|
Civil War letter to Ella Melendy
Civil War letter to Ella Melendy
Civil War letter to Ella Melendy
Civil War letter to Ella Melendy
Flute
Piccolo
Keyed Bugle
|
Summary and Objective
Students will understand that Civil War bands provided an important service for soldiers. They will accomplish this through gaining an understanding of the function of regimental and brigade bands during the Civil War, the soldiers who played in the bands, the types of instruments they played, and the types of music they performed, by examining photographs of Civil War era instruments, reading excerpts of letters written by band members, listening to recordings of Civil War era military band music, and performing band arrangements of selected music representative of the Civil War era.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Pre-Activity - Students will have the opportunity to listen to selected recordings of Civil War band music that may include marches, quicksteps, patriotic airs, polkas, waltzes, schottisches, gallops, sentimental ballads, and operatic airs.
Step 2.
Students will examine the period instruments attached to this lesson and learn about the types of instruments available to the enlisted Civil War musicians as well as the instrumentation of their bands. *See additional websites for more detailed information relating to these instruments. In small groups, students will compare and contrast those instruments to the ones used by contemporary military band musicians.
Step 3.
Students will read excerpts from selected articles pertaining to the varied roles of regimental and/or brigade band members: recruitment rallies, parades, formations, dress parades, evening concerts, marching into battle, and assisting surgeons to care for wounded soldiers. Students will discuss the roles that most appeal to them and what they might like or dislike about the type of life led by the band members. As a wrap-up activity, each student will share his or her views relating to what they felt was the most important function of the regimental bands.
Step 4.
Through reading the letters that Civil War band musician, John Emory Fuller,wrote to his fiancee, Ella Melendy, students will gain insights into the life and expectations of regimental band members. These letters are attached to this lesson. Students will discuss the importance of these letters and anything that may have surprised them about the life of regimental band members. The excerpts, listed chronologically, are as follows: Civil War Letters to Ella Melendy - February 13, 1862 - page 3 only; May 8, 1862 - entire letter; February 13, 1865 - pages 3&4; June 29, 1865 - page 1 only.
Step 5.
Post-Activity - Students will have opportunities to rehearse and perform arrangements of concert and brass band Civil War era music during succeeding classes.
|
