The Orchestra Rocks with Drumlines and Body Percussion Focal Work: Thomas Cabaniss s Drumlines UNIT AIM: How can we rock with percussion and dialogue? MATERIALS: LinkUP! student guide; LinkUP! CD; CD player; pencils; chart paper STANDARDS: US 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; NYC 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 SUMMARY: Students explore the groove that comes from a dialogue between different rhythmic voices VOCABULARY: Dialogue: more than one voice or instrument talking or playing together in a conversation Drumline: a group of percussionists from a marching band Repetition: doing exactly the same thing over and over Rhythm: a combination of sounds and/or silences See Appendix B on page 86 for composer information Activity 1: Discovering Dialogue Brainstorm as a class: What is a dialogue? Set up a fishbowl Student observers form a circle and observe four volunteers sitting in the center having a conversation Try to choose a topic of discussion that students are comfortable with and that can ignite a heated dialogue (such as taking tests, sports teams, favorite television shows; or even fictional controversies like a city-enforced bedtime of 7 PM for all students or a six-day school week) The purpose of the observation is to listen to how the voices are used and how they interact throughout the dialogue As this is happening, facilitate observation and discussion about the dialogue from inside the fishbowl Create a chart titled Elements of Dialogue, which could include: o taking turns / question-and-answer o interjections and accents o imitation and echoing o changes in volume and dynamics o changes in speed and tempo o pauses and rests Students can document their observations on SG17 As a follow up, show the class the YouTube video of Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray having a dialogue, set to the first movement of Beethoven s Fifth Symphony 47 47
SG 17 Elements of Dialogue Some elements of a dialogue are: 48
Activity 2: Rocking with Percussive Dialogue UNIT Ask student volunteers to create different kinds of sounds by using their hands (such as clapping, snapping, patting, or knocking) Create a chart of their ideas titled Hand Percussion Sounds Form a seated circle and rehearse all the sounds listed on the chart in unison Try putting each sound into a groove or with a steady pulse Ask students: Do certain sounds lend themselves to a rhythmic pattern? Next try different groupings of the sounds For example, divide the circle into halves, quarters, girls and boys, or solo versus a whole group with different groups performing different sounds Now go back to the Elements of Dialogue chart (SG17), and try different ways of having a musical dialogue between the various sounds and groupings STRING EXTENSION Revisit your class list of extended techniques on page 34, focusing on those that have percussive qualities (such as gently tapping on the wood of the violin) Brainstorm and experiment with any new percussive techniques, then add one or two body percussion sounds to the Hand Percussion Sounds list from Activity 2 (above) Assign one group of students to play the percussive violin sounds and another to do the hand percussion sounds Ask students: What does it sound like to have the instrument percussion in dialogue with the hand percussion? Continue the activity as above Activity 3: Using Body Percussion to Learn Drumlines The Drumline Percussionists Audience (Kids) 4 4 4 Steadily; with a groove q = 126 Percussionists shout: ΠΠFo-cus Chal-lenge! Con-cen -tra-tion! (snare drum) Π(audience claps) (Clap, clap, clap, clap) Π(snare) (bass dr) Challenge Game: The drumline percussionists will shout: Yo! Challenge We go, then you go! Students copy all snare drum rhythms by clapping and all bass drum rhythms by stomping The drummers will play a rhythm and audience members should try their best to imitate Eventually, the rhythms may get too fast and complicated to imitate, but that will be half the fun! (Continued on next page) 49 49
UNIT Activity 3: Using Body Percussion to Learn Drumlines (continued) Students copy all snare drum rhythms by clapping and all bass drum rhythms by stomping Perc 6 etc Kids 6 Perc Kids (Clap, clap, clap, stomp) (Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp) (Clap, clap, stomp, stomp) j (Clap, j stomp, stomp, stomp) The preceding passage is played twice That is followed by a "challenge" game, outlined below When the Drumline gives the cue again, the passage is performed for a third and final time The preceding passage is played twice, followed by a challenge game outlined on the previous page When the drumline gives the cue again, the passage is performed for a third and final time 50 50 50
> > O >? J Drumlines by Thomas Cabaniss SG 18 You will be clapping and stomping in this cool piece You will be listening and responding to the drumline as they play Below is an example You will have to listen carefully because this game gets harder as it goes along Drumlin e part: Perc Kids (Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp) T a D fo (Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp) O? Your part 2 51
UNIT MUSICAL EXTENSION Review some rhythmic patterns from Drumlines with the class, and experiment with your own challenge game of dialogue while keeping a groove going CREATIVE EXTENSION Revisit and practice your class s melodic phrases and ostinato from unit 2 on SG16 In this part of the revision process, experiment with musical dialogue If necessary, refer to your Elements of Dialogue chart on SG17 Ask students: Is there already a sense of dialogue between the ostinato and layered fragments? Can your melodic fragments be ordered to create interplay? Do you need or want to compose new melodic material to get a sense of dialogue? Do you want to only use your existing ostinato or create a new ostinato to enhance a sense of dialogue? Document the class s revised piece on chart paper Practice, record, share, and upload 52 52 52