Basic Information

Apprentice Teacher: Alix Latta

VTPT Lesson Plans
Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills for this rehearsal
The knowledge students must have prior to this rehearsal are as follows: Ability to keep a beat,
ability to match pitch, knowledge of solfege syllables, the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”,
and knowledge of a basic major scale
Behavioral Objective(s)
At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:
 Accurately echo and echo translate Level 1 tonal patterns, both major and minor (INAS4)
 Accurately echo and echo translate Level 1 rhythmic patterns, simple and compound
(INAS4)
 Breathe deeply and diaphragmatically while being aware of the amount of air being
expelled (INAS7)
 Phonate clearly and from the onset of the sound (INAS7)
 Properly place vowels for resonant tone production (INAS7)
 Clearly enunciate consonants within the context of both words and musical phrases
(INAS7)
 Show expression in music through both sudden and gradual dynamic contrast (INAS7)
 Sing both a melody and harmony within a part-singing context (INAS7)
 Balance both tone and volume with the other students around them (INAS7)
Materials
Materials needed: Piano
Procedures
Rhythm Echoing
 Begin by asking for a beat from students
 Ask students to echo
 Model Level 1 simple meter with student echo in the following order: “ta ta” “ta
ta-di” “ta-di ta” “ta-di ta-di”
 Listen during exercise and repeat as needed
 Model Level 1 compound meter with student echo in the following order: “ta ta”
“ta ta-ki-da” “ta-ki-da ta” “ta-ki-da ta-ki-da”
 Listen during exercise and repeat as needed
Tonal Echoing
 Play an E Major chord on the piano
  Ask students to echo
 Arpeggiate E Major with the voice: “Do Mi Sol Mi Do, this is home”
 Model Level 1 Major with student echo in the following order: “Do mi sol”, “sol
mi do”, “do sol mi”, “mi sol do”, “mi do sol”, “sol do mi”
 Listen during exercise and repeat as needed
 Model Level 1 Major with student echo in the following order: “Mi do la”, “la do
mi”, “mi la do”, “do mi la”, “la mi do”, “do la mi”
 Listen during exercise and repeat as needed
Respiration
 Tell students to breathe in for 2 counts and exhale on a [ʃ] for 8 counts so that no
breath will be left at the end
 Repeat the same thing on 16 counts, 20 counts, 4 counts, and 2 counts
 Listen and observe students during this exercise; look for diaphragmatic breathing
and the movement of intercostal muscles
 Correct any negative respiratory behaviors and praise proper behaviors
Phonation
 Starting on E4, model the following exercise on piano:
[ŋ] [m] [a]
Do mi sol mi Do re mi fa sol fa mi re Do re mi fa sol fa mi re do
 Briefly explain sounds as “the end of sing”, “a hum”, and then “ah”
 Have students try exercise with both instructor and piano, dropping both when
students are comfortable with the exercise
 Increase pitch by half step each time, not going above a B major, then reverse
 Listen and observe students for proper onset and phonation
 Correct improper phonation as needed
 Praise correct behaviors
Resonant Tone Production
 Starting on B4, model the following exercise on piano:
[gi gɛ ga go gu]
Sol Sol Sol Sol Sol fa mi re do
 Have students try exercise with both instructor and piano, dropping both when
students are comfortable with the exercise
 Increase pitch by half step each time, not going above a B major, then reverse
 Listen and observe students for proper vowel placement
 Correct improper tone production as needed and praise correct behaviors
Diction
 Starting on E4, model the following exercise with the piano:
 “Double bubble gum, super duper double bubble gum, super duper double bubble
Sol Fa Mi Re Do Sol sol Fa fa Mi mi Re re Do Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re
super duper double bubble super duper double bubble gum”
Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do
 Have students try exercise with both instructor and piano, dropping both when
students are comfortable with the exercise
 Increase pitch by a half step each time, not going above a B Major, then reverse
 Increase speed on each new repetition
 Listen and observe students for proper enunciation of consonants
 Correct sloppy diction by encouraging students to hold consonants near their teeth
and praise proper diction
Expression
 Starting from an E Major, model the following exercise:
“Getting louder, soft – soft until we’re loud”
Do re mi fa sol sol fa mi re do
 Exercise follows the dynamic pattern of the words
 Have students try exercise with both instructor and piano, dropping both when
students are comfortable with the exercise
 Increase pitch by a half step each time, not going above a B Major, then reverse
 Listen and observe students for consistent dynamics on both the gradual and
sudden parts of the exercise
 Correct improper expression through positive encouragement and praise
expressive dynamics
Part-singing
 Have students keep a beat
 In the key of F Major, have students sing first section of “Twinkle Twinkle Little
Star” with teacher
 Have students sing first section alone
 While students sing, teacher will model harmonization as follows:
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder What You Are
Do Do Mi Do Fa Do Mi Do Re Ti Do La Fa Sol Do
 Teacher will model first half of harmonization
 Teacher will sing first half of harmonization with students
 Teacher will model second half of harmonization
 Teacher will sing second half of harmonization with students
 Teacher will sing full harmonization with students
 Students will sing harmonization alone
  Split class in two sections, having section 1 sing the melody and section 2 sing the
harmonization, and then switch
 Listen and observe for proper balance and understanding of parts within groups,
as well as good tone production
 Correct difficulties as needed and praise positive behaviors
Balance/Blend
 Starting on C4, have students sing a major scale up and down
 Split the room into four equal sections
 Have the students sing a major scale up
 On the way down, have group one stop on Do, group two on la, group three on fa,
and group four on re
 On cue, have group two move to sol, group three to mi, and group four to re
 Increase pitch a half step each repetition, not going above a B Major
 Listen and observe students for balance between the sections
 Correct groups unbalanced with the others, and praise proper behaviors