2008 25 minutes Teacher Notes: Amy Wert M.M., B.Ed. (Sec Music), A Mus A Program Synopsis Composing can be an amazing and fun experience whether you are a budding Mozart, techno freak, an emerging guitarist or a complete novice with just a computer at hand. Young people today can express themselves through solo compositions for their own instrument, by collaborating with others in ensembles, choirs or bands, and even through using their phones, computer or the recording studio as their instrument. This program explores a number of starting points for composition, covering a variety of styles and genres, which are used by some of Australia s emerging composers and songwriters. Address: Website: 10 Mitchell Place www.veavideo.com Suite 103 White Plains, NY 10601 Email: Phone: 866 727 0840 vea@veavideo.com Fax: 866 727 0839
Related Program Inside a Recording Studio Introduction Composers through the ages have strived to entertain, educate, inspire or even challenge their audiences. Today, students have the opportunity to create music for classroom and instrumental music programs. For many students, music is a way to express the inexpressible in their lives. Musicians with a range of experience and ability use notation systems and/or technology to record their compositions, and this program aims to encourage students to create and collaborate. Program Rationale The aim of the program is to motivate young people to get excited about creating their own compositions. The program describes and defines many musical elements and embraces a number of musical genres from orchestral, small ensemble, rock bands, urban R&B, and techno compositions. This program provides many starting points for students to become inspired to write and record their own music. Program Timeline 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:15 Chapter 1 What is Composition? 00:05:55 Chapter 2 Theme and Variation 00:10:34 Chapter 3 Lyrics and Music 00:15:13 Chapter 4 Form and Structure 00:23:52 Conclusion 00:24:28 Credits Useful Resources Books and Other Print Resources Theme and Variations Benjamin Britten s Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra Sibelius or Finale music notation software Acid Sonic Foundry very user-friendly composing and sequencing program for secondary students Internet Resources www.sfskids.org/templates/musiclabf.asp?pageid=15 www.creatingmusic.com http://ezinearticles.com/?how-to-compose-your-own-music-using-8-bar-phrases&id=53062 www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/activitiesgames www.wikihow.com/compose-music - 2
Program Worksheet Before the Program One week before the DVD 1. Have a lucky dip where students draw a name out of a hat, the names could include. John Adams, JS Bach, Aaron Copland, John Coltrane, Claude Debussy, Percy Grainger, WA Mozart, LV Beethoven, Duke Ellington, Clara Schuman, Antonio Vivakdi, Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, Sir Paul McCartney, Gustav Mahler, John Williams, John Antil, Carole King, Lupe Fiaso, George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Franz Joseph Haydn. Research the name of the composer/songwriter drawn from the lucky dip and answer the following: a. Full Name b. Country of Birth c. Family Life d. Composing Life e. Important Compositions f. Resources / Bibliogrpahy Questions for the lesson of the DVD 2. Play a recording of the Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten. After each theme students discuss how the instruments were used to create variation. (tracks 1-6) 3. In small groups students discuss: Which composers/songwriters they have studied this year in instrumental and classroom music lessons, Which compositions/song made an impact on them? Why? 4. In small groups discuss: If you were able to pick three musicians from any style or era to collaborate with to create a composition, who would you pick? Give an explanation for your choices? 5. Discuss how technology has changed the way music is composed and played? - 3
During the Program 1. What is David s favourite subject at school? 2. What do you call the person with a stick that conducts the orchestra, choir or band, and how is this person different from a composer? 3. Connect the related terms/ words PITCH DURATION DYNMAICS TEMPO speed volume melody rhythm 4. What European language do musicians generally use to communicate musical terms and elements? Provide some examples. 5. Define your level of music notation reading ability by circling an option displayed below. a. Can easily read manuscript music notation and guitar tablature (TAB) b. Can easily read manuscript music and willing to try guitar tablature c. Can easily read guitar tablature and willing to work on reading manuscript d. At the start of my journey of reading music manuscript and guitar tablature 6. What is the classical music term for remix? 7. Why does the theme need to be repeated in a remix? - 4
8. Describe the steps DJ Bones takes to create his compositions. 9. How does songwriter Mick Morris write his songs? 10. Discuss the difference between inspiration and frame of mind when song writing. 11. How does Andy from The Arts Nova describe the riffs and how The Beatles used them? 12. Re-arrange these terms to reflect a typical pop song. Verse - verse - chorus - chorus - chorus - solo - outro 13. The primary chords are the building block for songs they are chords built on notes I, IV and V. What are they in C major? They are I = IV = and V= 14. Name five instruments that are typical instruments for the following genres a. Rock: Guitar b. Jazz: Piano - 5
c. Classical Music: Violin 15. Why is trial and error important for the composing and song writing process? - 6
After the Program 1. Working in small groups use the theme of Mozart s Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to compose a remix. Manipulate different elements: melody, accompaniment, beat, rhythms, time signature, layers of sounds, tempo. Experiment using: computer technology, music manuscript and your musical instrument, voice, body, percussion or beat box. a. Use a poem as a starting point for composition example Tone Poems from the Romantic Era. b. Read the poem Saint-Saenz Dance Macabre as a class and then play excerpts of the piece and discuss how the music was composed to tell a story. 2. Finish this song listen to or read the two bars of sheet music your teacher has created. Play, sing or beat box through the opening bars as written and then improvise your own ending to the song. Afterwards try to write out the notes, beats. Play your compositions to the class. 3. Design a word search using the glossary of terms below: Elements Melody Harmony Chords Rhythm Techno Texture Notation Tablature Theme and Variation Composer Pitch Duration A Capella Classical Music - 7
Suggested Student Responses During the Program 1. What is David s favourite subject at school? Music 2. What do you call the person with a stick that conducts the orchestra choir or band and how is this person different from a composer? The composer writes the music, the conductor takes the sheet music and rehearses and performs with in ensemble. The conductor may use a baton (stick) to show the beat patterns. Sometimes in modern compositions the composer is also the conductor. 3. Connect the related terms/ words PITCH melody, DURATION rhythm, DYNAMICS volume, TEMPO speed 4. What European language do musicians generally use to communicate musical terms and elements? Provide some examples. The language generally used is Italian, with such expressions as: piano, forte and allegro 5. Define your level of music notation reading ability by circling an option displayed below: a. Can easily read manuscript music notation and guitar tablature (TAB) b. Can easily read manuscript music and willing to try guitar tablature c. Can easily read guitar tablature and willing to work on reading manuscript d. At the start of my journey of reading music manuscript and guitar tablature 6. What is the classical music term for remix? Theme and Variation 7. Why does the theme need to be repeated in a remix? So the listener can hear how the theme or the musical elements are changed or manipulated, hear new instruments and new material 8. Describe the steps DJ Bones takes to create his compositions Starts with a vocal line (a Capella meaning just voice no instruments), then sets up a beat, adds a melody, listens back and fixes things). He recommends starting with the melody rather than the beat. 9. How does songwriter Mick Morris writes his songs? He writes music and lyrics together 10. Discuss the difference between inspiration and frame of mind when song writing. Being inspired by a specific moment in your life may be hard to portray in a song and others may not relate to it, but having a particular frame of mind may enable you to create a song that has emotion an element that is essential for pop song writing 11. How does Andy from The Arts Nova describe the riffs and how The Beatles used them? He uses short repeated melodic or rhythmic motifs and The Beatles created simple, yet effective, riffs that are catchy for the ear, and original! 12. Re-arrange these terms to reflect a typical pop song. VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS SOLO CHORUS OUTRO - 8
13. The primary chords are the building block for songs they are chords built on notes I, IV and V. What are they in C major? They are I = C IV = F and V =G 14. Name five instruments that are typical instruments for the following genres a. Rock: Guitar b. Jazz: Piano c. Classical Music: Violin Note: why certain genres have typically certain instruments these days musicians create new blends of sounds and combinations of instruments be creative when composing and explore different instrument sounds! Good luck with your own compositions 15. Why is trial and error important for the composing and song writing process? This is a personal response - 9