Kyle Day

Date to be taught: 4/8/2016

Concept: Sight reading and rehearsing Down Longford Way by Percy Grainger
Grade: 9-12
TEKS: : I.1.1 (C) compare and contrast elements of music through literature selected for
performance and/or listening. I.2.1 (A) demonstrate independently and in ensembles accurate
intonation and rhythm, fundamental skills, and basic performance techniques while performing
moderately easy to moderately difficult literature;
Concert Band Lesson Plan
Materials:
Lesson
Objective:

Parts and score for Down Longford Way, baton, pencil, Trumpet, Harmony Director, speakers,
power cords, podium, conductors stand.

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Students will be able to play the piece Down Longford Way by Percy Grainger using
characteristic tone, articulation, and technique, as well as listen to the piece while fingering
along in their parts. At the end of class, the students will rehearse and play through the piece in
order to be assessed.
Anticipatory Set:
1
2
3

Greet Students at the door.

Remind students to pick up their warm-up binders.
As students get seated, assign students from each section to help pass out music.
a This excludes trumpet, clarinet, French Horn, Saxophones, and trombones
because they have multiple parts assignments which requires further instruction.
b Pass out parts according to previous part placement in these sections.

Rehearsal Frame #1:

1

Warm-up sequence.
a F Remington slurring, WW play, Brass buzz/hum.
i Listen for dying off in buzzing in counts 7-8. (Consistent air until end.)
ii Listen for instant changes in buzzing. (Control with jaw.)
iii Listen for WW evenness. (Even air, fast fingers.)
b Brass plug-in, and play their two-note scale drill tongued.
i Listen to the balance and evenness across the band.
ii Control volume as you reach the 7th scale degree.

F around the room with held F drone on the Harmony Director.

i Listen for similarity and event changes between every section.
d Chorale #19.
i Exaggerate dynamics and tempo.
Rehearsal Frame #2:
1. Take out Down Longford Way.
2. Explain/demonstrate verbally, chorale style and legato tonguing.
3. Turn on metronome to quarter note equals 57 bpm.
4. Count and finger mm. 1-9 with intensity.
a. Look out for syncopated rhythms and their accuracy. (Saxophones)
5. Play 2nd beat where everyone enters and tune/ balance to the melody.
a. Listen and correct the tuning beat per beat in first two measures.
b. This is the standard for listening throughout this piece.
6. Play mm. 1-9 and keep going if problems were corrected.
Rehearsal Frame #3:
1. Count and finger the rhythms from 9-13 beginning pick-ups to 9.
a. Isolate saxophone section and check precision rhythmically before moving on.
b. Isolate low brass section while the rest of the sections air and finger.
2. Turn off metronome and then isolate the WWs focusing on the phrasing and
hearing the melody in the flutes.

3. Listen to/isolate the quarter note instruments from 9-11, moving in chorale style.
4. All-in from 11-13 focusing on the build in dynamics through the trumpet entrance.
5. Go back and run 9-13 and keep going if correct.
Rehearsal Frame #4:
1. Rehearse running 13-16 focusing on accurate notes and rhythms.
2. Air and fingers focusing on distribution of air through this section.
a. Dramatic dynamics.
b. Point out that the melody is still in the woodwinds and trumpets. Balance
accordingly.
3. Isolate the brass and accentuate the trumpet melody while WW finger.
a. Slow down trumpet melody and play the rhythm on G.
b. If you do not have the melody then balance to the ensemble and play softer.
4. Recontextualize the brass, and exaggerate the chorale style.
5. Play mm. 13-16 applying these changes. Multiple correct repetitions.
Closer:
1. Go back to the beginning of the piece and play mm. 1-16 without the metronome in
order to assess correct technique, tone, style, phrasing, tuning, and balance.