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Performing Arts

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY


Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.

1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[ Clip 1: Lesson #1
Clip 2: Lesson #3 ]
2.

Promoting a Positive Learning Environment


Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.
a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?

[ Clip 1 I showed mutual respect for students throughout Clip 1 by taking suggestions from the
class. Instead of a one-way lecture type lesson, I used a guided class discussion which
encourages participation and active student learning. No one in the class has limited English
skills, so every student could understand and contribute to the discussion. Earlier in the lesson
but before the video clip starts, a student with an IEP who is usually reserved participated by
raising his hand and suggesting that trombone (his instrument) be placed in the bottom of the
Pyramid of Sound. I took this opportunity to give positive reinforcement and validation for
wanting to contribute, something that is somewhat rare for this student. I tried to incorporate
more positive reinforcement throughout both lessons, usually by saying, yes, exactly or that's
absolutely right. Before this lesson, I have noticed a tendency of mine to not give enough
positive feedback.
Clip 1, 4:50 - taking suggestions, even when something is wrong, going off-script when a
student asks about percussion. While not part of my original plan, this gave the student that
suggested it a sense of contributing and I did not want to pass this up. While percussion were
not present at the time, it was a good chance to show that they are part of the ensemble and
classroom community as well. By showing how all members of the ensemble have an important
part to play, I fostered a positive learning environment.
Clip 2, 1:05 I asked a student to evaluate the ensemble's performance by asking what did
you notice about the other parts. He answered that he liked a rhythm in another part. At this
point, I made sure to take the opportunity for a student to evaluate and give praise to others in
the classroom. I tried to get a more complete answer out of the student but could tell he was
feeling shy and wouldn't give much more of an answer. He suggested that we can play softer to
hear other player's parts that we like which promotes listening across the band and valuing
other student's hard work. I made sure to say that we should play softer and enjoy the rhythm,
further giving value to the students that play that line. This promotes a positive classroom
environment by showing students how all their parts are not only important, but that other
students enjoy the music that they are playing. This type of peer encouragement makes
everyone in the band feel valued and like they are a contributing part of the team. ]
3. Engaging Students in Learning
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Performing Arts
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.
a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing
artistic skills (e.g., self-expression, creativity, exploration/improvisation)
knowledge (e.g., tools/instruments, technical proficiencies, processes, elements,
organizational principles)
contextual understandings (e.g., social, cultural, historical, global, personal reflection)
[ Clip 1, 1:30 At this point in Lesson #1, I engaged students in figuring out how principles of
range effect balance within a section and over large intervals. While this is a concept that many
have heard of before, I wanted to make sure to demonstrate why lower parts have to play out
more. In addition, I wanted students to hear how much stronger the lower octaves have to play
to balance the top octaves. Almost all students in the class underplay on lower parts or notes.
By showing how this principle works instead of just saying it or rehearsing it, I'm providing
students opportunities to make their own informed conclusions. This develops the artistic skills
of listening for balance and technical knowledge of what each part must to to achieve great
balance.
Clip 1, 4:50 Even though it was unplanned, classifying percussion instruments provided a
great opportunity for student learning and showing how percussion is a vital part of the
ensemble. Before this lesson, most students thought that percussion was not a part of
ensemble balance and not even in the Pyramid. By asking what kind of sounds certain
percussion instruments make, I was able to guide students to reach conclusions that percussion
instruments follow the same balance guidelines and can use the same classification system as
wind instruments. This was also another opportunity to show that percussion is an important
part of the band as well. Too often they are seen as fundamentally different than wind
instruments. For example, percussionists were not even in the room for this lesson because
they rehearse the period before. I want to always promote an inclusive environment because
every students deserves to feel like they make a valuable contribution to the class. This
reinforces the contextual understanding that the ensemble works together towards a common
goal of playing with a great band sound.
Clip 2, 1:40 At this point in Lesson #3, I explain what the title of the piece means and how it
relates to the chorale section. In this case, the 4 different chorale lines represent the swirling
and bubbling contents of sorcerer's cauldron. This gives the students an extramusical
association and visual image for the mood and phrasing that we are working towards. This
develops a students artistic creativity and exploration. Students take what they think a bubbling
cauldron would sound like and explore how they can use their instrument to evoke this musical
affect. I simplify this process for those who need some support by offering my interpretation of a
mysterious mood with parts swirling in and out of the foreground. ]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[ Clip 1, 1:30 In general, most section's 2nd and 3rd part players tend to underplay and 1st part
players tend to overplay. This is due to the difference in range and ability level, as the most
experienced players tend to play 1st part. Even though many students already knew that each
section has a tendency to be top heavy, I wanted to make it clear how much this effects balance
and how drastic the correction needs to be because this issue occurs so persistently across all
literature. Most knew that students should play higher notes softer than lower notes and that
each section should have a miniature Pyramid of Sound. I started with this idea and asked how
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Performing Arts
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

we should correct this issue. We then applied students' prior knowledge of the concept to
trumpets playing in three different octaves. The low octave had to play much stronger than the
high octave.
Clip 1, 4:50 On the pre-assessment, most students who entered percussion on the Pyramid of
Sound put percussion on the side of the triangle instead of inside it. Going into this lesson, I
knew that the band usually rehearses balance using a Bach chorale or by playing a section in
the music without percussion to focus on the wind parts. By excluding percussion while working
on balance, some students are led to believe that percussion does not play a significant role. In
fact, percussion should think about balance a great deal. Where correct playing technique and
timing are fairly objective, dynamics and balance are subjective, different for every situation, and
hard to evaluate from all the way back in the percussion section. When one student asked
where the percussion went in the Pyramid, I took the opportunity to link students' prior
knowledge to a new understanding of balance that includes percussion. This strengthened
students' knowledge on how to classify instruments, even if they are not pitched, by what
sounds they make. In addition, it also reinforced the idea of a cooperative and inclusive
classroom community where every part and student are valued and contribute to the group.
Clip 2, 3:55 Students in this class have often been told to bring out moving lines are familiar
with this term but rarely apply it to the music. Most students do not make enough of a dynamic
change when phrasing if at all, so the first step is to show how much phrasing is needed. I
guide students to do this through conducting their phrasing while they play. Since this part of
the music has four different musical lines and therefore four different phrases, we isolated each
line and practiced phrasing with the conductor as a guide. I purposely conducted the phrasing
very obviously so that students could pick up on where to play stronger or softer. Most students
still underplayed the phrasing, but they now knew what it is supposed to sound like. Next, I
chose an example student who was phrasing his line particularly well and asked him to play for
the class. This way students can hear not only what good phrasing sounds like, but how much
is needed. Before this lesson, students knew what they were supposed to do but had trouble
applying it. This lesson links students' prior knowledge of terminology and how they are
supposed to phrase to how to actually phrase a line on their instruments. ]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.
a. Explain how you evoked student performances and/or responses to support students
development and application of artistic skills, knowledge, and/or contextual
understandings.
[ Clip 2, 0:15 While bopping, or playing each note as a stacatto eighth note, is usually used
for timing and alignment purposes, I used it in Lesson #3 to help the ensemble hear moving
notes. Because students are only playing the beginning of each note, they can hear other parts
where they would normally be sustaining. Students are also told to play the eighth note moving
lines stronger. When students deliberately listen for these moving lines, they understand when
they need to play soft and in the background and what notes they should bring out. This is
crucial for this chorale-like section because the audience needs to hear all of the moving notes.
Consequently, the band's rhythm, timing, and alignment improved as well.
Clip 2, 3:55 While most students are familiar with phrasing and bringing out moving notes,
many struggle to do this in a musical context. To bridge this gap between theoretical
understanding and practical application, students will practice phrasing with the conductor. I
evoked the desired shape of the line by conducting moving of eighth notes larger to represent
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Performing Arts
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

an increase in volume. This develops the artistic skill of phrasing by showing students exactly
how they should play. I chose a more advanced student to model phrasing so that students can
hear a good example and compare with their own playing. This deepens their understanding of
what good phrasing sounds like and how to get there. Now that students have an example of
how to phrase a line, they can extrapolate and phrase other musical lines similarly. When
students are told to bring out moving notes or phrase a line, they can think back to this lesson
and have more success in the future. ]
b. Explain how you used modeling, demonstrations, and/or content examples to develop
students artistic skills, knowledge, and/or contextual understandings for creating,
performing, or responding to music/dance/theater.
[ Clip 1, 1:30 At this point in Lesson #1, we are discussing how to balance between larger
intervals and in this case, octaves. To demonstrate the problem of balance across large
intervals, the trumpet section played in three different octaves. The class determined that this
sound was top heavy and suggested that the bottom notes should play stronger and top notes
play softer. In order to fully balance the sound, the lower parts had to play significantly stronger
than the higher part, something which students rarely do on their own. By showing how much
stronger lower parts need to play to balance upper parts, students can apply this principle to
their own music, especially when their section is playing across multiple octaves.
Clip 2, 4:30 One more advanced student was doing a particularly good job at bringing out
moving notes and phrasing the way we were working towards. I asked him to model for the
group so that they could hear an example of good phrasing instead of just seeing a visual
representation of conducting. Some students are visual learners while others need to hear a
concept in order to understand it fully. Using this model to show good phrasing developed
students' skill and knowledge of phrasing. Now that students have both a visual and aural
concept of how to phrase and what phrasing is, they can apply this concept in other parts of the
music and use this as a starting point to develop their phrasing skills. ]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.
a. What changes would you make to your instructionfor whole class and/or for students
who need greater support or challengeto better support student learning of the central
focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
[ Clip 1, 3:05 I should have guided the student to figure out where to classify french horns
instead of simply telling him. My response to simply correct him probably did not make the
student feel valued and discouraged future participation. I could have asked him or the whole
class leading questions to get to the answer so that they while also giving them more insight as
to why french horns belonged there. I should have asked between what brass instruments the
french horns belonged, since trumpet and trombones were always on the board. This way, the
student is in control and actively learning instead of just being told.
More playing, less talking. I wanted to make sure everyone got the information about
the pyramid of sound, but should have spent more time playing and applying the information. I
could have developed a plan that shows the students more directly what the Pyramid means in
an ensemble context and not just on the board. Most of them are familiar with the idea of the
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Performing Arts
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

Pyramid, but their pre-assessment and their usually unbalanced and top-heavy playing showed
me that many needed reinforcing of the specific instruments. An idea I wish I had thought of
before is to enter instruments from the bottom up on the board while adding them to a chord to
show how each instrument fits into the previous group. I could have also showed how
instruments not playing their role in the Pyramid effects the entire band sound.
I should show more contrast in my conducting to get a wider range of expression and
dynamics from students. Particularly during Clip 2, I conducted everything too large. This is a
tendency for me because I am used to conducting with my hands in an outdoor environment.
By showing soft volumes as very small beat patterns, I will more accurately show the volume
that I want and can show a bigger difference in musical expression. I should have showed how
the long notes are much softer than the moving notes instead of moving notes being louder than
long notes. This large beat pattern promotes an ensemble that overplays and lacks expression.
While I did provide students with positive reinforcement throughout my lessons, I could
have done more and in more meaningful ways. Usually, I just say yes, correct, or exactly
when students answer a question correctly. This is a missed opportunity to support the students
and encourage them. It would be more constructive and effective to say, that's a great answer
or that's perfect, nice job. This shows students that their answer is not just correct in the
binary sense but that it is a valued and positive contribution. It also creates a personal
connection to students instead of a one-word stock response. When students make mistakes or
take risks I should reward them with praise for trying something new and remind them that this
is a supportive environment before giving further instruction. In general, I should take more
opportunities through positive reinforcement to make sure students feel valued in my class. ]
b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[
Having a two-way dialogue with students is much more effective and constructive than
one-way lecture style communication. It gives students an opportunity to voice their opinions on
the topic and contribute positively to the learning of the whole class. A student is more likely to
remember information and concepts if they were actively part of the learning process. This
gives them a sense of ownership of the conclusions we reach and promotes alternative and
creative thinking instead of rigid teacher is always right thinking. By simply telling the student
where to classify the french horns, I deprived him of a meaningful learning experience and
unintentionally discouraged him from thinking critically or voicing his opinion. If I gave him the
chance to figure out for himself where to classify the french horns, he would more fully
understand how we classify instruments, why these classifications are justified, and how this
applies to performing music.
Playing more and talking less gives students more chances to enjoy the reason they are
in the class in the first place, playing music. This will motivate students and keep them
interested. A good number of students will mentally check out of rehearsal if left alone for too
long and the teacher should try to combat this by involving everyone in the class as much as
possible. In addition to engaging students more, playing while discussing balance concepts will
help students bridge the gap between their theoretical knowledge and practical application
skills. This would have been a great opportunity to aurally as well as visually show how each
instrument's volume changes the band sound and why we use the Pyramid.
One problem that stems from conducting everything too large is that I am not able to
show contrast as obviously. Conducting from small to large is much more obvious to the
ensemble than going from a medium to a large pattern. This will show students more accurately
the volume and energy that is needed at any given time. When conducting a very small pattern,
the ensemble senses the relative stillness from the conductor and this changes the way they
play. My conducting should more accurately match what I want the band to sound like so that
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Performing Arts
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

the information from the music, the conductor, and the baton are all working together to best
inform students on how to play their music.
Positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to encourage and engage students. Not
only does this tell students that they are correct, it tells them that it is good to be correct and to
contribute. Students are rewarded for positive contributions and other students want to be
rewarded as well. The best positive reinforcements are personal and unique which creates a
connection with the students, shows that you care about them and that they are valued in your
classroom. If framed in a way that equates praise and success with doing your part on the
team, students will start working hard for each other because they know other people depend
on them. This is the ideal way to motivate students to do their best work not for a grade or a
teacher, but for themselves and their peers. ]

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