Lower Dauphin School District

Lower Dauphin School District

Curriculum Guide

Synopsis of Curriculum

The focus of the 6^th grade band is to gain confidence as a young musician by developing and enhancing the technical skills and natural abilities of each student while gaining knowledge and understanding of musical concepts, history, and of techniques and procedures that relate to everyday life outside of the music classroom.  As a performance ensemble, one of the biggest goals is to use our skills to connect with the community. In order to do so, the band will perform on different occasions throughout the year for our community and attendance at all performances is mandatory.  The 6^th Grade Band meets as a full class twice a cycle.  Students who sign up for this course are responsible for attending all rehearsals and the sectionals that each student has been assigned to.  There are NO after-school requirements for students in the 6^th Grade Band other than these three performances.

Units of Study Titles

In our 6^th grade band curriculum, we will cover the following concepts (note that they are not covered in a linear manner, but are taught comprehensively throughout the year and are expanded upon as the students’ skills grow):

Characteristic Sound

Simple duple rhythms – subdivision and syncopation.

Common time and cut time.

Concert B-flat Major Scale.

Chromatic Scale and Accidentals / Enharmonics

Notation for Dynamics, tempo, and articulation.

Sightreading Skills

Performance and Ensemble Skills