing) and artistic learning environment. This
introduction is written to allow those never having been in an intensive rehearsal environment to
come to grips with what makes a rehearsal both dynamic and artistic.
I we believe that dynamic (ever-changing) elements create our lesson plans in real time (as they
arise) then there must irst be a structure rom which each rehearsal resonates. The structure or a
middle school rehearsal stays basically the same throughout the year. It consists o the ollowing
elements and will appear as !rehearse pieces" in my lesson plans#
$. Warm-up (%-& minutes) this can itsel create a lesson plan i the students are
not warming up properly.
'. Lessons/concepts ((-$) minutes) do not occur in lesson orm each rehearsal.
*sually i there is a need created by elements rom the previous days
rehearsal or rom the warm-up. I ormali+ed, it will occur at this time, but can
occur at any time during the rehearsal.
-. Rehearsal proper. (-)-.) minutes) This is accomplished by either part-to-
whole or whole-to-part teaching and can generate one o three outcomes which
include# repetition (drill), lesson creation (on the spot or drawn out over a
couple days or weeks, depending on student needs), or concept building (group
awareness skills as they relate to larger musical concepts).
%. Warm-down, concept review.
I we also believe that rehearsals are artistic situations, we must also come to grips with what
artistic concepts challenge human minds o any age and how these concepts are best taught. I
believe the best way in which to teach global music concepts is to do so as they arise in Each
Individual Piece.
/ecause each piece o music presents dierent challenges to the learner, each piece, in turn,
becomes a teaching tool or whichever musical concept is not immediately graspable by the
musician as they read through the piece. 0oncepts such as balance, blend, tuning chords, theoretical
awareness, time considerations, e1pression, intensity, tone and timbre 2uality, phrasing and
dynamics are among a ew. These concepts are so large that most adults do not demand them rom
their listening because they are not sensitive to the possibilities created by being sensiti+ed 3to4 these
concepts. 5nce the learner becomes aware o their power and integration then we have a beginning.
5nce all o the learners become aware o their power and integration then they must master their role
as a team player with respect to the pieces4 musical interpretation.
0onse2uently, each day in Middle 6chool is about consistency. 0onsistency in all things
musical7 in notes and rhythms, time, pulse, eye contact, posture, breathing, memori+ation,
perormance practice, intonation, balance, blend, tone 2uality, dynamics, intensity8. 9hat we at
506: like to call !:ll the things :ll the time;" Lesson plans rely on a musically trained teacher
who can, like a doctor, diagnose and shore-up a musical situation in under -) seconds and be able to
generate lesson plans on the ly given musical concepts not being demonstrated by the musicians
young and old. These people are known as conductors and problems arise when non-conductors are
asked to step in to educate. This is why i there is not a conductor available then students should
conduct themselves having had proper training. (6tudent assistants are listed in emergency lesson
plans, please use them;)
<ere are a ew more elements that can be seen in instrumental music lesson plans. These
elements are important to the program but only get taught beore a perormance. These are known
as !perormance practice" and they include#
$. 6eating8 stage entrance and e1it.
'. Tuning procedure or concert perormances.
-. 6tage logistics and eti2uette.
%. Protocol or times and global stage manager procedures.
In my lesson plans it will simply state that perormance practice will apply on this day. :gain, this
is a dynamic process and once it is learned, the students become better at it and elements can be
added to ormali+e the process. 5lder students also teach the younger students through vicarious
interaction.
:t best an instrumental teacher4s lesson plans need only include the pieces being prepared, as
this is all a conductor would need. The conductor steps onto the podium, gives the downbeat and
within -) seconds knows how the remainder o the lesson is to take place. The drama within each
great piece o music can be reached by both student and conductor i both student and conductor are
concerning themselves with only the piece and its content, not by academic notions, classroom
interruptions, and the like.
I, again, we all agree that this is an artistic process, then we must begin to act like artists
both young and old. 9e must embrace the needs o great music by allowing the students the
reedom to perorm at their very best through an administration that understands the dynamic
process o both teaching and learning music.
