Final Project

For this final project, I chose a lesson plan that engages a student in learning how to read and perform music written in a new style of notation: lead sheet. This lesson plan, by the title alone, suggests having support from NJCCCS 1.1.12.B.2, “...performance of complex musical scores from diverse cultural contexts.” With the addition of extra teaching and student strategies and the integration of technology, many additional standards can be met in the lesson.

If you take a look at the technology matrix I have created, it connects standards and teaching strategies with technologies. Here’s a row-by-row breakdown for a detailed explanation.

Row 1 is the educational goal of the lesson. By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to not only read and perform a lead sheet but also understand its significance as a notation style, particularly in the pop and jazz music traditions. Row 2 houses the column titles: Standards (referring to NJCCCS and NETS-S), Strategies (both student and teacher), and Technologies. The final box in this row says “key” and that column lists two short notes about the matrix.

The matrix is organized in chronological order as the lesson progresses, and I will group the following into separate paragraphs.

Row 3 notates “Access,” referring to the following two rows. 4A and 4B note the music standard that is being achieved in this part of the lesson. 5A and 5B note the technology standards that are being achieved. 4C and 4D show the strategies, and 4E shows the technology. The teacher teaches the student about lead sheet, show the student an example written on Finale, and will playback the example to listen. The student will then be able to try playing the piece alone. Using Finale, the student will be able to edit, alter, and create their own lead sheet in the process and access different examples of lead sheet through Finale File Sharing.

Row 6-8 shows the “analyze” stage. The student will be analyze the chords written on the lead sheet (to play the correct notes and to transpose) and the teacher will engage in a discussion as to the analysis. This will be an assessment of theory analysis. Using Smart Music will allow the computer to check student work at home if the assignment is extended to a homework assignment. The student can also use the software to play back his/her analyzed music to check for comprehension.

Rows 9-11 dives into the “evaluate” section. Student will, after playing through lead sheets, research the history behind pop and jazz genres using lead sheet as a notation system.

Rows 12-14 explain the “produce” stage of the lesson. When combining the evaluation of the student’s past performance and the insertion of historical research by using the internet, the student will dive into researching the performance of lead sheet, finding live performances where lead sheet is being used. This portion can become a homework assignment, in which case the last section of the lesson will be pushed to the next lesson. The student will be allowed to use all forms of research media to explore how to correctly perform and read lead sheet. This will be student-driven research.

Rows 15-17 show the “communicate” section which will act as the true assessment of the lesson. Because this is an assessment (whether formal or informal), the student will perform without teacher intervention. The nature of lead sheet notation allows for improvisation and therefore covers the “improvise” standard. In the process, the performance will be recorded and the student will be able to edit mistakes through the edit options of Garage Band, which is a new technology being used. The student is assessed on their ability to play correct chords, sing correct notes and lyrics, and keep a steady tempo.

The technologies I’ve selected cover a broad range of technologies. Finale, a program used to notate and playback music, gives students the ability to read music and compose their own pieces. In addition, Finale offers an online file-sharing service, where anyone can upload their own music or download other’s compositions. The service is also beneficial for copyright purposes; once the piece is uploaded, the date is stamped and any copyright issues can be defended. Smart Music is accessible from any computer and checks student playing and work for accuracy. Many teachers use it to check student practice times and audition students over the summer. YouTube, while unreliable, offers students exposure to music and is a source of performance research. Although Garage Band is overused in lesson plans, it can be a great addition for students to edit out mistakes and make their work sound professional.