Building an Audience

Building an Audience

         Music is a medium that is meant to be shared in real time between the player and the audience. There is nothing like the thrill of a successful performance in front of a live audience. It is a chance to show off. Furthermore, it is a test of everything that your students have learned in rehearsals. 

          The issue with any performance that isn’t by a major group like the Rolling Stones is filling the seats. It is a common problem faced by every performer especially while they are building their career. There are many ways to help build an audience including posters, getting ads on the local radio stations, newspapers for the town and making announcements at school. It can be very helpful to link your performance group to the community and a sense of civic pride. Have your students perform during a 4th of July celebration. If your band travels they may pick up more concert goers who would not otherwise go into a school for a performance. Take your students to a local senior center and have them perform there. I happen to know someone who works as senior center activity coordinator and she is always looking for performers especially free ones. If there is a new library, town office, super market opening or a new movie theater, or mall in your area call and ask to perform. Local sports teams including any Triple A ball clubs will have a built in audience as well. Make sure to draw connections to your band and the community at large. Invite local civic leaders and the mayor. People who may come up for election always need to be seen as part of the community. 

          Furthermore, if you can get together a booster committee they can be helpful too. Selling raffle tickets in front of a local store doesn’t just raise money but it also raises community awareness of your performance group. Also, these boosters may be willing to provide food for after the concert. Many people will attend an art opening just for the wine and cheese. They will stand around and chat, have some yummy food they may even tell their friends about this wonderful event they attended. You may not be able to provide alcoholic beverages but a slice of homemade blueberry pie and some cookies with punch and coffee may leave your current audience with a stronger desire to come back.

         Bottom line is, become a part of your community. The greater the connections and visibility, the more people will want to attend your concerts.

Science of Sound Waves Lesson plan -Should be a high school unit plan instead

Student Teacher: Amy Braica_ Grade Level: 8

Date of lesson: March 31, 2014_

Institution _University of Bridgeport_   Length of lesson_10 minutes___

Topic/Title: Science of Sound Waves

 (A)  Relevant State and National Content Standards

  Music content area 6. Analysis, 8 Connections to other disciplines

 (B)  Learners’ Background 

Regular music classes, some are also singers, band members and and or take piano lessons.

 (C)  Student Learning Objective

Students will be exposed to the science of sound waves including pitch, frequency, volume and introduced to the beginning of harmonics.

(D)  Materials & Teacher-developed Resources 

Powerpoint presentation, computer, projector, flute and other instruments.

 (E)  Learning Activities (Teaching and Learning Strategies with an Approximate   

        Timeline)

(1)  Initiation

Students are greeted. Teacher explains the reason for the lesson. Many of you have been interested in sound waves and how they work. This is a lesson about that. We will have some additional lessons on sound and how it works in future classes but this is just a beginning.

(2) Development

Classroom Organization/Grouping Patterns.

Students will be seated in their assigned seats facing the board.

Student Learning Activities (Note: List the sequence of student activities and forms of 

class participation.)

Students are free to ask questions and listen to the lecture. 

Teacher Modeling Behaviors- Teacher will give lecture and perform on the violin and flute. If other instruments are in the classroom brought by the students then they may also play for demonstration of an A-440.

Guided Practice for Students- Students will have to answer questions from the teacher reiterating what the teacher has just said.

Questions to Promote Learning and Studying- Can anyone tell me what is pitch? Frequency? Volume? What is timbre?

(3)  Closure

Summary of the Main Points of the Lesson

Reinforcement of the Purpose for Learning- I will tell them that they need these basics before we get into the science of composition.

Homework: Write a paper about these things you have learned today and come back to school tomorrow with written questions about the science of sound.

 (5) Independent Work (optional)

 (F)  Evaluation of Student Learning

(Describe the formal and informal assessments you will use for students to demonstrate their learning and mastery of the objective(s).) 

Students will demonstrate their knowledge through their interactions with the teacher, summing up what they have just learned,

 (G)  Modifications for Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction

Handouts of the powerpoint if necessary. Privately going over the classwork between classes or after school.

Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction: Describe 1 to 3 students with learning differences. These students may be special or general education students and need not be the same students for each lesson.  Students may represent a range of ability and/or achievement levels, including students with IEPs, gifted and talented students, struggling learners, and English language learners.

Note: Differentiated instruction may not be necessary in every lesson.  However, over the course of the student teaching placement, it is expected that each student teacher will demonstrate the ability to differentiate instruction in order to meet the needs of students with learning differences.

Notes from the pre-conference

 (H)  Teacher Reflection

See Post-Observation Reflection Form

Supplemental Information (if needed)

Lesson plan in sound waves reviewed

My evaluation of my work in class teaching a lesson on the Science of Sound Waves

I believe that I did a poor job. I spent a lot of my time talking and showing slides which were boring. I also tried to cover too much information in my 10 minute time frame. I should have stuck to teaching students that sound comes in waves and teaching amplitude and hertz. I should have shown a vibrating string on a violin and had students play with a guitar. 

Students need to have a few key ideas to take away with them and instead I gave them about a dozen including the overtone series and the basic functions of the human ear. This was all too much for a 10 minute lesson plan geared towards middle school students.

I overreached and that is why my lesson plan went so poorly.

Choral warm up

Student Teacher __Amy Braica         Grade Level_High School 

Date of lesson_3/7/2014

Institution _University of Bridgeport Lesson Plan   

Length of lesson: 10-15 Minutes Lesson Performed in Class (5 Minutes)

Topic/Title: Choral Warm Up Lesson

 (A)  Relevant State and National Content Standards

        National and State Music Standards 1: Singing, Standard 2: Evaluating Music and Music Performances

 (B)  Learners’ Background 

           Varied. Some learners can already read treble clef to some degree when prompted. Others are more advanced and sing with private instruction, may play instruments at home or in band class.

 (C)  Student Learning Objective for the 5 minutes

The student will be able to breathe properly for singing. Demonstrate proper posture. Relax muscles of the body in preparation for singing and warming up the voice in preparation for rehearsal.

(D)  Materials & Teacher-developed Resources

             The piano is necessary for pitch matching.

 (E)  Learning Activities (Teaching and Learning Strategies with an Approximate   

        Timeline) 5 minutes and then 35 minutes for the full lesson

Greeting students for the morning, have students put away their things and get to their places and sit down. Body warm ups are performed as lead by the teacher and then singing warm ups. 

Each successive initiation will include going over the homework and any difficulties students had and reviewing basic concepts about breathing, posture, care and holding the instrument.

(3) Development

Classroom Organization/Grouping Patterns –student will sit in a chair facing the teacher. The teacher have students stand up roll their necks and gently roll their shoulders forwards and backward

Teacher Modeling Behaviors-Teacher will model warm up of muscles while facing the students and then play the piano and give verbal prompts as to what the teacher wants the students to sing during the vocal warm ups.

Guided Practice for Students-Student will practice proper breathing, relaxation of muscle warm ups and vocal warm ups. They will do neck rolls, shoulder rolls, stretches, imagine etthat you are smelling a rose and then while touching toes they will slowly roll their body up to standing position. Students will do lip trills. Students will sing up and down a 5th on one long continuous La. Then an octave. Then arpeggiated chord tones. Then super bubblegum and superdouble bubble gum. Then students will sing a round on solfege with each each voice part singing in unison against the others.

Questions to Promote Learning and Studying: 

Listen to your bodies: Does anything feel painful to you? If so you are overdoing it with your neck rolls. Don’t sing anything that hurts. Do you feel a strain? Does everyone feel warmed up?

(3)  Closure

Students will be told to sit down and open their music folders.

                Summary: Students will be physically and mental prepared to sing in rehearsal.

Reinforcement of the Purpose for Learning- Teacher verbal corrections.

              (4)  Students should do this to warm up before they practice music at home.

Independent Work (optional)

 (F)  Evaluation of Student Learning

(Describe the formal and informal assessments you will use for students to demonstrate their learning and mastery of the objective(s).) 

Teacher will listen to students performances and watch visually their physical engagement.

 (G)  Modifications for Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction

Students unable to perform all warm ups will modify for themselves.

Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction: Describe 1 to 3 students with learning differences. These students may be special or general education students and need not be the same students for each lesson.  Students may represent a range of ability and/or achievement levels, including students with IEPs, gifted and talented students, struggling learners, and English language learners.

Note: Differentiated instruction may not be necessary in every lesson.  However, over the course of the student teaching placement, it is expected that each student teacher will demonstrate the ability to differentiate instruction in order to meet the needs of students with learning differences.

 (H)  Teacher Reflection

See Post-Observation Reflection Form

Teacher will keep a mental note of the pitch matching of the group and abilities with solfege.

Supplemental Information (if needed) -None