Lessons 015 / 016
DATES Nov. 28 – Dec. 9, 2011
Lessons © www.musictechteacher.com
Each Music Technology student in the 2nd - 5th grades will receive one 30-45 minute lesson per week. The class structure is ‘work-at-your-own-pace’ because students are not required to have any materials or music equipment to participate.
Essential Question: It takes teamwork and cooperation to perform music together in a group. What can you do to contribute to performing music in an ensemble for a concert?
Objective:
Students will be able to perform music in a group for a concert performance. Students will be able to describe what is necessary to have a successful performance.
Students will use the C Major Scale (learned previously) to add parts to their existing compositions using different instrument sounds and rhythm patterns.
Standards:
National MENC Standards:
(2) Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
(3) Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
(4) Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
(5) Reading and notating music.
TI:ME Technology Strategies:
(2) Music Production, (3) Music Notation Software, (4) Technology-Assisted Learning
Materials:
Concert music selections (Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Carol of the Bells, Jingle Bells, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Lean On Me, Ode to Joy). A computer connected to the Internet for Noteflight software. Music keyboards.
Procedures:
1) Students need to receive instruction on how to play instruments in a group. They must learn to sit up straight, have proper hand position on the keyboard, follow the tempo or speed that the conductor sets, listen to others in the group, share a keyboard with others if needed and not talk during the performance. If students are performing in a small ensemble, other music students must sit quietly and watch. The students need to show respect to other groups performing in the music concert also, just as they would like for others to respect them. Concert etiquette is very important to learn at a young age. The students will need to be dressed in their school uniform, with cummerbunds and bowties being used from the school. The students need to be reminded that they set an example for other students throughout the school by their actions and performance in the concert. Whatever we do in the classroom transfers over to the performance results.
2) Students in the Music Tech Ensemble, as well as other students will continue to work on the songs for the Christmas program on Dec. 13, 2011. The full group will play all songs except for Carol of the Bells and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Students should be able to play all of the notes correctly by now and are able to change the sounds and rhythms on the keyboards without assistance from the teacher. Students playing on Carol of the Bells should be able to play all rhythms accurately and be alert in the performance to know when to complete the song. The quartet of students playing on God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen will need to rehearse with additional practices to complete the song (quite advanced level for these students). There will be four rehearsals of 30-40 minutes each, plus a dress-rehearsal on Dec. 12, 2011 in the gym.
Noteflight.com provides a free online resource for composing music. Any student with a computer and Internet access could use this as a tool during class and outside of school time to help them with music learning.
3) Students will continue to work on their music compositions using Noteflight notation software on the Internet. They have already worked on a short composition (phrases) using the C Major Scale. Now they will add other instruments to the composition. Using Noteflight, they will select (Staff, Add Instrument) and add one or two percussion staves to the song. Students may compose their own rhythm patterns to perform, especially using half, quarter and eighth notes. To change an instrument sound, they will select the staff to change and select (Staff, Change Instrument) and change the sound to a different instrument. Students may use the (Edit, Copy, Paste) commands to copy one staff and paste it to the next instrument. Most of the students have not learned harmony yet, so we are using the same notes on different staves. See the example below written by a fifth grade student in November/December.
Ask students to notice:
What makes your composition sound different than the last lesson? Why did you choose the instruments that you used? What do you like (or don’t like) about the instruments that you chose? How could you improve your song?
(Instrument changes, rhythm additions make the song sound very different. Certain instruments may sound brighter or darker in tone. Some rhythms may sound faster or slower, depending on the rhythm patterns used.)
Other Activities: Selected students who are progressing well on their compositions may have their songs chosen to be entered in the PTA Reflections contest. The deadline for entries of the music at the City level PTA is Dec. 9, 2011.
Evaluation:
- Students are able to explain the criteria for performing in an ensemble and the general rules to follow in performances.
- Students successfully perform the Christmas music selections on the music keyboards based on the amount of experience and time spent in the music technology class. Students in each group may be on a different playing level. Videos will be made of some of the performances.
- Students are able to use a notation program (Noteflight) to continue adding parts and instruments to their music compositions. Students are able to demonstrate how to add the parts and copy-paste parts to their music score.
Essential Question: It takes teamwork and cooperation to perform music together in a group. What can you do to contribute to performing music in an ensemble for a concert?
To perform well in a group, you must learn to follow the music director, listen to fellow students playing in the ensemble, have respect for them and work well with other music students in the ensemble. Also, you need to have proper posture and playing position and practice the music as much as possible to perform the music well.
Any student that performs in an ensemble should remember that they set an example for other students throughout the school by their actions and performance in the concert. Whatever you do in the classroom transfers over to the performance results in concerts.
