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AIE Residency Outline - "Ordinary Things"
La Jara and Manassa Elementary School March 20 – April 14, 2000
Purpose and Goals
What do I want the students to get out of this?
Have fun
Experience creation and the creative process with music
Learn about music
To be affirmed in their worth and encouraged in the contribution of their ideas
To open their perceptions to the magic in the world around them and the sounds therein,
and thus to the other senses as well
How will I achieve this?
Educe - draw out that which each student has to contribute
Show by example – be free
Play, experiment
Share what I know
Introduction (1st class, also performance)
We will explore the spectrum of sound creation and manipulation
from low tech found sound to high tech computer manipulation of sound. Along the way we
will look at the more traditional modes of music creation - standard instruments, lyric,
and voice.
1st session - basis and structure of music and creativity
What is music
Music as expression - the history and genesis of music
Exercise – class makes "sad" music, class makes "happy" music
Creativity
Like unstructured play - making it up as you go
Requires discernment without condemnation - It's okay to try almost anything and
everything, then see if it works
Discernment - How can you tell if it works?
Listening
Feeling
Thinking
Exploring the structure of music
Structure (the "rules") evolved to serve expression. Expression was
first.
We already know about the structure of music – we have heard it all our lives.
Pretend like you know what you are doing.
Exercise – The Great Pretender
But it is nice to talk about things, too, so that we know that we know.
Rhythm or pulse (example - drum loop)
Texture (example - synth pad)
Melody (example - play to above computer example)
Lyrics (example - make one up)
Decoration (example - use found sound)
Exploring sounds around us to use making music
What can we use (that are not traditional musical instruments) for each
of the above components of music?
Rhythm - stomps, clap; grunts, vocalizations, desks, chalkboard, water, ball
Texture - vocalizations - shhhhh, breath, sung notes in unison, water, paper
Melody - vocalizations, instruments, others?
Decoration - sounds from the classroom
Experiment with recording and manipulating them using computer
Choosing a theme for our song
Makes it easier to make decisions and judgements about what works
What other sounds are there around the school that we could use to make
music? Get classes to find them and report!
Changing sounds to make them more musical - explore:
Tempo
Pitch
Volume
Legato vs. staccato - feeling
Additions and subtractions in the arrangement
2nd Session - instruments and arrangements
What are instruments?
Objects that are specifically designed to sound a certain way and make certain
sounds
What is necessary to learn to play them well?
Mechanical and technical skill - practice
Knowledge of musical structure - what has worked in the past?
Add some sounds from instruments in the classroom to the computer composition
Arrangement
Repetition and variation – demonstrate
Ways of varying the music – play with the loops on the computer – add,
subtract; loud, soft; change tempo
3rd session – voice, lyrics and songwriting
Voice without lyrics
Review or mention use in texture - do some aahs and oohs, record
Review or mention use in melody - explore, maybe record
Lyric writing
Rhyme and repetition vs. variation
Tension and release
Explore song structure
Verse - chorus
Bridge, etc.
What can we write about?
Did we choose a theme in an earlier session?
Are we choosing a curriculum based topic from other classes?
If not, write about what you know and what matters to you - it will be different than
what matters to other people, and that's okay!
Write a verse or two, record
Chant (rap) or sing?
4th session – finishing, refining, recording, exploring
Taking it further - what else could we/can we do?
What other school sounds can we add in, and how can we change them (in the
computer) to make them more musical?
Shall we add more instruments to push the feeling in a particular direction or style?
(ME)
Talk more about instruments and learning on the traditional musical path
More lyric writing and refining
Musical structure - do we need another section, is it boring?
Does this expression suit everyone, are all voices and viewpoints heard? What have we
left out?
Explore computer manipulation of sound a little more, try some possibilities
"Finish" it, play it back
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