What are we learning?

• Review of basic band skills (tone production, posture, ensemble skills, notation reading)

What to expect in this unit?

• Review of skills learned in "Essential Elements Book 2"

• Learning music for High School Band Nights

• Initial learning of music for December Concert

Why does this unit matter?

• It is important to go over the basics at the beginning of the year to set us up for success for the whole year!

What are we learning?

• We are preparing for our December Concert.

• We are learning scales, scale patterns, and chorales in the keys of F Major, Bb Major, G Minor, and C Minor.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students should be practicing their concert songs at home using Smartmusic and the practice recordings in Google Classroom.

• Students are completing Formative Assessments in Smartmusic.

• Students are preparing for a Summative Performance Assessment.

Why does this unit matter?

• Our concert is fast approaching. This unit prepares students for the individual contributions to the concert music and this unit prepares students to perform while listening to each other for blend/balance, intonation, articulation, and rhythmic synchonization.

What are we learning?

• This unit includes the Winter Concert -- Wednesday, December 6 at 6:00 PM.

• We are learning scales, scale patterns, and chorales in the keys of F Major, Bb Major, G Minor, and C Minor.

• We are learning ensemble skills of blend, balance, tuning, matched articulations, and rhythmic synchonization.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students should be practicing their concert songs at home using Smartmusic and the practice recordings in Google Classroom.

• Students and parents should expect a wonderful evening concert on Wednesday, December 6 at 6:00 PM.

Why does this unit matter?

• This unit includes the Winter Concert. This is the first of two large-group performances shared with parents. Performances are an integral part of being a band musician and are public celebrations of the music students have been making in band class since the beginning of the year.

What are we learning?

• Students are learning musical independence as they prepare solos and duets/trios for Solo Night and the Spaghetti Night Dinner performances.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will be using professional recordings and Smartmusic to help them prepare their solos and duets/trios.

• There are several formative assessments due in Smartmusic.

• All students will perform their solos individually for a judge on Solo Night.

• All students will also perform their duets/trios for a judge on Solo Night.

• All students will perform their duets/trios as the entertainment for the Spaghetti Night Dinner.

• Solo Night -- Wednesday, February 14 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at Westview.

• Spaghetti Night Dinner -- Friday, February 23 from 4:30pm - 8:30pm.

Why does this unit matter?

• Students emerge from this experience as more mature, confident musicians.

What are we learning?

• Students are deepening their understanding of ensemble musicianship through preparation for and attending the Southeast DuPage Band Festival (Saturday, March 9).

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will prepare three musical selections for this performance. There will be three judges/clinicians at the performance providing verbal and written comments for the band. The band will use these various types of feedback to enhance the future practicing of these songs and their learning of other, new songs as they then prepare for their spring concert (May 15).

• At the March 9 event one or two of the judges will also work with the band.

Why does this unit matter?

• Students emerge from this experience as more mature, confident musicians who are better able to properly match, blend, and balance their sounds together.

What are we learning?

• Students are preparing for their third trimester playing test and their end of the year concert. The playing test includes less common key signatures and songs with a variety of sixteenth-note patterns. The concert music includes songs from many different styles.

What to expect in this unit?

• The spring concert is here at Westview Hills on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 PM with a 6:40 PM warm-up.

• The playing test will include formative assessments in Smartmusic and an in-person playing test.

Why does this unit matter?

• The playing test will help students become more confident playing various sixteenth-note rhythms and playing in a wider range of key signatures.

• The concert music will help students review and learn the ensemble skills necessary to perform songs in various styles.

What are we learning?

• Review of basic band skills (tone production, posture, ensemble skills, notation reading)

What to expect in this unit?

• Review of skills learned in band last year

• Review and polishing of the ILMEA scale sheet

• Introduction of music for upcoming Fall and Winter performances

Why does this unit matter?

• It is important to go over the basics at the beginning of the year to set us up for success for the whole year!

What are we learning?

• Refining of basic band skills (tone production, posture, ensemble skills, notation reading, rhythmic accuracy, articulation, dynamics and expression, to name a few)

What to expect in this unit?

• Preparation for the Winter Concert (December 6th)

Why does this unit matter?

• This unit includes the Winter Concert. This is the first of two large-group performances shared with parents. Performances are an integral part of being a band musician and are public celebrations of the music students have been making in band class since the beginning of the year.

What are we learning?

• Students are learning musical independence as they prepare solos and small ensembles for Solo Night and the Spaghetti Night Dinner performances.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will be using professional recordings and Smartmusic to help them prepare their solos and small ensembles.

• All students will perform their solos individually for a judge on Solo Night.

• All students will also perform their small ensembles for a judge on Solo Night.

• All students will perform their small ensembles as the entertainment for the Spaghetti Night Dinner.

• Solo Night -- Wednesday, February 14 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at Westview.

• Spaghetti Night Dinner -- Friday, February 23 from 4:30pm - 8:30pm.

Why does this unit matter?

• Students emerge from this experience as more mature, confident musicians.

What are we learning?

• Students are preparing for the Prairie State Band Festival, an opportunity to play several pieces of music of contrasting styles for expert judges, and then receive a clinic from one to help them improve as a large ensemble.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will complete a Practice Plan to help them strategize what measures and excerpts of their music most need their attention in their at home practice.

• Students will complete formative assessments, both on Smart Music and in person, to help refine specific skills from technique, to 6/8 counting, to articulations.

• Students will grow as musicians as they learn to listen and work together as a large ensemble.  Their intonation and phrasing will be emphasized throughout the unit.

• Prairie State Band Festival -- Saturday, April 13 from 10:30 am - 2:00 pm at Plainfield East High School (busses will be provided; students wear full band uniforms).

Why does this unit matter?

• Students emerge from this experience as more mature, confident musicians, and better ensemble players.

What are we learning?

• Students are preparing for the Prairie State Band Festival, an opportunity to play several pieces of music of contrasting styles for expert judges, and then receive a clinic from one to help them improve as a large ensemble.

• More diverse repertoire has been added to the students' practice routines in preparation of our final concert of the year, "A Night of the Fine Arts" on May 22nd.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will complete a Practice Plan to help them strategize what measures and excerpts of their music most need their attention in their at home practice.

• Students will complete formative assessments, both on Smart Music and in person, to help refine specific skills from technique, to 6/8 counting, to articulations.

• Students will grow as musicians as they learn to listen and work together as a large ensemble.  Their intonation and phrasing will be emphasized throughout the unit.

• Prairie State Band Festival -- Saturday, April 13 from 10:30 am - 2:00 pm at Plainfield East High School (busses will be provided; students wear full band uniforms).

• After that we have the Spring Concert on Wednesday, May 22nd at 7:30 PM.  (Students should arrive by 7:00 PM)

Why does this unit matter?

• Students emerge from this experience as more mature, confident musicians, and better ensemble players.