Music Education Portfolio

by
Your Jacques Spaelti

www.jacquesspaelti.weebly.com

Submitted to
Dr. Cecil Adderley of the Music Education Department,
Berklee College of Music
in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
ME-475 Pre-Practicum Apprenticeship/Seminar

Boston
2017
Philosophy of Music Education

Music is an awesome force that has always been present and evolving in past and current

society. Throughout its history there has always been an appreciation and fascination

with music. The effect music has had in this world, throughout the centuries, transcends

any and all social barriers such as status, culture, age and race, which makes it unique

among other art forms. In addition to music being relevant in history and current society

it is also playing an important part in any individuals life. No mater how old or young

someone is, there is always a connection with music, from the melodic babblings of an

infant to a senior enjoying past or present music. For some age groups music can help

overcome obstacles in ones personal development, such as puberty. Not only is the

listening and enjoyment of music beneficial to an individual, but, the drive to learn and

master an instrument or to understand the theory behind ones favorite song can help one

find the same drive in either ones personal life or in other educational subjects.

I strongly believe that it is everyones right to receive a musical education starting

at a young age. However, it is also essential to encourage any age group and individual

that it is never too late to learn music. By creating a fun, informative class

environment, satisfying the students individual musical interests and combining the past

with the present and a multitude of different styles from across the globe, I wish to

broaden the students mind and understanding of this phenomenon we call music. As a

music educator I believe it is my obligation and privilege to help students nurture their

creativity, master their craft and benefit in their lives from an understanding and

appreciation of music.
 Elementary Lesson Plan

Name: Jacques Spaelti Date: 12/11/2015

Grade/Class: 3 - 4

1. Measurable Objective(s):

Students will be able to proficiently incorporate 16th notes and 16th note subdivisions into
performance and composition.

2. Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Rhythm Pyramid
4/4 time signature
Steady Pulse
This Old Man

3. Review Needed:

Rhythm Pyramid

4. Materials, Repertoire, Equipment needed:

Whiteboard
Markers & Magnets
Kookaburra
Charlie over the ocean

5. Agenda:

1) Warm Up
2) This old Man
3) Combining 16th notes
4) Add a rhythm
5) Kookaburra
6) Wrap Up

6. Lesson Sequence Pacing

A. Brief Opening: 3-5min
Warm up
Repeat the first note
Sing improvised rhythms on C
Start with easy rhythms and gradually increase difficulty
Students repeat the first note
Also select single students
Give an example before students start
Also have students sing the entire rhythm
Start using phrases from Kookaburra
B. Learning Activities:

1. This old Man 5-7min

Instruct Students to start walking & Clapping in time (demonstrate the
tempo by walking)
Wait until students are all walking in time
Start singing This Old Man
Repeat the song if not all students were able to sing along
Once students all sang begin clapping 8th notes while singing
Students should imitate
Repeat song and clap 16th notes
Students should imitate
Ask students how we clapped in relation to the pulse
Demonstrate while walking and clapping 8th & 16th notes.
Explain that 8th notes = 2 claps per beat
Explain that 16th notes = 4 Claps per beat

2. Combining 16th notes 7min

Ask students how many were the most notes in one beat (4)
Using a marker make four dots on the whiteboard and cover them
with magnets.
Tap on the magnets in sequential order and sing all four 16th
notes and students find the pulse
Ask students to sing along
Ask a student to remove one magnet and ask the class to sing
new rhythm
Focus on two 16ths and one 8th, and one 8th and two 16th rhythms
Repeat

3. Improvising Rhythms 5-7min

Have Students stand in a Circle and walk in time
Going in a Circle everyone will improvise an easy rhythm in 4/4 (4
Beats)
Give the first example, everyone repeats
Next student gives example, everyone repeats, and so on.
The first time around use only Quarter, two 8th or four 16th note
rhythms
Repeat game with the new 16ths subdivisions
Make sure that every student uses at least one of the new
rhythms in example
two 16ths and one 8th or one 8th and two 16th
4. Kookaburra 7-10
Solfege Major Scale (Key of D)
Teach song by rote (Key of D)
Sing melody (no words on Na)
Students find the resting tone (Major or Minor?/Happy or sad?)
Also students should find the smallest subdivision (16th notes)
Sing phrase and students sing the resting tone (Do)
When finished have the students learn the melody by repeating
phrases (rote)
Do NOT sing with the students
Improvise (if Time)
Students sing the melody quietly
Help only if needed
A volunteer will improvise a rhythm over the melody
Only on resting tone

C. Assessment:

Informal Checklist
Did students find the pulse?
Do the Students understand the concept of removing a note?
Are students using 16th notes while improvising?
Are the students singing on pitch?

D. Closing/Wrap-up: 3-5min

Ask students what we did today and what they learned

Important they all mention 16th notes
If not mentioned explain that one can remove one or more notes
of a 16th note to create new rhythms and Ideas while improvising
Ask Students due show an example.

E. Assignment:

No Assignment

7. Accommodations: (a. Special Needs, b. ELL etc. )

Special Needs
o ADD: Sit away from instruments
o use visual cues

ELL
o Speak clearly and slowly
o Explain words if needed
o Write vocab on board
8. Teacher Reflection/Self-Evaluation:

- Memorize lesson sequence better so looking at lesson plan is not necessary

- Sped through first activity because of new time limit, dont get intimidated by
time.
- Keep a better eye on the clock to manage activity time
- Could have had more movement for the students
- Could have added an improvisational section to Kookaburra

9. National Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding)

Create:
Imagine: MU:Cr1.1.3a, MU:Cr1.1.3b
Plan/Make: MU:Cr2.1.3a, MU:Cr2.1.3b
Perform:
Analyze: MU:Pr4.2.3b, MU:Pr4.2.4a
Present: MU:Pr6.1.4a

10. State Standards:

Singing
1.3 Sing from memory a variety of songs representing genres and styles
from diverse cultures and historical periods
Reading and Notation
2.2 Use a system (syllables, numbers, or letters) to read and sing at sight
simple pitch notation in the treble clef
Improvisation and Composition
4.2 Improvise and compose simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato
accompaniments
 Secondary Lesson Plan

Name: Jacques Spaelti Date: 8/10/2016

Grade/Class: 10

1. Learning Objective(s): (measurable objectives)

Students will demonstrate critical listening by analyzing and discussing a

piece of Indian music
Students will create and perform a piece of music using scales and
rhythmic syllables
Students will demonstrate accurate notation by completing the assigned
Work-Sheet
and Standards: (list national standards upon which they are based)

Creating
Performing
Responding

2. Assessment: (description of assessment for this lesson, based on objective)

Formal:
Composition Worksheet

Informal:
Teacher Checklist
o Are students using the correct rhythms, syllables, scales?
o Are students participating in discussions?

3. Required prior knowledge/skills:

Chromatic Scale
Rhythm Pyramid

4. Review and/or new information needed:

Chromatic Scale
o Compare to diatonic scale and relate to Melakarta System
Rhythm Pyramid

5. Materials, Repertoire, Equipment needed:

Whiteboard
Markers
Projector
Speakers
Piano/Keyboard
Worksheets
Laptop/Powerpoint
6. Lesson Sequence: Either 90min Lesson or 2 lessons Pacing:

A. Opening: (introduction, do now, warm up etc.) 7min

Listen & Analyze

o When students enter the classroom play song on YouTube
A. R. Rahman, "Jiya Jale" (Dil Se): Berklee Indian
Ensemble (Cover)
o Students will listen and write down what they hear
Write Bullets on Whiteboard
Instrumentation
Language
Style
Timbre of voices/instruments
Groove
Etc.

B. Learning Activities: (number and list as many as needed: specific

learning experiences and instruction, including review)

Discussion 5-7min
o Using their notes students will discuss what was
happening in the music
o If students are hesitant to talk move the conversation
forward with questions
What instruments did you year?
Were they using a normal major scale or not?
Did this sound like Indian music & Why?

Scale & Rhythm Syllables 20-25min

o Using PowerPoint present briefly on Indian music
Religious, Classical, Pop Music
Just Like Western Music
o Explain the concept of the Melakarta System
Root & Dominant always stay the same
The notes in between can vary
Scale must descend with the same notes as it
ascended
Use powerpoint to help students visualize the
concept (Image from Worlds of Music 3rd edition)
o Have Students volunteer to help cerate a scale
Students will chose the next note in the scale
(Write on whiteboard)
If no one volunteers, select a student
Students sing the scale while teacher plays it on
piano
o Explain the Takadimi system (Do example with class)
Use PDF on www.takadimi.net
Largest Note Value is always Ta
Similar to Gordon method
 Compose 20-25min
o Divide Students into groups of 4-5
Select a random student of the group to be
Leader (Responsible for the Materials)
o Have Students complete the handout
1: Write out a Melakarta scale (Root: C)
Recommend to make the scale easy to sing
2: Write out a rhythmic accompaniment (Takadimi)
Recommend 2 bar Ostinato
3: Write out a melody using that scale
8 bars
Recommend to not make the melody to
difficult to sing
4: one part of the group rehearses melody (vocal or
on piano), other part rehearses rhythmic
accompaniment
o Be ready to demonstrate the composed scale and/or
melody on piano at the students request

Perform 10-12min
o Each group will perform their composition
1: students will demonstrate the scale
2: students will demonstrate the melody
3: Students will demonstrate the rhythmic
accompaniment
4: Students will perform the composition

C. Assessment: (evidence of learning as listed in #2 with pacing

information, may be embedded in learning activities or done separately)

o Performance
o Did the students rehearse their piece enough?
o Were they able to perform their composition?
o Hand-Out
o Did it contain correct notation?
o Are root and 5th fixed in the scale (C & G)?
o Are the syllables in the rhythm correct?

D. Summative activity/Closing/Wrap-up:
3min
Wrap Up
o Select one or more students to summarize what we did in
class
o Students will hand in their Work Sheets to be excused
E. Items to post in classroom
Agenda: (simple list)

1) Listen & Analyze

2) Discussion
3) Scale & Rhythm Syllables
4) Compose
5) Perform
6) Wrap-up
Assignment and due date: No Assignments

7. Accommodations: (special needs and ELL)

Special Needs
o ADD: Sit away from instruments
o use visual cues

ELL
o Speak clearly and slowly
o Explain words if needed
o Write vocab on board

8. Checklist of National Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding)

Creating: Imagine, Plan/Make, Evaluate/Refine, Present

Performing: Interpret, Rehearse/Evaluate/Refine, Present
Responding: Analyze, Evaluate

9. Checklist of State Frameworks:

Singing: Demonstrate well-developed ensemble skills

Reading & Notation: Read and sing at sight moderately difficult melodies, all intervals
and their inversions from unison through an octave, and triads and their inversions in
arpeggiated form
Improvisation & Composition: Compose and arrange short pieces for voices or
instruments within teacher-specified guidelines, using the elements of music to achieve
unity and variety, tension and release, and balance
Critical Response: Demonstrate an understanding of how musical elements interact to
create expressiveness in music

10. Teacher Reflection/Self-Evaluation:

a. Reflect on the process and include student responses

b. Rethink & Revise - what could you have done differently to improve the outcome of
this lesson)
 Jacques Spaelti
1203 Boylston Street, Boston MA, 02215
617-470-1257
jspaelti@berklee.edu

Education:

Berklee College of Music Boston, MA 02215

Bachelor of Music, Music Education and Music Business, Spring 2017.

Mittelschule Regio Jura Sdfuss Solothurn, 4500 CH

Fachmatura in Music 2012

Jazz-Schule Basel, 4048 CH

Pre-College Course, 2014

Employment History:

2016 present Berklee College of Music Boston, MA 02215

Drum/Percussion Tech

Performances:

2012 2014 Eleocity Solthurn, 4500 CH

2014 2015 Lylac Boston MA, 02215

Drum Set

2015 present Adessa on Bay State Boston MA, 02215

Drum Set

2016 present White Veins Boston, MA 02215

Drum Set

2016 present The Young Professors Boston, MA 02215

Drum Set

Professional Certification:

Massachusetts Tests for Education Licensure (MTEL)

Music
Communication

Professional Affiliations:

NAfME The National Association for Music Education, 2015 present