Band 8

Course Description

In our school district, learners are introduced to band instruments between grades 5 and 7 at some schools only. Instrumental Music 8 (Band 8) is designed to be a unifying step in our young musicians’ artistic journeys, a chance for them to take their diverse musical experiences of instrumental music making and find common ground, build automatization, and develop their musical voices 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 scaleable level of ability and understanding, combined with the energizing nature of performances, will provide cohesion and will propel these musicians into the next steps of their journeys and into a richer artistic life.

A learner who completes this course will:

Generate and strengthen a musical voice through which to express themselves and create art
have greater confidence in their abilities because of the technical challenges they overcome
have a musical product to show for their work that they can share with their colleagues and community
have an entryway 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:

Reading and understanding written notation
Gaining and extending performance technique
Developing Aural and Theory Skills

Outcomes:

Performance competency (Rhythm, Tone Quality, Phrasing, Articulation).
Music Theory & Aural Skills (Building major scales, identifying major key signatures and interval identification).
Instrument-specific technique.
Performance etiquette.

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 extend their understanding of performance skills and their influence on audience enjoyment.