Band 11/12

Course Description

In BC School District #69, learners are offered instrumental music electives at the senior grade levels. Instrumental Music 11/12 (Band 11/12) is designed to be a maturation step in young musicians’ artistic journey, a chance for them to refine their practice of instrumental music making and approach musical maturity, build automatization, and to develop their musical voice through their playing. This course uses a product-based model to give learners clear goals (performances) to work towards, experiences through which they are given the technical and theoretical tools to build artistic strength. The increased level of ability and understanding, combined with the energizing nature of performances, will propel these musicians into the next steps of their musical maturation and into a richer artistic life.


A learner who completes this course will:

  • have a maturing musical voice through which to express themselves and create art

  • have confidence in their abilities because of the technical challenges they overcome

  • have a mature musical product to show for their work that they can share with their colleagues and community

  • have a pathway into an enriched musical life

STOMPING

STOMPING is a mnemonic device to help us keep all elements of music learning in mind. It's also a fun thing to do - always with certainty and conviction, the way we want our music to be played. We will be using STOMPING often in class to guide our learning.

STOMPING refers to:

Sound - hearing, producing, controlling

Time - pulse, duration, meter, counting, agogic, rhythm

Organization - nomenclature, rhythm, scale, motif, melody, harmony, key, form

Musicality - Expression, emotion, phrasing, blend, balance, nuance

Performance - stage skills (entry/exit, tuning, responding, problem solving), Mindset (preparation, focus, performance anxiety, fun, sharing, beauty, making people happy, culmination of hard work

Introspection and Innovation - accuracy, emotion, passion, practice and preparation, arranging, composing, improvising, design

Now, Then & There - history, style, context, cultural connection

Gratitude (with Attitude) - leadership, teamwork, program development, mentoring, honouring your mentors

For complete analysis and interpretation of all the things about music learning, see the STOMPING page

Big Ideas, Outcomes and Expectations

Big Ideas

  • Music reflects aspects of time, place, and community.

  • The nuances of musical expression are understood through deeper study and performance.

  • A musician’s interpretation of existing work is an opportunity to represent identity and culture.

  • Enduring understanding of music is gained through perseverance, resilience, and risk taking.

  • Instrumental music offers aesthetic experiences that can transform our perspective.


Outcomes

  • Performance competency (Rhythm, Tone Quality, Phrasing, Articulation).

  • Music Theory & Aural Skills (Building scales, identifying key signatures and identifying intervals).

  • Instrument-specific techniques.

  • Performance skills.


Expectations

  • Learners will demonstrate cumulative knowledge of their instrument and group music making through performance.

  • Learners will identify contextual elements of music and the connection between written, aural and practical skills.

  • Learners will appraise their performance skills and develop them where necessary

Curriculum, Instruction Planning, and Influences

View Band 11/12 Curriculum

View Band 11/12 Instructional Plan

View Instrumental Repertoire Planning

Sample Lesson Plans are under development and will be available here soon

The Band 11/12 Curriculum and Instructional Design are influenced and justified by specific educational theories and philosophies

Assessment Guide

Adaptation

See how the BC Instrumental Music 11 curriculum is interpreted for this course

Core Learning Subjects

Breakdown of subject material for this course

Link to our Google Classroom

Chinese Folk Song Fantasy

This piece is currently being written by Troy Lucas, a friend of Mr. Craven's who has been living and teaching in China for the past decade. He wrote this movement as part of a suite of culturally-sustaining wind ensemble arrangements. The senior band will be studying, rehearsing, and performing this music throughout the year, including sections of the piece that have yet to be composed.

Mr. Lucas has provided us with extensive cultural study materials to help us contextualize the original music within his modern interpretation. We will survey his resources as a group, and decide together which elements are most relevant and useful for us to dig into. His video pronunciation guide of the song texts will be a starting point for us.