Title John Philip Sousa, “The March King” Time Frame 50-60 minutes Overview Students discover many important facts about steady beat, strong and weak beats, various types of bands, and how they relate to everyday life. They learn to recognize (by listening) the music for our nation’s National March. They make opinions about the personality and emotions of Sousa’s life and music. Using a graphic organizer, they identify instruments that are/are not in a marching band. Standard Historical and Cultural Perspective Arts Benchmark Recognize great composers and their most significant musical works. Recognize and discuss the function of music within historical and cultural contexts, including celebrations, ceremonies, and special occasions. M–HP–E5 M–HP–E2 Foundation Skills Communication, Linking and Generating Knowledge Student Understandings Students aurally identify significant marches composed by John Phillip Sousa, and they identify instruments that are suitable for marching bands. They make connections between the historical importance and patriotic function of these marches, and the settings in which they are performed. Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) Grade 4 English Language Arts 37. Demonstrate active listening strategies, including asking questions, responding to cues, and making eye contact (ELA-4-E5) Interdisciplinary Connections Students demonstrate active listening strategies by participating in paired discussions. Vocabulary duple/triple meter, strong and weak beats, Sousaphone, band, unison, orchestra, steady beat, patriotic music, patsching (patting on thighs) Materials and Equipment rhythm instruments, globe or map, CD player, recording of “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “The Washington Post,” and posters or pictures of instruments Prior Knowledge Students should be familiar with the families of instruments. Students must be able to demonstrate knowledge of conducting duple and triple meter and maintain a steady beat. Sample Lesson Students listen to a recording of “Stars and Stripes Forever” and respond by moving appropriately to the music, discovering the steady beat (marching in place, nodding head, patsching). After initial listening of the music, reveal the title of the music. Briefly introduce the composer by showing a picture of him and stating that he is called the “March King” because he has written music for many important marches and bands. Ask students to describe how the music made them feel (what emotions the music evoked). Briefly explain that march music is “happy,” tonality is in a major key, and it is usually played during a parade (7-8 minutes). Students pair, sitting “knee to knee - eye to eye” and discuss with their partners the answers to the following questions (7-10 minutes). When hearing the title of this music, about what object do you think the composer is writing? (The United States Flag) Why do you believe he wanted the U.S. flag to fly forever? (He loved his country. He wanted his country to remain free.) Describe how listening to this music made you feel and how you responded with movement. What genre or style of music is this example? (A march) Discuss the various types of instruments you heard. (Trumpets, drums, piccolo, tuba) If you were listening to this music in real life, what is your opinion of the volume (dynamic level) you would hear? Give evidence of your decision. (Loud (forte) because of the brass and percussion instruments. March music is usually loud!) Have you ever heard this music before today? If so, when and where? Students learn important facts about John Philip Sousa’s life (see resources) and the importance his music has played in the United States. Also, students learn that he designed a “new” horn for the marching band called the Sousaphone (draw/show a picture-see link). Using the split-page notetaking strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions), develop a timeline on the board (see below) to list facts about Sousa’s life. Use a map or globe to locate Washington, DC. Discuss why this location is important to American history (5-7 minutes). Use a graphic organizer to graph the types of instruments that are usually played during a march and those that students heard. MARCH MUSIC List: BRASS instruments List: PERCUSSION List: WOODWIND instruments instruments Ask students why some instruments are not suited for marching. (They are too heavy, need electricity, too awkward, or are used for symphony orchestra, particularly string instruments) Discuss the differences between an orchestra, rock band, and marching bands. Play the song again and let students march around the room in formation (i.e., double or triple lines according to amount of space in the room). Let them mime (act out) playing the band instruments of their choice. Because the song is rather lengthy, break up the song by marching, all playing imaginary piccolos at appropriate section, and by conducting in duple meter during the “C” section of the music. By marching, students learn that this genre of music has strong and weak beats. This can be felt in groups of two (duple meter) (10 minutes). Listen and/or sing other patriotic songs (“America, the Beautiful,” “America,” “God, Bless America”); predict and then evaluate whether they are music suited for marching. Students participate in a group marching activity by playing classroom percussion instruments and marching to “The Washington Post” by John Philip Sousa (5-7 minutes). In closing, recap information about instruments that are/are not usually played in band music, duple meter, facts about Sousa and the Sousaphone, and the emotions that are related to marching music. Have students make an educated opinion of Sousa’s character and personality. (He was a happy man who composed happy music, and he was patriotic. He loved his country.) (3-5 minutes) Sample Assessments Formative Observe student’s ability to march or play an instrument in unison to the steady beat and to conduct music in duple meter. Evaluate student’s responses to questions and paired discussions. Resources Beethoven, J., Brumfield, S., Campbell, P.S., Connors, D.N., Duke, R.A., et al. (2008). Silver Burdett making music (teacher’s ed., grade 1). Glenview, IL: Pearson-Scott Foresman. Bond, J., Boyer, R., Campbelle-Holman, M., Crocker, E., Davidson, M.C., et al. (2008). Spotlight on music (teacher’s ed., grades 2 & 4). New York: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. This site provides a biography of J. P. Sousa. http://www.dws.org/sousa/articles/bio.htm http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/learning_tools/our_history/john_sousa.htm http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/sousa/sousa-home.html This site gives information about the sousaphone. http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/texts/Sousaphone.html John Philip Sousa 1917 Sousa joins Naval Reserve at the age of 62. Ran away to join the circus 13 yrs.old Enlisted in the Marines Born in Washington, DC 1854 1860 Studied music at 6 yrs. old voice, piano, violin, flute, cornet, baritone, and trombone 1867 1872 Discharged from Marines and began performing & conducting 1875 Sousa forms his own band 1880 Joins the US Marine Band as the Conductor Published his first musical work 1879 Got married 1892 1932 Dies Last song to conduct, “Stars & Stripes Forever”
