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SUBJECT: Organ
Grade Level: Music Appreciation – Grades 9 - 12
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will
- Discover the variety of organs (historical and modern) accessible today.
- Examine the ways in which different organs produce sound.
- Explain how brass instruments produce sound and their characteristic “brassy” timbre.
- Describe in detail the following instruments: the trumpet, the horn, the tenor and bass trombones, and the tuba.
- Define the following musical terms: bell, concerto, fanfare, mouthpiece, rondo, symphony, and unison playing.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Add district, state and/or national standards as is applicable to your area
Preparatory Activities
10 minutes
- Review the vocabulary for Class 12:
- Reed, keys, pedals, pipes, manual, rank
Resources/Materials
- Internet access or a library sufficient for short topic research.
- Access to the following websites:
INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME
Whole Group Instruction
- The Conklin Reed Organ Museum
- Estey Organ Museum
- St. Alban’s Musical Museum Society - Organ Theatre
- Metropolitan Museum of Art musical instrument collection:100 highlights: Keyboards
- Amersham Fair Organ Museum
20 - 30 minutes
Group Practice/Small Group Instruction
- Each group of students should conduct research on one (1) of the following topics.
- Positive organ
- Portative organ
- Barrel organ
- Calliope
- Melodeon
- Harmonium
- Theater Organ
- Fair Organ
- Respond to the following:
- A short (3-4 sentences) contextual history of the instrument or topic (where does it originate, what is it used for, etc.).
- What distinguishes this instrument from the others? (How is the sound produced?)
- Name one composer, composition, or performer that is highly skilled on this instrument (if possible).
15 - 20 minutes
Closing Activites/Summary
- Each group should report back their results to the class.
- Discuss differences in instruments.
5 - 10 minutes
Evaluation/Assessment 5=Best, 1=Least
- Did students discover and examine the variety of organs (historical and modern). 5 4 3 2 1
- Did students examine the ways in which different organs produce sound. 5 4 3 2 1
Extension/Enrichment/Re-teaching/Accommodations
- Field trip – are there organs in your locale where you can take students for a short tour?
- Is there a local chapter of the American Guild of Organists available? Will an organist come and speak to your class?