1

2023-2024 Eighth Grade Band Curricular Model

Table of Contents

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE ................................................................. 2

COURSE DESCRIPTION .................................................................. 2

OBJECTIVES ............................................................................... 2

GOALS ..................................................................................... 2

CONCERT NO. 1 ......................................................................... 3

CONCERT 2 ............................................................................... 5

CONCERT #3 ............................................................................. 7

CONCERT #4 ............................................................................. 9

ASSESSMENTS .......................................................................... 11
 2

Scope and Articulations Tone Production Expression/Musicality Percussion

Sequence
Fall Ghosts in the Solstice Fanfare, Spring, Randall Flotsam and
Graveyard, Grace Baugher Standridge Jetsam, John
Watson Herndon
Winter The Tempest, Selections from Salvation is Created, Winterland,
Robert W. Pictures at an Chesnokov/Brown Brian Slawson
Smith Exhibition,
Mussorgsky/Story
Spring Suite from Storm Chaser, The Falling Rain, Funky Fugue
Bohemia, David Marlatt James Swearingen for Five, Alan
Nehlybel Keown
Festival Absolutely Australian Folk A Childhood Hymn, Clave and
Sousa Fantasy, Williams Holsinger Sons, Eric Rath
Sousa/Ziek

Course Description: Students will explore aspects of musical performance through the
medium of band literature. Students will rehearse music with the goal of putting on 4 concerts
each year. The goal of this course is to foster life-long music making skills in all of the students
involved.

Objectives:
Students will continue to create good tone on their instruments.
Students will work on skills to continue with their technical development.
Students will understand musicianship and the expressive responsibilities that come with it.
Students will play correct and distinct articulations as marked.
Students will begin to expressively shape phrases in their music.
Percussion students will be exposed to literature specific to their instrument.
Students will create beautiful music that means something to them.

Goals:
By the end of the year, students will understand how to make musical decisions in a piece of
music
By the end of the year, Percussion Students will have an interest in Percussion Literature.
By the end of the year, students will have improved their tone and technical skill.
By the end of the year, students will understand articulations such as staccato, marcato, tenuto,
and legato.
 3

Concert No. 1
- Ghosts in the Graveyard, Scott Watson
- Solstice Fanfare, Grace Baugher
- Spring, Randall Standridge
- Flotsam and Jetsam, John Herndon

Overall, this music set was selected to give students a gradual re-introduction to their
instruments after the summer. Each piece builds on a concept that would have been worked in
the previous year. They are all in the grade 1 to 2 range, so they should be accessible for an 8th
grade ensemble. The focus of this block is going to be dynamic shaping, articulation, and
rhythmic integrity. I have also included a piece for percussion ensemble because concert
literature at this age is often not challenging/deep in terms of percussion. By giving them a
piece to work as chamber music, it gives percussion students a chance to develop and grow just
like the winds get to do in their literature. I think this music set gives students a great
opportunity to start the year off strong!

Rationale
Ghosts in the Graveyard, has a ton of musical depth packed into a fun spooky-filled
package. The piece starts with dynamic variation and shaping that is super extreme, offering
students a chance to vary their dynamics and find that range. Later, it adds super short
articulations beneath a spookily legato melody. The piece has a coda, allowing that concept to
be taught and introduced to students at a young age. There is also a ton of novelty percussion
to keep them entertained and teach them that anything can be used as an instrument.

Solstice Fanfare by Grace Baugher is a great concert opener. It features an exciting

bright opening, a lyrical and slow middle section, and a return to excitement to close out.
Students get the opportunity to explore dynamics, accents, and part independence. The
percussion parts are interesting and engaging as well, introducing students to auxiliary
instruments like triangle and suspended cymbal.

Spring is a moving lyrical piece that represents the season spring. Mixing long flowing
melodies with staccato counter lines, this piece has tons of room to teach expression and
shaping. The piece contains some novelty effects to represent rain, such as rainsticks/ratchet
and snaps. Overall, this piece will be great for students to connect with.

Flotsam and Jetsam is a fast, grooving percussion ensemble piece with expandable
instrumentation for found objects. This piece gives percussionists a chance to be the star of the
show. Each part takes turns being rhythmically independent from the others, and students get
the opportunity to play with dynamics and shape to phrases.

Sample Lesson:
Objective: Students will shape phrases using dynamics.
Activity: Class discussion on Spring. Play through the opening section. Identify the
melody, then ask the class how that melody is moving. Where is It heading? Should it
 4

grow or diminish. Demonstrate what that might sound like. Have the melody players try
that. The only rule is that dynamically it cannot stay the same. Maybe introduce a <>
shape, or other ideas for how the phrase may move. Once the melody has shape, how
can the other parts support that shape. More <>’s? Growth? Decay?

Standards Addressed
MU:Pr6.1.E.8a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in
prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse
cultures and styles.
MU:Pr4.3.E.8a Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a
varied repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
MU:Cr1.1.E.8a Compose and improvise ideas for melodies and rhythmic passages based
on characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.
MU:Re8.1.E.8a Identify and support interpretations of the expressive intent and
meaning of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
and (when appropriate) the setting of the text.
 5

Concert 2
- Salvation is Created, Chesnokov/arr. Brown
- Selections from Pictures at an Exhibition, Mussorgsky/arr. Story
- In the Hall of the Mountain Kind, Grieg/ arr. Barker
- Winterland, Brian Slawson

The goal with this literature is to continue building on the expression and dynamic growth we
saw in the first cycle. With the exception of the percussion piece, all of this literature leaves a
lot of interpretation to the player and conductor. Students will have the opportunity to
influence musical decisions. The percussion piece is a cheery winter time jig to get everyone
into the holiday spirit. It has a pretty hefty instrumentation, so would be best for like a
combined 7-8 percussion ensemble. Another good feauture about this literature set is that it
introcuces band students to some classical literature from other aspects of music. Choral and
orchestral works serve as a great tool for teaching style because there are so many different
interpretations.

Salvation is Created is a moving piece full of oppurtunites for musical growth and
shape. Rhythmically the piece is super simple, so the real focus on this work can be making
moving music that is meaningful. There are ties and other articulations present to help work
that style, but shaping can be left to the players.

Selections from Pictures at an Exhibition is a fantastic work to introduce meter/tempo

changes. The promenade reinforces tenuto style playing with a ¾ + 2/4 meter pattern. The
middle section with baba yaga works shorter articulations, passing the main line, and a more
spritely feeling tempo. The Great Gate of Kiev is a great place to work on cut time reading and
raw dynamic contrast.

In the Hall of the Mountain King focuses on clear articulations right away. The
accompaniment plays super staccato, while the melodic line tiptoe right over the top.
Rhythmically, the short moving eighth notes may present a problem with accuracy. I really like
how this piece layers and grows throughout, sort of in a terraced dynamic way. The layers also
expand the rhythmic and harmonic complexity making this piece very fun and interesting to
listen to.

Winterland is a fun percussion ensemble piece designed to capture the essence of the
holidays. This piece has keyboard players on the melody with rhythmic accompaniment to keep
things moving. Percussionists often do not become proficient on keyboards very quickly, so
adding this to the repertoire presents students with a new challenge to learn. There is also a
drum set part, giving an aspiring drummer the chance to shine.

Sample Lesson:
Objective: Students will demonstrate short staccatos on Mountain King
Activity: Have the students sizzle and finger their parts at m. 1. Listen for note length
and fingers moving together. Give some feedback, then have them play it. Again,
 6

listening for note length. As things accelerate and build, make sure that style is
maintained and represented like in the orchestral arrangement.

Standards Addressed
MU:Pr6.1.E.8a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in
prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse
cultures and styles.
MU:Pr4.3.E.8a Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a
varied repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
MU:Cr1.1.E.8a Compose and improvise ideas for melodies and rhythmic passages based
on characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.
MU:Re8.1.E.8a Identify and support interpretations of the expressive intent and
meaning of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
and (when appropriate) the setting of the text.
 7

Concert #3
- Suite from Bohemia, Nehlybel
- Storm Chaser, David Marlatt
- The Falling Rain, James Swearingen
- Funky Fugue for Five, Alan Keown

This cycle is intended to start upping the difficulty and complexity, and start working towards
what might come about in contest. This concert set is a little bit longer, helping to build some
chops and stamina in the students. Style is still going to be a big focus here. Students should be
able to articulate clearly and differentiate each piece stylistically.

Suite from Bohemia is a classical/programmatic piece that captures the feel of a

European kingdom. Lots of powerful brass lines and beautiful woodwind melodies. Percussion
parts are pretty standard, no surprises to be found in this piece. This work exposes students to
multi-movement works, and helps them to build the stamina to make it through 8-10 minutes
of music

Stormchaser is a fast and exciting piece that sounds just like a storm. Thunderous brass
and percussion coupled with blazing woodwinds makes this piece a great tool for tone
production, possibly including some non-traditional playing methods.

The Falling Rain captures the vibes and feelings that come with the rain. Beautiful
legato melodies are placed throughout, with accessory percussion placed to give extra support
and color. This piece has tons of opportunities to work out blend, balance, and intonation.
There is also tons of room for shape and expression as the piece goes on.

Funky Fugue for Five a drummy piece perfect for a young percussion ensemble.
Students play a rhythmic theme that passes throughout the group. It is arranged for 5 players,
but can be adapted as needed to fit a larger group. This piece gives percussion students the
opportunity to play faster rhythms, aggressive dynamics, and overall be the star of the show.

Sample Lesson:
Objective: Students will exaggerate the dynamics found in Funky Fugue for Five.
Activity: Students will find a Fortissimo Dynamic in the part and define what stick
height/velocity that should be placed with. As a group, we will play through the piece
and define dynamics/height for each chunk as we go. Once the baseline dynamics are
defined, we can start to shape phrases and point them in the direction that they need to
go. As in chamber music, students will have the opportunity to help decide the shape
and direction of phrases as needed.
 8

Standards Addressed
MU:Pr6.1.E.8a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in
prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse
cultures and styles.
MU:Pr4.3.E.8a Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a
varied repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
MU:Cr1.1.E.8a Compose and improvise ideas for melodies and rhythmic passages based
on characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.
MU:Re8.1.E.8a Identify and support interpretations of the expressive intent and
meaning of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
and (when appropriate) the setting of the text.
 9

Concert #4
- A Childhood Hymn, Holsinger
- Australian Folk Fantasy, Williams
- Absolutely Sousa Sousa/Ziek
- Clave and Sons, Eric Rath

This cycle is designed to be presented at festival. The three concert works are all a different
style, and represent different aspects of concert band playing. The percussion ensemble piece
would fit great at Solo and Ensemble festival. This is sort of the culmination of our work with
style/articulations/dynamic range/expression. The goal with these works is to demonstrate how
far we have come throughout the year.

A Childhood Hymn represents a melody that many ears will find familiar. Based on the
hymn “Jesus Loves Me,” it is a great piece to work on ballad style playing. Not technically
challenging, but there is just a ton of room for expression and musicality throughout this whole
piece. If students can play with good consistent tone, we can build just a beautiful piece out of
this.

Australian Folk Fantasy is a programmatic work representing the folk songs of Australia.
The piece journeys through several fun melodies that are definitely catchy and represent
several styles. Students have many oppurtunities to practice good articulations, dynamic
contrast, and rhythm/pitch accuracy.

Absolutely Sousa is an arranged snapshot of 4 of Sousa’s best known marches. Students

will take a tour of distinctly American music, representing the style of early 20th century military
bands. Rhythms and articulations are super important in this style of music, so students will get
plenty of practice honing in those short articulations.

Clave and Sons introduces percussionists to the world of Afro-Cuban percussion. This
teaches them a whole new way to interpret the timeline and feel of music. Instead of thinking
about a steady quarter note pulse, time is perceived as a clave pattern. These sorts of hand
drums and accessory percussion instruments are vital to the feel and culture of this music, so
exposing students to this helps set them up to be well-rounded players.

Sample Lesson:
Objective: Students will learn to lock in time with a non-western style of music.
Activity: Start out with a question; What is Clave? What does 3-2 have to do with it? 2-
3? How is this different than the way we perceive time? Have all of the students clap a
2-3 clave pattern. Start the piece right at measure one. Introduce the clave pattern, then
the guiro, then the cascara, etc. Layer this in, and take time to let each layer settle and
groove.
 10

Standards Addressed
MU:Pr6.1.E.8a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in
prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse
cultures and styles.
MU:Pr4.3.E.8a Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a
varied repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
MU:Cr1.1.E.8a Compose and improvise ideas for melodies and rhythmic passages based
on characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.
MU:Re8.1.E.8a Identify and support interpretations of the expressive intent and
meaning of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
and (when appropriate) the setting of the text.
 11

Assessments

1. This unit has tons of informal assessment opportunities. One such activity could be a
warmup where students play a major scale with legato, staccato, tenuto, and marcato
articulations. Check box, yes or no, can they play each one. This can be done in sections.
2. Playing tests. Choose a challenging line in each piece and have the students
demonstrate that line with correct notes, rhythms, style, and with some expressive
qualities taken. Expression can be graded on a yes or no, but the rest should be scored
by how well they are executed. Be sure to give written or recorded feedback on these!
3. Rehearsal feedback. Fix things as they come about. Are students putting in effort to
improve?
4. Pull out lessons (co-teacher willing). Touch base on articulations/tone/style and rate the
students effort/improvement week to week.
5. Weekly journaling with a guiding question. What can you ask to make the students
invest in the piece? Be sure to respond to their journals and let them know their
feelings/thoughts are important!
12