Unit Plan 6 (Grade 8 Vocal Music): Blend & Balance
8th grade choir unit focused on blend and balance as students adjust tone and volume, refine intonation, and use rehearsal strategies to unify ensemble sound.
Focus: Adjust tone and volume to achieve strong ensemble blend and balance, using rehearsal strategies that refine intonation, part relationships, and overall choral sound.
Grade Level: 8
Subject Area: Vocal Music (Choir • Ensemble Skills • Musicianship)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students concentrate on sounding like one unified choir rather than many separate singers. They explore what it means to match tone, align vowels, and shape dynamics so that melodies and harmonies are clearly balanced. Through focused listening, section work, and whole-ensemble rehearsal strategies, students learn how to adjust their own singing in real time to improve blend, balance, and intonation. The week ends with a short “Blend & Balance Clinic” demonstration and reflection.
Essential Questions
- What does good blend sound like in a choir, and how is it different from everyone singing “their own way”?
- How do I adjust my tone, vowels, and volume so my part fits into the ensemble instead of sticking out?
- How can rehearsal strategies help us improve intonation, blend, balance, and overall ensemble precision?
- How do we decide which parts should be foreground (primary) and which should be background (supporting) in a given passage?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe and demonstrate characteristics of blended choral tone (matched vowels, similar resonance, aligned diction).
- Adjust individual volume and tone color to achieve better section blend and part balance within the ensemble.
- Apply specific rehearsal strategies (e.g., “inside voices” listening, section-only runs, staggered entries, swapping seats, focus on melody vs. harmony) to improve intonation, blend, and balance.
- Identify passages where the melody should be more prominent and adjust dynamics so the melody is clearly heard.
- Use listening and feedback (self, peer, conductor) to refine ensemble sound over repeated rehearsals.
- Participate in a short Blend & Balance Clinic performance and reflection that shows growth in ensemble sound and strategy use.
Standards Alignment — Grade 8 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)
- VM:Pr5.8a — Apply rehearsal strategies to improve ensemble intonation, blend, balance, rhythmic precision, and part independence.
- Example: Students rehearse entrances and cutoffs, then adjust balance so melody is heard.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can match my tone and vowels so that my section sounds more unified.
- I can adjust my volume when I am too loud or too soft compared to my section or the melody.
- I can use at least two rehearsal strategies (like “inside ears,” switching seats, or melody/harmony balance practice) to improve our choir’s sound.
- I can explain which part should be heard more in a passage and how we adjusted to make that happen.
- I can describe one thing I changed about my singing that improved blend & balance this week.