Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Intonation & Finger Pattern Accuracy

Grade 7 orchestra unit improves intonation using drones, finger patterns, and rehearsal strategies to boost accuracy and ensemble unity.

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Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Technique Refinement

Grade 7 orchestra technique unit strengthens posture, instrument setup, bow hold, and left-hand shape through daily drills, self-check tools, and short repertoire applications to build steadier tone, better endurance, and more reliable intonation.

Grade 7 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Orchestra Culture & Leadership

Grade 7 orchestra unit builds positive ensemble culture through etiquette, section roles, and goal-setting, linking student identity to leadership and musical growth.

Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 8 Orchestra): End-of-Year Performance & Reflection

Grade 8 orchestra capstone performance builds musicianship, leadership, and reflection skills while preparing students for high school ensemble success.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Final Performance Prep

Grade 8 orchestra final-prep unit sharpens concert repertoire using recordings, rubrics, and targeted rehearsal plans to deliver a polished, expressive performance.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Justifying Musical Choices

Grade 8 orchestra unit explores interpretation choices, linking tone, bowing, and expression to personal voice through performance and justification.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Evaluate Ensemble Growth

Grade 8 orchestra unit builds evaluation skills using rubrics and recordings to analyze ensemble growth, set goals, and refine tone, rhythm, and expression.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Expressive Performance

Grade 8 orchestra unit strengthens expressive ensemble performance through refined intonation, unified bowing, balanced blend, and intentional dynamics/phrasing, ending with a polished performance and reflection.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Section Leadership & Coaching

Grade 8 orchestra unit builds student section leaders through coaching tone, bow unity, entrances, and rehearsal strategy for stronger ensemble culture.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Technique & Endurance Peak

Grade 8 orchestra unit builds stamina, bow control, and left-hand accuracy using recordings and feedback to refine consistency and endurance.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Sight-Reading & Adaptability

Grade 8 orchestra unit builds confident sight-reading with steady tempo, accurate rhythm, independent entrances, and advanced rehearsal strategies for new music.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Expressive Improvisation in Style

Grade 8 orchestra unit develops expressive improvisation using scales, phrasing, dynamics, and style-appropriate bowing to shape intentional musical ideas.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Ensemble Performance

Grade 8 orchestra unit builds performance-ready ensemble skills through challenging repertoire, focusing on refined tone, accurate intonation and rhythm, unified bowing, balance/blend, and professional rehearsal leadership with a culminating performance and reflection.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Storytelling Composition Project

Grade 8 orchestra unit guides students to compose and perform narrative string pieces using contour, dynamics, and tone color with justified expressive choices.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Authentic Style Performance

Grade 8 orchestra unit builds authentic style performance by linking context to tempo, bowing, phrasing, dynamics, and tone for expressive interpretation.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 24 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Music in Cultural/Historical Context

Explore cultural and historical context in Grade 8 orchestra by linking a piece’s time, place, and purpose to performance practice—tempo, bowing, articulation, tone color, and style—for more authentic interpretation.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 23 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Growth, Identity & Leadership

Grade 8 orchestra students reflect on identity, goals, and leadership, connecting personal interests to musical growth and ensemble contributions through a clear action plan.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 22 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Performance Critique with Evidence

Grade 8 orchestra students evaluate performances using tone, intonation, rhythm, bow unity, balance, expression, and style, citing musical evidence to justify critiques.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 21 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Compare Interpretations

Compare multiple recordings of the same string excerpt as Grade 8 orchestra students analyze tempo, phrasing, bowing/articulation, tone, and ensemble unity to justify which interpretation best matches the intended style.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 20 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Instrument Roles & Texture

Explore string orchestra texture by identifying instrument roles (melody, bass, harmony, countermelody) and how tone color, bowing, and string choice shape character and meaning.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 19 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Form, Tension & Release

Analyze orchestra music by mapping form and tension, showing how dynamics, texture, register, and harmony create contrast, unity, and expressive meaning.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 18 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Present Original Work

Perform Grade 8 student-composed orchestra works with accurate pitch/rhythm, refined tone, unified bowing, and a clear composer statement explaining tempo, dynamics, phrasing, and tone color.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 17 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Student-Led Rehearsal Strategies

Grade 8 orchestra students lead sectionals using metronome looping, tuning, bowing isolation and recordings to boost unity, tone and intonation each day!

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 16 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Interpretation Lab—Style Decisions

Grade 8 orchestra unit where students compare and perform contrasting interpretations using dynamics, phrasing, bowing, and tone color.

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Grade 8 Orchestra Units

Unit Plan 15 (Grade 8 Orchestra): Revision Studio—Feasible for Ensemble

Grade 8 orchestra students revise their original compositions using clear criteria—intonation, playability, bow control, expressive clarity, and ensemble feasibility—documenting “before-and-after” changes in a revision portfolio that makes their music more performable and expressive.