Collaborative Composition: Speech Pieces from Start to Finish FMEA 2013 Matt McCoy, presenter

“SING A SONG OF SUBWAYS”

SUGGESTED TEACHING PROCESS • Teach the poem by rote, a visual, or a combination of the two • Add a coda by patsching the indicated rhythm (“running”) • Introduce the first ostinato and perform with poem; repeat with the second ostinato; give the opportunity for each student to experience each part • Divide the classroom space into three areas (i.e., the subway train, the ticket taker booth, and platform for waiting); assign the appropriate part of the music to each area • Students begin the piece in their “favorite” area (equal numbers are not necessary) • Layer the entrances in one by one, ending with the text (this could lead into a discussion about balance and dynamics) • At the conclusion of the coda, students “run” to a new area and perform the appropriate part of the music • Repeat so that all students have the opportunity to perform each part • If time allows, develop a performance plan (e.g., cumulative? dramatic?)

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5”

4 / 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ One, two, three, four, five, once I caught a fish a - live.

/ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Six, sev - en, eight, nine, ten, then I let it go a - gain.

SUGGESTED PROCESS: • Teach the poem by rote • Students add the pulse to the poem; teacher encourages students to perform with expression • Teacher leads class in brainstorming activity to determine what kind of fish might have been caught • Utilizing student ideas, teacher creates a rhythmic ostinato; teacher leads students to discover how many beats it takes before you repeat the ostinato again (work into a pattern of 4 beats) • Perform in ABA form: A- Poem, B-the ostinato • Working in small groups, ask the class to compose additional ostinati based on other fish names; all ostinati should be 4 beats in duration; however, if students

create a pattern that extends into 8 beats, the teacher may lead students to discover the differing lengths of ostinati • Teacher provides opportunities to practice in ABA form; all the ostinati are performed simultaneously as the B section • Students perform again and teacher leads students to discover how many repetitions of each ostinato is necessary for the B section • Perform as a Rondo • Teacher and students explore the possibility of using one or more ostinati as accompaniment to the poem; teacher leads discussion as to what worked and what didn’t • Share as a rondo

EXAMPLES OF BEAT BOXES FOR OSTINATO COMPOSITION

Sockeye Salmon

Ha – li - but

King ------crab

Shark Great white

COMPLEMENTARY AND PARALLEL OSTINATI

A complementary ostinato is one that balances out the rhythmic activity of a main text, a melody, and other accompaniment patterns. It can be thought of as a musical accompaniment that “fits” with the main text or melody in such a way as to reinforce the pulse/meter or carry the rhythmic motion forward “across the barline.” In contrast, an ostinato that is parallel is one that simultaneously imitates rhythmic values of a main text, melody, or other accompaniment patterns. Parallel rhythms most times muddy the sound, obscuring the text or melody or, in some cases, create “stopping points” in the flow of the piece.

When used as an accompaniment, as ostinato should be complementary to what it is accompanying (i.e. the rhythm of the text or melody). When more than one ostinato is used, all ostinati should be complementary to main text/melody and to each other. A good rule of thumb is to try to avoid having two or more beats/note values sounding parallel at anytime in a piece (see examples below). This will allow the main text or melody to be clearly distinguished from the accompaniment. In pieces that use more than one ostinato for accompaniment, it can be helpful to vary the length of ostinati (e.g., ostinato #1 is 4 beats in length, ostinato #2 is 8 beats in length). It is also advisable to hear arrangements performed, as the ear will sometimes catch parallel sounding accompaniments that fool the eye.

Examples of complimentary rhythms Œ Œ °/ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙

œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¢ / Examples of parallel rhythms

° œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙ /

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ ¢ /

Creating a Speech Piece from Start to Finish: A Model Approach

Choose a poem or rhyme you are interested in setting and one that is appropriate for use with your students. It is wise to consider the age of the student and the artistic quality of the text for inclusion in lessons.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep And doesn’t know where to find them; Leave them alone and they’ll come home, Wagging their tails behind them.

Find the accents and circle; add barlines prior to each accent.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep

And doesn’t know where to find them;

Leave them alone and they’ll come home,

Wagging their tails behind them.

Notate the rhythm and check work by speaking what you have written (Does it sound natural?).

Analyze the text for places where the rhythm is less active (e.g., places where there are longer note values or rests; see circled areas below).

Create a rhythm that complements the rhythms in the identified areas. Often this will carry the rhythmic energy across the barline and into the next measure. Complete the arrangement by repeating the rhythm as an ostinato. Check for parallel rhythms. Add text. Check for the correct placement of accents in the text of the ostinato.

To add a second rhythmic accompaniment, analyze the first ostinato for places where the rhythm is less active. Create a rhythm that is complementary to the previously composed ostinato AND one that would also be complementary to the main text. Check for parallel rhythms in all parts. A good rule of thumb is there should be no more than two beats that are parallel in any of the parts. Add text to the rhythmic ostinati. Check again for correct accents in the text of the ostinato.