Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 13 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Form in Action—AB & ABA

Grade 6 orchestra unit teaches AB, ABA, and call-response form, helping students organize melodies with contrast, repetition, and expressive intent.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Motive Building—Compose a Melody

Compose an 8-measure Grade 6 orchestra melody using stepwise motion, repetition, and a strong tonic ending—building motives and phrasing in key and meter.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 11 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Improvisation—Pitch Sets & Mood

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds improvisation skills using pitch sets and rhythm to create mood-based melodies with steady beat and expression.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 10 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Key & Finger Pattern Fluency

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds key-reading fluency through scales and finger patterns, helping students play common string keys with steady tempo.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 9 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Early Performance Check

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds steady tempo, intonation, unified bowing, and rehearsal etiquette through a focused ensemble performance check.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Feedback Loops—Record, Listen, Improve

Grade 6 orchestra unit uses recordings and feedback to set goals and improve tone, intonation, rhythm accuracy, and ensemble unity.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Dynamics & Phrasing

Grade 6 orchestra unit develops expressive playing through dynamics, phrasing, and articulation—linking bow speed/weight, tempo feel, and tone color to interpretation and musical character.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Bowing Unity & Tone Color

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds unified bowing, tone color, and ensemble blend by matching bow direction, placement, and speed for expressive sound.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Counting & Ensemble Timing

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds internal pulse and counting skills, helping students achieve clean entrances, exits, and ensemble timing while recognizing simple AB/ABA form.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Reading Upgrade—Rhythms & Slurs

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds rhythm-reading and slur skills by practicing eighth-note patterns, simple ties/dots, and legato bowing in standard notation with steady metronome tempo, helping students transfer clapping and counting into accurate, together playing.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Intonation Foundations

Grade 6 orchestra unit builds intonation through drones, slow scales, and finger placement routines, helping students hear, adjust, and play more in tune.

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Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Technique Reset—Posture & Bow Hold

Grade 6 orchestra unit strengthens posture, bow hold, and left-hand shape to improve tone, intonation, and sound control through focused routines.

Grade 6 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Orchestra Routines & Growth Goals

Grade 6 orchestra students build strong rehearsal routines, section roles, and goal-setting habits to grow as independent string players—practicing etiquette, conductor cues, and self-reflection that supports confident ensemble participation all year.

Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 7 Orchestra): End-of-Year Performance & Reflection

Grade 7 orchestra students perform end-of-year repertoire with accuracy, expressive intent, and professional etiquette while reflecting on growth, musical identity, and section leadership goals.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Final Performance Prep

Grade 7 orchestra refines concert repertoire with recordings, rubrics, goal tracking, and focused rehearsal strategies to perform accurately, unify bowings, and play expressively.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Purposeful Performance Choices

Grade 7 orchestra unit connects bowing, dynamics, and tempo to musical meaning, audience impact, and student identity through performance choices.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Evaluate Ensemble Growth

Grade 7 orchestra unit uses rubrics and recordings to evaluate ensemble progress, set clear goals, and guide focused rehearsal improvement.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Expressive Performance

Grade 7 orchestra unit builds expressive performance skills—accurate pitch/rhythm, characteristic tone, unified bowing, phrasing, dynamics, and style—ending in a polished in-class performance.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Independent Sectional Skills

Grade 7 orchestra unit teaches looping, bow isolation, and metronome practice so students fix tough passages independently and strengthen section unity.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Technique & Endurance Boost

Grade 7 orchestra unit builds bow control, left-hand accuracy, and endurance using feedback and recordings to strengthen technique and stamina.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Sight-Reading Growth

Grade 7 orchestra sight-reading unit builds steady tempo, preview routines, and rehearsal strategies to boost accuracy and confidence.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Expressive Improvisation

Grade 7 orchestra improv unit builds expression using pitch sets, rhythm, and bowing to create style-based musical phrases.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Ensemble Performance

Refine Grade 7 orchestra performance skills with a 5-day unit focused on accurate pitch/rhythm, characteristic tone, unified bowing, expressive intent, and strong rehearsal etiquette and section leadership.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Storytelling Through Strings

Compose and perform original Grade 7 string music that tells a personal story using dynamics, articulation, phrasing, and contour to express narrative meaning.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Style Choices from Context

Perform a Grade 7 orchestra piece using context-informed style—tempo, dynamics, bowing, phrasing, and tone color—to match cultural roots and justify expressive choices.