A Book of IdeasMusic Theory and Educational Practice

Special Topics: Music Analysis in Practice (A & HM 5199)

Spring 2013

Dear Classmates,

This volume contains your creative and analytic thinking about music, teaching, and

learning over the spring semester, 2013. As many of you mentioned in your final

reflections, the varying timbres of individual contributions shaped our experiences in

class. Through this collection of your ideas manifest in lesson plans and compositions

you now have a way to revisit the class content through your ever-evolving lenses of

music teaching and learning.

Thanks to each of you for your enthusiasm and creativity, for your questions and

suggestions, and for your generosity with one another. Enjoy this collection and use it to

inspire your work with students as you continue to thrive as artist, teacher, and learner.

Prof. Custodero

June, 2013

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Ode to 5199 (to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”)From Professor Custodero

We’ve analyzed, we’ve played some songs,We’ve listened for some “rights” and wrongs”Decided what a π-day lesson looks like …We’ve read some books, we’ve written tooActivities for me and youAnd once upon a time sang Hallelujah!Hallelujah …

A Mingus tune, we took a chanceWe launched a star -- our “M.C. Pants”!Played Shostakovitch in our own arrangementEmbodiment and metaphorAlways wanting to do more And now we’re closing class with Hallelujah!Hallelujah …

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Repetition & Change 4

Timbre 15

Beat, Meter 20

Rhythm, Silence, Tempo 43

Harmony & Tonality 68

Melody & Text[ure] 84

Phrase & Counterpoint 100

Themes & Motifs 130

Form 159

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REPETITION &

CHANGE

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Repetition and Change, TimbrePants Dance

Brook Martinez (aka MC Pants)

Designed for: Age 3-7

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Pants Dance contains the repetition of a steady beat and a repetitive form as well as changing verses that occur within the repetitive form. In a way, this could be perceived as emulating a typical school day for the audience age range. Often the “form” and “rhythm” of the school day will remain the same (morning meeting, lessons, lunch, recess, nap etc.) and the change occurs within this form as far as lessons plans and even what’s for lunch. Both Pants Dance and a typical school day provide the students with the security of repetition of form and rhythm as well as the stimulation, excitement, and challenge of change within that form. The music associated with each changing verse contains a different timbre, giving each verse it’s own recognizable timbre. This might be compared to the “timbre” of different school subjects within the school day’s lessons (math, art, social studies, etc.). This music also relates to the student’s everyday life in that it’s electronic beat and tones are similar to the kinds of music kids have already been exposed to.

Defining Questions:

“What repeats; what changes; what stays the same?”“What sounds do you hear? When you do hear them?”“How is the music organized?”

Related Vocabulary:

Rap, Rhyme, Electronic Drum Beat, Instruments, Voice, Layering, Call and Response, Electronic Drum Beat, Rock Guitar, Rock Drums, Violins (strings), Piano, bongos, Agogo bells, Brazilian afoxe drumming, funk keyboard, funk drums, funk bass

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Pants Dance allows the listener to experience the steady repetition of form and beat as a centering point of the song along side the changing instructions for which part of their body to move. Each changing dance has it’s own particular music assigned to it, each with a different timbre. The student will create an association with the timbre of sound with the particular dance move. Finally, at the end of the song, all of these timbres are layered simultaneously, corresponding with each dance move happening at the same time.

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Demonstrate: Students will listen carefully to each rhyme and move the corresponding body part to the music. The student is not instructed on how to dance and this allows the student to be creative in coming up with his or her own dance moves.

Musical Resource: Pants Dance by Brook Martinez (recording and score attached)

Procedure: The primary procedure is to play the songs for the kids and have the kids dance along, with or without the teacher’s participation. To expand your lesson beyond the song, see “Teacher Extension Ideas” below for more ideas.

Extensions:

Student Extensions: Because the song is recorded, students could easily take the song home with him and play it for themselves, their peers or their parents. I would hope they would be inspired to make up their own rhymes and moves in addition to MC Pants’ rhymes.

Teacher Extension Ideas:

1. Have kids make up their own rhymes and dances. They can pick a body part or piece of their clothing and the teacher helps form it into a rap (or they do it themselves preferably!)

2. After performing along side the recording, have the kids sit in a circle and listen to the song without dancing. Have them listen to each dance interlude music portion and try and name the instruments, or what family the instrument is a part of (percussion, strings, drums etc). Demonstrate live instruments if possible. These ideas explore the Timbre Construct.

3. Ask the kids how many dance moves are in the song. Have them list the dance moves. Perhaps create graphic representations of each one on the board. Ask the kids how the music worked, did we learn every dance move in the beginning and then try them all at once at the end? The response might be something like:

Kids: No, we heard the dance move in the rhyme and then made it up right after each rhyme, one by one.

Teacher: So the rapper “called” out the dance, and you “responded” by doing the dance. So you’re really part of the song! In music, this is called “call and response.” We did that call and response five times and then what did we do? Did we repeat all the dances one at a time again?

Kids: No! We did them all at the same time!

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Teacher: This is called “layering,” like a layer cake. Tasty! What part of the music did not stop the entire song (play again if necessary)?

Kids: (hopefully) the drum beat!

This conversation explores repetition and change in the song as well as form.

Possible interdisciplinary extensions:

History/social studies: This song could lead to a discussion on rap music, it’s origins and social context. English/Writing (for older students): Come up with new rhymes for the song and write them down.

*See Appendix file for chart and mp3.

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Phrase, Repetition and ChangeFollow the Leader

Dan Fagen

Designed for: Instrumental Music Students of Any Age and Ability

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: This would depend on the target age group of the students, which I have intentionally left open-ended. However, the instructor could make the connection of certain routines that are repeated and varied in everyday life, and why they are necessary in order to be successful.

Defining Question(s): Why is it that so much music consists of repetition of phrases? What effect does this have on the listener? When we change a phrase, do we change it completely, or only vary it slightly? What is the result of each?

Related Vocabulary: Phrase; Rhythm; Repetition; Variation; Call and Response; Improvisation.

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will experience what it is like to improvise, and what it is like to use aural cues rather than notational cues to produce music.Demonstrate: Students will demonstrate understanding through active participation on their primary instruments during this activity.

Materials and Resources: Band Instruments

Procedures: The difficulty level of the following exercise can be adjusted according to student age and ability level. The activity will hopefully help the students to understand how repetition and change function within music while actively engaging them in improvisation and rhythmic ear training.

1. Begin by asking for a volunteer to help demonstrate the activity. 2. Select one concert pitch that is to be used throughout the entire exercise. 3. Explain to another band member that they are going to improvise a rhythm that

is four beats in length, and only uses the one predetermined concert pitch. 4. After they play this 4 beat long improvisation, it is the volunteer’s task to repeat

this “phrase” or “motive” on their own instrument immediately. 5. This first example should not be too difficult for the student to play successfully.6. Following this demonstration (and performing it several times if necessary), ask

for pairs of volunteers to come up and perform the same exercise in front of the

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rest of the band, with each pair switching roles between “improviser” and “repeater”.

7. For the second part of this exercise, the improviser’s job will stay the same, but now instead of having a “repeater”, the second person will serve as a “changer” whose job it will be to provide some sort of variation or change of the rhythm that the improviser plays to them.

8. A discussion will follow in which the students try to talk through the process that they used to decide how they were going to change the rhythm that they were presented with.

Extensions: This exercise can lead to a broad variety of discussion topics. One option would be to use this as a jumping off point to discuss classical composition techniques, and how repetition and change appears constantly as a theme in these genres, providing musical listening examples and discussing how, when used properly, repetition and change serves to make the music quite interesting to listen to. This exercise can also lead as a preliminary stepping stone on the road to teaching students how to improvise and compose. I am a believer that by initially limiting the students in what they are allowed to play (in this case, only one pitch), it will assist them in finding their own voice, as these limitations should slowly illuminate what they want to play outside of these confines.

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Minimalism in Life

Minimalism

Philip Glass: Metamorphosis 1

Vivian Tian

Designed for: General class, ninth graders, ages 14-15, varied experiences (private instrumental lessons, after school orchestras). Half of the students do not speak English as their primary language.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: There’s lots of minimal music happening in the commercials you watch everyday.

Defining Question(s): What is Minimal music?

Related Vocabulary: Motif, consonance, repetition

Pedagogical Goals: Understand the concept of minimal music, the use in real life situations (commercial, background music, soundtracks, etc.).

Materials and Resources: Carly Comando: EverydayNBA commercial: Youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evApapdysp0 Philip Glass: Metamorphosis 1 (see appendix file for score)Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il4VDf-uPgI Some keyboards

Procedures:1. Introduce Carly Comando’s Everyday, the use – NBA commercial. 2. Teacher guided discussion of the commercial and the music, no words, no movements, slide show like, background music. 3. Introduce Philip Glass’ Metamorphosis, play the video clip and/or playing piano. 4. Students centered, teacher guided whole class discussion, analyze music’s phrasing, form, and some particular motives. 5. Students conducted open discussion, comparison of two pieces.

Extensions: Group the students in peers, sign a keyboard, encourage them to explore and create their “minimal music”, using the elements just learned. Connections with other subjects, like visual art.

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Repetition and ChangeThe Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens

Hannah Kim

Designed for: 20 1st graders, age 6-7 in general music classroom.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Every parent endures those precious toddler and pre-school moments when the only thing her son wants to watch is Finding Nemo. Or the only story her daughter wants for bedtime is Little Red Riding Hood. As adults, we are constantly looking for new stimulation while children get all they need doing the opposite.

Each day of a young child’s life, he or she learns something new. However, for the child, “new” is the unknown and that can be scary. They enjoy following storylines when they know what is coming next. A sense of comfort comes with the predictability of repetition. They gain confidence in knowing what to expect. It is the feeling that they have “mastered” something and quite often they will want to share it with you, which comes in the form of “Mommy! Mommy! Watch! There he goes! Nemo swimming!Research has proven children learn best through repetition, as it establishes neural connections. For example, brain pathways that lead to emotional development are strengthened through healthy, loving day-to-day contact with parents. Their brains are wired for this. It is how the neural passageways in their brains become highways for learning. Children thrive on the repetition of patterns, sounds and experiences.The most important thing is to encourage your child’s repetitive behavior and move on to something new when they are ready. Give them the opportunity to indulge in their current interests and their neurological development.

Theoretical Construct

Defining Question Domain Mapping Vocabulary

PRIMARY Form “How is this music

organized”Embodiment-Gesture/Visual

Solo, EnsemblesRepeat (Pattern), Change

SECONDARYTimbre “What instruments do

I hear?”Embodiment-Imitation (pretend play)And Gesture

Saxophone, Guitar

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Beat “How does the music move me?”

Embodiment-continuity

Keeping the beat,Free beats

Literacy “What is this song about?”

Storytelling Mbube (Stop), Zimba (Lion)

Pedagogical Goals: As this particular song has some parts that two sections come together at the same time.

Children can get familiar with idea about solo and ensemble. Also from this activity, student can feel the Form (repetition and change) and Timbre naturally through their body movements.

Materials and Resources: Please see the score and literacy below.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Weeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-behWeeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-beh

A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh

In the jungle, the mighty jungleThe lion sleeps tonightIn the jungle the quiet jungleThe lion sleeps tonight

Weeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-beh Weeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-beh +

(A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh)(A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh)

Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight.Near the village, the quiet village,

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the lion sleeps tonight.

Weeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-behWeeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-beh +

(A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh) +(A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh)

(Instrumental)

Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonightHush, my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight

Weeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-behWeeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-beh +

(A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh) +(A- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh, a- EEM-boo-beh)

Weeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-behWeeheeheehee dee heeheeheehee weeoh a EEM-boo-beh

LiteracyThere was a brave boy lived in Zulu, Africa, named Solomon Linda.One night, he and his friend went up to the top of the mountain to see the stars.However, they met a wild lion there. Linda acted calmly and said to the lion. “Mbube, Zimba”, which means, “Lion, stop”.In Zulu, “Zimba means lion and Mbube (EEM-boo-beh) means stop.” And surprisingly, the lion turned back and went away from them. From then on, Linda started to hum this word everyday and adding some notes. And that became a song called “the Lion sleeps tonight”.Procedures: -Stand in circle and listen to the song

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-Show gestures (Teacher Guided) and encourage student’s participation while listening (Student - Initiated)

-Ask “what did you hear?”, “What did you see?”, “How did we do?” (Assessment Points) Standing in circle foster strong classroom bonding. Making eye contacts with each child may diminish their nerves of being in unfamiliar space/person. Music also can provide comfort environment. Teacher needs to show different gestures for each section of the song (there are three sections in this song, which are indicated as A, B and C on the score). Children can explore about musical form (repetition and change) from their physical movements.By imitating instrumental playing, children can also explore about Timbre as well. Each vocabulary needs to be explained clearly. Tell them about the story about this song.After sharing about the song and vocabularies, -Children can be divided into 3 groups, and move with their gesture whenever they hear their section. Extensions After students get more familiar with the song, they can choose one of the sections from the song and make their own movements and perform together as groups (three groups) or individual (three children). For older age groups, every student can become “Solomon Linda” and compose their own “Mbube- Zimba” song. They can pick two words or sounds (Their own Mbube and Zimba) they like and add some pitches share about stories beyond their own songs. For the international classroom setting, students are encourage to write using their mother language and explain meaning to the classroom to create supportive multi-cultural environment.

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TIMBRE

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Timbre“This is Berk” From the How To Train Your Dragon Soundtrack by John Powell

Serena Robinett

Designed for: younger (elementary or middle school) students in a general music class

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Timbre could be explained to little kids as high and low: big dogs bark lower while little dogs bark higher, similar to tuba and flute, respectively

Defining Question(s): “How do I describe the sounds I hear?” “What instruments do I hear?” “How much sound and how many instruments do I hear?”

Related VocabularyBrass, horns, strings, violin, woodwinds, flute, oboe, percussion, drums, voice, orchestra, solo,

Pedagogical Goals:Experience: Identify timbre of instruments and texture based on sounds and musical excerpts.Demonstrate: Aurally and visually demonstrate timbre and texture.

Materials and Resources: Recording (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWr0hSKLcXY)

Procedures:1. Introduce context as texture in high and low; for instance, puppies barking2. Introduce timbre by instrument3. Ask them to listen to an instrument and mimic it on the first listening4. Discuss texture, asking students to show with their hands how many instruments they hear at a given time. 5. Have students play on found instruments with different textures.

ExtensionsTeachers may extend this work into other areas as well like phrasing or even themes and motifs. The drums are featured greatly on this score, so beat and meter might be

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useful. Discussion might arise on how film and music relate. The animation aspect could bring in a moment of art making- creating imaginary dragons or Vikings. Since the film is about Vikings, a historical discussion might be interesting.

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TimbreAdam Nadler

Designed For: Grades 1-4 General Music

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Perhaps making a connection to baseball. Why is it that different aluminum bats sound different from each other? Why do different air conditions sound different?

Defining Questions: What is timbre? How can different timbres be achieved on the same instrument?

Related Vocabulary: Tone Color, rhythm

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will try playing the bongos in different ways creating

different tone colors.Demonstrate: Students will create their own “themes” using varied tempos and

share them with the class. They will also be part of a giant class ensemble.

Materials and Resources: Bongos, or other types of percussive instruments available in the classroom.Procedures:

1. Teacher will pass around djembe. Students will be asked to make a sound on it2. Most students will, at first, hit the top of as hard as possible.3. Usually, another student will realize that they can scrape the top as well,

creating a completing a different sound. Perhaps another students will flick the side of it. The possibilities are endless

4. A quick class discussion will then take place on timbre. Basically, each time a student plays the djembe differently, they are creating a new timbre.

5. Students will grab their own percussive instrument to use.6. Students will be asked to create their own repeatable theme. Perhaps, they

can think of a summer memory and try to re-create that memory through sound.

7. Students will each take turns performing their rhythms for the class. (Teacher will secretly get an idea of what each student is playing and which students’ rhythms will work well together)

8. Class ensemble will now take place. The teacher will play the role as conductor non verbally pointing to certain students to play their melodies together. Teacher can play around with adding students and possibly asking them to stop. Teacher should try to have at least one moment when all are playing at once.

9. Teacher should record this performance and play it back for the class for evaluation and discussion.

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Extensions: When students are getting really good at this concept, teacher conductor can play around with things like tempo and possibly dynamics. Try to get the whole class to slow down together or perhaps do a crescendo and decrescendo. Another extension can be having student conductors stand in front of the class.

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BEAT, METER

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Beat and tempoExperiencing beat and tempo through the song “The ants go marching”

Valerie Ong

Designed for: Classroom of 1st graders (ages 6-7). About 15 children in class.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Using marching as a way to experience beat and tempo, children will learn the importance of uniformity, and awareness of others. Marching as a group takes them out of their solo endeavors and will force them to pay close attention to the pace of their peers.

Defining Question(s): How can a song about marching and numbers teach children about uniformity and tempo?

Related Vocabulary: Beat, tempo, marching, gestures, ants, counting, numbers

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Singing along to the song “The ants go marching”, students will march in unison, using unified gestures for words. The goal is to maintain a unison march while the teacher speeds up and slows down. Demonstrate: Students will have to march faster or slower in unison according to the tempo as well as to count forwards and backwards.

Materials and Resources: Picture storybook of “Ants go Marching”, picture of ants, picture of soldiers, recording of “Johnny comes marching home”, keyboard or piano.http://www.theteachersguide.com/kidsongs/antsgomarching.htm, http://www.amazon.com/The-Ants-Marching-Mary-Luders/dp/0694014478, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3k8H_9SjoM,

Procedures: . Ask students what they know about marching . Ask one student to demonstrate a march and then get a few others to join. Highlight that marching is usually not done alone and they need to do it in unison.. Make sure that all 3 or 4 students are marching in unison. Point out the uniformity of their feet to the rest of the class.. Play recording of “Johnny comes marching home” and give brief history of civil war and how families wanted their soldiers to come marching home.. Show picture of a colony of ants and ask children whether the uniformity of the ants’ travel reminds them of soldiers.. Read and sing along to picture storybook of “Ants go marching”.. Tell children we are going to learn a song involving ants and marching.

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. Teacher will stand up, begin marching and singing each verse of the song “Ants go marching” before the children repeat after her.. Teacher and children will jointly decide on body actions for recurring words such as “hurrah hurrah”, “Boom, boom, boom”.. Children and teacher will run through actions a few times while continuing to march.. Point out that fourth line of each verse changes. A solo ant will have to do a solo action such as “bending down to pick up sticks”. Tell them we are going to play a game.. Have children stand in a big circle and allocate ants number 1-10. Instruct that when each ant is called, the ant will have to march into the middle of the circle as well as embody the actions for the fourth line (whatever way he or she likes). The following ant will then join the previous ant and they will form a huge marching line.. Make sure that students are marching in unison. Begin with a slower and steady beat.. Around the 5th or 6th ant, announce that you are going to speed up and slow down the tempo at random intervals. (Teacher is accompanying on the piano). Their goal is to speed up and slow down marching in unison.. After playing around with tempos, a lesson in counting will be introduced.. Now that 10 ants are marching in a line, tell the children that they will be counting backwards from 10 ants to 1.. Begin this exercise very slowly. Sing the phrases from last to beginning very clearly and highlight the number of ants remaining. Make sure one ant goes back into the circle as the number decreases. . Debrief by asking what the students have learned about marching and counting. Ask whether they can march better in unison and whether they can count backwards more easily.

ExtensionsThis exercise in marching and counting gives children more structure and awareness in their usually free-form classroom. They will learn that fun is possible when you are learning to cooperate and work with other peers. Marching in unison forces them to pay attention to their peers and not go at their own speed. These lessons may give them more awareness of others and influence civilized behavior in group tasks. The lesson in counting will also allow them to memorize ascending and descending numbers more easily. They can always associate the preceding number with the changing fourth line of each verse. The fourth line in each verse allows children to make up whatever gesture he or she desires depending on the phrase also allows room for creativity and improvisation within structure. The interdisciplinary nature of marching, memorizing gestures and counting numbers all at the same time will train a child’s ability to multi-task and well as to stay constantly alert and focused.

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Rhythm and Meter (Construct)Do You Know What Time It Is?

Ira Jenkins

Designed for: Intermediate Band, Grades 7 or 8…students with at least two years of band experience

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: One of my goals as a teacher is to help students develop skills needed to work well with others. Another goal of mine is to teach independence and responsibility to the team. Many adults work in situations where they have a part to play on a team. In my middle school band room is where I want to begin (or continue) honing those skills of independence and responsibility to the team. This lesson will help students in learning how important it is for them to focus and carry their part in order for the team to be successful.

Defining Question(s): What should you listen to and for when reading and performing mixed meter?

Related Vocabulary: Meter, time signature, tempo

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Creating/composing rhythm passages in mixed meter.Demonstrate: Students will perform their rhythmic compositions and critique the rhythmic compositions of their peers.

Materials and Resources: Individual musical instrument, staff paper, rhythm sheets

Procedures: (This lesson works best when students have studied compound and simple meters.)

Warm Up: 1. With metronome plugged into the classroom speakers and set on a

duple beat, teacher will play four counts of a very simple rhythm.2. The students will play back the rhythmic passage they heard.3. The teacher will stay on the same pitch but do measures of simple and

measures of compound meters.4. The teacher will ask for student volunteers to continue leading the

warm up exercise.5. A selected student will continue in simple meter. 6. A different student volunteer will continue in compound meter.

Activity #1:

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1. The teacher will instruct the students to write/compose as series of eight measures of 4/4 and then eight measure of 6/8 time OR eight measures of 6/8 time and then eight measures of 4/4 time.

2. The students will exchange papers with their neighbors to make sure the correct number of beats happen in each measure.

3. The students will offer suggestions and corrections to their peers.

Activity #2:1. The teacher will ask students to pair off.2. The students are to perform by clapping or tapping (or anything that

does not involve pitch) each other’s 16-bar compositions. Each member will play their part while their partner plays their own part. Then they will switch parts.

3. The teacher will walk around and observe the pairs to offer support and advice.

Activity #31. The teacher will instruct the pairs to now pair with another pair to

make groups of four students.2. Each group will perform the grand composition (each member playing

their own composition).3. The teacher will instruct the students to note how the process is

working as well as what they are noticing about simultaneously performing these different compositions with the different meters.

Activity #4The teacher will lead a discussion and ask the groups to perform their combined composition and discuss with the class things that were difficult, easy, interesting, musical, and artistic about their composition and the assignment of writing and performing with the group.

Assessment PointsAssessment could be one or more of the following.

1. Questioning the students as each group does their open discussion.

2. Collecting the written compositions.3. Recording each group for use in other classes with a similar

assignment.

ExtensionsThis lesson will allow students to become more comfortable with mixed meter. The students will also gain confidence as independent musicians. The group work aspect of the lesson will enhance the students’ ability to work collaboratively in group setting.

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From an interdisciplinary prospective, this lesson enforces mathematical skills. In the area of science (and math), students improve their problem solving and test taking skills. This lesson teaches students how to build a project (i.e. taking in small pieces/chunks which will lead to a final larger product).

In future lessons, the teacher will be able to use the performance skills in this lesson, which will make rehearsing music easier. The students will also have a better understanding and feel of mixed meter. The students will also improve their composition skills. The teacher could also create numerous individual or group projects from this lesson since students will have a better rhythm and meter.

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Beat and MeterPercepticals

Brook Martinez

Designed for: High School/College Jazz Ensemble.

Construct Connection to Meaning and Process: Percepticals was composed to challenge the audience’s and performer’s perception of what is the “felt pulse.” By “felt pulse,” I mean the beat you would tap your foot to when listening to the song. Through various techniques such as metric modulation, subdivisional alterations, and ambiguous compound meters, Percepticals brings both the listener and the performer on a mind-bending journey that takes them to unexpected rhythmic landscapes. We hear how the same exact melody can sound relatively different when heard over a different rhythmic context. The title is a made-up word to stand for the different perceptions (or percepticals) we are able to hear and feel as the (sometimes ambiguous) “felt pulse.”

Defining Questions:“Where is the pulse? Where would you tap your foot?”“How can we subdivide the pulse? How does the song subdivide the pulse?”“How can we change tempo in a song without completely abandoning the previous tempo?”

Related Vocabulary:Beat, Pulse, Subdivision, “Felt Pulse,” meter, metric modulation, duplet, triplet, polyrhythm, 3 over 2, 4 over 3, “four funny frogs”, “pass the golden butter”

Score & Recording - attached: closed form score, open form score, graphic representation of subdivisions occurring in Percepticals.

Extensions:

Student Extensions:

This would be a great song for aspiring jazz students to practice at home or with peers. They could incorporate the teacher extensions exercises below to better grasp the metric modulation and polyrhythmic concepts. They could make it their own by writing their own composition based around these concepts, or mastering the concepts by trying to use these techniques within jazz standards.

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Teacher Extensions:

Start by playing recording of Percepticals (closed form edition). Ask students what they heard rhythmically. Did it change tempo? How was the tempo of the slower section related to the previous faster section?Listen again with the score and ask same questions.On blackboard, draw a big “beat” with lots of space inside of it. (two vertical lines on either end of the blackboard).Ask students how many ways we can divide this beat? 2? 3? 4? 5? Infinity?Have everyone stand up and march in place to a slow pulse. With there hands, they will clap the subdivisions I write on the board. First one subdivision (eighth notes) which we put a line down the middle, creating two beat-spaces, like this:| | |then two lines like this (for triplets): | | | | then three lines like this (for 16ths):| | | | | Then we could practice going from one to the next and variations of different orders. Depending on level, we could try 5s and 7s. Then divide the board horizontally into two beats, one on top of the other. Divide the top beat with one subdivision and the bottom with two. Like this:| | || | | |Have the kids march to a steady beat, half the class claps the top, half the bottom.Explain that this is a 2:3 polyrhythm. Teach “four funny frogs” as memory aid for 3:2 (feeling the triplet as the main pulse). Have them try and do it on their laps with the right hand on the eighth notes and the left on the triplets and reversed. Come up with memory aid for the 2:3 (feeling the eighth note as the main pulse). Do the same with 4:3. Use “Pass the golden butter” as memory aid for when triplet is the “felt” pulse. Come up with memory aid for when quadruplet is the “felt” pulse.Next draw on the blackboard the graphic diagram included with Percepticals. Outline how metric modulation works by grouping eighth notes in different ways.Listen to Percepticals again and have the kids clap along with bass drum part during section D, trying to make transition into Section E.

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Then divide the class up in half and have half of the kids clap the dotted quarter and the other half clap the bass drum polyrhythm along with the recording and then without the recording.Also, listen to and explain how to get to double time Afro-Cuban feel at the end of the song. Have the kids clap the transition from eighth notes to triplets at Section H.Practice going from Section C to D to E. Have all students do the drumming part. Practice transitioning into double time Afro-Cuban beat.If and when achieved, attempt attached Percepticals (open form edition) chart. Have either student or teacher conduct/cue.

Interdisciplinary Extensions:

This is definitely a math lesson waiting to happen! To combine this with a math teacher would surely help the students understand these concepts better. Also, the math teacher might engage their own students further by incorporating musical applications into their lessons plan. Ratios and fractions would be particularly good subjects to relate to this.

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METERMeter in Three for a Three-Part Tune

Elisabeth McPeak

Designed for: General Music Classroom, Grades 2-4

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: “Have you ever been to a parade or seen a soldier march? What does it look like? What does it feel like?”

Possibly show a clip with people dancing to a waltz. “What do the people in this video look like? How do they move? Is it different than marching in a parade?”

Defining Question(s): How do you move to the music?

Related Vocabulary: meter, meter in 3

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Movement/Listening – Students will move to the music and feel meter in 3Demonstrate: Performance – Students will sing the parts to the song and play the parts on instruments

Materials and Resources: Instruments (recorder or xylophones), Manx Lullaby (Isle of Man)

Procedures: 1. As students enter the room, music will be played alternating between duple and triple meter. Students will be instructed to move the way the music makes them feel- Alternating patterns in duple and triple meter should be very clear with a strong feel (possibly play recordings or on the piano pieces such as marches and waltzes)2. Ask the students to describe what the music sounded like and how they moved to the music3. Move as a class to meter in two and three (ask for student contributions)4. Introduce the Manx Lullaby5. Play the Manx Lullaby on instruments and ask the students to listen to the song and describe after listening what they see or feel when they hear the music- Use student contributions to create a story (about a bird, which is what the song is about)6. Briefly mention how the song is in triple meter7. Show the music on the board – students will learn the harmony part first8. Teach the lyrics to the harmony part9. Have students sing the lyrics while the teacher plays the melody

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10. After students sing the lyrics, learn the harmony line on instruments and accompany the melody

Extensions

- Vary performance experience: Students can sing while others play instruments. This tune works well on recorder and xylophone and any combination can be used.- Add counter melody – play as a three-part tune

- Introduction to songs in different modes with different tonalities – this tune is written in d mixolydian

- Include an improvisational section in the tune

- Segue into different distribution of rhythm

Manx LullabyIsle of Man

Arranged by Diane Ladendecker

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Steady Beat/ Repeating MotiveThe Viennese Clock

Judy Lewis

Designed for: Kindergarten

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Discussion of clocks – how they work; what they help us with,

Defining Question(s): How does organization of beat into meter help our sense of steady movement in music? How do we recognize return to familiar musical material?

Related Vocabulary: beat; meter; motive

Pedagogical Goals: Focused listening Kinesthetically sensing steady beat and meterRecognizing a repeating motiveFun

Materials and Resources: The Viennese Clock by Zoltan KodalyPhotos of clocks

Procedures: Discussion – How do clocks help us? Discussion - How do clocks move? How do they sound when they move? (Ask

children to demonstrate). How do clocks help us? Show pictures of clocks. Discuss steady pulse (“beat”) in music which is ‘like a clock’. Explain that the

musical piece, ‘The Viennese Clock’ is about a clock. Play section ‘A’ of piece (call it the “clock melody”) and have children move in a

repeating pattern of 4 movements emphasizing first and third beats: e.g. knee bend – standing – up on toes – standing.

Learn to sing the “clock” motive (section ‘A’) according to lyrics created by the teacher at an appropriate level for children

Discuss - other ways could we move to this music? Investigate other ideas for symmetrical movement patterns by children.

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Play the entire piece. Children are instructed to stand in place and “move like a clock” in sections ‘A’ while singing the “clock” lyrics. During other sections they are to march freely around the room with a steady beat.

Discuss how the “Clock melody” goes away and comes back (repeating motive). Ask students for other examples of things that go away and come back.

Assessment:Child can keep a steady beat with pattern of 4 movementsChild recognizes recurring motive

Extensions:Teacher may bring in other pieces to use with ‘steady beat’ activities in a variety of meters.Children can be asked to bring in (or talk about) other things that keep a steady pulse.

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Rhythm and BeatDance of the sugarplum fairy by Tchaikovsky

Hannah Kim

Designed for: 10 1st graders, age 6-7 in general music classroom.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Rhythm is everywhere. In the heartbeats of our chest, in the language we speak, in the footsteps of our stride, in the bump-bump of cars over uneven asphalt. Everyday we listen to the city pulse. I remember my experience at the airport. I went to collect my suitcase from the baggage claim. As the belt on the carousel came to life, so did the beat: a series of clack-clacks keeping steady beat. And every once in a while the carousel would throw in a stray accent, but those, too, seemed to be in time. I don’t know what makes the moving rubber plates sound like they do. I just know it makes their pedestrian task a bit more interesting!

Defining Question(s):

Theoretical Construct

Defining Question Domain Mapping Vocabulary

PRIMARYBeat “How does the music

move me?”Embodiment-Continuity

Steady/Free Beat

Rhythm “Which note (word) sounds longer, shorter or same?”

Embodiment-Gesture

Rest- Silence

SECONDARYTimbre “What instrument do I

hear?”Embodiment-Imitation (pretend play)

Strings, Celesta

Form “How is music organized?”

Embodiment- GestureVisual- See figure 1&2

Literacy “What is this music about?”

Storytelling Ballet, The Nutcracker

Pedagogical Goals: This short, festive piece is not only a chance for students to keep the steady beat, it is also an excellent review of feeling ABA form. Students are encouraged to improvise a "glittering snowflake dance" with their hands during the B section.

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Materials and Resources: Visual map (Score using figure 1 and 2) and the nutcracker book

Procedures: Sit in circle and listen to the music together. Show figure 1 and 2, and point on exact shape as the music plays (Teacher

Guided) Ask students which one was in steady beat and which one was not (Assessment

Points) Let few student come up in front and try pointing on steady beat and free beat

with music(Student- Initiated)

Stand in circle and keep the beat with our feet (walk in circle) while music plays When the music plays free beat section, first let students express themselves

(they can move around) – (Student- Initiated) Choose one student who volunteers for showing his/her ‘free beat motion’

(Student- Initiated) Ask student to stand in the middle of the circle and play the music again Go over same procedure for the steady beat section When the music plays free beat section, teacher and other student will imitate

the motion of volunteered student shows (Student- Initiate)

ExtensionsTeacher can extend this activity to the future project. Single class or few classes

can learn movements through different pieces from the nutcracker suite and perform at the end of the school year.

Figure 1: Section A (Steady beat)

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Figure 2: Section B (Free beat)

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Meter and Rhythm1, 2, 3, 4………….5,6,7

Dan Fagen

Designed for: High School Music Students

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Walking is something that we do every day, and is such a natural movement for us that we don’t even think about how we are doing it while we are in the process. Left, Right, Left, Right, One, Two, One, Two. But what would it feel like if one day we awoke with a third leg? The simple addition of one appendage would completely change the way we perceived and experienced a once-simple endeavor. The same can be applied to meter and rhythm in music. By taking a familiar tune, and performing it in a new meter, one is forced to reimagine everything they originally heard and thought about this tune.

Defining Question(s): What do different meters look and sound like? How can a change in rhythm and meter affect the way that we perceive an existing piece of music.

Related Vocabulary: Beat; Subdivision; Upbeat; Downbeat; Syncopation; Simple; Compound; Duple; Triple.

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will experience the process of musical transformation that is achieved by applying different meter and rhythmic schemes to pieces that they enjoy.Demonstrate: Students will demonstrate understanding via a performance and presentation to their peers.

Materials and Resources: Instruments for student performances. Audio equipment and desired recordings (suggested recordings are “Love

Walked In” as recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, and “Love Walked In” as recorded by Wayne Escoferry)

Procedures: 1. Begin this lesson by playing on a stereo “Love Walked In” by George and Ira

Gershwin, as performed by Ella Fitzgerald. This recording of the tune is in the form of a slow, lilting ballad in 4/4 time.

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2. Indicate to the students that they should tap either their hands or feet along with the music to see if they have any difficulty finding the beat (in this recording it should not be very difficult for them).

3. After one listening of the song, briefly discuss the fundamental components of beat and meter. Try to keep the discussion brief, and emphasize the difference between duple and triple meters as well as the difference between simple and compound meters.

4. Emphasize that in order to determine the meter of a piece, one must be able to feel the beat or “pulse” of the piece, since this is what inherently defines the meter.

5. After this brief discussion, and being confident that the students have a good handle on the concept of meter, play for them the recording of “Love Walked In” as played by tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery. This recording is different from the Ella Fitzgerald version in two distinct ways: it is much faster than the first, and it is played in a fast 7 (either 7/8 or 7/4).

6. After this listening, ask the students to identify the differences between the two recordings, illustrating how two seemingly simple ideas (tempo and meter) can profoundly change the way a piece of music can be perceived.

7. Break the class into small groups of 4-5 students and ask each group to decide on a piece that they enjoy performing, regardless of genre.

8. Ask them to reimagine this piece in a different meter and tempo, to rehearse it, and then to perform it for the class at a later date after they have had sufficient time to work on it.

9. Each group should also be prepared to give a brief presentation on what their creative process looked like, and how they decided upon the meter that they chose. This can serve as a weeks-long or even semester-long project.

Extensions: The hope is that this process of applying rhythmic and metric changes to a piece that they already know well will inform the students’ level of creativity and sensitivity to these sorts of details as they apply to their composition and performance endeavors in their own musical lives. I think that it is easy for us all to fall into a pattern of thinking where the only way to provide interesting variety in music is pitch-related, when in fact this is not the case at all. Hopefully the students will be able to use the experience gained in this activity to diversify and flavor all of their desired musical pursuits.

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(Phrasing/Form/Meter)Journey of the Phrase

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Whether it’s speaking in public, writing a story, playing a jazz solo, or convincing a would-be boss that you’re right for the job, storytelling is an essential element in our daily interactions. Any good story builds, has a climax, and a denouement.

Defining Question(s): How is the meter related to the phrase? What does my phrase say?

Related Vocabulary: irregular accent beat period penultimate building/rising falling/denouement climax

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will experience how a smooth even phrase can occur over a seemingly disjointed, irregularly-patterned piece of music.

Demonstrate: Students will perform and listen to each other perform irregularly metered music with phrasing. They will perform longer and longer sections of the music with a steady rising and falling phrase.

Materials and Resources: Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed (Alfred Publishing) specifically the “Hoy, Nazam Eem” section

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ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student- Initiated (SI)

o (TG) Teacher conducts as band performs 69 – 186o (TG) Teacher asks guided questions about the meter

How are the beats grouped? Where are the accents? How are the beats divided?

o (SI) Students define ‘irregular’ meter Meter that is not symmetrical, in this case, almost the entirety of

this section

o (SI) Students listen as they play to find the “Hoy, Nazan Eem” Melody or variation of it

Students will find either a 5 measure or 10 measure phrase in every part of the band (noted in score)

o (TG) Teachers models different phrasing, both playing and by showing an arc with the arm as student volunteers show the phrasing

o (SI) Students pair off by section, then play the music for their partners while the partner shows them the arc of the phrase being created

First, a 2 measure phrase, then 4 and then a 5 measure phraseo (TG)Director groups sections together, so that each group of students

can play the entire 10-measure periodo (TG) students volunteer different types of phrasing, similar to the last

exercise Each phrase must have a climax, or goal, whether 5 measure, or

10 measure Sound must crescendo to the climax The penultimate note before the climax is usually the strongest

note The denouement begins immediately after the climax

Assessment Points (occurring throughout):o Answer specific questionso Listen to individualso Students arch each other’s phrases

Closure:o Perform the “Hoy Nazan Eem” section of Armenian Dances

Record Performance Listen to performance and show phrase archs with arms, assess

our performance individually

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ExtensionsStudents must have a goal, they must have the climax in mind before performing

music or speaking in public.This is a perfect complement to a course on public speaking or unit on

storytelling.

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RHYTHM, SILENCE,TEMPO

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Rhythmic PatternsCara Bernard

Designed for: General Music, 4th grade, 25 students

Materials: Rhythm cards—4-beat motives including dotted quarter/eighth rhythm, taped to boardMelodic cards—staff notation, with one phrase of “Johnson Boys” per card (melody only)Repertoire: “Coffee” (F=do)“Johnson Boys” sol pentatone, (F=do)“Little Liza Jane” (F=do)“Head and Shoulders” sol pentatone (F=do)

Pedagogical goals: Students will:

Practice : Read, tap and speak known and new motives using Derive and read known song from rhythmic motives Tap rhythm within known song

Practice sol-pentatone: Derive known solfa Arrange melodic patterns to identify “mystery song” from known Solfa

Sing song with solfa and hand signs Prepare 3 meter: Sing known song in 3

Pat beat—with emphasis on stronger beat 1—in known song

Essential questions: *How does static (ostinato) or moving rhythm move the piece forward? How does a repeating rhythm organize a theme, motive or phrase? How do we feel the beat within the rhythmic grouping? *How does the organization of meter create a hierarchy of beat? What are the roles of each beat in a meter/measure? What beat(s) are emphasized? *How does the melodic contour of the piece help us know the key?

Vocabulary: Tom-ti (dotted quarter/eighth) 3-meterTheme/motive/phrase sol-pentatoneStrong and weak melodic contour

Procedure

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T.=teacher S.=student

Greeting:Echo: T. sings 3-meter sol-pentatone patterns with body percussion as background. S. echo voice.COFFEE. Students sing and keep beat on lap.S. and T. keep a beat together. (Lap—shoulder—shoulder = 1—2—3).T. taps 4-beat motives. S. echo. T. taps 4-beat motives. S. echo, tapping and speaking rhythm. S. derive mm. 1-4 of COFFEE, speak on ta or ti. Write on board. Clap and speak mm. 1, 2, 3. Break into two groups: 1= keep beat. 2=clap rhythm and speak. Are there any times when both are the same? (mm. 1-3). Tap only on beat 1 and sing. What’s different? Did we sing differently (emphasis on beat 1)? Where does the rhythm lead us? Speak the words and tap rhythm and lead us to figure out the next part will be different (mm. 4, ti-ti ti-ti ti-ti) with musicality. (S. will perhaps get louder as they approach measure 4).

Rhythm Squares: S: read, tap, and speak rhythmic motives from grids of rhythms on board. S. may choose and/or lead direction of various rhythmic motives (up, down, diagonal, etc.). T: Clap the rhythms when I point to them. (S. may also come and point. S. may keep beat in feet while tapping, or tap beat while speaking rhythm). T. leads students to rhythm cards from refrain of “Little Liza Jane” containing dotted quarter/eighth rhythm.S. identifies rhythm as refrain of “Little Liza Jane.” How did you know? Sing “Oh Eliza.” T. points to rhythm. What word is on “tom” (Oh.). Where’s “tom” going? (ti). Show in your voice (Students should connect the rhythm while singing “Oh Eliza” to show that the dotted quarter, or tom, is leading to Eliza, or ti with particular emphasis on certain sounds).Sing while stepping the beat in a moving circle. On refrain, stop; tap dotted quarter/eighth rhythm, tom-ti (“Oh, Eliza”). Substitute rhythm for singing. “Little Liza Jane.”

Scrambled Song:S. in groups on floor. Each group has a melody card. S. work in groups; derive and sing solfa from staff notation.S. synthesize phrases to identify known song—“Johnson Boys (sol pentatone).” S. sing known song from phrase cards in solfa with hand signs.What’s our lowest note? What note do we end on (sol)? Keep steady beat while singing. Using rhythm sticks: In circle, S. pass sticks to the R every 2 beats while singing. Then, pass every beat. Which seems more natural and less rushed? How did every beat change the way we sang and the way we moved? Pass and sing again to experience and allow answers.

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Closing: Head and Shoulders (sol pentatone):S. sing and play game. S. face partners around the room. Touch body part appropriate to words.*= clap hands <=pat LH with partner ^= pat RH with partner

Suggested Ways of Assessment: students emphasize beat 1 in a 3-beat pattern; students analyze rhythmic patterns aurally and visually on board; S. may have trouble with deriving phrase cards for Johnson Boys—they are in groups to better help each other.

Extensions: Continuation/practice of rhythm using other songs and other activities, such as deriving rhythm, notating, composing and arranging. Name 3-meter as 3 beats per measure, emphasis on beat 1, using another song. Varied movement using songs to emphasize strong and weak beats. Prepare dictation of so-pentatone.

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Composition IdeaRhythm, Melody, Harmony

Where’s the Music?Brook Martinez (aka MC Pants)

Designed for: Age 3-7

Construct Connection to Everyday Life:

What does virtually every kid enjoy? A good ol’ fashion treasure hunt. Via a musical treasure hunt, MC Pants is able to bring kids on a journey to three essential elements of music: rhythm, harmony, and melody.

Dancing is a big part of kid’s everyday lives. MC Pants incorporates movement and dancing into the learning of these three musical concepts in order to allow the kids to embody the concepts, not just learn their terminology by rote.

Where’s the Music? is also full of questions and problems for the kids to solve. I am a firm believer that children yearn to feel useful in the world and really like to help solve problems. This song draws the participants in and makes them feel as if they’re in the process of figuring out the clues in the song and therefore being useful and helpful.

Defining Questions:

“What musical elements make up a song?”“What is rhythm, what is harmony, what is melody? How do these fit together?”

Related Vocabulary:

Rhythm, Harmony, Melody, Beat, “Felt pulse,” Major, Minor, Melody vs. Lyrics (the words), Happy, Sad, Sing, Dance, Notes

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Moving to the music played in each section (rhythm, harmony, melody) in relation to the construct of each section will help children understand and internalized these musical constructs effectively.

Demonstrate: Although students may not be able to execute the rhythm or melody sections perfectly, they will hopefully demonstrate enjoyable movement and learning in the direction of those constructs, and therefore have begun the process of integrating the constructs into their musical knowledge and understanding. In the very effort

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towards the construct exercise lies the learning, not in the perfection of the exercise itself.

Materials and Resources: Where’s the Music? by Brook Martinez (aka MC Pants). Recording and text transcription attached.

Procedure: The primary procedure is to play the songs for the kids and have the kids listen and dance along, with or without the teacher’s participation. To expand your lesson beyond the song, see “Teacher Extension Ideas” below for more ideas.

Extensions:

Student extensions: As someone mentioned in class, the great thing about Where’s the Music? is that there are so many intricate and fun details within the recording that it can be played over and over again and the listener can always find something new in it. In this way, a student might enjoy taking this home and listening to it several times. As they develop and become more comfortable with the song, they might then begin to master the more complex activities within the song. The recorded medium offers the educational power of repetition at the child’s fingertips in a fun yet educational way.

Teacher Extensions:

After playing the song with the students, sit down and review what musical elements you found on the treasure hunt.

For rhythm, you could facilitate a drum circle based on the rhythms you found in the song. You might facilitate a rhythm based on a heartbeat for younger children.

For harmony, you might review the word “harmony,” it’s meaning, and then have the class sing each part: Larry, Moe, and Curly. If the class is advanced enough, you might divide the class up into two or three “Stooge Teams” and try and have them sing their respective notes at the same time. And, if they’re really advanced, you might have the “Moe” team try and lower their note to create a minor chord.

For melody, it would be useful to review the melody with the kids and make sure they know the lyrics and melody. Sing through it with them until they’re very comfortable with it. Then try and have them sing and dance at the same time. I’ve found it’s often too difficult for the kids (or adults even) to learn the melody on the first listen of the song, so it’d be good to solidify it before the next listen. Then they can sing along successfully as MC Pants requests.

Interdisciplinary Extensions:

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In art class, the kids could draw a treasure map for the musical treasure hunt and create little drawings for each musical sections (people marching, happy and sad faces, the Three Stooges etc).

In history class, they could review the origin and history of treasure hunts.

In math class, you could talk about division/fractions in terms of how the rhythm exercise is divided up into different subdivisions. *See Appendix file for text and mp3.

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Let’s Stomp

Rhythm

Stomp

Vivian Tian

Designed for: General class. Second graders, ages 7-8, varied experiences (private instrumental lessons, after school orchestras). Half of the students do not speak English as their primary language.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Music happens everywhere, all the time. You just need time to feel and appreciate it.

Defining Question(s): What makes music? Is this music?

Related Vocabulary: Rhythm, dynamic.

Pedagogical Goals: Understand and appreciate the everyday life non-pitch music. Using different small subjects to compose percussion music.

Materials and Resources: Youtube video clip: Stomp Live - Part 1 - Brooms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ7aYQtIldg Stomp Live - Part 3 - Just Clap Your Hands http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0XdDKwFe3k

Procedures:1. Playing the video clips, ask students the first ideas come up to their mind. 2. Teacher guided discussion of the music, unusual features: no melody, no real instruments, no singing. 3. Watching the video again. Students conducted discussion about the “instruments” they see in the video, and how they make the music happen. 4. Students hands-on activity, try to use limited stationery to make music in a group. 5. Sharing group music in the class.

Extensions: Connections with PE, cross subjects body movements.

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Beat and tempoExperiencing beat and tempo through the song “The ants go marching”

Valerie Ong

Designed for: Classroom of 1st graders (ages 6-7). About 15 children in class.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Using marching as a way to experience beat and tempo, children will learn the importance of uniformity, and awareness of others. Marching as a group takes them out of their solo endeavors and will force them to pay close attention to the pace of their peers.

Defining Question(s): How can a song about marching and numbers teach children about uniformity and tempo?

Related Vocabulary: Beat, tempo, marching, gestures, ants, counting, numbers

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Singing along to the song “The ants go marching”, students will march in unison, using unified gestures for words. The goal is to maintain a unison march while the teacher speeds up and slows down. Demonstrate: Students will have to march faster or slower in unison according to the tempo as well as to count forwards and backwards.

Materials and Resources: Picture storybook of “Ants go Marching”, picture of ants, picture of soldiers, recording of “Johnny comes marching home”, keyboard or piano.http://www.theteachersguide.com/kidsongs/antsgomarching.htm, http://www.amazon.com/The-Ants-Marching-Mary-Luders/dp/0694014478, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3k8H_9SjoM,

Procedures: . Ask students what they know about marching . Ask one student to demonstrate a march and then get a few others to join. Highlight that marching is usually not done alone and they need to do it in unison.. Make sure that all 3 or 4 students are marching in unison. Point out the uniformity of their feet to the rest of the class.. Play recording of “Johnny comes marching home” and give brief history of civil war and how families wanted their soldiers to come marching home.. Show picture of a colony of ants and ask children whether the uniformity of the ants’ travel reminds them of soldiers.. Read and sing along to picture storybook of “Ants go marching”.. Tell children we are going to learn a song involving ants and marching.

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. Teacher will stand up, begin marching and sing each verse of the song “Ants go marching” before the children repeat after her.. Teacher and children will jointly decide on body actions for recurring words such as “hurrah hurrah”, “Boom, boom, boom”.. Children and teacher will run through actions a few times while continuing to march.. Point out that fourth line of each verse changes. A solo ant will have to do a solo action such as “bending down to pick up sticks”. Tell them we are going to play a game.. Have children stand in a big circle and allocate ants number 1-10. Instruct that when each ant is called, the ant will have to march into the middle of the circle as well as embody the actions for the fourth line (whatever way he or she likes). The following ant will then join the previous ant and they will form a huge marching line.. Make sure that students are marching in unison. Begin with a slower and steady beat.. Around the 5th or 6th ant, announce that you are going to speed up and slow down the tempo at random intervals. (Teacher is accompanying on the piano). Their goal is to speed up and slow down marching in unison.. After playing around with tempos, a lesson in counting will be introduced.. Now that 10 ants are marching in a line, tell the children that they will be counting backwards from 10 ants to 1.. Begin this exercise very slowly. Sing the phrases from last to beginning very clearly and highlight the number of ants remaining. Make sure one ant goes back into the circle as the number decreases. . Debrief by asking what the students have learned about marching and counting. Ask whether they can march better in unison and whether they can count backwards more easily.

ExtensionsThis exercise in marching and counting gives children more structure and awareness in their usually free-form classroom. They will learn that fun is possible when you are learning to cooperate and work with other peers. Marching in unison forces them to pay attention to their peers and not go at their own speed. These lessons may give them more awareness of others and influence civilized behavior in group tasks. The lesson in counting will also allow them to memorize ascending and descending numbers more easily. They can always associate the preceding number with the changing fourth line of each verse. The fourth line in each verse allows children to make up whatever gesture he or she desires depending on the phrase also allows room for creativity and improvisation within structure. The interdisciplinary nature of marching, memorizing gestures and counting numbers all at the same time will train a child’s ability to multi-task and well as to stay constantly alert and focused.

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Rhythm and Meter Do You Know What Time It Is?

Ira Jenkins

Designed for: Intermediate Band, Grades 7 or 8…students with at least two years of band experience

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: One of my goals as a teacher is to help students develop skills needed to work well with others. Another goal of mine is to teach independence and responsibility to the team. Many adults work in situations where they have a part to play on a team. In my middle school band room is where I want to begin (or continue) honing those skills of independence and responsibility to the team. This lesson will help students in learning how important it is for them to focus and carry their part in order for the team to be successful.

Defining Question(s): What should you listen to and for when reading and performing mixed meter?

Related Vocabulary: Meter, time signature, tempo

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Creating/composing rhythm passages in mixed meter.Demonstrate: Students will perform their rhythmic compositions and critique the rhythmic compositions of their peers.

Materials and Resources: Individual musical instrument, staff paper, rhythm sheets

Procedures: (This lesson works best when students have studied compound and simple meters.)

Warm Up: 1. With metronome plugged into the classroom speakers and set on a

duple beat, teacher will play four counts of a very simple rhythm.2. The students will play back the rhythmic passage they heard.3. The teacher will stay on the same pitch but do measures of simple and

measures of compound meters.4. The teacher will ask for student volunteers to continue leading the

warm up exercise.5. A selected student will continue in simple meter. 6. A different student volunteer will continue in compound meter.

Activity #1:

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4. The teacher will instruct the students to write/compose as series of eight measures of 4/4 and then eight measure of 6/8 time OR eight measures of 6/8 time and then eight measures of 4/4 time.

5. The students will exchange papers with their neighbors to make sure the correct number of beats happen in each measure.

6. The students will offer suggestions and corrections to their peers.

Activity #2:4. The teacher will ask students to pair off.5. The students are to perform by clapping or tapping (or anything that

does not involve pitch) each other’s 16-bar compositions. Each member will play their part while their partner plays their own part. Then they will switch parts.

6. The teacher will walk around and observe the pairs to offer support and advice.

Activity #34. The teacher will instruct the pairs to now pair with another pair to

make groups of four students.5. Each group will perform the grand composition (each member playing

their own composition).6. The teacher will instruct the students to note how the process is

working as well as what they are noticing about simultaneously performing these different compositions with the different meters.

Activity #4The teacher will lead a discussion and ask the groups to perform their combined composition and discuss with the class things that were difficult, easy, interesting, musical, and artistic about their composition and the assignment of writing and performing with the group.

Assessment PointsAssessment could be one or more of the following.

4. Questioning the students as each group does their open discussion.

5. Collecting the written compositions.6. Recording each group for use in other classes with a similar

assignment.

ExtensionsThis lesson will allow students to become more comfortable with mixed meter. The students will also gain confidence as independent musicians. The group work aspect of the lesson will enhance the students’ ability to work collaboratively in group setting.

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From an interdisciplinary prospective, this lesson enforces mathematical skills. In the area of science (and math), students improve their problem solving and test taking skills. This lesson teaches students how to build a project (i.e. taking in small pieces/chunks which will lead to a final larger product).

In future lessons, the teacher will be able to use the performance skills in this lesson which will make rehearsing music easier. The students will also have a better understanding and feel of mixed meter. The students will also improve their composition skills. The teacher could also create numerous individual or group projects from this lesson since students will have a better rhythm and meter.

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Topic Area: TempoThe Tall Fiddler

Judy Lewis

Designed for: Kindergarten and 1st grade

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Discusses how we do activities in our lives at different speedsDiscusses how we change speeds

Defining Question(s): How does music change? How do we respond to those changes?

Related Vocabulary: tempo

Pedagogical Goals: Focused listeningRecognizing and responding to changes in tempoRecognizing and responding to “surprising” changes in musicProducing a steady beatFun

Materials and Resources: 1. Tall Fiddler by Tommy Emmanuel

http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Road-Tommy-Emmanuel/dp/B00030CH1W/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1367162523&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=endless+road+tommy+emmanuel (*this lesson is only appropriate with the recorded version of the song)

2. Percussion instruments

Procedures: Class discusses different speeds at which we do activities in our lives, including

activities that change speed. Children Improvise changes in tempo on percussion instruments; Children

improvise “surprise” on percussion instruments; Discussion of improvisations. Tall Fiddler is played and children, standing, are asked to imitate movements of

the teacher (see below*) Ask students if they would like to explain ay of the teacher’s movements – why

she did what she did.

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Invite a student to come up and be the “leader” instead of teacher (using teacher’s movements or self-created movements)

*In designing movements for this piece the teacher should make sure to:1. Have children marching a steady beat throughout2. Emphasize phrasing connections (same and different) in chosen movementsEmphasize phrase directionality in chosen movementsEmphasize sudden dynamic surprises in chosen movements

Assessment:1. Can child keep steady beat, marching?2. Does child recognize and respond in movement to surprises in the music?3. Does child recognize and respond in movement to changes in tempo?4. Is the child engaged throughout the piece?

Extensions1. Children can be asked to make up their own movements to Tall Fiddler, or

another piece that they know with tempo changes, at home, and show to the class in the next lesson.

2. In a following class, the teacher can bring a piece which has several different tempi and pauses. Ask children to make up movements that reflect these changes.

3. Literacy: Children can be asked to write a poem or short story which, the reading of, requires changes in speed of speech. They can present this to the class.

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Rhythm“Dinah” ‘s Got Rhythm

Joanna HuangDesigned for: Grades 3 – 4

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: in exploring the concepts of rhythm, beat, and tempo, it may simply be a curiosity towards “how does music move?” or that through observations of a live or recorded performance, students may extend the idea of movement to physical motions as well as music itself.

Defining Question(s): Rhythm: “how can everyone perform together?” “how is music organized in time?”Beat: “how does music move?”Tempo: “how to describe music quickening or slowing down?”Rests: “what happens when there is no music?”

Related Vocabulary:Rhythm, beat, tempo, rests, note values (quarter, eighth, sixteenth), time signatures, tempo marks (accelerando, ritardando, presto, allegro, andante)

Pedagogical Goals: Students will…- Experience patterns of rhythm against steady beat and tempo changes as the song accompanying the game speeds up or slows down. - Demonstrate accurate performance of rhythmic patterns against steady beat, as well as flexibility towards tempo change.

Materials and Resources: “Dinah” from My Singing Bird by Erdei, Knowles and Bacon

Procedure: 1. Preparation before class: greet students; ask them to sit in a circle.2. Teacher will proceed to perform “Dinah” in a moderate tempo. 3. After the performance, teacher will ask students questions on the name of the

character and what the song describes of her, and what instrument is being played by her, etc. Students will respond to these questions by raising their hands or as a group.

4. Teacher will then help students learn the song together with movements to help remember the lyrics. Teacher will go through the song line by line with students echoing.

5. The movement will be to have hands by waist on “No one in the house but” and on “Dinah, Dinah” raising hands above head on beat. Then back by the waist until “me I know” to point to oneself. As the first phrase repeats, movement

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repeats. Then on the last phrase “playing on the old banjo” everyone will imitate playing a banjo.

6. As students display competency in singing the song on their own. Teacher will introduce the rules to the game and practice with students.

7. The students will stand in a circle. There will be a slight alteration to the song where only one person in the group will sing the words “Dinah, Dinah”. One player, “Dinah” blindfolded in the center of the circle will try to identify who sang the words “Dinah, Dinah”. If successful, the two will switch places. If not, the same individual will sing again for “Dinah” to guess. Also, while the group is singing, they will be walking in clock-wise motion. The game can be sped up or slowed down.

8. After a few rounds where everyone gets a chance to either be “Dinah” or be the soloist. The class will reconvene in front of the board.

9. Teacher will ask the class to sing the song again, and then have a volunteer come to the board to draw what they think would describe the number of syllables (using dots/circles for fast notes, short lines for moderate, and long lines for long notes, for instance) while the class sings it again. The rest of the class will either confirm or help alter the analysis in front of them.

10. The teacher will then introduce how musicians would interpret these patterns, or rhythms, by using notation. The initial shapes drawn to represent the rhythm will then be equated with the applicable note value of sixteenth, eighth, and quarter.

11. Several student volunteers will be ask to draw the notes next to the existing shapes. The teacher will also introduce the syllables used to articulate these note values: “tiritiri”, “ta-ti”, and “ta”.

12. The class will practice saying the rhythms together: perhaps half the class will keep the beat, while the other half say the rhythm. And then alternate.

13. The teacher will then use two sets of flashcards of rhythms from the song, and ask students to work in their group to put together the song, and be able to perform it.

14. After students demonstrate clear understanding of these concepts, the group will sing the song and play the game again.

15. Optional: if time permits, teacher could extend to concepts of rests and have students perform the piece with different length of “sh” sounds. Then perhaps eventually progress to adding rests at random places in the piece to play as a game.

ExtensionsEveryone’s interpretations towards the lyrics in “Dinah” may be different. The teacher may extend the lesson with discussion on similarities and differences of the interpretations. Then students may express such differences through drawing or enactment.

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Rhythm and BeatDance of the sugarplum fairy by Tchaikovsky

Hannah Kim

Designed for: 10 1st graders, age 6-7 in general music classroom.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Rhythm is everywhere. In the heartbeats of our chest, in the language we speak, in the footsteps of our stride, in the bump-bump of cars over uneven asphalt. Everyday we listen to the city pulse. I remember my experience at the airport. I went to collect my suitcase from the baggage claim. As the belt on the carousel came to life, so did the beat: a series of clack-clacks keeping steady beat. And every once in a while the carousel would throw in a stray accent, but those, too, seemed to be in time. I don’t know what makes the moving rubber plates sound like they do. I just know it makes their pedestrian task a bit more interesting!

Defining Question(s):

Theoretical Construct

Defining Question Domain Mapping Vocabulary

PRIMARYBeat “How does the music

move me?”Embodiment-Continuity

Steady/Free Beat

Rhythm “Which note (word) sounds longer, shorter or same?”

Embodiment-Gesture

Rest- Silence

SECONDARYTimbre “What instrument do I

hear?”Embodiment-Imitation (pretend play)

Strings, Celesta

Form “How is music organized?”

Embodiment- GestureVisual- See figure 1&2

Literacy “What is this music about?”

Storytelling Ballet, The Nutcracker

Pedagogical Goals: This short, festive piece is not only a chance for students to keep the steady beat, it is also an excellent review of feeling ABA form. Students are encouraged to improvise a "glittering snowflake dance" with their hands during the B section.

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Materials and Resources: Visual map (Score using figure 1 and 2) and the nutcracker book

Procedures: Sit in circle and listen to the music together. Show figure 1 and 2, and point on exact shape as the music plays (Teacher

Guided) Ask students which one was in steady beat and which one was not (Assessment

Points) Let few student come up in front and try pointing on steady beat and free beat

with music(Student- Initiated)

Stand in circle and keep the beat with our feet (walk in circle) while music plays When the music plays free beat section, first let students express themselves

(they can move around) – (Student- Initiated) Choose one student who volunteers for showing his/her ‘free beat motion’

(Student- Initiated) Ask student to stand in the middle of the circle and play the music again Go over same procedure for the steady beat section When the music plays free beat section, teacher and other student will imitate

the motion of volunteered student shows (Student- Initiate)

ExtensionsTeacher can extend this activity to the future project. Single class or few classes

can learn movements through different pieces from the nutcracker suite and perform at the end of the school year.

Figure 1: Section A (Steady beat)

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Figure 2: Section B (Free beat)

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Meter and Rhythm1, 2, 3, 4………….5,6,7

Dan Fagen

Designed for: High School Music Students

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Walking is something that we do every day, and is such a natural movement for us that we don’t even think about how we are doing it while we are in the process. Left, Right, Left, Right, One, Two, One, Two. But what would it feel like if one day we awoke with a third leg? The simple addition of one appendage would completely change the way we perceived and experienced a once-simple endeavor. The same can be applied to meter and rhythm in music. By taking a familiar tune, and performing it in a new meter, one is forced to reimagine everything they originally heard and thought about this tune.

Defining Question(s): What do different meters look and sound like? How can a change in rhythm and meter affect the way that we perceive an existing piece of music?

Related Vocabulary: Beat; Subdivision; Upbeat; Downbeat; Syncopation; Simple; Compound; Duple; Triple.

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will experience the process of musical transformation that is achieved by applying different meter and rhythmic schemes to pieces that they enjoy.Demonstrate: Students will demonstrate understanding via a performance and presentation to their peers.

Materials and Resources: Instruments for student performances. Audio equipment and desired recordings (suggested recordings are “Love

Walked In” as recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, and “Love Walked In” as recorded by Wayne Escoferry)

Procedures: 10. Begin this lesson by playing on a stereo “Love Walked In” by George and Ira

Gershwin, as performed by Ella Fitzgerald. This recording of the tune is in the form of a slow, lilting ballad in 4/4 time.

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11. Indicate to the students that they should tap either their hands or feet along with the music to see if they have any difficulty finding the beat (in this recording it should not be very difficult for them).

12. After one listening of the song, briefly discuss the fundamental components of beat and meter. Try to keep the discussion brief, and emphasize the difference between duple and triple meters as well as the difference between simple and compound meters.

13. Emphasize that in order to determine the meter of a piece, one must be able to feel the beat or “pulse” of the piece, since this is what inherently defines the meter.

14. After this brief discussion, and being confident that the students have a good handle on the concept of meter, play for them the recording of “Love Walked In” as played by tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery. This recording is different from the Ella Fitzgerald version in two distinct ways: it is much faster than the first, and it is played in a fast 7 (either 7/8 or 7/4).

15. After this listening, ask the students to identify the differences between the two recordings, illustrating how two seemingly simple ideas (tempo and meter) can profoundly change the way a piece of music can be perceived.

16. Break the class into small groups of 4-5 students and ask each group to decide on a piece that they enjoy performing, regardless of genre.

17. Ask them to reimagine this piece in a different meter and tempo, to rehearse it, and then to perform it for the class at a later date after they have had sufficient time to work on it.

18. Each group should also be prepared to give a brief presentation on what their creative process looked like, and how they decided upon the meter that they chose. This can serve as a weeks-long or even semester-long project.

Extensions: The hope is that this process of applying rhythmic and metric changes to a piece that they already know well will inform the students’ level of creativity and sensitivity to these sorts of details as they apply to their composition and performance endeavors in their own musical lives. I think that it is easy for us all to fall into a pattern of thinking where the only way to provide interesting variety in music is pitch-related, when in fact this is not the case at all. Hopefully the students will be able to use the experience gained in this activity to diversify and flavor all of their desired musical pursuits.

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Tempo - “Shake It Up Tonight”Elisa Clark

Designed for: Six clients in a physical rehabilitation center recovering from strokes. Clients are between the ages of 63 and 85 with typical cognitive function but great difficulty with motor planning. Although none of the clients are professional musicians, they all consider themselves music lovers and express a willingness to engage in music therapy rehabilitation treatments.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: We rely on internal and external body rhythms in order to function on a daily basis. Participants in this activity are experiencing deficits in varying domains that affect gross motor movement. By matching breathing and movement, at a steady tempo, strength and endurance will be regained in the affected areas.

Defining Question: “How does tempo structure physical movement?”

Pedagogical Goals: 1) Participants will demonstrate head nodding2) Participants will pass egg shakers to other members of the group3) Participants will perform trunk rotations and gross motor movement

Materials and Resources: “Shake it Up Tonight” by Cheryl Lynn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcE0ppRJwd8

Procedures: There are three parts to this exercise and will be performed as follows:

1) The clients will begin the exercise by sitting in a circle. The therapist will play the recording and non-verbally prompt the clients to nod their heads in time to the tempo. The head movements will be from side to side (indicating “no”) and up and down (indicating “yes”). These movements enable clients to match movements with common non-verbal communication.

2) Next the therapist will prompt the clients to hold an egg shaker in their left hands while extending them to their left sides. When the lyrics reach the chorus “shake it up tonight,” the therapist will instruct the clients to reach their right hands across their bodies to grasp the egg shakers and then shake them for four beats. There after, they will be instructed to pass the shakers to the outstretched hands of the client sitting on their right sides. This pattern will be repeated eight times.

3) During the verse sections of the piece, the therapist will prompt the clients to engage in gross motor movements that correspond to the tempo of the song. This will prompt strengthening of muscle groups in their upper bodies.

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Extensions: The participants experience this activity not only as a means to build strength and endurance, but also as a means to communicate nonverbally. This activity could extend to building relationships outside of the therapeutic environment such that participants create a social network that supports their recoveries on an emotional level.

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HARMONY & TONALITY

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Beauty of Chords

Harmony

Beatles: Imagine

Vivian Tian

Designed for: General class. Eighth graders, ages 13-14, varied experiences (private instrumental lessons, after school orchestras). Half of the students do not speak English as their primary language.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Formula to one of the most popular songs in the world is actually quite simple.

Defining Question(s): What makes this song so popular?

Related Vocabulary: Andante, chords, major, minor.

Pedagogical Goals: Understand the basic function of the chords in the music, color of major and minor.

Materials and Resources: Imagine: copies of sheet music for the whole class (see appendix file for score)Youtube video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrtty7pCCc Drum sets, guitars, basses, piano/keyboards, microphones, and amplifiers.

Procedures:1. Playing the song, ask students the first ideas come up to their mind. 2. Teacher guided discussion of the music, simple and easy lyrics. 3. Listening to music with sheet music. Students conducted discussion about the music: simple chords, steady tempo. Emphasis on the lyrics. 4. Students conducted open discussion, compare this song’s harmony with other their favorites. 5. Students hands-on activity, try to use only two chords to compose a song.

Extensions: Group the students in peers, sign a keyboard, encourage them to explore and create their song, using the elements just learned. Connections with social study, lyrics study.

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TonalityCreating “The Talisman”

Tyreek Jackson

The theoretical parts of creating the composition:The goal with this composition stemmed from the question: How do instruments collaborate to create and explore tonal centers? As such, what I wanted to do was to build up a tonal center and explore what would result from really honing in on that tonality using techniques such as spreading the ostinato out to other instruments, changing the octave values of some of the notes in note pattern while maintaining the note pattern. From there, the tonality would be given more perspective by superimposing other tonalities; other pitch classes, on top of it. The primary audience for this is the student interested in composition; as it is an insight into the creative process of composing. The age range shouldn’t really matter, but students in high school and college would probably get the most information out of it.

Vocabulary: Composition, Techniques, Voicing, Tonality, Tonal Centers, Counterpoint, Exploration

The practical parts of the recording and resources: To compose "The Talisman", I used Finale 2012 software for the notation as well as an M-audio midi keyboard for the hardware input of the notes. Once the score was complete in Finale, the midi from the score was exported and then imported into Logic Pro to create a better sequence of the song. Instruments were reassigned and a live recording of the guitar part was added to the sequence before being bounced down into a wav and finally compressed into an mp3.

Extensions: Students who are interested in studying composition can get a lot out of working with an ostinato of their own and going through a similar process of creating a solid structure based on the ostinato. It would be particularly effective and challenging if they had just one bar (in a time signature of their choosing) to fill with the ostinato. A collaborative effort where one student writes the ostinato, the other writes a counterpoint or harmony, and another writes a melody would be a great group exercise.

Teachers could look for compositions that are based on ostinatos and have their students analyze the composition from the end to the beginning; looking to trace their

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way back to the origin of the ostinato and how it played a role in the structuring of the rest of the piece.

Regarding interdisciplinary extensions. Looking a ostinatos and tonality has connections to the neuroscience of consonance and dissonance, as well as the study of neural nets and perception. Both of these areas look at how humans process pitch, chords, and keys. *See Appendix file for score

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TonalityMinor/Major Keys – First Time Recognition

Kristi CampbellDesigned for: K-2nd grade, with little or no musical background. I.e. very few of the kids in each class have private music instruction, and previous music classes have focused on learning songs.Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Colors that make up a picture. Bring in two pictures or works of art that demonstrate different moods ( E.g. a dark and subdued vs. a bright and happy). The kids are to identify the colors in each. Connection – a song’s tonality is determined by a different set of notes created by a different pattern, just like these pictures have different colors that create a different affect on the viewer.Defining Question: How do specific note patterns determine a piece’s mood, communicate differently? What are the differences between the major and minor tonality?Related Vocabulary: key, sharps, flats, mood, change, melody

Pedagogical GoalsExperience: Children will verbally, visually, aurally, and physically identify the same song in major and minor variants. Demonstrate: Children will run to a certain color in the classroom according to which tonality (major or minor) they hear.Materials and Resources: Recording of Mozart Piano Sonata in G Major, jumbo blocks building set (e.g. Legos) of different colors, printouts of motivic material (below)

Procedures: 1. After the class has observed the two pictures, the class talks about the

differences. The teacher mentions that just like different ingredients in colors makes the pictures look different, so different note choices in music makes it sound different.

2. On the keyboard, play “Winter Ade” in G major. Explain that the notes played in this song are in a grouping called a major key. Write “major” on the board. Learn the song together.

3. Then play “Winter Ade” in G minor. Explain that most of the notes were the same, but these notes used a minor mode. Write “minor” on the board next to major. Have them sing it.

4. Play each version several times more, having the students identify (verbalize or physically demonstrate with signs) the tonality.

5. Ask who would like to guess which version is being played. Have them point to “major” or “minor” on the board. Ask them to describe how each tonality sounds to them (happier? darker?)

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6. Pull out several sheets of colored construction paper. As a class choose a color that represents major and a color representing minor. Have a child hold one color at one end of the room, and another at the other end. Teacher calls on a student to pick “major” or “minor”. The teacher plays either version of the song. If she plays the version the student called out, all the kids run to the designated major or minor color. If she doesn’t, they stay where they are.

Teacher Guided: Instruction (steps 1-4) is teacher-guided.

Student-Initiated: The class chooses one color that represents each tonality.

Assessment Points: For informal assessment, watch which kids correctly identify the tonality being played in step 6 of the procedure (the color-coded run). For formal assessment, play “Winter Ade” in both the minor and major keys, and have them write “major” or “minor” on paper (for younger kids, have them hold up a colored sheet that corresponds to the colors chosen as a class). Do each version a couple of times.

ExtensionsPeer and personal extension: Children can sing the song after class is over.

Teacher/Classroom extensions: In the following lesson, listen to a version of “Winter Ade” that includes other parts. E.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D1jKU--rIw (this has children’s voices and orchestration, and can help with German pronunciation).In the following lesson, play both parts of “Winter Ade”. As a review, ask children which is in a minor key, and which is major. Once they are identifying it correctly, play the following two Youtube clips (or the equivalent on the piano), naming before each is played whether it is minor or major.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in Major Key: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1xqMBlSBlg&list=PLHpIW4AhU0_mz2PPuzADIkeS05laxWakFTwinkle, Twinkle Little Star in Minor Key:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygH3jh-XyfYAfter they hear these clips and are able to identify them, listen to a whole piece in a minor/major key (for example, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor “Moonlight Sonata”). Do not tell them, but have them guess at the end if they think it is minor or major.

Interdisciplinary extension-: English spelling (words that mean same thing but have different letters/spelling – synonyms, also homonyms). Letters are analogous to different notes that form the make-up of a scale.

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Tonality ( Focusing on Key and Pitch )Do You Have My Keys?

Ira Jenkins

Designed for: Intermediate Band, Grades 7 or 8…students with at least two years of band experience

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Many students try to produce or reproduce music that they know and listen to in their everyday life. Sometimes these songs come from TV, their personal listening channels, religious affiliations, and other places or environments that the students frequent. For many students, playing by ear or ‘learning how to play a song’ can be difficult without having sheet music. Singing, perhaps not very well, is the only way many would even approach such a task. This lesson will help students in learning how to begin figuring out how to play familiar songs by recognizing key.

Defining Question(s): How can you tell what key a piece is in? What should you listen to and for when looking for the tonic?

Related Vocabulary: Key, tonic, scale, arpeggio,

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Playing back possible tonic notes on their instruments, students will experience identifying tonics/keys.Demonstrate: Students will listen and then play back the tonic note of the scale/song that they hear.

Materials and Resources: Individual musical instrument, scale sheets, fingering charts, iPod, stereo

Procedures: (This lesson works best when students have studied scales and have a number of them memorized with arpeggios.)

Warm Up: 1. With metronome played to the classroom speakers, teacher will play

four counts of a very simple rhythm (probably a whole note).2. The students will play back the note they heard.3. The teacher will stay in the same key and play more four-count

measures for students to play back.4. The teacher will change keys by playing a whole note for the students

to play back.5. The teacher will continue with the aural dictation.

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6. After repeating these steps in 3 keys, the teacher will ask the students to discuss with their neighbor the number of keys the class played in and what those keys were.

7. If a student feels comfortable, the teacher will have the student assume the role of the teacher by playing the four count measures for the class to repeat.Activity #1

1. The teacher will play a series of notes in a key/scale and will strategically end on the 2nd or the 7th of the scale. The teacher will ask the students to sing the ‘next logical or probable’ note.

2. The teacher will repeat the previous step several times.3. The teacher will then repeat steps one and two but have students

play whichever note they think will logically come next. The teacher will call that next logical note “the tonic.”

Activity #21. The teacher will ask a student to cue their iPod to a song of their

choosing.2. The teacher will ask the student to start the piece. While the piece is

playing the teacher will play random notes one at a time as the students observe.

3. The teacher will wait for an authentic cadence in the music and then play the tonic.

4. The teacher will ask the students to notice when the tonic is going to probably happen again.

5. The teacher will instruct the students to say “now” when they think the tonic is being played in the song.

6. The teacher will instruct the students to guess at what the tonic is by choosing one note to softly play when they think the tonic happens.

7. The teacher will repeat all six steps using a different student’s selection of choice from their iPod.

Activity #37. The teacher will chose another student’s recommended song from

their ipod and have the students figure out the tonic and refer to it as “the key” the song is in.

8. The teacher will repeat the previous step with two other student’s recommended songs.

9. The teacher will instruct the students to choose notes from the arpeggio or even the entire scale of the key of the piece.

10. Once they establish the key, the students will quietly play half notes or whole notes from the arpeggio or the scale of the key of the piece.

Assessment PointsAssessment could be one or more of the following.

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1. Questioning the students about the process of figuring out the key of a song

2. Having the students figure out the key of a song from the teacher’s iPod that would possibly be a different genre from the students’ examples.

3. Pairing students up and have them create a series of 8 or 9 notes in a key without using the tonic. They will play the notes while the teacher guesses the key.

ExtensionsThis lesson will allow students to figure out how to play along with songs of their liking when they are in their own environment and spaces. Additionally students will have some foundation for improvising when they are in performance or rehearsal situation of their own.

From an interdisciplinary prospective, this lesson teaches problem solving skills and how to break down a problem into small steps. For example, in the area of social studies, students would be able to figure out how to play music from unfamiliar cultures because they will be able to hear tonic and figure it out. They will also have basic principles of improvisation in the event they want to create their own music in the style of a different culture or genre.

Students wishing to create or compose their own pieces will develop a foundation needed to enhance their composition skills because they will begin developing an understanding of keys and scale pitch relations.

In future lessons, the teacher will be able to use the vocabulary taught in this lesson which will make rehearsing music easier. The students will also have a better understanding of the notes that “work” and don’t “work” in a piece. The teacher could also create numerous individual or group projects from this lesson since students will have a better aural understanding of music.

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Harmony and Tonality/ Themes and MotifsAtonality for Children

Juhye Lee

Designed for: I imagined that I would introduce ‘Atonality’ to middle school students and wrote three short pieces for them to play.

Construct Connection to Meaning and Process: I wrote three short movements and each movement has no more than 11 measures. All three movements are in atonality, and for each movement, I highlighted other components other than tonality such as motive and forms. I tried to go as simple as possible since it’s the piece for middle school students for them to understand and play.

Defining Question(s): How does it sound compare to what you used to listen to? Can you think of any object or sound around you and imitate them with any note with your instrument?

Related Vocabulary: clusters, dissonance, tri-tone, freedomExtensions:

What I like about Atonality is, there are no such rules or composers can even create one, so it’s freer to pick up any notes. Students can start with imitating any object/sound around them to understand composing “Atonality”

Include 1st two pages of score

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Tonality ( Focusing on Melody)Learning scale degrees

Valerie Ong

Designed for: Classroom of 3rd grade musicians

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: This is an engaging activity that will allow students to be active participants as opposed to passive learners.

Defining Question(s): What is the relationship between the note played to the tonic? What is the proper term for that interval? What is the relationship between note played to tonic in a key other than C major?

Related Vocabulary: Tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone, intervals, key

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will embody different scale degrees from tonic to leading tone and will be asked to name the scale degree between 2 notes that are played. Different scales other than C major will be used as well in order to refresh a student’s memory of key signatures.

Demonstrate: At each of a time, two students of different notes will stand together and the class will have to name the scale degree using correct terminology.

Materials and Resources: Each musical note from C to B including sharps and flats written on an individual piece of paper.

Procedures: . Write on board numbers 1-7 and under numbers write scale degrees from tonic to leading tone.. Under scale degree write a C major scale from C to B. Have students look at board and pay attention to the scale degrees (tonic, dominant, etc).. Give them 5 minutes to memorize the new scale degrees. . After some time, start to cover the middle row which lists the scale degrees and have them name it from tonic to leading tone. . After some familiarity, have 7 students volunteer to participate in a game.. Hand each of the 7 students the notes in a C major scale. Using C as the tonic, point to a student with a different note and have the rest of the class call out the scale degree in relation to the tonic.

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. Do this several times and make sure to encompass each scale degree.

. Mix things up by starting on a different key to familiarize students with key signatures. Try to avoid using keys with too many sharps and flats. Beginning with a G major would be good.. Avoid using minor keys for this exercise.. Start with the tonic, call different notes to stand next to the tonic and have students call out scale degree bearing in mind the sharps and flats of the key signature.

ExtensionsThis is a fun way of learning scale degrees and jogging a student’s memory on

key signatures. Students will be able to associate the numeric value with the scale degree. It is interdisciplinary in nature as the transition from C major to other keys forces to the student to integrate his or her memory of key signatures.

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MELODY & TEXT[URE]

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Words and textLearning a new language through music

Valerie Ong

Designed for: A classroom of children from ages 6-12 where English is not their first language

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Students who enter a new country without a good command of the country’s language can often face many struggles. Learning a new language through song can make things less daunting and more fun.

Defining Question(s): How does music allow us to learn a new language?

Related Vocabulary: Gesture, pictures, singing, silence, words, memorization

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Gestures, actions and pictures are a more universal construct than language itself. Students will learn a new song and several new words and phrases in the English language through the use of gestures and visual aids. Demonstrate: Students will have to connect gestures to words, and pictures to words.

Materials and Resources: Guitar or ukulele, assistant teacher, an additional assistant or student with fluent English, pictures of certain words such as “sunshine”, “grey skies”.

Procedures: . Gather ESL students in a circle on the floor. Have assistant teacher to start strumming away on guitar while you begin singing song “You are my sunshine”.. Make sure to sway side to side to create atmosphere of relaxation.. After singing this song, tell students that you have an interesting way of learning new words and phrases through this song.. Before activity, teacher should pick out important words to highlight that students can use in everyday and conversational language. Teacher should also pick up words and phrases that repeat.. Sing the song again to the students but this time have in hand pictures of the important words you have selected for the students to learn. Pictures of a sunshine, grey skies, a person hanging their head and crying, and a heart to demonstrate love are good ideas.. Start singing the song and whenever a selected word is sung, hold up the picture that represents it.

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. Have the other assistant or student who speaks English fluently to begin demonstrating gestures to each of these selected words. Make sure the gestures are big and bold, and can be easily copied by other students.. This is an easy song that most students know in their native language. Do not spend too much time repeating song to students but allow them to follow along singing and making gestures. .When students have more or less memorized the gestures, begin to pause and stay silent the selected words while singing. Instruct the students not to sing the word but to demonstrate the gesture. Have one or two students use the pictures to demonstrate missing words if they like.. Add words back in with gestures once more.. Now, ask students to try and sing the song without using gestures or pictures. Ask them to do a mental gesture in their mind.. Debrief by asking them whether process was easy or difficult and whether some learned better with pictures or gestures. Ask them if they have learned new English words. Also ask if this method allows them to memorize a song more easily.

ExtensionsOne of the methods of learning a new song or language is by associations. Some people are tactile and or visual learners. This exercise allows students to learn a new song and new words through tactile and visual methods. Students can discover which way they learn better and employ these methods when it comes to learning new words or new songs. This exercise also makes learning new music or a new language more fun than just sitting at a desk and staring at books.

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Melody and Non-Melody (Secondary Melody)Melody as Theme

Is It My Turn?

Ira Jenkins

Designed for: Intermediate Band, Grades 5 or 6…students with at least one year of band experience

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: There are several connections in this lesson. One is that students have to work with others in the real world where each person has their own part to play and each person is responsible and accountable. This lesson helps students with those “working with others” skills. Secondly, this lesson helps students hear more in music than what the melody is. There are many fantastic sounds (rhythms, chords, counter melodies, etc.) in music that the students listen to in their own world. Sometimes they do not think to listen for all things in the music and not just the one or two things that may jump out at them.

Defining Question(s): Who has the melody? Who does not have the melody?

Related Vocabulary: Melody, non-melody ( secondary melody), harmony, counter melody

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Performing and listening to melodies, counter melodies, and non-melodic lines in the selected literature.Demonstrate: Students will recognize melodies and non-melodies. Students will create small groups to demonstrate their understanding of melody.

Materials and Resources: Individual musical instrument, band arrangement of Rainbown Connection (arr. Paul Lavender)

Procedures: (This lesson works best after the students are comfortable with playing their individual parts in Rainbow Connection.)

Warm Up: 1. Warm up with normal sequence of breathing and tone exercises.

Activity #1:1. The teacher will allow the students to perform the entire piece from

the beginning to the end.2. The teacher will play part of the melody and then ask the students to

play that part back if they have that part in their music.

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3. The teacher will play part of the counter melody and then ask the student to play that part back if they have that part in their music.

4. The teacher will play the bass line and then ask the students to play that part back if they have it in their music.

5. The teacher will ask the students discuss with their neighbor the difference in the parts played. (i.e. What was melody? What was not melody? Which instruments had which parts and when?)

Activity #21. The teacher will ask the students to group themselves in groups of

four. Each group should not have more than one of a particular instrument.

2. The teacher will instruct the groups to rehearse at least 32 measure of the song. The groups should focus on knowing each person’s function.

3. The groups should work on proper balance of each instrument based on the function of the instruments (ie. melody should be heard with other parts in the background).

Activity #31. Each group will perform the selected measures that they

rehearsed.2. After each group performs, the teacher will have students orally

critique the group by acknowledging which functions each instrument had as well as the group’s blend and balance.

Assessment PointsAssessment could be one or more of the following.1. Questioning the students about the process of figuring out what the

melody is and which instruments have it.2. Having the students figure out the melody and/or non-melodic parts

of other literature that the class has worked on.3. Playing through the piece and asking for the performers with the

melody to NOT play (i.e. “Only play if you have something other than the melody.”)

ExtensionsThis lesson will allow students to focus on parts other than the melody. Students will be able to more easily enjoy all that music has to offer beyond what initially stands out in their ear. Additionally students learn how to maintain a balance between the different musical parts. Future lessons could involve rehearsing music easier and more efficiently since students will be familiar with the melody/non-melody. Projects could stem from this lesson that could involve students doing covers of a favorite piece of theirs or creating/composing easy quartets.

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MelodyI’ve Got the Blues

Elisabeth McPeak

Designed for: General Music Classroom/Instrumental Music, Grades 2-12

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Demonstrate various melodies on a single instrument that students can identify just by listening to it. Ask for student contributions for their favorite songs.

“Whenever you hear a melody on television, in a song, on the radio, etc., you hear the melody by accompanied by other parts or other instruments.”

Defining Question(s): What creates musical space?

Related Vocabulary: melody, blues, [blues] scale, harmonic progression, improvisation

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Movement/Listening – Feeling off-beats and syncopated rhythms by moving to the musicDemonstrate: Improvise on instruments over a 12-bar blues progression

Materials and Resources: Video or audio clip of various 12-bars blues (C Jam Blues by Duke Ellington is the example I used)

Procedures: 1. Movement/Listening – students will move freely around the room while listening to a 12-bar blues- Include pieces with lots of syncopated rhythms – observe student movement to syncopated rhythms2. Watching a video clip of the blues being performed3. Discuss what students heard/saw in the video4. Introduce the blues5. Discuss components of the blues – blues scale, improvisation, instrumentation, 12-bar harmonic progression, melody over a specific harmonic progression- Play an example of a blues scale6. Show a 12-bar blues harmonic progression on the board- Demonstrate the progression on the piano (probably the best instrument to use for demonstration)7. Discuss/demonstrate improvisation (rhythm, scales used, etc.)8. Independent work – have students experiment with improvisation- improvise a rhythm on a single note

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- slowly incorporate more notes9. Share in class improvised melodies

Extensions

- Possibly begin first improvising rhythm on a single pitch and slowly add more notes and more rhythms to the melody

- Have students create their own melodies over a set harmonic progression

- Have students add lyrics to their melodies

- Interdisciplinary – Discuss the blues and its role in history (and musical history)

- Segue into harmony and harmonic progressions

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MelodyRecognizing Melody Through Pachebel’s Canon

Kristi Campbell

Designed for: K-2nd grade, with little or no musical background. I.e. very few of the kids in each class have private music instruction, and previous music classes have focused on learning songs.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Talk about icing on cake. The icing is what is most obvious – what one sees. Or talk about a ladder – how a person can only go up, down, or stay the same on a rungs on a ladder. Choose the connection that is closest to where the teacher wants to takes the next lesson – analyzing melodic movement[ladder] or the other parts of a song (harmony and rhythm) [icing].

Defining Question: How is musical space created?

Related Vocabulary:

Theoretical Construct

Defining Question Domain Mapping Vocabulary

PRIMARY: Melody

Which musical phrase pre-dominates? Which notes just support the main horizontal line? Which part of the music expresses a complete thought?

Embodiment/ Responsive or Generative Gesture: Free movementTargeted behavior: how to recognize a melody

Melody, phrase, idea, statement of thought

SECONDARY: TimbreWhich sound is most obvious to the ear? What are they saying?

Visual Representation: draw the various instruments (or have flashcards), which will play the melodic theme

Sound, quality,

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Pedagogical GoalsExperience: Children will move to a melody based on change in it.Demonstrate: Children will run to a certain color in the classroom according to which tonality (major or minor) they hear.

Materials and Resources: Pachebel’s Canon in D, mm. 1-4 [attached], sheet music and duet recording, electric keyboard with different available timbres/instrumentation

Procedures: 1. Play a recorded version of Canon in D.2. Instruct the kids to twirl when the music starts (at the beginning of the melody).

Any time they hear a change in the music (unspecified), they should move in a different direction.

3. Draw or show a picture of the main instruments in the chosen recording (quartet? solo instrument with piano? etc.).

4. Set the piano to different instrumental settings and play the melodic theme of the first section in each of these settings.

5. Ask the kids if they noticed anything about what was played.6. Explain that you were playing the melody or the main idea, the most obvious

thing heard, in the music. Then explain that the piano is playing the theme to sound like it would if played by different instruments.

7. As a class, choose different movement for each instrument that will play the melodic theme. Listen to the entire first section, and move according to which instrument is playing the theme.

Student-Initiated: Instead of twirling, have student name other movements to use with the melody.

Assessment Points: For informal assessment, watch if kids change direction when the melody changes. It might be necessary to specify which direction to change (to the left, or towards the window, etc.)

ExtensionsTeacher/Classroom extensions: Continue doing the same activity with each new section as time allows (e.g. mm. 4-8 next, and then 9-10, 11-12, etc.) Realistically, this activity will only have time for 2-3 sections). In the next lesson, the same song can be used to teach the bass voice or to analyzing melodic direction.

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Pitch, Scale, Melody“Do-Re-Mi”

Juhye Lee

Designed for: Grade 2-4

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Imitating Father’s voice/Imitating Mather’s voice

Defining Question(s): Whose voice is higher? Whose voice is lower?

Related Vocabulary high/low pitch Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: As they imitate mother/father voice, students will experience about pitches that has high/low frequencyDemonstrate: Students will make lower pitches/sounds when they imitate their

Father and higher sounds/pitches for their mother.

Materials and Resources: I inspired this activity from Sound of music. In the film, Maria and the children sing this song “Do-Re-Mi” over as they wander and frolic over Salzburg. I would use this “Do-re-mi” to my activity.

Procedures : . In the class we can start learning singing “Do-Re-Mi” song. After that I will make groups of 6 students. Five children will line up in order of height. The shortest child will be a “Do” and the tallest one “Sol” the one who is not lining up will point out his/her friend, as he/she wants. For example, if she/he points out the shortest child, who sings do, then the child will sing “Do.” Through this activity, children can learn about pitches that which pitch is the lowest or the highest of five pitches.

Extensions

I would call the activity “Do-Re-Mi” game. There are five pitches (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol) exist in the group, and since the sixth person can point out any pitches as she/he wants, the activity implicated with composition using five pitches.

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Texture, PhrasingCara Bernard

Designed for: High School Mixed Chorus, Grades 9-12 mixed; 40 students (perhaps half a year+ of chorus)

Materials: Sicut Cervus, SATB (Palestrina)

Pedagogical Goals: Students will:

Explore the use of texture in Sicut Cervus mm. 1-14 through singing, movement, visual representation

Sing, focusing on phrasing: analyze the stress/release of phrase as well as dynamic contour of their own voice part, as well as compare among other lines

Essential questions: How do the voice parts function separately and together? How do the entrances

of parts form an overlapping of sound and melodic lines? What beat(s) are How do the static versus moving notes create a phrase? How

do we sing through our phrase while honoring the presence of other voice parts?

Vocabulary:Texture-layering Stress/releaseCounterpoint Dynamic contour Polyphony

**The following experiences may be used at different points in the learning of this piece, dependent upon singers’ needs and readiness levels**

Procedure:Warm-ups: S. will conduct themselves throughout, showing difference of heavy/light, legato/staccato (facilitated by T.). In arpeggiated warm-ups, S. will create an arc/rainbow with arms to connect the voice to the musical line, creating a legato phrase.

1. S. stand when their voice part sings, sit down when they don’t (have a rest). This is a great way for S. to see when they sing in relation to others, who has entrances where, etc. Since this piece is through-composed, S. will be standing the majority of the piece, thus showing the number of parts that are working simultaneously. The many entrances of and unique qualities of 2+ individual parts as they work together is called polyphony. What is one voice? (monophony).

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2. S. practice breathing on their individual entrances. The breath supports the melodic line and also displays who is singing when. Students may whisper the first word (“Sic”) or just breathe. S. will exhale the breath throughout the phrase until their next breath.

3. S. pair up with partner from another voice part. Facing each other and joining palms, S. engage in a stress release (mm. 1-14). As one S. melodic line moves, that voice part will push forward on palm. Vice versa. Will usually occur on entrances with held notes or moving eighth notes heading to a static. Palms may separate at breath or end of phrase if together, or one voice part will be relaxed while other part stresses by pushing on the palm. This stress release helps to see where the phrase of the voice parts are moving and at what times. Also allows S. to feel entrances and experience layering of voices. Name texture as layering of voices.

(this can also be done holding hands, where one voice part pulls on the other hand for stress, and lessens for the release of phrase).

4. S. analyze their line for dynamics (often decrescendo-crescendo in Sicut Cervus). Demonstrate at mm. 7 in alto and tenor lines. Who is getting louder when alto and tenor are softer (bass)? Why? Name as dynamic contour. The use of dynamics in this piece accompany the phrases of the voice parts.

The melodic lines often crescendo on long static notes or moving eighth notes. How does this feel in the voice? How does it shape the line alone? With another part?In small groups, S. find another voice part and work through dynamics in their part to shape phrase. Compare the phrases and dynamics between the two parts, and put together. What do you notice about your line when sung with another part?

Suggested Ways of Assessment: have students’ movements embodied the musical phrase of their voice part? Is there a different in their singing to display this embodiment and knowledge of their phrasing and dynamic contour? Are students working together to feel the stress/release of their individual voice parts in comparison with others?

Extensions: continuation of Sicut Cervus, next section of piece. Once students are comfortable with their voice part, similar rehearsal techniques may be employed to explore the phrasing and counterpoint among parts. Use and naming of counterpoint may be used more as students have developed and begun to embody the feeling of the term in their singing.

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Church ActivityHymnal for Children

Melody/ Harmony/Counterpoint

Juhye Lee

Designed for: Sunday school kids (grade 3-6)

Construct Connection to Meaning and Process: “Yes, Jesus loves me” is well known for a simple hymnal often sung by children. It contains really simple melody line and I tried to arrange them with more variable harmony progressions than its original harmony progression. I wanted to explain about “arrangement” that with exist melody or a song, one can always change its harmony progression or instrumentation. I also added the violin line to explain “Counterpoint”.

Defining Question(s): What does the violin do in the piece?What’s the difference between original hymnal and arranged piece?

Related Vocabulary: Melody, Harmony, Accompanying, Counterpoint

Include 1st two pages of score

Extensions

I would play the original hymnal first and then the arrangement piece. After the play, I would ask students what the difference is. I believe that comparing the two pieces can help them improve their sense of listening and initiate them to start analyzing the pieces.

I would also want to ask students about the counter punctual line with violin. I could ask them to compose their own counter punctual line along with the melody.

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PHRASE & COUNTERPOINT

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Phrase

“Pass the phrase”

Yoo Ji Hwang

Designed for:

This lesson plan is designed for general music class, which have 25 2-3 graders with varied musical experiences.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life:

When we learn language, we gradually develop our language skills from words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Likewise, music also has similar structure to that of language. Notes are like the letters of the alphabet and they are grouped together into musical ideas and this is similar to words, phrases and sentences.

Defining Question:

“How is the music grouped?” “How many small musical structure could be used alone?”

Related Vocabulary:

Completeness, structure, sentence, word, note, measure, break, pause.

Pedagogical Goals:

The students will be able to identify melodic phrases in music.

Materials and Resources:

“Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley

Procedures:

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The teacher would first explain what a phase is by comparing it with the spoken language. Each note in music would be a word. The words form a grouping as in “in the house.” This grouping of words or notes in music is called a phrase.

Prior to the activity, the teacher would ask the students to make a circle and then play music. Whenever the teacher points to a student, he/she would dance each phrase of a song lasting 8 beats. Since this well known song to the students, they would easily recognize the phrases which can easily be divided. After 8 beats, the teacher would point to the next student and he/she would dance for the next 8 beat. However, the following group of students cannot repeat the same movements that were shown before. In doing so, students could visualize the phrases. This would continue until all the students have participated. During this time, the other students would bounce in place according to the beats. During the interlude, all the students would gather in the middle and dance together. Finally, the teacher would explain the meaning of the phrases noting that a melody has slight pauses at the end of a phrase. Joining these phrases, students can easily recognize sentences in music. Extensions:

This lesson plan could be integrated into language arts. The teacher would make the students listen to “Rock Around the Clock” many times and rewrite the song. The teacher would ask the students to form a group with 5 people. There would be many topics such as vacation, school, dream, friends and family. The students would brainstorm their ideas and organize it on paper. Each idea would be a phrase to form a main idea for a song. And then the students would replace the original lyrics with their own lyrics.

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CounterpointCreating Thinking Cycles, the Minimalist Approach

Tyreek Jackson

The theoretical parts of creating the composition: This piece was created for the purpose of utilizing a minimalist approach to creating dialogue; counterpoint between the instruments. As such, the initial melodic line was conceived of before hand. The next step was to use the 3 guitars and the piano to build that melody, with each instrument part playing a fragment of the original melody embedded in its own melodic line; holding its own piece of the melodic puzzle. With the instruments being introduced one at a time, repeating its own piece of the puzzle until the next part is introduced, stretching the completion of the original melody, the minimalist aspect of the piece is revealed. The individual parts, when all played together, complete the original melody as well as create 2 - 3 other lines of counterpoint. As such, a recursive dialogue is created within the quartet of instruments, a technique that can prove to be useful for amy composer - this compositional exercise being geared towards the high school and college student interested in composition.

Vocabulary: Composition, Counterpoint, Minimalist, Melodic Lines, Dialogue,

The practical parts of the recording and resources: To compose "Thinking Cycles", I used Finale 2012 software for the notation as well as an M-audio midi keyboard for the hardware input of the notes. Once the score was complete in Finale, the midi from the score was exported and then imported into Logic Pro to create a better sequence of the song. Instruments were reassigned and a live recording of the guitar part was added to the sequence before being bounced down into a wav and finally compressed into an mp3.

Extensions: Students could probably get the most out of looking at this score by mimicking the compositional procedure used here with a melodic line of their own choosing. It’s almost like using the individual instrumental parts as Lego pieces - while they have their own characteristics and direction, they’re being used as building devices to complete a greater picture. To hone in on the technique, it’d probably be best for the student to just work with 3 or 4 instruments and with a bar or 2 worth of material. With this in mind, teachers can use this as an opportunity to teach the power of melody and the importance of counterpoint and dialoguing between instruments. The teacher could come up with their own melody and make the students write a minimalist piece with that as their starting point.

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Regarding connections to other disciplines, this could be connected to logic, or basic programming. Where there is a given amount of information and one has to interpolate and extrapolate from that given information, determine if its recursive or make it recursive and such. *See Appendix file for score

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Phrasing/FormsCreating Mantra Meditation Part 1

Tyreek Jackson

The theoretical parts of creating the composition: Mantra Meditation Part 1. Was composed with the intention of getting the most out of a single page of music. This meant devising a piece that’s phrases would prove to be reusable with not just the sections right before and right after it, but also sections of the song later on down the road. As such, the piece had to be composed with an awareness of the general contour of the melodies and harmonies; as to provide enough variety for the piece to be interesting, but not to stray so far that when the piece recapitulates, the sound is out of context or unfamiliar. To achieve this, the minor 3rd movement was present throughout most of the piece to thread each section together. The different sections also hovered around a C tonal center with a C harmonic minor pitch class.

Vocabulary: Form, Recapitulation, Phrasing, Themes, Variation

The practical parts of the recording and resources: To compose "Mantra/Meditation Part 1", I used Finale 2012 software for the notation as well as an M-audio midi keyboard for the hardware input of the notes. Once the score was complete in Finale, I got a group of friends to play from the score as I conducted it. The Instrumentation is Flute, Guitar, Piano, Drums, and Voice.

Extensions: Students and Teachers could use this piece as a way to teach form in a couple of ways. Students and teachers could analyze this piece, marking the beginnings and endings of each phrase and then the teachers could do something like, erase the note-length values from the notes and have the students come up with their own rhythmic phrases with the same note content.

This piece could have some interdisciplinary connections to poetry. Having a limited amount of material to work with and extrapolating the maximum amount out of it by stretching and doctoring the form.

*See Appendix file for score

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Counterpoint and PhraseTwice by Next Collective/Strasbourg St. Denis by Roy Hargrove/If I Fall by Big K.R.I.T.

Serena Robinett

Designed for: high school students who have not been introduced to counterpoint

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Counterpoint is similar to discussion in that two people interact with one another rather than one person taking over the conversation. Counterpoint can be found in a variety of different genres and can even be applied to rap music.

Defining Question(s): “How are these musical lines related?”

Related Vocabulary: independent, overlapping, counter melody, Solo, duet, layered

Pedagogical Goals:Experience: Students will be able to identify counterpoint in music. Students will have a basic understanding of counterpoint and will be able to compose their own.Demonstrate: Students will create their own counterpoint.

Materials and Resources:Twice (0:00- 0:46): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqLbaO6XB4MStrasbourg St Denis (0:00- 1:15): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWVBWetAsZkIf I Fall (0:-40- 1:10): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obG4LS7KvYI

Procedures:1. Students will have a discussion in which both are involved, trying to understand how each individual complements and contrasts subjects with one another.2. Discuss counterpoint and its melodic and rhythmic variations.3.Listen to pieces that feature counterpoint while students listen for the interaction between lines.4. Some students may play the counterpoint melodies as a chance to perform in front of class.5. Students will get into groups of 2 or 3 and create their own counterpoint (without the confines of species counterpoint and its rules) and perform for each other at the end of class

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ExtensionsThis lesson may spark some compositional creativity and engagement and could

be a starting point for teaching music theory and species counterpoint. Other activities may include creating their own drumming rhythmic counterpoint or rap piece that utilizes a variety of counterpoint phrases and rhythms. The use of rap music will allow us to explore poetry, rhyme, and maybe even media literacy.

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CounterpointKandinsky & Counterpoint

Judy Lewis

Designed for: 4th or 5th grade general music

Construct Connection to Everyday Life:Discussion of diversity and inclusion

Defining Question(s): How does counterpoint connect distinct musical ideas together? How do repeated melodic motives create coherence in counterpoint?

Related Vocabulary: counterpoint; motive; voices; imitation

Pedagogical Goals: Focused listeningCreating counterpoint – simultaneous lines, spoken and played – and hearing their connectionRecognizing the concept of counterpoint in visual art and expressing this musicallyCreative composingFun

Materials and Resources: Percussion instruments, xylophone, recordersColor copies of Kandinsky’s painting, SuccessionProcedures:

Ask each student to speak his/her name out loud and decide on a rhythmic pattern they like for their name (e.g. “Judy” could be spoken with 2 eighth notes or 2 half-notes and it will sound different); each student demonstrates his/her chosen name-rhythm; have students wander around the room speaking their name softly with the rhythmic pattern they’ve chosen; rule: whenever you come close to someone else, stop and listen to how your “rhythm name” interacts with theirs; when teacher signals, come back to seats.

Discuss the experience – What happened when you encountered someone else’s name? Which names do you think worked best with yours? Why?

Discuss musical counterpoint as it relates to the previous activity; ask students to give examples of something from their life that relates to the concept of ‘counterpoint’

Divide class into 2 equal groups; the first group will sing the motive: ‘do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re’ in eighth notes, repeating; the second group will sing the motive ‘mi-sol’ in quarter notes, repeating ; have groups sing their motives

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simultaneously; the teacher then joins with a third motive: ‘re – re’ sung in half notes.

Discuss the sound of this counterpoint: How did all the voices sound together? Did one of the motives seem more important than the others or were they all equal?

Pass out copies of Kandinsky’s painting, Succession, to pairs of students; ask them to discuss among themselves those elements in the picture that reflect the concept of counterpoint we’ve been experimenting with; ask them to locate and mark the ‘repeating motives’ throughout the painting between the various “voices”.

Student pairs are asked to choose 2 of the line-sections from Kandinsky’s painting and create a counterpoint composition based on those sections; students are asked to make sure to account for the ‘repeating motives’; they may use an Orff xylophone, small percussion instruments, or recorders

Each pair performs their piece for the class.

Assessment:Students can explain the concept of counterpoint in musicStudents can create a musical composition which includes counterpoint

Extensions:1. Students may be asked to create a drawing that reflects counterpoint; this may

be done while listening to a piece of music with obvious counterpoint.2. Students may be asked to bring in paintings that they think reflect counterpoint

and explain them to the class.3. Students may be asked to write an essay about different ideas or opinions and

how they fit together.

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Wassily Kandinsky, Succession

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CounterpointA Match Made in Heaven: Composing One Melody With a Second One in Mind

Dan Fagen

Designed for: High School Music Students

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: With high school-aged children, a team sport is a good analogy to make. For instance, a team is most successful when every player is working fluidly and interacting with each other to produce a greater result than any one player could have achieved individually. This can be likened to counterpoint, where each melodic line is like a player on the team, and the finished product works best when these lines are created mindfully, with all the other lines in mind.

Defining Question(s): How can two or more melodic lines function independent of one another while simultaneously combining to create something completely new?

Related Vocabulary: Interval; Step; Leap; Diatonic; Chromatic

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: By listening to “good” and “poor” examples of counterpoint, then synthesizing it themselves, students will experience the importance of intentionality as it applies to composing this kind of musicDemonstrate: Students will ultimately demonstrate understanding and internalization of concepts via low-level composition and performance of these compositions.

Materials and Resources: Manuscript paper and pencils for students Keyboards (enough to accommodate a ratio of 1 per every student or group,

preferable with headphones) Stereo (if listening examples are desired by instructor) Any listening examples desired by the instructor to demonstrate counterpoint

Procedures: 1. Can be carried out with individuals, or with small groups, as the instructor sees

fit depending on their own unique student population. 2. Ask each student or group to compose a simple, easy-to-play 8 measure melodic

line in the key of C major, in 4/4 time, without using any chromatic pitches. 3. Once the students have completed this exercise, ask for two volunteers to

perform their compositions simultaneously, at the same tempo. This

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performance will serve as a jumping off point for a discussion of why this combination worked or did not work. It will be emphasized that although these pieces were in the same key signature, and therefore unlikely to be too dissonant, they probably still don’t sound very natural when played together.

4. Play audio examples of what “good counterpoint” sounds like and then ask the students to reflect on what aspects of the listening example made the piece “work”.

5. After a brief discussion, have the students or groups will trade their original compositions with each other, and ask them to compose a counterpoint melody to accompany the piece that they have just received.

6. Upon completion, each group will perform their completed arrangements for the class, and give a brief presentation explaining the process they used to create these compositions, and will provide copies of sheet music for their fellow classmates.

Extensions: The main hope here is that students will assimilate the core ideas of counterpoint into whichever musical avenue they choose to travel in their own lives, whether it be jazz, rock, electronic music, hip-hop, etc. The end goal is not to have them perfect the strict technique of Baroque counterpoint in the tradition of Bach, although they will be exposed to this. The goal is that the students are able to realize the aesthetic that can be achieved when melodic lines are composed in a thoughtful manner that function to complement one another and function in an intentional way. Hopefully they will find this in the study of counterpoint.

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Phrase, Repetition and ChangeFollow the Leader

Dan Fagen

Designed for: Instrumental Music Students of Any Age and Ability

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: This would depend on the target age group of the students, which I have intentionally left open-ended. However, the instructor could make the connection of certain routines that are repeated and varied in everyday life, and why they are necessary in order to be successful.

Defining Question(s): Why is it that so much music consists of repetition of phrases? What effect does this have on the listener? When we change a phrase, do we change it completely, or only vary it slightly? What is the result of each?

Related Vocabulary: Phrase; Rhythm; Repetition; Variation; Call and Response; Improvisation.

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will experience what it is like to improvise, and what it is like to use aural cues rather than notational cues to produce music.Demonstrate: Students will demonstrate understanding through active participation on their primary instruments during this activity.

Materials and Resources: Band Instruments

Procedures: The difficulty level of the following exercise can be adjusted according to student age and ability level. The activity will hopefully help the students to understand how repetition and change function within music while actively engaging them in improvisation and rhythmic ear training.

9. Begin by asking for a volunteer to help demonstrate the activity. 10. Select one concert pitch that is to be used throughout the entire exercise. 11. Explain to another band member that they are going to improvise a rhythm that

is four beats in length, and only uses the one predetermined concert pitch. 12. After they play this 4 beat long improvisation, it is the volunteer’s task to repeat

this “phrase” or “motive” on their own instrument immediately. 13. This first example should not be too difficult for the student to play successfully.14. Following this demonstration (and performing it several times if necessary), ask

for pairs of volunteers to come up and perform the same exercise in front of the

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rest of the band, with each pair switching roles between “improviser” and “repeater”.

15. For the second part of this exercise, the improviser’s job will stay the same, but now instead of having a “repeater”, the second person will serve as a “changer” whose job it will be to provide some sort of variation or change of the rhythm that the improviser plays to them.

16. A discussion will follow in which the students try to talk through the process that they used to decide how they were going to change the rhythm that they were presented with.

Extensions: This exercise can lead to a broad variety of discussion topics. One option would be to use this as a jumping off point to discuss classical composition techniques, and how repetition and change appears constantly as a theme in these genres, providing musical listening examples and discussing how, when used properly, repetition and change serves to make the music quite interesting to listen to. This exercise can also lead as a preliminary stepping stone on the road to teaching students how to improvise and compose. I am a believer that by initially limiting the students in what they are allowed to play (in this case, only one pitch), it will assist them in finding their own voice, as these limitations should slowly illuminate what they want to play outside of these confines.

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Counterpoint and Communication - “Billie Jean”Elisa Clark

Designed for: Six clients in a physical rehabilitation center recovering from strokes. Clients are between the ages of 63 and 85 with typical cognitive function but great difficulty with motor planning. Although none of the clients are professional musicians, they all consider themselves music lovers and express a willingness to engage in music therapy rehabilitation treatments.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: This activity uses phrasing and counterpoint in a metaphorical sense. The layers of rhythm created by each group create a richness of sound that supports the rhythms created by the other groups. The matching of movement with rhythm within the context of a song creates a structure.

Defining Question: 1) “How does the layering of instrumental sounds structure movement?”2) “How can keeping a steady beat reinforce communication?”

Pedagogical Goals: 1) Participants will shake egg shakers, tap knees & tambourines, tap claves, hit

paddle drums, make eye contact with peers and play in unison with instrumental groups

Materials and Resources: Paddle drums, small percussion instruments, device for playing music, and recording of song selection, recording of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75sx7U6dAB4

Procedures: The therapist will assign rhythmic parts (below) to clients based upon ability and upon target areas in need of attention. Each part corresponds with a musical phrase within the piece. During the chorus, clients will stop playing assigned rhythms and sway their upper bodies side to side.

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Part One: (members of this group will sit with the handle of one paddle drums under each leg so that drum heads lie to the participants’ right and left sides)Beat 1 2 3 4Action Tap paddle drum

on rightTap paddle drum on left

Part Two: (members of this group will grasp one egg shaker in each hand and alternate sides)

Beat 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &Action Shake

egg over head

Shake egg over head

Shake egg over head

Shake egg over head

Part Three: (members of this group will grasp a tambourine in their non-dominant hands)Beat 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Action Tap dominant hand on

right knee

Tap tambourine

with dominant

Tap dominant hand on

right knee

Tap tambourine

with dominant

Tap tambourine

with dominant

Part Four: (members of this group will grasp one wooden clave in each hand)Beat 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &Action Tap

clavesTap claves

Tap claves

Extensions: By engaging in gross and fine motor movements that target weakened muscle groups, clients will increase strength and flexibility in areas of the body affected by strokes. Additionally, aligning purposeful movements with predictable rhythm will reinforce efforts made by the clients during physical therapy sessions.

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Texture, PhrasingCara Bernard

Audience: High School Mixed Chorus, Grades 9-12 mixed; 40 students (perhaps half a year+ of chorus)

Materials: Sicut Cervus, SATB (Palestrina)

Pedagogical Goals: Students will:

Explore the use of texture in Sicut Cervus mm. 1-14 through singing, movement, visual representation

Sing, focusing on phrasing: analyze the stress/release of phrase as well as dynamic contour of their own voice part, as well as compare among other lines

Essential questions: How do the voice parts function separately and together? How do the entrances

of parts form an overlapping of sound and melodic lines? What beat(s) are How do the static versus moving notes create a phrase? How

do we sing through our phrase while honoring the presence of other voice parts?

Vocabulary:Texture-layering Stress/releaseCounterpoint Dynamic contour Polyphony

**The following experiences may be used at different points in the learning of this piece, dependent upon singers’ needs and readiness levels**

Procedure:Warm-ups: S. will conduct themselves throughout, showing difference of heavy/light, legato/staccato (facilitated by T.). In arpeggiated warm-ups, S. will create an arc/rainbow with arms to connect the voice to the musical line, creating a legato phrase.

1. S. stand when their voice part sings, sit down when they don’t (have a rest). This is a great way for S. to see when they sing in relation to others, who has entrances where, etc. Since this piece is through-composed, S. will be standing the majority of the piece, thus showing the number of parts that are working simultaneously. The many entrances of and unique qualities of 2+ individual parts as they work together is called polyphony. What is one voice? (monophony).

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2. S. practice breathing on their individual entrances. The breath supports the melodic line and also displays who is singing when. Students may whisper the first word (“Sic”) or just breathe. S. will exhale the breath throughout the phrase until their next breath.

3. S. pair up with partner from another voice part. Facing each other and joining palms, S. engage in a stress release (mm. 1-14). As one S. melodic line moves, that voice part will push forward on palm. Vice versa. Will usually occur on entrances with held notes or moving eighth notes heading to a static. Palms may separate at breath or end of phrase if together, or one voice part will be relaxed while other part stresses by pushing on the palm. This stress release helps to see where the phrase of the voice parts are moving and at what times. Also allows S. to feel entrances and experience layering of voices. Name texture as layering of voices.

(this can also be done holding hands, where one voice part pulls on the other hand for stress, and lessens for the release of phrase).

4. S. analyze their line for dynamics (often decrescendo-crescendo in Sicut Cervus). Demonstrate at mm. 7 in alto and tenor lines. Who is getting louder when alto and tenor are softer (bass)? Why? Name as dynamic contour. The use of dynamics in this piece accompany the phrases of the voice parts.

The melodic lines often crescendo on long static notes or moving eighth notes. How does this feel in the voice? How does it shape the line alone? With another part?In small groups, S. find another voice part and work through dynamics in their part to shape phrase. Compare the phrases and dynamics between the two parts, and put together. What do you notice about your line when sung with another part?

Suggested Ways of Assessment: have students’ movements embodied the musical phrase of their voice part? Is there a different in their singing to display this embodiment and knowledge of their phrasing and dynamic contour? Are students working together to feel the stress/release of their individual voice parts in comparison with others?

Extensions: continuation of Sicut Cervus, next section of piece. Once students are comfortable with their voice part, similar rehearsal techniques may be employed to explore the phrasing and counterpoint among parts. Use and naming of counterpoint may be used more as students have developed and begun to embody the feeling of the term in their singing.

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(Phrasing/Form)Musical Partnerships

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Working in groups is not only a requirement to be successful in any career, it’s mandatory that high school students work in groups in almost every upper level class. Rarely are we completely on our own in any endeavor. Among the many challenges of working in groups is deciding on roles and discovering redundancy, and working toward a common goal. This exercise addresses all of these things.

Defining Question(s): How is this piece put together? How do I make my part my own?

Related Vocabulary: balance intonation rising falling climax melody harmonic support counter melody

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will perform the music, with phrasing and without, both near and away from their musical partners. Students will see the groups form and change throughout the form of the piece.

Demonstrate: Students will show that they can associate similar music by forming groups after performance. Students will phrase the music with different climaxes, rising and falling action.

Materials and Resources: Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed (Alfred Publishing)

specifically the “Alagyaz” section

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ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student- Initiated (SI)

o (SI/TG) Students may sit where they choose as long as it is next to a different instrument

o (TG) Teacher conducts students to perform 186 to 194o (SI)Students listen for someone who plays their part, or something similaro (SI)Students switch seats to find groups who play the same musico (TG) Teacher repeats the above exercise until students settle in the

following groups: Melody

Clar 1, Tpt. 1, Cnt. 1, Flute, Oboe Harmonic support

Horns, bari Sax Tuba, String Bass, Bass Clar

Counter Melody Basson, Alto Sax, Baritone, tenor sax Clar 2,3; Tpt. 2,3

o (SI)Once in groups, students volunteer different types of phrasing Each phrase must have a climax, or goal Sound must crescendo to the climax Students experiment with different mixed dynamics to create

different soundso (TG) The teacher will model different types of phrasingo (TG) /(SI)Repeat the above process for measures 194-202, 202-210, and

210-224 Students stand with different groups as I call out the different

sections

Assessment Points (occurring throughout): Answer specific questions Listen to individuals Students assess timbre changes as each group performs for the class

Closure:o (T/G) Perform the “Alagyaz” section of Armenian Dances, with pauses

between rehearsal marks Students with the melody stand on chairs Students with counter melody stand Students with harmonic support sit

Extensions

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Students will hopefully extend the idea of phrasing to all of their musical endeavors and to other performances like public speaking. The phrasing is a personal choice which makes even the most unfamiliar music their own.

Working in groups is common in high school, the idea of blending ideas is useful in any subject where there is a shared goal.

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(Phrasing/Form/Meter)Journey of the Phrase

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Whether it’s speaking in public, writing a story, playing a jazz solo, or convincing a would-be boss that you’re right for the job, storytelling is an essential element in our daily interactions. Any good story builds, has a climax, and a denouement.

Defining Question(s): How is the meter related to the phrase? What does my phrase say?

Related Vocabulary: irregular accent beat period penultimate building/rising falling/denouement climax

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will experience how a smooth even phrase can occur over a seemingly disjointed, irregularly-patterned piece of music.

Demonstrate: Students will perform and listen to each other perform irregularly metered music with phrasing. They will perform longer and longer sections of the music with a steady rising and falling phrase.

Materials and Resources: Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed (Alfred Publishing) specifically the “Hoy, Nazam

Eem” section

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ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student- Initiated (SI)

o (TG) Teacher conducts as band performs 69 – 186o (TG) Teacher asks guided questions about the meter

How are the beats grouped? Where are the accents? How are the beats divided?

o (SI) Students define ‘irregular’ meter Meter that is not symmetrical, in this case, almost the entirety of

this section

o (SI) Students listen as they play to find the “Hoy, Nazan Eem” Melody or variation of it

Students will find either a 5 measure or 10 measure phrase in every part of the band (noted in score)

o (TG) Teachers models different phrasing, both playing and by showing an arc with the arm as student volunteers show the phrasing

o (SI) Students pair off by section, then play the music for their partners while the partner shows them the arc of the phrase being created

First, a 2 measure phrase, then 4 and then a 5 measure phraseo (TG)Director groups sections together, so that each group of students

can play the entire 10-measure periodo (TG) students volunteer different types of phrasing, similar to the last

exercise Each phrase must have a climax, or goal, whether 5 measure, or

10 measure Sound must crescendo to the climax The penultimate note before the climax is usually the strongest

note The denouement begins immediately after the climax

Assessment Points (occurring throughout):o Answer specific questionso Listen to individualso Students arch each other’s phrases

Closure:o Perform the “Hoy Nazan Eem” section of Armenian Dances

Record Performance

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Listen to performance and show phrase archs with arms, assess our performance individually

ExtensionsStudents must have a goal, they must have the climax in mind before performing

music or speaking in public.This is a perfect complement to a course on public speaking or unit on

storytelling.

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(Theme/Motif/Form/Counterpoint)The Live Remix

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Modern music technology has brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘make the music your own.’ We not only experience a song on the radio, we hear someone else’s mix, or someone’s mix of a mix, or even a live mix at a concert.

Defining Question(s): How do we create variety from repetition?

Related Vocabulary: Chaconne Passacaglia Counterpoint Consonant Dissonant Contour

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will hear how different combinations of instruments, different countermelodies, and different counterpoint styles serve to vary a repeating musical phrase.

Demonstrate: Students will create and perform their own variations on Holsts’s chaconne theme. They will then use other student’s variations to create their own composition.

Materials and Resources: Suite in Eb for Military Band by Gustav HolstAvailable at: http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5b/IMSLP21189-

PMLP48937-First_Suite_in_Eb_for_Military_Band.pdfSibelius SoftwareStudent compositions

In a previous lesson, students composed their own countermelodies to Holst’s chaconne theme. These pieces are written out in Sibelius software, and arranged for the different keys of a concert band.

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ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student-Initiated (SI)

o (TG) Students sit in a large circle facing inward toward each othero (TG) Students perform their countermelodies for each other, one at a

time, while the chaconne melody is played by bass instruments (tuba, baritone, bassoon, bari sax)

o (SI) After each performance, students are allowed to switch seats and move so they are sitting closer to other students who play a ‘similarly composed’ counter melody.

Similarly composed could mean: Similar counterpoint Similar contour Or other similarities recognized by students

At the end of the exercise, students should have switched seats several times, and it should be visually apparent to the group leader what each grouping of students around the circle represents compositionally

o (TG) The teacher selects a student leader to begin the remixo (SI)Standing in the middle of the circle, the student remixer selects a

group of instruments to begin the chaconneo (SI) Once the chaconne is begun (and repeated throughout), the student

points to different individuals or groups of players to perform their countermelody over the repeating chaconne. As the piece progresses, the student remixer brings other individuals in and out at will.

An infinite variety of combinations can occur Since students are sitting near similar composing styles, it should

be easier to purposefully select countermelodies rather than choosing randomly

The student remixer may conduct dynamics and tempo as well with the aim (hopefully) of a build up, climax, and denouement

Assessment Points (occurring throughout): Teacher asks throughout, “How did that grouping of instruments sound?” Students assess the mood and feeling of each remix at its conclusion

What worked? What didn’t? Why?Closure:

o (TG) Band performs the Chaconne movement of Holst’s Suite in Eb and compare it to recordings of student remixes

ExtensionsStudents will hopefully be emboldened to try composing and arranging on their

own after a live experiment with the concert band.

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This pairs well with a multimedia course, whether the media is video, music, or sound. Within any mixed media project, there must be a goal, a climax and this exercise is a good illustration.

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Phrasing, Theme/MotifCara Bernard

Audience: beginning chorus (grade 3+), knowledge of basic solfege/sight- reading.

Materials: In the Shade of the Garden Strolling, Rimsky-Korsakov, arr. C. Bernard

Pedagogical Goals: Students will: Sing measures 1-6 in unison, with phrasing and unified rounded tone Find motivic repetition among parts, including moving 8th notes, parallel

movement of rhythm and melody, similar phrasing among voice parts Compare their voice part in each verse to another, in terms of phrasing and

theme/motive (is this similar to another part or different?)

Essential questions: How do the motives of the larger theme work together to create texture among voice parts?

Vocabulary: TexturePhrasing/arc

Procedure: S. read patterns of m-r-d from T. handsigns. T. introduce piece, mm. 1-6. Sing together, focus on phrasing.

o S. may walk to embody the beat and move arms to show phrasing. T. will lead students through text stress—how do we show this in our bodies? In our voices?

mm. 7-12—who has the melody (T2). Introduce T3 part on solfege (mm. 7-12). Are T2 and T3 similar or different? How?

Guide students to notice both entrances have running 8th notes. Sing T2 and T3 together. Introduce T3 at mm. 7. How do T1/T3 know when to enter? Name 8th note

entrance as a motive, or a short musical idea that repeats itself. Do you see any other motives in your voice part, similar to T2? (this is how they can identify a motive, through comparison to the original melody). Perhaps the m-r-d entrances in the parts (melodic contour).

S. sing mm. 1-12 together, on voice parts. Add phrasing and movement to embody moving/legato vocal line.

Suggested Ways of Assessment: can students identify, read, sing m-r-d patterns from handsigns and in the music? Are they following the melodic contour of the melody as well as their own voice part to identify motives (8th note motives, held notes together as

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a motive, etc).

Extensions: as you teach the rest of the piece, you can highlight other small motives. These will help students to think through the composition as a whole and understand the function of their voice part with others, and how they create a sense of phrasing, texture and harmony. Can name such words and work through them in an artistic way, wrapping around the repertoire.

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THEMES & MOTIFS

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Themes and MotifsLyric Suite, Alban Berg String Quartet

Serena Robinett

Construct Connection to Movement or Metaphor or Class Reading: The Lyric Suite by Alban Berg is a unique serialist composition in that it is not

only musical, but contains a secret program/ dedication. Berg dedicated this kind of love song to a woman that he spent time with, their initials are found in the main motif. Other themes reference her and her children as well. This piece employs the twelve tone row technique, which is useful in creating themes and motifs.

Defining Question(s): “How is this music? What makes it musical?” “What themes or motifs can we hear?” “How do these motifs relate to the work as a whole?”

Related Vocabulary: secret program, composition, initials, Tristan, third movement fugue, second movement rondo-Do Do’s theme:

Munzo’s theme

Link to Full Score and Recorded Performance (optional)http://imslp.org/wiki/Lyrische_Suite_(Berg,_Alban)

ExtensionsA discussion might be necessary on how serialism is musical and what makes it

music as opposed to just sounds. The idea of a secret program might interest students and may allow them to explore themes/motifs by creating their own love songs. Or they might make compositions about their family and friends. The theory of serialism and

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twelve tone rows which applies very beautifully to math as well as the significance of the numbers 10 and 23 in this piece, which may be another way to connect this piece to music, numbers, and math.

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Motif“Becoming a Future Beethoven”

The First Movement of Beethoven Symphony No. 5

Yoo Ji Hwang

Construct Connection to Movement or Metaphor or Class Reading: Beethoven’s symphony No. 5 is considered one of the most popular classical music in the world. Students would easily recognize the beginning four notes since Beethoven made a strong impression. This musical idea is further developed by repeating it with different melodies or rhythms and with different instrumentations that have different pitches and timbre. This simple recurring fragment appears more than seventy times throughout the piece thus making it easily recognizable. This is a called ‘motif,’ which helps identify the characteristics of a piece.

Defining Question(s): “What was the most impressive melody?” “What was the recurring melody?” “What would you consider the most important melody when you imagine composing this piece?”

Related Vocabulary: Musical idea, musical fragment, melody, recurring figure.

Graphic representation of score:

<Figure 1> The motif shown in the first movement of Beethoven Symphony No.5

Extensions: The teacher will first play the first movement of Beethoven’s symphony No. 5, which takes approximately 7 minutes. The teacher would have a discussion with the students about the concept, the motif. The teacher would ask some questions regarding the motif shown in the beginning four notes of the first movement such as “What was the most impressive melody to you in this piece?” or “Imagine that you were Beethoven. What would you consider to be the most important melody?” Students

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would answer and describe the motif they heard from music. The teacher would explain the concept of the motif which is a recurring melody that would identify the characteristic of the composition. After that, the teacher would ask the students to hum or sing the motif, “Da Da Da Dah.” The teacher would further ask the students if they heard any variations of this motif which perhaps may have been slower or faster, with a change in the rhythm or pitch, with different instrumentations that have different timbre. The teacher would play the same recording again and make the students raise their hands when they hear the motif or its variations.

The teacher would further develop this creative activity. The teacher would ask the students to compose the motif using the model shown in the beginning melody shown in Symphony No. 5. At the same time, the teacher would then explain to them that they need to compose the motif (one measure) that could be used in the first movement of Beethoven’s symphony No. 5. And explain to them that it could be another variation of the motives shown in the beginning. The teacher would provide staff paper with a 2/4 meter and Eb Major to students. While doing this, the students would not only compose the melody, but they would think about the dynamics as well. And then the teacher would randomly choose the order and make each student play his or her motif on the piano. This would be another version of the first movement of Beethoven Symphony No. 5. If time permits, the students could choose the order by themselves that could coincide with the prior melody. In addition, they could change the dynamics of each motif to make a better complete piece.

This repertoire could be integrated with art class. After listening to the music and composing their motif, the teacher would show them a graphic representation of the first movement of Beethoven Symphony No. 5. After watching this video, the teacher would ask the students to draw their own representation of this piece that describes the melody from the recording

Motives, Themes, Large-Scale Forms

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Piano Quartet in E flat Major, Op, 47 Movement III by Robert Schumann

Joanna Huang

Construct Connection: The gorgeous theme in the third movement from Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E flat major is exemplary of smaller motives building into an overarching theme. Schumann’s placement of the theme throughout the instrumentation as well as arrangement of thematic transitions enhances an otherwise straightforward ternary structure of this beautiful piece.

Defining Question(s): “How is the music memorable?”

Related Vocabulary: Motive, themes, large-scale forms, ternary

Link to Full Score and Recorded Performance http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP05770-Schumann_quartet_op47_score.pdf

Emerson Quartet & Menahem Presslerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCvcLQotSik

Robert Schumann had been known to commit certain years to compose for specific instrumentation. Prior to the creation of this quartet, he had written almost exclusively for the piano during the years of 1832-1839. Then 1840 was the year of songs, or Liederjahr. This quartet, composed in 1842, resulted from his “Chamber Music Year” when he spent the entire year concentrating on piano and string quartets and quintets. The third movement, as a recovery standard slow movement following the somewhat whirlwind-like second movement scherzo, opens with a sustained diminished seventh chord built on E natural. It is quite an interesting choice of sonorities, since the piano, viola, and cello outline the seventh chord, playing the root, fifth, and seventh. Only the first violin gets to play the note G, which is the third of the chord, and resonant of the ending in G minor in the second movement. However, this short intensity is quickly resolved to F major to serve as the dominant chord in B-flat major. A slight cadenza-like violin melody proceeds, and while one might expect it to continue, the cello grabs the ears’ attention with its descending scale degree five down to three. What appears to be a harmonious accompaniment then surprisingly turns into a gorgeous theme. Then after three repeats of similar motivic movements, the cello theme ends with the exact

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cadenza-like passage, previously played by the violin, and turns the theme around to be taken over by the violin in m. 17. The theme, built by three smaller motives, is structured beautifully beginning with the descending scale from F-Eb-D followed by a minor seventh leap up to a C, creating an appoggiatura resolved down to B flat. But the second motivic moves quickly diverting that resolution into an inverse of the first motive. As the first motive follows a descending-ascending-descending figure, the B flat continues the second motive in partial inverse: ascending-descending-static. These two smaller units of scale and seventh leaps thus form a complete motive. The overarching theme contains three complete sets of such motives, each time descending further from the very last note of the previous motive. After the third complete motive finishes, the theme concludes with a semi-chromatic turn-around in reference to the opening violin passage. Back to the violin in m. 17, as it sings out the theme, the cello interestingly interjects with motive 1 and an incomplete motive 2. Instead of completing the ascending-descending-static figure in motive 2, the cello simply connects the ascending portion as an extension to motive 1. Therefore creating almost a round-like interaction between the violin and cello. Then, as one might think this could be followed by the piano or viola in the next portion, Schumann surprises us with a nice variety. Although the piano has mainly been accompanying and supporting the harmonic structure of the theme, this time at m. 31 it takes over by first varying the pattern of scales with F#-G-E. Then with a simple slur, Schumann creates a secondary motive within the A theme (contrasting to the overall melody from m. 3 to 31) through syncopation and continuous outlines of seventh chords in ascending arpeggios. This time, however, after the piano begins the secondary motive, the viola follows suit in segments of the arpeggios just two short measures away. Interestingly, the viola plays its eighth notes on the beat, therefore creating an echoing feel in contrast to the piano’s syncopated notes. The B section consists of a quick key change led by a shift of treating the B-flat as the tonic in B-flat major to the mediant in G-flat major, the flat VI of B-flat. The theme in the B section follows similar characteristics of the A section, except the musical idea appears to be prolonged, and perhaps can even be described as somber, carrying a tone of seriousness, choral-like in contrast to the care-free, sweet and individualistic quality of the A theme. The piano harmonizes, accompanying the singing of the strings as they carry out the depth of stretched contrapuntal lines. Then in m. 56 the piano takes over the B theme, and the strings accompany sparingly. Overall, the entire B section also feels almost like a trio section in sonatas.A stepwise motion from G-flat to F, with a prolonged emphasis on the F and the viola continuing to descend with a scale, the A theme returns with a bonus. This time, the

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viola finally sings out the A theme, but with the violin floating above with what appears to be the B theme in diminished rhythmic value. Then following the turn around in A theme, the violin takes over the A theme with the piano running the arpeggios of the B theme, and the viola acting as echo to the violin. When the violin concludes its turn on A theme, the cello then returns with the A theme with sustained tones in the violin and viola and almost Alberti bass like accompaniment in the piano. A fine ritardando leads us back to what is reminiscent of the B section, except very augmented rhythmic values and with many suspensions. Schumann then brings the piece to a playful end, with staccato contrary motion scales and occasional chromatic notes, until the very end with the dwindling harmonies of stepwise movements in the strings and piano, creating undulating figures of sixths and tritones. Overall, the third movement to Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major presents a slight rest in the piece: it is the slow movement in the key of B-flat major out of the four movements composed mainly in the key to E-flat major. As a sudden and surprising transition from the G minor in the second movement, the melodic and harmonic material in B-flat major in the beginning of the third movement is sweet and almost unassuming. Its collection of small motivic figures allows the A theme to be memorable with much of a longing feeling in the leaping sevenths. Each time the theme is handed off to a different instrument, it is done with a sense of sophistication that the individualistic character presented by each instrument can be melded harmoniously. The second part of A theme consists a secondary motivic structure of arpeggiated seventh chords, which seems to represented by the piano and viola in contrast to the first motives being represented by the cello and violin. The insert of a key change with the secondary theme alters the overall tone in the movement. The augmented note values and somewhat homophonic texture mark a clear contrast to the A section. Yet it does not lose the sense of continuity through scales and large intervallic leaps. The overall form of the movement can be described as ternary: A-B-A’. The very last section essentially is a combination of the two motivic gestures in the A theme, one of them being the prominent melody, and the other being the arpeggiated seventh chords. Combined together, these two motivic figures create a sense of unity and overall flow to the movement. As mentioned in the beginning, this particular movement of Schumann’s Piano Quartet Op. 47 is among one of my favorite pieces of music, along with the third movement scherzo of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet, Op. 81, in the chamber music category. After getting a closer look at the overall structure of the music, I am really quite amazed at how simplistic it actually is. The impression such simplicity leaves on the audience is a kind of effortless beauty and furthermore an appreciation towards the unique arrangement of instruments in a piano quartet.

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MotifJust a Little Motif-ation

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Elisabeth McPeak

Designed for: General Music Classroom, Grades 2-4

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Various motifs connected to characters students may know from television

“When you hear this, (play demo), what do you think of?”

Defining Question(s): How is music constructed using one idea?

Related Vocabulary: motif, theme (development of motif to create the theme), melody, rhythm

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Listening – Students will listen to excerpt to identify (and count) motifs Demonstrate: Students will create their own motifs on instruments

Materials and Resources: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, First Movement, instruments (preferably xylophones with removable bars)

Procedures: 1. Movement/Listening – Students listen to the piece and move freely around the room (possibly stop recording early depending on student reaction)2. Discuss the motif in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Show notational example of the motif on the board3. Listen to piece again (with new awareness on what to listen for); keep count of how many times the motif is heard (the opening fifteen seconds of music features the motif 14 times)- Hand out sheet of paper with a counting system (possibly empty boxes) and have the students mark an X or a check mark each time they hear the motif played4. Student contributions – ask if students can identify or think of other melodies/themes that feature a particular motif (possibly assign as an at-home assignment that will be shared later)5. Create own motifs (on instruments)- First, imitate Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 motif (following same rhythm and pitch pattern)- Next, create own motif using various pitches and rhythms6. Share in class created motifs

Extensions:

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- Students may begin by imitating Beethoven’s motif from Symphony No. 5, using the same rhythmic pattern, then later extend the idea by incorporating different rhythms and notes

- Create a short song that features the student-created motif

- Interdisciplinary – discuss motifs in Literature (for older students?)

- Peter and the Wolf, featuring leitmotif, which can lead to a project where students must work together (in pairs or groups of three) to create a story using various motifs to represent different characters

- Create a story- Create a motif for each character- Tell story using words and created motifs

- Fantasia 2000 – use of Rhapsody in Blue as another example of motif

Themes and MotifsGetting to Know Form Through Motifs

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Kristi CampbellDesigned for: K-2nd grade, with little or no musical background. I.e. very few of the kids in each class have private music instruction, and previous music classes have focused on learning songs.Construct Connection to Everyday Life: A road brings us to different scenes and spots along the journey. Defining Question: How is music constructed? Where is it going?Related Vocabulary: Form, themes, motifsTheoretical Construct Defining Question Domain Mapping VocabularyPRIMARY Form Metaphor: building,

constructionParts, pieces, structure

SECONDARY Motif, Themes Visual representation: Building blocks of different colors (legos)

Ideas, sentences, statements, differences

Pedagogical Goals

Experience: Children will choose materials that correspond to different themes.Demonstrate: Children will recognize themes by changing the block they are building a road with. Materials and Resources: Recording of Mozart Piano Sonata in G Major; different kinds of blocks (plastic, wood, legos, big jumbo blocks,etc. ), printouts of motivic material (below)

Procedures: 1. Show some pictures of what a child would see on his way to school or other

trips (stoplight, grocery stores, fields, mailbox at home, etc.) . Pick pictures that illustrate different kinds of material (wood, brick, sand, dirt etc.) and a variety of colors.

2. Explain that a composer writing a piece wants us to travel on a journal with him, to go down a road that is going to change the further we go on it. Explain that a composer creates a musical journey by making choices, like what should the main idea be? How should it change?

3. Play the following motifs from the exposition of Mozart’s Piano Sonata in G major:

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Principal Theme and Closing Statement in the exposition:

Subordinate theme and variation:

These are the “scenes” of the exposition that create the journey of a piece.

4. Have kids practice recognizing these ideas by hearing the teacher play them on the piano first.

5. Practice playing each idea and having kids choose the kind of block they want to represent it. They can start to build a road or structures along the road, but when the motif changes, they must pick the new kind of block to continue the construction of the journey road.

6. The teacher can put the printouts of the themes on the wall close to each spot along the journey where the kids are building the road.

7. As a final step, listen to the Mozart Sonata, and help them build something according to the motifs as they repeat throughout the piece. It might be necessary to stop the music periodically to allow more building time with a certain kind of block.

Teacher Guided: Instruction (steps 1-4) is teacher-guided.Student-Initiated: The class chooses types of blocks that represent each theme.Assessment Points: For informal assessment, watch which blocks are chosen to build their house in Step 6. The teacher may need to stop and remind them of the color of the theme.Extensions

Teacher/Classroom extensions: In the following lesson, the kids can listen to the Mozart Piano Sonata again. This time, they can make visual representation on paper that will prepare them to study the form of the exposition of the sonata. Have them make markings for each theme. Discuss how many times each theme was repeated and where it was repeated.

Interdisciplinary extension: The concept of variation according compositional elements can be found in science (what water is made up of and chemicals similar but with a different compositional element that make them something completely different)

Steady Beat/ Repeating MotiveThe Viennese Clock

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Judy Lewis

Designed for: Kindergarten

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Discussion of clocks – how they work; what they help us with,

Defining Question(s): How does organization of beat into meter help our sense of steady movement in music? How do we recognize return to familiar musical material?

Related Vocabulary: beat; meter; motive

Pedagogical Goals: Focused listening Kinesthetically sensing steady beat and meterRecognizing a repeating motiveFun

Materials and Resources: The Viennese Clock by Zoltan KodalyPhotos of clocks

Procedures: Discussion – How do clocks help us? Discussion - How do clocks move? How do they sound when they move? (Ask

children to demonstrate). How do clocks help us? Show pictures of clocks. Discuss steady pulse (“beat”) in music which is ‘like a clock’. Explain that the

musical piece, ‘The Viennese Clock’ is about a clock. Play section ‘A’ of piece (call it the “clock melody”) and have children move in a

repeating pattern of 4 movements emphasizing first and third beats: e.g. knee bend – standing – up on toes – standing.

Learn to sing the “clock” motive (section ‘A’) according to lyrics created by the teacher at an appropriate level for children

Discuss - other ways could we move to this music? Investigate other ideas for symmetrical movement patterns by children.

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Play the entire piece. Children are instructed to stand in place and “move like a clock” in sections ‘A’ while singing the “clock” lyrics. During other sections they are to march freely around the room with a steady beat.

Discuss how the “Clock melody” goes away and comes back (repeating motive). Ask students for other examples of things that go away and come back.

Assessment:Child can keep a steady beat with pattern of 4 movementsChild recognizes recurring motive

Extensions:Teacher may bring in other pieces to use with ‘steady beat’ activities in a variety of meters.Children can be asked to bring in (or talk about) other things that keep a steady pulse.

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Themes and Motifs “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

Elisa Clark

Designed for: Participants are 13 children between the ages of six and fifteen in a in a pediatric ward. All of the children have had formal experiences making music in their school classrooms, prior to their illnesses, and informal experiences listening to music at home. All of the children are physically weak, often fatigued, and sometimes fearful. Some experience intermittent nausea, pain, and anxiety.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: The musical characterization of the roles in the story of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is representative of what the children experiences in their own lives. For example, they can identify with Grumpy or Happy and how they approach life’s challenges. They can also identify people in their lives that possess the characteristics of Doc or the Queen or the Hunter, etc. Thus, each character is relatable in some way.

Defining Question: “How can musical motifs characterize a story participant?”

Pedagogical Goals: Participants will 1.) identify musical motives as identifiers of the characters in “Peter and the Wolf”2.) compose musical motives that musically represent each character in “Snow

White and the Seven Dwarfs” 3.) identify themes and make connections between the ways in which each

character, in both stories, copes with challenges and the ways in which the children cope with their own difficulties

4.) engage in a socially rich experiences through peer collaboration5.) experience a pleasurable activity despite existing in a hospital and struggling

with a challenging disease

Materials and Resources: Sample scores, the following youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr25umYkxe4 , a device for playing the video, staff paper, writing implements, keyboard, and small percussion instruments, construction paper, tape, markers, scissors, glue, and fabric (scarves, sheets, and ribbons). These materials will be used to create the following:

1.) Queen: crown, apple, disguise2.) Mirror: mirror3.) Hunter: hat, knife4.) Snow White: hair ribbon, cleaning supplies, coffin5.) Dwarfs: hats, tools6.) Prince: crown

Procedures: There are two parts to this activity. The first part will be for the children to watch/listen to the video of Sergei Prokofiev’s 1936 classic, “Peter and the Wolf” and to

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discuss the themes and motives therein. The second part will be to collectively compose a musical score of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” based upon personalized themes and motives, and to perform it for their parents and hospital staff. The latter part of the activity will include the creation of costumes and props needed for the production.

Extensions: I am envisioning the theme as the broader experience that is achieved by taking part in this experience and the motives as being the individualized musical compositions that embody each character. Additionally, depending on their chronological and emotional ages, the children will have different understandings of what death means. My experience in hospice/palliative care is that children are far more aware of what is going on than we adults imagine and that they want to understand what dying means. By avoiding the topic of death we aren't doing the children any favors particularly if that is their reality. Thus, the portion of the story that includes Snow White in a coffin is an opportunity for the children to explore the concept of death in a safe, supportive environment. That being said, at this juncture in the story my plan was to describe Snow White as being under and evil spell rather than as dead. Should the children interpret the story differently and identify her as dead, this would be an opportunity to discuss mortality should they need/want to.

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SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

Cast of characters: Narrator: Janelle Snow White: Sarah Queen: MeganMagic Mirror: Nari Hunter: Zach Prince Charming: John Happy: EugeneGrumpy: Sheri Sneezey: Laura Sleepy: Ray Doc: AshleyBashful: PaulaDopey: Chris

Script

Narrator: Once upon a time there lived a beautiful young princess named Snow White. Unfortunately her stepmother, the Queen, was very vain. Each day the Queen would look magic mirror and cry,

Queen: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of us all?

Narrator: And the Mirror would reply,

Mirror: You are the fairest, oh Queen, you are the fairest I’ve ever seen.

Narrator: One day while Snow White was walking around the castle, the magic mirror caught a glimpse of the young princess. The next day, when the Queen asked the Mirror…

Queen: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of us all?

Narrator: The Mirror replied,

Mirror: You are fair – I tell you true. But, Snow White is fairer than the likes of you.

Narrator: The Queen flew into a rage and called to her royal Hunter.

Hunter: (bowing) You sent for me, my Queen?

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Queen: Yes, it seems that our little princess has become a young woman right under our very noses.

Hunter: (blushing) Yes, she sure is a beauty…

Queen: SILENCE! You fool, don’t you know anything?!? I am in charge here and I must be the fairest of them all!

Hunter: Yes, I beg your pardon, oh Queen. You are, of course, the best looking old lady..er..damsel in town…

Queen: That’s enough, you blithering idiot! I command you to take Snow White deep into the forest, slit her throat, and bring me her liver. I have a very nice red wine that I’ve been saving. I’m sure that it will go perfectly with Snow White organs as my entree.

Hunter: (gagging, bows and leaves the room)

Narrator: The Hunter took Snow White deep into the forest, as he was told, but he could not bring himself to harm the young princess. Instead, he told her to run away and never to come back. Snow White was frightened, but she wandered through the forest until she came upon a little house. She knocked on the door and, when there was no answer, she went in. The house was a mess – dirty dishes were on the table, cobwebs were hanging from the ceiling, beds were unmade, and the floor was greasy and sticky. Being an advocate for sanitation, Snow White decided to clean up the mess. When she finished she was so exhausted that she fell asleep on one of the seven little beds that she had so neatly made. Pretty soon, the seven Dwarfs who lived in the house came marching home.

Dwarfs: Hi-ho hi-ho!We’re weighted down with dough. It’s payday and our diamonds are sol’. Hi-ho. Hi-ho, hi-ho, hi-ho-

Doc: (opens door to cottage, gasps, and interrupt singing Dwarfs) Wait! Everybody stop!

Dopey: Uh, oh. I think we accidentally walked into the wrong house..

Doc: No, this is our house all right. But, someone has been here…

Happy: (cheerfully) and cleaned it all up. It looks amazing!

Grumpy: (grumpily) Well they had no right to come here. I liked everything the way it was when we left this morning.

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Bashful: I-i-it might be a monster. Do, d-d-do you think it’s safe in here?

Doc: Don’t be afraid, Bashful. No monster would take the time to clean up someone else’s house. Let’s go investigate.

Sleepy: I’ll explore the bedroom. I’m so tired I could just (snore) …

Sneezey: (shaking Sleepy) Wake up, Sleepy! There’s no time for sleeping right now. Come on! Let’s look around.

Narrator: The Dwarfs dispersed searched the house for their mysterious visitor. Doc looked in the closet. Happy looked in the garden. Grumpy looked in the basement. Bashful looked through the keyhole. Dopey looked in the toaster. Sleepy and Sneezey looked in the bedroom. And, low and behold, they saw Snow White sleeping soundly on one of the little beds. Just then, Sneezey’s nose began to tickle,

Sneezey: Ah..ah…ah…ah..ah-CHOOOOO!!!

Narrator: And Snow White woke up. All the Dwarfs came running in to see her.

Snow White: Wh-who are you?

Doc: We’re the Seven Dwarfs and you must be our mysterious visitor who cleaned up our house.

Snow White: Why, yes, I guess I am. My name is Snow White and I ran away from my evil stepmother who wanted to have me killed.

Bashful: Oh, no!

Grumpy: What an unpleasant person she must be…

Happy: Well, don’t you worry. You are safe here with us. Isn’t that right, Doc?

Doc: Of course! You must stay here with us and we’ll make sure she never finds you.

Snow White: That’s very kind of you. I’ll earn my keep. I promise!

Narrator: Snow White and the Dwarfs got along famously. They mined precious gems during the day while Snow White cooked and cleaned. This would have been a perfect time to say ‘and they all lived happily ever after’ but, one day…

Queen: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of us all?

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Mirror: You are fair – I tell you true. But, Snow White is still fairer than the likes of you.

Narrator: Realizing that Snow White was still alive, the Queen decided to take matters into her own hands. She disguised herself as an old woman and carried a basket of magic apples with her into the forest. When she arrived at the little house where Snow White and the Dwarfs lived, Snow White was there alone. Of course, Snow White did not recognize the Queen in her disguise.

Queen: Good morning, Dearie, care to buy some apples from an old woman?

Snow White: Good morning. My, what delicious looking apples you’re carrying.

Queen: Thank you my dear. You are so pretty, why don’t you take one on the house?

Snow White: (taking an apple from the basket) That’s very generous of you.

Queen: Take a bite and see just how delicious it really is.

Snow White: (takes a bite) Hmm… it tastes… it tastes like… (she falls to the floor unconcious).

Queen: (laughs wickedly) That will teach you to be pretty in my kingdom! Ha, ha, ha!

Narrator: When the Dwarfs arrived home, they found Snow While lying motionless on the floor. Knowing that she was under and evil spell, they placed her in a glass coffin. Having read enough fairytales themselves, they knew just what she needed to be cured.Pretty soon a handsome Prince came riding through the forest and found Snow White lying in the coffin. The Dwarfs told the Prince what had happened. The Prince was touched by the story and, seeing how beautiful she was, he knelt down and kissed her. The kiss broke the spell cast by the magic apple and Snow White woke up.

Dwarfs: (Cheer - Hooray! He did it! She’s alive! Etc..)

Prince: I have searched many lands to find someone as kind and lovely as you. Would you like to go out for dinner and a movie with me?

Snow White: Well… Since you did save my life, and all, I suppose I owe you at least one date. (They both smile and they leave hand in hand).

Narrator: Of course, she and the Prince soon fell in love, were married, and lived happily ever after... Oh, you ask what became of the other characters?

Doc: Well, we have been mining diamonds for quite a long time. I was thinking about

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retirement –

Grumpy: What?! And sit at home and mope all day? You’ve got to be kidding.

Happy: I’m just glad that everything worked out so well for our Snow White.

Sneezey: Me too! I just wish that I could kick this cold. I still can’t get through a sentence with out..ah…ah…ah..ah-CHOO! See what I mean?

Dopey: I know just the thing. To show you that you’re my best friend in the world, I bought you a present. It’s a cat wearing a ragweed crown. Hope you like it!

Dwarfs (except Dopey): DOPEY!

Sleepy: Well, I’m glad that’s all over. Now I get some sleep at last (leans over on Doc’s shoulder and snores).

Bashful: Now that the evil Queen isn’t hanging around any more, I don’t have to worry about monsters under the bed. Maybe I’ll be able to get some sleep now too.

Hunter: Oh, and me? I’m doing just fine. After being completely grossed out by gutting the deer for the Queen’s dinner, I became a vegetarian. I’m now a leading spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and am writing my own cookbook called “Kicking the Meat Habit”.

Mirror: As for me… I got tired of telling the Queen how beautiful she was and took a vow of silence. The Queen, thinking that my magic powers had dried up, decided to go shopping online for a new one.

Queen: Okay (typing), Am-a-zon-dot-com. Let’s see… Oh, here’s one! (typing furiously). What’s wrong? No free shipping to Fairytale Land? That’s outrageous! I’m calling customer service! (dials) Yes, I want to speak to customer service. Yes, I’ll hold.Narrator: And the Queen is still on hold to this day. The End.

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Theme and VariationClare Na

Designed for: General Music Classroom, 20 students, mix of 1nd and 2rd graders, varied experiences of musicRelated Vocabulary: Theme, Variations

Materials: Recording: Mozart’s Ah, vous dirai je, maman (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) Printed 12 star papers Crayons Pencils

Pedagogical Goals: 1. Listening to theme and variation2. Identify theme and variation sections in Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star3. Students will listen to, analyze and describing music.

Procedures:1. Listen to the theme Mozart’s Ah, vous dirai je, maman2. Ask students if they know the theme of this piece.3. Tell students the theme (melody) of this piece of music is Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Mozart didn't write the theme for this piece, however he composed the variations. 4. Theme and variations is a musical form. A theme is a melody. In theme and variation

form, it is the only melody that the composer will write for his composition. A variation is a restatement of the theme in a different way. Variation means to change. In theme and variation form, the repeated melody will be changed each time it occurs. The composer may choose to change the notes of the melody, the harmony, the rhythm, or the instruments that play the melody.

5. Give out Star sheets to students.6. Listen to Mozart's theme and 12 variations again as student will be describing each

variation with starts. As they are listening to the music, if the variation sounds happy, draw a happy face on one of the stars on the paper. If the variation sounds excited, make your star look excited. Perhaps student could add a smile, raised arms and dancing shoes.

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(Theme/Motif/Form/Counterpoint)The Live Remix

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Modern music technology has brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘make the music your own.’ We not only experience a song on the radio, we hear someone else’s mix, or someone’s mix of a mix, or even a live mix at a concert.

Defining Question(s): How do we create variety from repetition?

Related Vocabulary: Chaconne Passacaglia Counterpoint Consonant Dissonant Contour

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will hear how different combinations of instruments, different countermelodies, and different counterpoint styles serve to vary a repeating musical phrase.

Demonstrate: Students will create and perform their own variations on Holsts’s chaconne theme. They will then use other student’s variations to create their own composition.

Materials and Resources: Suite in Eb for Military Band by Gustav HolstAvailable at: http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5b/IMSLP21189-

PMLP48937-First_Suite_in_Eb_for_Military_Band.pdfSibelius SoftwareStudent compositions

In a previous lesson, students composed their own countermelodies to Holst’s chaconne theme. These pieces are written out in Sibelius software, and arranged for the different keys of a concert band.

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ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student-Initiated (SI)

o (TG) Students sit in a large circle facing inward toward each othero (TG) Students perform their countermelodies for each other, one at a time, while

the chaconne melody is played by bass instruments (tuba, baritone, bassoon, bari sax)

o (SI) After each performance, students are allowed to switch seats and move so they are sitting closer to other students who play a ‘similarly composed’ counter melody.

Similarly composed could mean: Similar counterpoint Similar contour Or other similarities recognized by students

At the end of the exercise, students should have switched seats several times, and it should be visually apparent to the group leader what each grouping of students around the circle represents compositionally

o (TG) The teacher selects a student leader to begin the remixo (SI)Standing in the middle of the circle, the student remixer selects a group of

instruments to begin the chaconneo (SI) Once the chaconne is begun (and repeated throughout), the student points

to different individuals or groups of players to perform their countermelody over the repeating chaconne. As the piece progresses, the student remixer brings other individuals in and out at will.

An infinite variety of combinations can occur Since students are sitting near similar composing styles, it should be

easier to purposefully select countermelodies rather than choosing randomly

The student remixer may conduct dynamics and tempo as well with the aim (hopefully) of a build up, climax, and denouement

Assessment Points (occurring throughout): Teacher asks throughout, “How did that grouping of instruments sound?” Students assess the mood and feeling of each remix at its conclusion

What worked? What didn’t? Why?Closure:

o (TG) Band performs the Chaconne movement of Holst’s Suite in Eb and compare it to recordings of student remixes

ExtensionsStudents will hopefully be emboldened to try composing and arranging on their own

after a live experiment with the concert band.

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This pairs well with a multimedia course, whether the media is video, music, or sound. Within any mixed media project, there must be a goal, a climax and this exercise is a good illustration.

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ThemesAdam Nadler

Designed For: Any Age Group

Construct Connection To Everyday Life: This will be very helpful for students who want to be actors, or perhaps to try this in a high school drama class.

Defining Questions: How does this theme make us feel? What do we see when we hear this theme? What it is trying to say? How would we act it out?

Related Vocabulary: Themes, variations,

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will create a skit for the Maple Leaf Rag. They will pretend that

they are creating a scene for a silent movie and this is the background music. What do they imagine when they hear this kind of music?

Demonstrate: Students will act out their skits in front of the class. When the main theme is repeated, students will demonstrate their knowledge by repeating the same actions the did when it was originally introduced.

Materials and Resources: Recording of Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. Video Camera.

Procedures: 1. Teacher will play a recording of Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag.2. Students will be asked to close their eyes and think about what they picture when they

hear this music.3. Small class discussion can take place on silent movies. Perhaps show a video of one so

that students understand the concept. 4. Students will be broken up into groups and asked to create a silent movie using the

Maple Leaf Rag as background music. They have to figure out what actions they will do during each section. When a section is repeated they must do the same action to prove their knowledge

5. Students will then share their skits at the end of class. Their skits can be recorded to allow students to evaluate their own performances

Extensions: If this is a high school class, teacher can take this further by asking their students to make their own silent movie project. They pick a tune to base their silent movie on and use all the creativity in the world to make a silent movie. This can go great with a social studies class when talking about the history of movies.

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Phrasing/Theme/Motif

Cara Bernard

Audience: beginning chorus (grade 3+), knowledge of basic solfege/sight- reading.

Materials: In the Shade of the Garden Strolling, Rimsky-Korsakov, arr. C. Bernard

Pedagogical Goals: Students will: Sing measures 1-6 in unison, with phrasing and unified rounded tone Find motivic repetition among parts, including moving 8th notes, parallel movement of

rhythm and melody, similar phrasing among voice parts Compare their voice part in each verse to another, in terms of phrasing and

theme/motive (is this similar to another part or different?)

Essential questions: How do the motives of the larger theme work together to create texture among voice parts?

Vocabulary: TexturePhrasing/arc

Procedure: S. read patterns of m-r-d from T. hand signs. T. introduce piece, mm. 1-6. Sing together, focus on phrasing.

o S. may walk to embody the beat and move arms to show phrasing. T. will lead students through text stress—how do we show this in our bodies? In our voices?

mm. 7-12—who has the melody (T2). Introduce T3 part on solfege (mm. 7-12). Are T2 and T3 similar or different? How? Guide

students to notice both entrances have running 8th notes. Sing T2 and T3 together. Introduce T3 at mm. 7. How do T1/T3 know when to enter? Name 8th note entrance as a

motive, or a short musical idea that repeats itself. Do you see any other motives in your voice part, similar to T2? (this is how they can identify a motive, through comparison to the original melody). Perhaps the m-r-d entrances in the parts (melodic contour).

S. sing mm. 1-12 together, on voice parts. Add phrasing and movement to embody moving/legato vocal line.

Suggested Ways of Assessment: can students identify, read, sing m-r-d patterns from hand signs and in the music? Are they following the melodic contour of the melody as well as their own voice part to identify motives (8th note motives, held notes together as a motive, etc).

Extensions: as you teach the rest of the piece, you can highlight other small motives. These will help students to think through the composition as a whole and understand the function of their voice part with others, and how they create a sense of phrasing, texture and harmony. Can name such words and work through them in an artistic way, wrapping around the repertoire.

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FORM

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Binary FormClare Na

Designed for: General Music Classroom, 20 students mix 2 to 3rd graders, varied experiences of music

Related Vocabulary: Binary form (AB), contrasting musical idea

Materials: Pictures showing two contrasting ideas, such as winter/spring, sun/moon, red/green,

etc. Cut out letters A and B and put on chalkboard Classroom instruments: wooden and jingling instruments Recording: King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band- Alligator hop

Pedagogical Goals: 1. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music2. Identify contrasting melodies; identify A and B sections of the music as being different

from each other3. Identify AB (Binary form) as the form of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band- Alligator hop

Procedures:1. Show two contrasting pictures. Discuss how they are the same and yet different.2. Show the letters A and B. Place them on the chalkboard.3. Assign jingle/bell instruments to half of the classroom students to be group A and

wooden instruments to another half of the students to be group B.4. Ask each group to play the following rhythm:

A) 4/4 ♩♫♩♫|♩♩♩♩||B) 4/4 ♫♫♫♫|♩♫♩♫||

5. Group A and B face each other and create a movement that will match the rhythm patterns.

6. Listen to King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band- Alligator hop and follow the AB form. Alligator Hop, is a binary form that employs the characteristic ragtime modulation to the subdominant in the alternate B sections.

7. Ask “what is AB form” means8. Ask students to name technique used in class for identifying each of the A and B

sections

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Ternary Form (ABA)Clare Na

Designed For: General Music Classroom, 20 students, 3rd graders, varied experiences of musicRelated Vocabulary: Form: ternary (ABA)

Materials: Recording: Here Comes the Sun- The Beatles Rhythmic instruments (drums, jingle sticks) Rhythm charts Rhythm charts

A) ♩♫♩♩

B) ♩.♪♫♩

A big Red circle, a big Blue circle on the floorPedagogical Goals:

1. Listening to ternary form2. Identify ABA (ternary) 3. Identify ABA sections in Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars4. Identify AABA sections in Here Comes the Sun- The Beatles5. Use classroom instruments to create a short piece in ABA form

Procedures:1. Clap the A rhythm and ask students to clap the rhythm. Do not ask students to stop

clapping. Wait for them to stop.2. Discuss why students stopped- and discuss why clapping A rhythm (same thing over and

over) was tiring. 3. Stomp the B rhythm4. Perform three measures as ABA.5. A) ♩♫♩♩ B) ♩.♪♩♩ A) ♩♫♩♩6. Choose rhythm instruments for each measure and play- let jingle sticks play A and

drums play B.7. Sing twinkle, twinkle little stars together. And discuss to figure out the form. Whether it

is AB or ABA form. Does anything repeat? ABA formA) Twinkle, twinkle little starHow I wonder what you areB) Up above the world so highLike a diamond in the skyA) Twinkle, twinkle little starHow I wonder what you are

8. Listen to Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles, ask students to raise their hand when they hear contrasting section.

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9. Listen to Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles again and when students hear A section, ask them to move to Red circle and move to Blue circle for the contrasting B section.

10. Ask students to diagram the ABA, or ternary form as they listen.11. Discuss the meaning of ABA form. Ask students to create an example of ABA form using

mouthed sounds or re-arrange materials in the room to reflect this concept.12. Ask students the difference between AB and ABA form.

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FormAdam Nadler

Designed For: Grades 6-8Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Large scale forms can be compared to writing an essay or DBQ. We figure out what out main theme will be (thesis) and we see how we can expand on that. We come up with an A section, B section etc… This can be compared to coming up with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Defining Questions: Why is important to organize our musical thoughts? How do we use GarageBand to create our own musical compositions?

Related Vocabulary: Binary Form, rondo form, ternary form, themes, variations.

Pedagogical Goals: Experience: Students will create their own compositions using GarageBand using one of the forms studied in class. Demonstrate: Students will share their compositions in a listening session. Students will

write down what form they think that it is based on listening only and have a class discussion. Materials and Resources: GarageBand program on computers. Recording of Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5. Smart Board to demonstrate how to use GarageBand.

Procedures:1. Teacher will play recording of Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5

2. Class discussion will take place on recognizing when they can tell they have reached the end of a section. For example, resolution of tension, or perhaps a repeat of the main theme.

3. As a class, students and teacher will design a musical roadmap for this piece. 4. Teacher can play another recording of something else and have the students design a

roadmap. This can be a form of informal assessment, to make sure that students can tell when they reach the end of phrases.

5. Class discussion will take place on the structure of common forms and their names. 6. Class discussion will now take place on how to use GarageBand. 7. Students will individually go to computers and create a composition in a form

discussed in class.8. After a few days of composing, students will share their compositions with the class.9. Assessment will take place when the teacher grades it for accuracy of form used.

Extensions: Teachers can extend this by creating a “40 minute challenge.” Students will have one class period to create their own compositions. The best rated one can win a prize. This is a great tool to use if lesson planning is disrupted due to assemblies or testing. The 40 minute challenge can be used to sync all the classes back to the same point.

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(Phrasing/Form)Musical Partnerships

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Working in groups is not only a requirement to be successful in any career, it’s mandatory that high school students work in groups in almost every upper level class. Rarely are we completely on our own in any endeavor. Among the many challenges of working in groups is deciding on roles and discovering redundancy, and working toward a common goal. This exercise addresses all of these things.

Defining Question(s): How is this piece put together? How do I make my part my own?

Related Vocabulary: balance intonation rising falling climax melody harmonic support counter melody

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will perform the music, with phrasing and without, both near and away from their musical partners. Students will see the groups form and change throughout the form of the piece.

Demonstrate: Students will show that they can associate similar music by forming groups after performance. Students will phrase the music with different climaxes, rising and falling action.

Materials and Resources: Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed (Alfred Publishing) specifically the “Alagyaz” section

ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student- Initiated (SI)

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o (SI/TG) Students may sit where they choose as long as it is next to a different instrument

o (TG) Teacher conducts students to perform 186 to 194o (SI)Students listen for someone who plays their part, or something similaro (SI)Students switch seats to find groups who play the same musico (TG) Teacher repeats the above exercise until students settle in the following

groups: Melody

Clar 1, Tpt. 1, Cnt. 1, Flute, Oboe Harmonic support

Horns, bari Sax Tuba, String Bass, Bass Clar

Counter Melody Basson, Alto Sax, Baritone, tenor sax Clar 2,3; Tpt. 2,3

o (SI)Once in groups, students volunteer different types of phrasing Each phrase must have a climax, or goal Sound must crescendo to the climax Students experiment with different mixed dynamics to create different

soundso (TG) The teacher will model different types of phrasingo (TG) /(SI)Repeat the above process for measures 194-202, 202-210, and 210-224

Students stand with different groups as I call out the different sections

Assessment Points (occurring throughout): Answer specific questions Listen to individuals Students assess timbre changes as each group performs for the class

Closure:o (T/G) Perform the “Alagyaz” section of Armenian Dances, with pauses between

rehearsal marks Students with the melody stand on chairs Students with counter melody stand Students with harmonic support sit

ExtensionsStudents will hopefully extend the idea of phrasing to all of their musical endeavors and

to other performances like public speaking. The phrasing is a personal choice which makes even the most unfamiliar music their own.

Working in groups is common in high school, the idea of blending ideas is useful in any subject where there is a shared goal.

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Form, Harmonic and Rhythmic Structure

Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2, Johannes Brahms, Piano Solo

Joanna Huang

Construct Connection: Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 is part of a larger work for solo piano, Sechs Klavierstücke, rumored to have been dedicated to Clara Schumann. In the context of 19th century, intermezzos are considered to be character pieces rather than an interlude. The piece is overall in ternary form – the interesting part being each section seems to carry its own internal structured form through antecedents and consequents, extended phrases, and additions of coda.

Defining Question(s): How does music change? How is music organized? How is music layered?

Related Vocabulary: Ternary, antecedent/consequent, phrases, extended phrases, melody, coda

Link to Full Score and Recorded Performance http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5a/IMSLP01519-Brahms_-_Op.118_-_2.pdf

Emmanuel Ax’s performancehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEAD6vGOFeM As background information, this intermezzo is a part of a larger work for solo piano, Sechs Klavierstücke. It is also the second to last published work in his lifetime. Brahm’s compositions in the later part of his life are generally more introspective than virtuosic, and it was rumored that the longing tone in these pieces would help the dying Clara live a little longer. In addition, in the context of 19th century, intermezzos are considered to be character pieces rather than an interlude. The Intermezzo in A major is in ternary form. The interesting concept being each section has its own internal form. For the purpose of this paper, the greater structure of the ternary form will be marked with capital letters, while the internal structure with lowercase. The first theme, or the A portion, sets in a clear melodic phrase with tendencies of antecedent and consequent that forms something similar to an extended period (see attachment). The initial theme in the A portion (m. 1-16) is then followed by a short b section (m. 16-34) with lots of play on harmonic changes through accidentals. Then finally before the B portion, the A portion ends with a coda (m. 34-48). The B portion of the piece also has an internal ternary form. With the theme in a section from m. 49 to 52, then changing into a’ from m. 53-56. The a section repeats and continues to b

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section with block chords in m. 57-60 and b’ section from m. 61-64. At Tempo I in m. 65, the a section reprises with some variation until it reaches the fermata at m. 76 and continues to lead back to the A theme. The reprise of the A portion then goes through the same ternary structure as the beginning and ends the piece with a satisfying perfect authentic cadence. The harmonic structure of the piece has been of particular interest for music theorists, as it provides insight for the effect of “longing” in the piece. The technique is essentially delayed gratification. The piece is in A major and begins with a nice root position A major chord. However, not only do we not see any resolution for the period created by the phrases, there are not any root position A major chords until we reach the end of the A portion. Therefore, within the transition of each phrase, there are often lingering dominant chords, or sub-dominant leading up to dominant chords but no tonic. The B portion, as tradition of the time, was written in the relative minor to A major – F# minor. There is also a melodic inversion from C#-B-D in the main theme, to C#-F#-E. (although noting in places like m. 34, the G#-A-F# is the exact inversion with the same intervals). Interestingly, the b section of block chords were composed of F# major – the parallel major to F# minor. Then finally as the internal ternary form goes back to a section of the B portion, it returns to F# minor. The rhythmic structure is also equally important in contributing to the driving feel in the piece. Although the meter is 3/4, suggesting a triplet feel with emphasis on beat one, throughout the whole piece, however, there seems to be ambiguity in finding the exact downbeat as it shifts between duplet and triplet. Given the rhythmic structure of the A theme, the pickup is in beat three followed by a half note, thus giving a feel of triplet, but the rest of the phrase is made of dotted rhythm and quarters, seemingly prolonging the phrase to feel rather duplet like. The transition in groupings of two eighth notes and one quarter note in the left hand may also hint towards ambiguity between duple and triple. Then in the B portion, the left hand’s triplet accompaniment goes against the duplet eighth notes in the right hand, suggesting an expressive and free-flowing feel. Then the piece returns to the A portion with extended sections of flowing sextuplet between the right and left hand, with possible interpretations of two big beats instead of three. Overall, this particular intermezzo has been famous not only for its expressivity and rich harmonies, but also in the techniques with which Brahms used so appropriately to create certain urgency and longing feelings. I have presented some of the aspects that this piece uniquely possesses in form, and harmonic and rhythmic structure, in hopes of setting the foundation for further appreciation of the piece in future analyses.

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(Phrasing/Form/Meter)Journey of the Phrase

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Whether it’s speaking in public, writing a story, playing a jazz solo, or convincing a would-be boss that you’re right for the job, storytelling is an essential element in our daily interactions. Any good story builds, has a climax, and a denouement.

Defining Question(s): How is the meter related to the phrase? What does my phrase say?

Related Vocabulary: irregular accent beat period penultimate building/rising falling/denouement climax

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will experience how a smooth even phrase can occur over a seemingly disjointed, irregularly-patterned piece of music.

Demonstrate: Students will perform and listen to each other perform irregularly metered music with phrasing. They will perform longer and longer sections of the music with a steady rising and falling phrase.

Materials and Resources: Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed (Alfred Publishing)

specifically the “Hoy, Nazam Eem” section

ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)

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Student- Initiated (SI)

o (TG) Teacher conducts as band performs 69 – 186o (TG) Teacher asks guided questions about the meter

How are the beats grouped? Where are the accents? How are the beats divided?

o (SI) Students define ‘irregular’ meter Meter that is not symmetrical, in this case, almost the entirety of this

section

o (SI) Students listen as they play to find the “Hoy, Nazan Eem” Melody or variation of it

Students will find either a 5 measure or 10 measure phrase in every part of the band (noted in score)

o (TG) Teachers models different phrasing, both playing and by showing an arc with the arm as student volunteers show the phrasing

o (SI) Students pair off by section, then play the music for their partners while the partner shows them the arc of the phrase being created

First, a 2 measure phrase, then 4 and then a 5 measure phraseo (TG)Director groups sections together, so that each group of students can play

the entire 10-measure periodo (TG) students volunteer different types of phrasing, similar to the last exercise

Each phrase must have a climax, or goal, whether 5 measure, or 10 measure

Sound must crescendo to the climax The penultimate note before the climax is usually the strongest note The denouement begins immediately after the climax

Assessment Points (occurring throughout):o Answer specific questionso Listen to individualso Students arch each other’s phrases

Closure:o Perform the “Hoy Nazan Eem” section of Armenian Dances

Record Performance Listen to performance and show phrase archs with arms, assess our

performance individually

ExtensionsStudents must have a goal, they must have the climax in mind before performing music

or speaking in public.This is a perfect complement to a course on public speaking or unit on storytelling.

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(Theme/Motif/Form/Counterpoint)The Live Remix

Tim Beadle

Designed for: Concert Band of 45 10-12th graders each with at least 7 years experience on their instruments

Construct Connection to Everyday Life: Modern music technology has brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘make the music your own.’ We not only experience a song on the radio, we hear someone else’s mix, or someone’s mix of a mix, or even a live mix at a concert.

Defining Question(s): How do we create variety from repetition?

Related Vocabulary: Chaconne Passacaglia Counterpoint Consonant Dissonant Contour

Pedagogical Goals:

Experience: Students will hear how different combinations of instruments, different countermelodies, and different counterpoint styles serve to vary a repeating musical phrase.

Demonstrate: Students will create and perform their own variations on Holsts’s chaconne theme. They will then use other student’s variations to create their own composition.

Materials and Resources: Suite in Eb for Military Band by Gustav HolstAvailable at: http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5b/IMSLP21189-

PMLP48937-First_Suite_in_Eb_for_Military_Band.pdfSibelius SoftwareStudent compositions

In a previous lesson, students composed their own countermelodies to Holst’s chaconne theme. These pieces are written out in Sibelius software, and arranged for the different keys of a concert band.

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ProceduresTeacher Guided (TG)Student-Initiated (SI)

o (TG) Students sit in a large circle facing inward toward each othero (TG) Students perform their countermelodies for each other, one at a time, while

the chaconne melody is played by bass instruments (tuba, baritone, bassoon, bari sax)

o (SI) After each performance, students are allowed to switch seats and move so they are sitting closer to other students who play a ‘similarly composed’ counter melody.

Similarly composed could mean: Similar counterpoint Similar contour Or other similarities recognized by students

At the end of the exercise, students should have switched seats several times, and it should be visually apparent to the group leader what each grouping of students around the circle represents compositionally

o (TG) The teacher selects a student leader to begin the remixo (SI)Standing in the middle of the circle, the student remixer selects a group of

instruments to begin the chaconneo (SI) Once the chaconne is begun (and repeated throughout), the student points

to different individuals or groups of players to perform their countermelody over the repeating chaconne. As the piece progresses, the student remixer brings other individuals in and out at will.

An infinite variety of combinations can occur Since students are sitting near similar composing styles, it should be

easier to purposefully select countermelodies rather than choosing randomly

The student remixer may conduct dynamics and tempo as well with the aim (hopefully) of a build up, climax, and denouement

Assessment Points (occurring throughout): Teacher asks throughout, “How did that grouping of instruments sound?” Students assess the mood and feeling of each remix at its conclusion

What worked? What didn’t? Why?Closure:

o (TG) Band performs the Chaconne movement of Holst’s Suite in Eb and compare it to recordings of student remixes

ExtensionsStudents will hopefully be emboldened to try composing and arranging on their own

after a live experiment with the concert band.

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This pairs well with a multimedia course, whether the media is video, music, or sound. Within any mixed media project, there must be a goal, a climax and this exercise is a good illustration.

Theme and Variations: Dynamics

“Design Your Own Interpretations on Music”

Yoo Ji Hwang

Designed for:

This activity can be used for orchestra consisting of 40 students, grades 5-8 th with varied experiences.

Construct Connection to Everyday Life:

Even though people cook the same food with the same ingredient, the taste may not be the exact same. Depending on how much time they spent for boiling or how much salt they put on their food, the taste would may greatly differ. Likewise, music may not be the exact same though people play the same sheet of music. For example, if people compare different recordings of Beethoven symphony No. 5, some conductors play the famous four notes motif in the first movement very slowly and some conductors play it very quickly to make a strong impression. Depending on conductor, music could be interpreted in different ways.

Defining Question(s):

“What makes the volume of the sound different?”

Related Vocabulary:

Loud, soft, emotion, feeling

Pedagogical Goals:

Students will recognize pp, p, mf, f, ff in a musical setting. They will be able to perform individually, and as an ensemble through varying dynamics. They will be able to recognize how dynamics affect the mood of the music.

Materials and Resources:

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Second movement of Haydn Surprise Symphony, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Procedures:

Students would first listen to the music without the score. After listening, the teacher would show the students the main theme of phrase (melody) shown below and briefly explain the theme and variation.

The teacher would ask the students how this was described in the music. Students would mostly answer the questions related to the dynamics (staccato, pianissimo, fortissimo) After that, the teacher would pass the score that explains the main theme and four variations of it to the students. There would be no dynamics on the paper. Students would then analyze the dynamics in groups. The first variation would start with a loud chord and a softer violin counter melody with piano and sforzando. The second variation would start with fortissimo and staccato. The third variations would start with piano and staccato and the fourth would begin with fortissimo and accent on off-beats. In groups, they would play the phrase following the dynamics that they have written in the score. And the teacher would record each group’s performance based on the original dynamics. After a while, the teacher would ask the students to change the dynamics from the original piece. For example, the students might change the dynamics opposite to what was written in the original piece. The teacher would record the second piece and make the students compare how the music was different between the two. The students and the teacher would then have a discussion about how they felt about the changes.

Extensions:

Primarily, they would focus on dynamics but they can further develop it with variations by changing the tempo and tonality. The students would be handed the sheet for “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The sheet would also have different words related to feelings such as sad, happy, fast, soft, gloomy, etc. The teacher would then choose a student. That student would choose a feeling and play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” with the feeling that the individual had chosen. Later, the rest of students would guess that feeling that the individual was trying to describe.

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CONTENTS OF APPENDIX FILEBROOK Pants Dance chart.docx

BROOK Percepticals Graphic Rep

BROOK Percepticals score (open form)

BROOK Percepticals score small

BROOK Treasure hunt text.docx

Musical Treasure Hunt.mp3

Pants Dance.mp3

Percepticals.mp3

TYREEK Mantra/Meditation Part 1.mus.pdf

TYREEK The Talisman.mus.pdf

TYREEK Thinking Cycle Score.pdf

VIVIAN Imagine.pdf

VIVIAN Metamorphosis.pdf

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