Lesson Plan 8: Performing, Rehearse, Evaluate, Refine – Teaching the Core Music Standards

STANDARD: MU:Pr5.3.E.Ia Develop strategies to address expressive challenges in a varied repertoire of music, and evaluate their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other sources to refine performances.

TEACHERS:

Purchase or create practice journals for the classroom. Distribute at the beginning of each semester. Schedule regular check-ins on individual journal entries throughout the year.

STUDENTS:

Prior to touring, keep a weekly journal of your practice time with the touring repertoire. Keep track of goals that you would like to complete prior to the tour departure. Once a month, meet with your section to discuss notes and work through your challenges together. During rehearsal, a teacher may ask a section or individual to demonstrate their work to the ensemble and the remaining ensemble members may present feedback to the sections or individuals. While on tour, write journal entries after each performance. Review the year’s entries and summarize your experience in a one page assignment.

SAMPLE JOURNAL TOPICS:

• Discuss how overseas you were able to overcome any expressive or technical challenges that you had prior to touring.
• Analyze your individual performance of today’s concert or as a section/ensemble.
• What items might you discuss with your section leader regarding the section’s performance today? What about with the ensemble?
• How did the audience perceive the performance? Were there times when the audience was more involved in the performance? Why or why not?
• How did you change your individual performance choices for each venue or area performed? Did the audience, culture or venue in the area have an impact on the way in which you performed? Why or why not? If so, explain how you altered your performance choices.