LESSON PLANNING:

DEVELOPMENTAL HIERARCHY FOR VMRC

From O% to 100% in 10 Rehearsals of 6 Minutes:
One Suggested Sequence

Sept 6- Detwiler Auditorium: Rehearsal 0 – “Hook” and introduction to

the piece (tone set games, rote introduction, and rote to note in the music.)

Sept 13-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 1 – Hook transferred into music,

map the piece and learn Section A – melody all

Sept 20-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 2 - Review Section A and teach all

harmonies, if time, repeat it in all the A sections that are the same or slightly
different throughout the piece.

Sept 27-Strite Auditorium, or Oct. 4-Detwiler Auditorium

Rehearsal 3&4 - B Sections - melody, harmony and text

Oct. 11-Strite Auditorium/ Oct. 18-Strite Auditorium:

Rehearsal 5 – Review B for corrections, link A and B Sections, singing long
chunks, review for meaning and expression.

Oct. 18-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 6 - What’s different or new?!

Sections C & D OR perfecting tone.

Oct. 25-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 7 - Review what’s different

(Sections C & D) or new and link to A and B sections, if time, sing all the
way through

Nov. 8-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 8 - Sing all the way through,

improving and perfecting tone, adding reminders about meaning

Nov. 29-Strite Auditorium: Rehearsal 9 – “Buzzwords” to deepen

expression, tone, and sophistication

Dec. 6-Detwiler Auditorium: Rehearsal 10 - Run Fix Run, INSPIRE! (Any

extra rehearsals? Digging deeper, working on tone, breathing, meaning,
expression, sophistication!)
VMRC Intergenerational Choir
Rehearsal Number 5 or 6: Schedule and General Lesson Plan:
October 11 and 18 (50 x minutes = 30.9 min. = Golden Mean of the Class = Harder stuff
before this!)

1. REHEARSAL # 1: NAME:

REHEARSAL THREADS: Phrasing, breath support

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Sing the first verse on text with proper phrasing and breath support.

Assessment Strategies: Differentiations

Throughout this rehearsal I will engage in formal assessment by: Teaching ensuring that the participants
understand notes and rhythms.

Throughout this rehearsal I will engage in informal assessment by: Teaching the melody of the song by rote
and scanning the room to see that the students are participating.

Start Timings Activity or Piece Developmental Hierarchy Level/Chunks,

Time Totals Plan and Sequence

Time: (:30/7:00) Activity 1: Chunk 1: Welcome and Goals

Welcome & Goals

Activity 1: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1:
1s. Good Morning VMRC!

2v. Good Morning

1a. If you remember, last time we were able to sing all parts on text through the
first verse. Today I’d like to start with a review of the first verse

TRANSITION WITH: 1d. Please open your music to page 15

Time (xxx/xxx./xxx) Activity 2: Chunk 1:

Chunk 2:
Chunk 3:

Activity 2: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Wind it forward:
Chunk 1: Ask the choir
1d. Sing through the first verse on text where they think
the breaths should
go.

2v Choir sings first verse

 Wind it back:
Take it one chunk
3sra. Great job, I liked how you…. at a time. Do more
modeling and slow
Chunk 2: it down if need be.

1d. Ok, this time we will just sing the first line of the verse. If you are able, try to only breathe one
time, after the word Jesus.
2v. Choir sings, I conduct, making sure to make that breath obvious.
1d. Great job. Let’s try that again. To make this easier to sustain, let’s make sure we’re sitting up
straight, feet flat on the floor.
2v. Choir sings again
1d. Great job, I liked how you…..
2v.

Chunk 3:

1d. Do the same as above but with the second line.

2v.
1d.
2v.
1d.
2v.

TRANSITION WITH: 3nsra. Great job!

1a. Go to next depending on time

Time: (xxx/xxx./xxx) Activity 3: Chunk 1:

Chunk 2:
Chunk 3:
Chunk 4:

Activity 3: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Wind it forward:
Chunk 1: Ask their opinion
1d. You are sounding beautiful with breath support, the right notes, and the right rhythms. Now on what words
lets put some phrasing in. Each verse has 4 sections that are 2 measures long. Each one of those should be
phrases should have a point that we are working to get to and that we emphasize when we get there. emphasized.
In the first section it is the first syllable of Jesus, in the second it is the first syllable of people. The
third section it is fears, and in the last section it is rest.
Wind it back:
1a. Have them underline those syllables Do more modeling
and slow it down.
2v. Sing the first line with proper stress and breath. Try to make
gestures more
clear.
Chunk 2: Repeat chunk one with the second half of the verse

ADD IN MORE ACTIVITIES BLOCKS AS NEEDED AND IF THERE IS TIME!

TRANSITION WITH: Great work! Let’s summarize our learning for today!

Time: (:30/7:00/7:00) Activity 5: Chunk 1: Reviewing goals

Learning Summary Chunk 2: Transfer

Activity 5: DIRECT INSTRUCTION SCRIPT:

Chunk 1: Reviewing Goals

1a. Today we learned our breaths and stress markings. Well done.

Next week we will learn the rest of the text for the piece

Chunk 2: Transfer and continuation

1a/1d. Let’s transfer all of this great learning into our next conductor!