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In My Dream - An Online Lesson Plan Resource


In My Dream
A Celebration of African-American Music

The U.S. Army Field Band has compiled a series of lesson plans to accompany In My Dream: A Celebration of African-American Music.

Photo of recording session for "In My Dream"

Written by band members who have teaching experience at all levels from elementary to college, these lessons use selections from the recording as a departure point for multi-cultural and interdisciplinary classroom activities. Relevant musical and graphic examples are included within each lesson, which can be viewed in HTML or downloaded as a PDF for ease of printing. At the end of each lesson is a list of standards specific to the concepts addressed in that lesson. These standards are taken from the National Standards for Arts Education.*

It is the wish of The U.S. Army Field Band that educators in a variety of settings will find these lessons to be valuable tools in enhancing their curricula.



Elementary Lessons

Middle School Lessons

High School Lessons

College Lessons

Simple Structures

Know the Business!
Pop Music and Marketing

Adding It Up:
Textures and Layering

Stylistic Aspects of Spiritual Singing

Making Progress:
From Chords to Melody

Ostinato and Jazz Instrumentation

Jazz Forms and Improvisation




* From National Standards for Arts Education. Copyright © 1994 by Music Educators National Conference (MENC). Used by permission. The complete National Arts Standards and additional materials relating to the Standards are available from MENC -- The National Association for Music Education, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191