BAND PROGRAM
Franklin Academy
About Band
The courses I teach are designed to give the students an enriching and diverse instrumental music education. These classes provide a number of performance opportunities for the student in a variety of settings. The daily objective is to foster and promote musical growth through the playing of an instrument by the student. As a member of the instrumental music program, group effort and cooperation are necessary to a successful program.
Learning an instrument is a skill-based effort in which each student is expected to show technical and musical growth throughout this course. Practice never has to be daily, but must be regular to allow the repetition needed to correctly progress with the curriculum.
My Current Schedule 2023-2024
*MS=Middle School period
Period 1 - PLANNING
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Period 2 - Beginning Band (A Day)
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Period 3 - Advanced Band (A Day)
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Period 4 (MS3) - Beginning Band (A Day)
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Period 5 - PLANNING
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Period 6 (MS5) - Intermediate Band (B Day)
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Period 7 - Beginning Band (B Day)
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My Philosophy of Music Education
My goal as a music educator is to teach the love of music, musical skills, and musical concepts through instrumental performance in the classroom, on stage, and in the community. Music education should take place in an environment that is safe and open to exploration, discovery, and risk-taking, as well as creativity and building relationships with fellow performers and the audience. My goal is to facilitate a learning process that increases retention by engaging the students in music-making, rather than lecture. Performing instrumental music activates all areas of the brain which helps to cultivate and sharpen many cognitive and motor skills, often simultaneously, that bare a major positive impact on student academic achievement at large. Every student should be given the opportunity to learn and grow a love for music throughout their childhood development.
I.B. in the Band Classroom
"IB" stands for "International Baccalaureate" and is the abbreviation for the non-profit international educational foundation serving students aged 3 to 19. IB programs aim to do more than other curricula by developing inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who are motivated to succeed.
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In an IB instrumental music class:
- students will engage in discussions about music concepts, techniques, theory, and music history.
- students will consider the role of music in local and global contexts.
- students will perform for their peers and the community.
- students will develop essential life skills like collaboration, work ethic, leadership, risk-taking, reading & responding, time-management, and using technology.
- students will analyze and decipher their progress based on research-driven standards and rubrics.
- students will prepare and present research on topics like music history, music theory, famous composers and musicians, musical genres, music technology, musical careers, music composition and arranging, world music, and music business.