Class: Concert Band

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Unit: Eye Contact Activities

Teacher: Mr. Whan
Objectives
The Student will be able to:
1. Watch the Director for Cues and Cutoffs
2. Appropriately Start In a Gentle Rain
Common Core State Standard(s)-CCSS
1. Reading and notating music
2. Playing instruments alone and with others
Iowa Core Curriculum-Subject Area Standard

Collaboration
o Listen
Flexibility and adaptability
o Revise
o Follow Leaders
o Experiment
For more in depth info: https://www.educateiowa.gov/documents/contentareas/2014/01/instrumental-vocal-music-iowa-core-companion
21st Century Skill(s)
Creativity and Innovation
Initiative and Self-Direction
Essential Question
Why does eye contact with the director help a large ensemble function properly?
Anticipatory Set 10 minutes
As the bell rings and the students are seated sit behind the piano and begin to play an intro using
the chord progression from the song In a Gentle Rain. As the students listen more intently and
allow for them to completely silence before moving on. Lead the class next with the question of
what they imagined when the song was playing. Allow a few answers and move into the next
step.
Teaching: Activities 60 minutes

In the first activity the class will be asked to number off by row into sections of four. Each
students neighbor should have a different number than themselves. Next the students will be
asked to play a series of phrases that are posted on the board or the projector prior to class
starting. When the instructor raises his hand with whatever number 1-4 that specific group is
intended to play the passage that was selected. This will help with eye contact and also reliability
when it comes to playing in small groups. **this also allows for small assessments to be made on
individual players in a group setting**
Activity 2. The next step in class to start the first measures of In a Gentle Rain. In this selection
the piece initially starts with all instruments silenced minus the gentle building of snapping
through the ensemble to simulate rain. In the groups that they were numbered off in the director
will guide the group by allowing the numbers being held above their head to be their cue to start
snapping. By doing so this will allow for the gradual build of a rain shower and also simulate the
sound more closely to what it should sound like rather than a hoard of people all starting
simultaneously. Not only is this activity a largely effective one for eye contact it is also a
wonderful tool to help tie in exactly what the concert or performances will be expected to be.

Closure 15
The closure for this activity will simply be to run the entire piece from start to finish and end
with comments from section leaders about what still needs to be improved upon in their opinions
but also hear what they found to be stronger from todays rehearsal.
Independent Practice
Take what they have learned from today and apply it to everyday use in musical ensembles
Assessment
This happened throughout the lesson and is described more thoroughly in the activities.
Materials
Instruments
Duration
90 minutes

Modified from Madeline Hunters Lesson Plan Design