Creative/Productive: Students Compose and Create Their Own Sound and Rhythm Compositions

Creative/Productive: students compose and create their own sound and rhythm compositions, boomwhaker compositions and textures sound compositions to visual art using found instruments, traditional instruments and their own voices and body percussion.

Critical/Responsive: students respond verbally, musically and in written form to a variety of songs presented to them. Listening quiz as well as listening for specific elements within songs for each lesson.

Cultural/Historical: Students learn how the elements of music are manipulated within a cultural context to produce a desired effect. Students exposed to a variety of music types from different cultures and time periods.

Lesson 1

Distribute Elements of Music handouts to students (appendix a) and self evaluation rubric (found on wikispace website. Print off for students)

Definition: Rhythm can be broken down into four parts; beat, tempo, patterns of duration and metre.

A. Beat: is the constant rhythm or heartbeat of music.

ACTIVITY: Introduce 4 claps or beats on djembe in a constant beat, evenly spaced. (1-2-3-4) . Play a song example. Have students clap the steady beat. ♫ - Native Drum: ♫ - Are you Gonna Go my Way – Lenny Kravitz ♫ - Its Like That – Run DMC

Optional: Show native drum video from www.nativedrums.ca

B. Tempo: refers to the speed of the beat, fast or slow. ACTIVITY: Introduce the metronome and take the four claps or 4 drum beats and speed it up or slow it down according to metronome setting. What do you notice? Fast tempo ♫ - Mary Mac by Great Big Sea Slow tempo ♫ - Cry Me a River – Nina Simone

Ask: How do we know how fast the composer wants us to play or sing the piece of music? Answer: they either state a number to be used on the metronome or they use the following Italian words.

a) Largo – very slow b) Andante- walking speed c) Allegro- quick and lively d) Vivace – very fast e) Ritardando- gradually getting slower f) Accelerando- gradually getting faster

** use drum and clapping to illustrate ritardando and accelerando

Listen to the following songs and decide if the song is largo, andante, allegro or vivace.

♫ - Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin Daddies – (allegro) ♫ - Another Song – Justin Timberlake (largo) ♫ - Merengue Mix – various (vivace) ♫ -Try – Sweatshop Union (andante)

C. Patterns of Duration – long and short notes that must fit within the beat. Sometimes we change the pattern by holding some notes longer and some notes shorter or using silence.

♫ - We will Rock You – Queen (short, short, long) ♫ - Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (long, short, short, long, short, short, long, short, short, lo-o-o-ng)

ACTIVITY: one student keeps the basic beat while the teacher improvises long/short rhythm patterns to the beat. Students then try their own syncopated rhythms while the teacher or metronome keeps the beat.

D. Metre – the grouping of these beats into patterns that repeat. Accent (stress) the first beat of each pattern.

2/4 – ♫ - The Way I Are - Timberland ¾ - ♫ - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – The Beatles 4/4(most common in western culture) – ♫ - Jesus Walks by Kanye West,

♫ No Heaven - . Activity: Have students walk on the 1st, 2nd and 4th beats.

Some cultures have other rhythm patterns like:

♫ ♫

Activity: Students clap out rhythms in sequences.

Rhythm clapping – give each group a rhythm to clap from your head or from a photocopied rhythm card. Layer together with drum beat.

Optional: break into small groups and each group present a four part rhythm based on cards or have students make their own rhythm patterns and cards.

Assessment/Evaluation: -self participation rubric -group rhythm presentation – can students clap a rhythm to a steady beat? Lesson 2

Definition: Describes the highness or lowness of sounds (demonstrate with voice or piano the same note at a different pitch.) Different pitches create different feelings based on tonal pattern (major/minor chords) (do, ra, me, fa, so, la, ti, do)

A. Pitch Direction: Pitch direction moves up, down or stays the same (show over head and examples of sheet music for basic song (♫ _Fur Elise by Beethoven_)

B. Melody: Is a musical sentence or phrase. It combines pitch and direction. ♫ So What by Pink ACTIVITIES:

 Voice wave – pick a pitch. Sing “la”. Conductor signals voices to go higher or lower (not louder and softer) or to stay the same.

 Heartbeat Monitor – Students listen to two songs. With a pencil or coloured marker, mark pitch direction as listen to song

♫ - Healer’s Melody – Native Flute Ensemble ♫ - Lady Be Good – Ella Fitzgerald

Do the two pictures look similar or different? Why or why not?   Boomwhakers – pitch and pitch direction. Colours, pitch  ROYGBIV – colours of rainbow can give us clue about pitch  Have students decide what order they should go in.  Play do, ra, me, fa, so, la, ti, do with boomwhakers  Try a song together.(cards or song piece from book)  Have students make own song and notate using colours.

Lesson #3

Timbre

Brainstorming: In groups, have students use markers and large sheets of paper to brainstorm as many musical instruments they can think of.

DEFINITION: Timbre (pronounced tam-ber) describes the quality of sound. (eg. Demonstrate saying name vocally, nasal, operatic, muffled, all at same pitch.Band students could bring instruments and demonstrate different timbres of the same note.) Use djembe to show that one instrument can make different sounds….therefore changing the timbre of that instrument.

♫play variety of music. Can they identify the sounds? What instruments? (World Groove, Planet Drum, Rhythm Band Jam, Simply the Best Classical Anthems, Creepy, Crawly, Calypso)

Types of Instruments: Use the list the students generated. Introduce the different categories of instruments. After learning each definition, have students place instruments in those categories. Any that belong in two?

Membranophone: any instrument with a stretched surface or membrane that is usually struck. Eg. Drums, bongos, congas

Airophone: any instrument that needs air to produce sound. Eg. Flute, recorder, trumpet*, clarinet*

Chordophone: any stringed instrument that is plucked or chorded. Eg. Guitar, harp

Vibraphone: any instrument that uses vibration to produce sound. Eg. Xylophone, trumpet*, clarinet*, voice.

Electrophone – any instrument that uses electricity to produce sound. Eg. Electric guitar, piano….

Idiophone – any instrument that is self contained and is usually shaken to produce sound. Eg. Maracas, tambourine…

Take instruments from list and categorize on sheet provided. Add any new ones they can think of.

View instruments (pictures or real ones) and categorize as well.) Lesson #4

DEFINITION: Texture is the combination and layering of sounds (voices, instruments, notes, etc.) in music. It can be “thick” or “thin” (eg, like bed sheets)

Thin Texture: ♫ Say by John Mayer, B lackbird by Sarah McLaughlin Medium Texture: ♫ Wind Spirit by Bill Miller, Sadeness by Enigma Thick Texture: ♫ Dies Ares – From Simply the Best Classical Album Vol.1, Sing, Sing, Sing - Swingkids soundtrack Eg. Thin to thick texture: ♫ “Yundah/Sealwoman by Mary McLaughlin, The Last Emperor by David Byrne, Uninvited by Alanis Morisette, Lightning Crashes by Live

Activity: Play a chord on the piano. Play each note individually then build a “chord”. (Eg. C, E, G) Try matching pitches with voices.

A. Harmony – occurs when two or more instruments or voices are heard at the same time. ♫ Hoja “Game of Love” Activity: Try singing chords on keyboard. Bring in melody bells to hit at same time.

B. Canon – is when all voices or instruments perform the same melody at different times

C. Round – Is a repetitive canon (a canon that repeats) ♫ Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Activity: Can you Dig that Crazy Gibberish (see handout and overhead)

D. Ostinato – is a short, melodic or rhythmic pattern that is repeated over and over to form an accompaniment.

♫ Bolero by Ravel. (put up hand each time here the ostinato) Activity: “Obstinato” by Konnie Saliba Lesson #5

Definition: Dynamics describe the louds and softs of music. It also influences the effect or mood being communicated. When we talk about effect and mood we use adjectives to describe the feelings represented in the music. Eg. Powerful, sad, mournful, excited, etc. f = forte (loud) *say the following words as the dynamic m = mezzo (medium) p = piano (soft) crescendo = gradually getting louder (<) decrescendo = gradually getting softer (>)

Activity: make signs with these symbols on it. Give each student an instrument to play. Hold up different signs and have them follow the instruction!

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Listening Activity: Listen to the following song (♫_Faint by Linkin Park _) and answer these 3 questions. NAME: ______

1. Circle 5 words that come to your mind when listening to this piece of music. happy sad scary depressing mysterious

tragic exciting heartbreaking fearful joyous

energetic calming crazy powerful inspiring

______

2. What is the mood, theme or subject you associate with this music? What do you see in your mind as you listen?

3. Where do might you hear this song being played? (work, church, commercial, elevator….) What does this song remind you of? Listening Activity: Give students the lyrics to a song (♫Lightning Crashes by Live ) While listening, have them add the dynamics as they hear them.

Have students make their own “piano” and “forte” signs. Listen to a song with contrasting dynamics and have them raise their sign as they hear each dynamic change. (♫______)

Name: ______

Lightning Crashes lyrics by Live

Lightning crashes, a new mother cries her placenta falls to the floor the angel opens her eyes the confusion sets in before the doctor can even close the door

Lightning crashes, an old mother dies her intentions fall to the floor the angel closes her eyes the confusion that was hers belongs now, to the baby down the hall oh now feel it comin' back again like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind forces pullin' from the center of the earth again I can feel it.

Lightning crashes, a new mother cries this moment she's been waiting for the angel opens her eyes pale blue colored iris, presents the circle and puts the glory out to hide, hide Listening Quiz Name: ______Dynamics: 1. What is one word that you would use to describe the feel of this song? ______2. As the song plays, write down the dynamic each time there is a noticeable change.

______

Rhythm: 1. What is the tempo of this song? FAST or SLOW?

2. Circle which word best describes the tempo. Largo, andante, allegro, vivace

Pitch: 1. Which picture best describes the pitch direction of this song? a) b)

2. Is there more harmony or more just a melody in this song. Circle the correct word.

Timbre: 1. What instruments do you hear in this song? Name at least 3. ______

Texture: 1.Does this song have thick texture, thin texture or both? How do you know?

2. Is this song a canon or does it have an ostinato? ______

Your Words:

1. What image do you see in your mind when you hear this song?

2. What does it remind you of?

3. Where would you hear this song?

4. Do you like this song? YES or NO. Give ONE reason why or why not. Listening Quiz name: ANSWER KEY

Dynamics: 3. What is one word that you would use to describe the feel of this song? ____ENERGETIC______4. As the song plays, write down the dynamic each time there is a noticeable change. m p f m p f p f m p f < f

Rhythm: 3. What is the tempo of this song? FAST or SLOW?

4. Circle which word best describes the tempo. Largo, andante, allegro, vivace

Pitch: 2. Which picture best describes the pitch direction of this song? a) (the pitch direction that goes up and done rapidly but not very high or low) b)

2. Is there more harmony or more just a melody in this song. Circle the correct word. Timbre: 3. What instruments do you hear in this song? Name at least 3. trumpet, violin, cello, drums, cymbals…

Texture: 1.Does this song have thick texture, thin texture or both? How do you know? Sometimes there are lots of instruments playing (thick) but sometimes just one or two instruments are playing (thin)

4. Is this song a canon or does it have an ostinato? _phrase repeats many times throughout song.

Your Words:

5. What image do you see in your mind when you hear this song? Any personal answer is fine as long as they answer it in a clear way!

6. What does it remind you of?

7. Where would you hear this song?

8. Do you like this song? YES or NO. Give ONE reason why or why not. Must answer yes or no. they must give a reason for full marks either way. Elements of Music

Name: Class:

Rhythm

Definition:

A. Beat

B. Tempo

C. Patterns of Duration (Time Signature)

D) Metre

Definition: A. Pitch Direction:

B. Melody:

Timbre

Definition:

Types of Instruments:

A. Membranophone D. Vibraphone

B. Airophone E. Electrophone

C. Chordophone F. Idiophone

Texture

Definition:

A. Harmony –

B. Canon –

C. Round – D. Ostinato –

Dynamics

Definition:

A. Forte D. Crescendo

B. Mezzo E. Decrescendo

C. Piano