Balance+and+Blend+Lesson

Nathan Kaiser


 * Subject/Grade**: Wind Ensemble (grades 10-12)


 * Focus Concepts/Skill**s: Balance/Blend


 * National Standards**: 1. Sing 2. Play 5. Read/Notate 6. Listen


 * Learning Objectives**: The students will be able to define balance and blend and demonstrate an understanding of these concepts (e.g. factors, how to adjust them correctly) by performing them correctly throughout the lesson and in a final run-through at the end of class.

flowing. scale patterns, etc. within themselves, but more importantly, the entire ensemble strive to blend together. Each section needs to enter smoothly and together so as not to interrupt the flow and overall balance/blend of the previous section used. The idea is to make it the concert F sound like one continuous uninterrupted pitch that sounds the same all the way throughout. Have students play through it once listening for the balance/blend. Discuss how they did as a group and what the need to do to improve. This is a good time to introduce or remind the students about "McBeth's Sound Pyramid." This principle states that the bass voice is the foundation of the chord and therefore should be the loudest most prominent voice; the higher your instrument is, the softer you should play. Experiment with the balance and blend during this chorale, including having high voices or middle voices as the prominent voice of the chord. Have students sing their parts. sure the different sections were balanced/blended properly. There are also some times were there are simultaneous statements of different themes going on; I spent time making sure the balance of these sections was good. I also worked on the overall balance and blend of some chords, including the last eight measures of the piece which are all whole note cluster chords. during the rehearsal.
 * Sequence of Activities**: Begin the lesson with Warm-Ups, most from their warm-up book "Foundation for Superior Performance."
 * Warm-Ups:**
 * Long Tone Exercise #2 (this is simply an exercise where all instruments blow long tones to get the blood flowing, embouchures working, and breath
 * Warm Up Set #3 (this is one of the 5 warm-up sets found in the beginning of the book--each which focus on fundamentals. For example: lip slurs,
 * Technical Exercises in Concert G. These exercises include the major and minor scales as well as sequencing exercises, such as thirds.
 * Take some time before the next warm-up (concert F around the room) to explain what balance and blend are. Find out what the students know first.
 * Have two students in one section (in this case it was the tenor saxes), demonstrate bad balance/blend and then good balance/blend.
 * Discuss with the students the different factors affecting balance/blend and how they can themselves can adjust using their ears.
 * Concert F around the room. In this exercise one section plays a concert F for 8 counts and then another section enters immediately after they finish. Start with the Tubas and move from lowest instruments of the band all the way up to the highest. The trick is to make each section blend/balance
 * Function chorale #3. This function chorale uses written scale degree #'s instead of written notes to display what pitches the students should play.
 * Rehearsal of a Piece:**
 * Apply these concepts to "Pageant" by Persichetti. This piece has a lot of antiphonal sections, so I spent time working on these sections to make
 * Before the end of the period, have the students play a run-through of a large section of music, including the parts that were worked on specifically


 * Assessment**: The students will be informally assessed (Formative type). Most of my assessment comes form watching and listening to the students throughout the lesson to determine whether they are playing their parts correctly and, in this case, with correct balance and blend. Some of my assessment comes from asking the students direct questions about balance and blend to see what they know and what/if they have learned or understand what I have taught. Finally, students will be assessed in a final run-through of a larger section of music (including the section rehearsed during the period).

//Thoughts for Nate (from Liz Love)

This is a really great concept to teach, especially at the high-school level. I think that it is advanced, but not too hard for them to grasp. The warm-ups that you presented sound like they will really help the ensemble get an idea of what this concept is. It seems like you are trying to present two different things: balance and blend. I've never taught this before, but this may be something that you do in two different lessons entirely. You could spend one day focusing on blending sounds in sections and between sections, and then a whole different day on the pyramid of sound (possibly incorporating who leads crescendos/decrescendos and who will cut off last at the end of a soft section). This is just a preference thing. I love the idea of having a section demonstrate good and bad balance/blend. Getting students to play something the wrong way can then help get to the right way faster. Maybe you could have other sections rate the section that is demonstrating on how well they are doing it (whether they are intending to be good or bad). This can help them figure out exactly what it sounds like and what causes bad blend/balance. It can also be an assessment tool because you are observing if the other students understand what it sounds like or feels like to play with bad blend and balance. This is an extremely hard thing to assess because almost all of the playing happens as a group, and it is hard to pick out individuals. Maybe there could be more playing in pairs - in the same section and cross-sections. If you don't tell the kids before hand who will be playing with whom, they always have to be on their toes. It is obvious that you had something in mind to work on in the piece before you planned the warm-up. There is a clear connection between the warm-up and the application, which is sometimes hard to do. When you write this plan, you might take some more time to expand on the application part. It could possibly be more detailed, maybe even sighting some specific sections with measure numbers that will you help you to remember exactly what you wanted to do when you are up on the podium actually teaching this lesson. It was great when you specifically mentioned the cluster chords as being a certain focus for this concept. Just some ideas!

Liz: Thanks for the input. I took some of your suggestions and ideas and tried to incorporate them into my lesson. Check it out and let me know what you think! You can find it by searching Balance and blend edited lesson.

Thanks, Nate//