Listening Revolution

3rd – 6th THE LISTENING Grades REVOLUTION TECHNOLOGY, MUSIC AND YOU Lesson 2 – Melody and Rhythm in Opera and Jazz Objective Using Rossini’s Overture to William Tell students will understand the role of melody in the musical form of opera. They will learn to recognize and sing a G pentatonic scale and identify melodic and rhythmic patterns in a melody. Through the use of Glenn Miller’s Pennsylvania 6- 5000 big band piece, students will understand the central role of rhythm in the musical form of jazz. Suggested Materials • Recording of Rossini’s Overture to William Tell (audio links can be found at youtube.com/user/BfloPhilharmonic) • Recording of Glenn Miller’s Pennsylvania 6-5000 (audio links can be found at youtube.com/user/BfloPhilharmonic) • Melody and Rhythm Worksheet (provided) New York State Arts Standards 1 – Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts 3 – Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art 4 – Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the Arts Common Core Learning Standards for ELA & Literacy Reading, CCR 1, 5, 7 and 9 Writing, CCR 2 Speaking & Listening, CCR 1 and 2 Language, CCR 4 and 6 Procedure 1) Introduction: In the beginning of the Age of Radio, two musical forms in particular were showcased through this technology: opera and jazz. The radio became a way to share opera with a wider audience – operas were often too expensive for many people to attend. Jazz was gaining in prominence at this time too, and radio helped make this newer musical form more available to people outside of the jazz clubs which increased its widespread popularity. 2) Opera and Melody: Opera features singers who act out a story through their singing, so it makes sense that melody is incredibly important in opera music. Even sections of music without singing have beautiful melodies played by instruments. Play the middle section of the William Tell Overture for students (starting with the English horn solo, found about 5 minutes into the piece and ending before the “Lone Ranger” trumpet section). Lesson 2 – Melody and Rhythm in Opera and Jazz (continued) a. Melodies are made of patterns: After listening to this section of the overture, hand out the Melody and Rhythm Worksheet to all students and ask them to look at the musical example for melody. This is the melody that they just heard the English horn play. It uses a The very opening of an opera is G pentatonic scale, which is a scale using 5 notes (scale degrees 1,2,3,5, and 6). Ask called the overture, students to sing the scale with you a couple of times. Tell students that they will be look- which is played by the orchestra ing for patterns in this pentatonic melody and remind them that a pattern is something that alone. The overture repeats more than once. includes many of the melodies that are b. Lead students in singing the melody together a couple of times, to help internalize it. found in the rest of c. Using the G pentatonic scale as a reference (there is a “key” at the top of the worksheet), the opera. ask students to write the correct scale number under each note of the melody. When they have completed this, ask if they see any patterns that repeat? They can circle these patterns in the numbers. Do any of the patterns repeat more than once? d. Melodies can also have patterns in the note lengths. Sing or chant the rhythm of this melody for students using the simple words: LONG – short, short, short, short, short, LONG – short, short, short, short, short, LONG – etc. Or you may use rhythmic syllables such as TA – ti, ti, ti, ti, ti, TA – ti, ti, ti, ti, ti, TA – etc. Ask students to sing it with you. Do they hear any patterns that repeat in these note lengths? Ask students to draw a line under the long notes and a dot under the short notes on their worksheet. Then, they can circle any repeat- ing patterns that they see in their lines and dots. Are any of these patterns the same as the pentatonic scale degree patterns? Jazz music was first Jazz and Rhythm: created in the southern 3) We will explore rhythm through one of Glenn Miller’s United States, blending pieces, Pennsylvania 6-5000. The title of this piece was actually a phone number in New European musical York City. Play a recording of this piece for students and ask them to listen for the rhythm influences with African- American musical section. (See box at left for definition of rhythm section.) elements. It became a. Rhythms are made of patterns: Ask students to look at the two rhythmic chants on the known as one of the first truly American genres second page of their worksheet. As they have just heard, these two chants happen of music. Rhythm is throughout the piece. Ask students to clap the rhythm of the first chant together with you a incredibly important in jazz music. Jazz couple of times. ensembles usually b. Break the class into two groups. Ask the first group to pat a steady beat on their lap and include a “rhythm section” that includes keep that going. Meanwhile, ask the students in the second group to clap the rhythm with a drum set or other you from the first chant. percussion, a bass player and a piano c. Now ask all of the students to vocalize the rhythm using rhythmic syllables that are comfort- player who keep a able for your class, such as “du de du de du du du de.” Switch your two class groups and driving rhythm going have the second group pat the steady beat while the first group vocalizes the rhythm. throughout each piece. Musical groups called “big bands” became especially popular during the Age of Radio and one of the most famous big bands was the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Lesson 2 – Melody and Rhythm in Opera and Jazz (continued) d. Repeat this process with the second chant. e. Finally, add in the words to each chant. You may play the recording once more and ask students to say the chants with the recording. They will be participating in this chant at the BPO concert with the orchestra, so this is a good time to practice! f. While listening, ask students if they notice any other patterns (rhythmic or melodic) that they notice in this piece of music. They can write down their observations at the bottom of their worksheet and share with the class. Optional Lesson Extension Students may create their own movement patterns for either of the chants and perform them for the class. Name Lesson 2 – Melody and Rhythm in Opera and Jazz Worksheet- Page 1 Scale: 1 2 5 1 3 5 1 2 5 1 3 5 1 3 6 5 5 3 2 5 Rhythm: ––––– . ––––– . ––––– . ––––– Scale: Rhythm: Scale: Rhythm: Lesson 2 – Melody and Rhythm in Opera and Jazz Worksheet- Page 2 Observations: .

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