O Music Unit Plan

Alisha Reeve

Rep. Info Sheet

Title: O Music Composer: Mason, Lowell Arranger: Liebergen, Patrick M.

Publisher: BriLee Music Publishing Co. Publication Date: 2000 Publication ID#: BL243 Voicing: SSA Accompaniment: Piano, Flute Solos: Opt. Solo or Small Group, mm. 5-17 Language: English Occasion: General Voice Ranges: S1: Bb3-F5; S2: Bb3-C5; A: Bb3-C5

Concepts: Canon/Round, Dynamics, Flute, Countermelody, Crescendo, Rit., Lowell Mason, Skills: Ability to sing the same part at different times, ability to hold separate parts, ability to sing many dynamics Potential Problems: Coming in with correct voice part, and not getting lost in the round; Sopranos go quite high at the end, make sure to keep it healthy and light

O Music Study Guide

Title: O Music Composer: Mason, Lowell Arranger: Liebergen, Patrick M. Voicing: SSA Background/Historical Context: Lowell Mason is known as the Father of Music Education. He first began teaching music in singing schools in Savannah, Georgia. Later, he taught in Boston where he was organist, choir director, and vocal teacher. He spent the later portion of his life working out of New York writing books and articles on Music Education, and composing tune books. O Music can be found in its original form in The American Tune Book, published in 1869.

Terms: Canon: Melody that can be layered by several voices, each entrance is at an equal distance from each other, may not be able to repeat the melody after initial entrance Crescendo: gradually increasing dynamic level Dynamics: the loudness level of a pitch or series of pitches Fermata: musical mark that indicates that a pitch should be held longer than the notated duration Key Signature: the arrangement of sharps or flats in a piece which indicates the primary pitches to be used in the piece Major Key: composition that is composed around the major Scale Measure: a unit of time that contains a specified number of beats which is determined by the time signature Ritardando: slowing down gradually Round: a perpetual canon, each voice or group enters at a set time, and each part can continue in perpetuity

Time Signature: marking at the beginning of the piece that indicates the number of beats in a measure, and the note that receives the beat Unison: singing or playing the same melody on the same pitches Or at the octave level Skills: Singing in a Round: ability to hold their own part within the round and not sing with another part Choral Diction: clear performance of consonants at the ends of phrases, such as the c at the end of music Performance of Dynamics: ability to observe and appropriate perform the marked dynamics and crescendos Breath Support: ability to hold long notes at the ends of phrases and at the end of the piece Performances of Slurs: ability to perform slurs without sliding

Learning Goals
At the end of the Unit students will be able to: Pass a singing test over measures 5 through 17 in small groups with piano accompaniment (NS1). Sing O Music, with piano and flute accompaniment, with appropriate diction, observing marked dynamics in a concert setting and reflect on or evaluate the performance (NS1 and NS7). Identify and/or define dynamics, fermatas, crescendos, ritardando and other terms from term list (NS5).

Elementary Choir meets twice a week for 25 minutes. There are six weeks full weeks, or 12 rehearsals, between starting the piece and the performance date. Week 1 Rehearsal 1 5 minutes Discussion of Lowell Mason, introduce terms round and canon, initial hearing of the melody (teacher model), discuss key signature and major key, Rehearsal 2 7 minutes Review terms round/canon, learn mm. 5 through 17, introduce term: unison, notice opening dynamics and discuss dynamics throughout the piece Week 2 Rehearsal 1 5 minutes Review mm. 5 through 17, notice that each voice part sings the same melody later in the piece, polish melody Rehearsal 2 20 minutes Introduce melody and round at mm. 20 through 43 (see attached lesson plan), discuss tryouts for small group or solo that will happen in two weeks, Sponge activity: polish mm. 517

Time Frame

Week 3 Rehearsal 1 5 minutes Review dynamics, discuss crescendo and locate in score, review mm. 20-43, run through solo mm. 5-17 Rehearsal 2 7 minutes Discuss breathing techniques, review mm. 20-43, review terms round/canon, discuss time signature and measure Week 4 Rehearsal 1 5 minutes Polish solo mm. 5-17, tryouts next rehearsal, polish mm. 2043, work on memorization Rehearsal 2 10 minutes Tryouts for solo, introduce mm. 44 through end, discuss fermata, run measures 20-43 memorized Week 5 Rehearsal 1 7 minutes Discuss singing test which will occur next week, review mm. 44 through end, review fermata, run piece beginning to end Rehearsal 2 5 minutes Reminders about singing test, run mm. 44 to end memorized, review terms learned thus far for quiz next week Week 6 Rehearsal 1 10 minutes Singing test in small groups, review terms for quiz next rehearsal, run piece beginning to end memorized with piano and flute Rehearsal 2 7 minutes Definitions quiz, polish piece memorized with piano and flute, reminders about dynamics

Assessment Strategies and Instruments

Pass a singing test over measures 5 through 17 in small groups with piano accompaniment (NS1). O Music Assessment Rubric Task: Students will sing measures 5-17 of O Music accurately with appropriate diction and breathing techniques. (20 points)
Points: Pitch Accuracy Rhythmic Accuracy Text/Diction (ex. Clear cs on music) Breathing (ex. Raising shoulders, gasping breaths) Unsatisfactory 0 1 2 Few to no pitches are correct. Significant errors in notated rhythm. Text is unclear and cut-offs sloppy. Significant breathing technique issues. Basic 3 Most pitches are correct. Some errors in notated rhythm. Text is somewhat clear, some cutoffs are incorrect. Some incorrect breathing technique. Proficient 4 Nearly all pitches are correct. Few errors in notated rhythm. Excellent 5 All pitches are correct. No errors in notated rhythm.

Text is mostly Text is clear clear, most cut- and all cut-offs offs are correct. are correctly observed. Mostly correct breathing technique. Well-supported breathing technique.

 Sing O Music, with piano and flute accompaniment, with appropriate diction, observing marked dynamics in a concert setting and reflect on or evaluate the performance (NS1 and NS7). Concert Reflection Assignment
Task: Students will write one paragraph (at least 10 sentences) reflecting on their personal performance of O Music, and the ensemble as a wholes performance of O Music at yesterdays concert. Also include suggestions for improving the performance. (20 points) Unsatisfactory 0 1 2 Did not achieve 10 full sentences. (0 points) Did not include reflection on personal performance. Did not include reflection on ensemble performance. Did not include suggestions for improvement. Basic 3 NA Included only small reflection on personal performance. (1 sentence) Included only small reflection on ensemble performance. (1 sentence) Included some suggestions for improvement. Proficient 4 NA Included appropriate personal reflection. (2 sentences) Included appropriate personal reflection. (2 sentences) Included many suggestions for improvement. Excellent 5 Achieved 10 full sentences Included significant personal reflection. (3 sentences) Included significant personal reflection. (3 sentences) Included significant suggestions for improvement.

Points Length: 10 Sentences Personal Reflection

Ensemble Reflection

Improvement Suggestions

 Identify and/or define dynamics, fermatas, crescendos, ritardando and other terms from term list (NS5). Musical Term Quiz
Task: Students will match terms from the provided word bank with the appropriate definition found below. Each word will be used only once. (20 points) Fermata Unison Canon Crescendo Dynamics Key Signature Word Bank Major Key Round Measure Ritardando Time Signature

_______________ melody that can be layered by several voices, each entrance is at an equal distance from each other, may not be able to repeat the melody after initial entrance _______________ gradually increasing dynamic level _______________ the loudness level of a pitch or series of pitches _______________ musical mark that indicates that a pitch should be held longer than the notated duration _______________ the arrangement of sharps or flats in a piece which indicates the primary pitches to be used in the piece _______________ composition that is composed around the major scale _______________ a unit of time that contains a specified number of beats which is determined by the time signature _______________ slowing down gradually _______________ a perpetual canon, each voice or group enters at a set time, and each part can continue in perpetuity _______________ marking at the beginning of the piece that indicates the number of beats in a measure, and the note that receives the beat _______________ singing or playing the same melody on the same pitches Or at the octave level

Related Reading

Who was Lowell Mason?

Found at www.lowellmasonhouse.org

Biography: Lowell Mason (1792-1872) is best known as the founder of American school music education. Although he also composed and arranged hymn tunes and published many influential tune books that had a national audience, his work as a pioneer music educator, first at the Boston Academy of Music which he co-founded in 1833 with George James Webb and soon after in the Boston public schools, where he taught for over twenty years, remains his greatest historical legacy. The Lowell Mason Papers are at the Yale University Music Library. Life Chronology: 1792 1805 1808 1812 18131824 18151827 1817 1818 1822 Born, January 8, Medfield, MA Attended his first singing-school and was taught by Amos Albee, compiler of The Norfolk Collection of Sacred Harmony Directed the choir of the Medfield church and later the Medfield band Went to Savannah, Georgia where he worked in a drygoods store Led singing-schools and concerts in Savannah Was the superintendent of the Sunday School and also a leader in the Independent Presbyterian Church where he was appointed choir director and organist Began studying harmony and composition under German-born Frederick L. Abel Was a founder and an active member of the Savannah Missionary Society The Boston Handel and Haydn Society Collection of

1827 18271832 1829 1831 18321833 1833 1834 18371845 18441851 18451855 18511853 1855 1872

Church Music was published, a collection of hymn tunes compiled by Mason and based on the Englishman William Gardiners Sacred Melodies Accepted an invitation to supervise the music of three Boston Congressional churches and served as president of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society until 1832 Was president and music director of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society Compiled what he believed to be the first Sunday-school collection with music, the Juvenile Psalmist, followed in 1830-31 by the Juvenile Lyre Became choirmaster of Lyman Beechers Bowdoin Street Church Taught a childrens vocal music class at Bowdoin Street Church and gave childrens concerts Established the Boston Academy of Music along with George James Webb Published The Manual of the Boston Academy of Music, an edited translation of G.F. Kueblers Anleitung zum Gesang-Unterrichte in Schulen Was superintendent of music in the curriculum of Boston schools where he continued to teach until 1851 Was organist and choirmaster of the General Church, where the choir of about 100 maintained his reputation for excellence Was a staff member of the teachers institutes of Massachusetts State Board of Education and was involved in state sponsored teacher training. Lectured in the British Isles on congregational singing and the Pestalozzian method of teaching Awarded an honorary doctorate in music by New York University Died, August 11, Orange, NJ

Source: Eskew, Harry and Carol A. Pemberton, Mason, Lowell (The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, ed. S. Sadie, 2001, xvi, 31-35)

O Music Sample Lesson Plan

Week 2, Rehearsal 2
O Music Rehearsal Plan

Basic Information Alisha Reeve Unit Plan: O Music Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills for this Rehearsal Reading Level 2 Tonal, Rhythm and Melodic Solfege Takadimi Part-Singing in a round, and also with three separate melodies Expressive singing, following marked expressive elements and direction from conductor Behavioral Objectives At the conclusion of this lesson students will be able to: accurately sight-read exercises (excerpts from O Music) NS5 perform mm. 20-53 of O Music accurately and expressively, NS1 correctly define the term round and describe how it applies to the piece O Music NS7 accurately perform a round in 3-parts, NS1 Materials Copies of O Music arr. Liebergen, one per student White Board and marker Document camera and projector Piano Procedures 0:00 Set: Sirens, low to high to low, high to low 0:01 Vocal Technique: Students will sing a major scale, in the key of D major, ascending and descending on solfege all together. Students will then sing the same major scale in a round, 3-part, soprano, alto and men. This will be done before discussing the term round. o Teaching question students to describe what they just did and whether they know the term for it (Round) o Teacher will then define the term round and ask students to remember the word for later.

0:03 Music Literacy: Students will echo and echo translate Level 1 Simple Rhythm following Teacher lead o Rhythm: 4 beats (utilizing only the syllables ta, ta di, ta-a in various combinations) Students will read following example on Takadimi syllables: o Although this example is in cut time, it will be read as if in common

0:10

Students will then read the rhythm of m. pick up to 20 to m. 31 on pa (pg. 5) Students will read Curwen hand signs as presented by the teacher, using patterns found in mm.21-31 o Do re mi, mi fa mi, mi re do, do sol la ti do, do re mi fa sol, sol la sol fa, Students will read mm. 20-31 on solfege Students will sing mm. 20-31 on the text, mens part only, unison Students will following teachers questioning about rounds and notice that this piece is a round Students will sing mm. 20-29, on parts to practice coming in at the correct times and experience the round

Students will turn to page 9 Men will listen and sing by rote from m. 44 to m. 53, in 3-4 measure chunks o Teaching will sing an octave higher while playing in the correct octave on the piano Altos will listen and sing by rote from m. 44 to m. 53 in 3-4 measure chunks Men and Altos will sing together from m. 44 to m. 53 Sopranos will listen and sing by rote from m. 44 to m. 53 in 3-4 measure chunks All three parts will sing mm. 44-53 Students will turn back to page 5 and sing to page 9 including the round which they learned earlier a cappella 0:17 Closure: Instructional o Students will discuss the definition of a round and identify it in the score o Students will sing from page 5 to the end with piano accompaniment following all written dynamic markings and singing expressively

Sponge Activity: Students will perform and polish mm. 5-17 Curriculum Connection: For homework students will complete related reading on Lowell Mason and write a 5-sentence summary of the reading, which will be due next rehearsal.