Unit Plan 18 (Grade 7 Orchestra): Share Your Composition
Grade 7 orchestra students perform a final original composition, demonstrating accurate pitch, rhythm, tone, and ensemble awareness while explaining how tempo, dynamics, bowing, and phrasing communicate expressive intent in a Composition Showcase.
Focus: Perform a final original musical creation and explain how tempo, dynamics, bowing, and phrasing communicate expressive intent to an audience while demonstrating accurate pitch, rhythm, tone, and ensemble awareness.
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: Orchestra (Composition Sharing • Performance • Reflection)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, Grade 7 orchestra students bring their creative work to the stage. Each student (or small group) prepares a short original composition or melody developed in earlier units, then refines it for performance using clear decisions about tempo, dynamics, bowing, and phrasing. Students also rehearse to meet ensemble expectations for accurate pitch, steady rhythm, characteristic tone, and expressive style. The week culminates in a Composition Showcase, where students perform their piece and briefly explain how their musical choices communicate a specific mood, story, or idea.
Essential Questions
- How can choices in tempo, dynamics, bowing, and phrasing change the way an audience understands our music?
- What does it mean to perform both accurately and expressively as a string player?
- How can we prepare and refine our own compositions so they are clear, playable, and expressive in performance?
- How do we talk about our music in a way that helps listeners connect to our expressive intent?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Select or finalize an original composition/melody and clarify its expressive intent (mood, character, story, or image).
- Make and notate specific choices for tempo, dynamics, bowing, and phrasing that support this expressive intent.
- Rehearse their composition (solo or small ensemble) to demonstrate accurate pitch, steady rhythm, characteristic tone, and developing stylistic understanding.
- Present their composition in a live performance setting, using appropriate posture, stage presence, and performance etiquette.
- Explain in a short program note or verbal statement how their musical choices communicate their intended expression to an audience.
Standards Alignment — Grade 7 Orchestra (custom, NAfME-style)
- OR:Cr3.7b — Present a final musical creation and explain how musical choices (tempo, dynamics, bowing, phrasing) communicate expressive intent to an audience.
- Example: Students perform their composition and explain how accents and crescendos created excitement.
- OR:Pr6.7a — Perform orchestra music with accurate pitch, rhythm, characteristic tone, unified bowing, and expressive intent, showing developing stylistic understanding.
- Example: Students perform a two- or three-part arrangement with steady tempo and dynamic contrast.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can choose a clear mood or story for my composition and describe it in one or two sentences.
- I can show and label tempo, dynamics, bowing, and phrasing in my music.
- I can perform my piece with mostly accurate notes and rhythms and a steady tempo.
- I can use a characteristic tone and expressive playing that matches my musical idea.
- I can explain to an audience how my musical choices help communicate what I wanted them to feel or imagine.