Successful Composing and Arranging for ALL Students: Lessons and Strategies

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Successful Composing and Arranging for ALL
Students Lessons and Strategies
Sandi MacLeod Coordinator, Vermont MIDI
Project University of Vermont sandi_at_vtmidi.org An
ne K. Hamilton Teacher and trainer North Country
Union High School ahamlton_at_together.net
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Lullaby Dreams

• Created by three fifth graders as part of their
  regular music class

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Vermont MIDI screen shot
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• Vermont MIDI Project encourages and supports
  students in composing and arranging music
• (MENC Standard 4)
• Professional composers, teachers, and other
  students critique in a password protected
  website.
• Professional Development for teachers
• Live performances with professional musicians

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Heres how it works . . .

• Elementary/Middle
• Often work in small groups
• Discuss together musical decisions, developing
  vocabulary and knowledge of theory
• High School - individual student
• Class critiques

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Composition using technology as a tool . . .
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Without technology or a combination of both .
.
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Suggested Strategies for Elementary Classroom

• Basic Ideas
• Begin by looking at and listening to the work
  of others
• Start small
• Specify assignment
• Have students describe 1) what they see
  and 2) what they hear
• Aim for success for all students
• Share and critique often

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Suggested Strategies for Elementary Classroom

• Old Abram Brown - discover the need for
  traditional notation
• Create templates
• Use a familiar rhyme
• Create Like Beethoven
• Develop a motif

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Old Abram Brown

• Use a familiar song
• Discuss ostinato patterns
• Using Orff instruments, students each create an
  eight beat ostinato . Write it down
• Direction - Write it down so you can remember
  it.
• Play each one while class sings song
• Next class session, pass out papers randomly
• Ask students to play whats written

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Use a rhyme

• Fifth graders in a small group
• The Kings Last Dance
• Complete lesson available at www.vtmidi.org

See a pin, pick it up, All the day youll have
good luck.
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Beethoven Copycat

• Using Ode to Joy as a model
• Students discuss the form and limited variety of
  pitch and rhythm
• Add countermelody - consonance/dissonance
• Add chordal harmony
• Either 1, IV, V or chords that naturally occur
  in the key

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Developing a Motif

• Develop a motif and complement it with a
  rhythmic ostinato
• Complete lesson plan in session handout - Motif
  and Rhythmic Accompaniment
• by Carolyn Keck

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Suggested Strategies for Middle and High School

• Basic Ideas
• Begin with what they know
• Specify guidelines- allow variation
• Start small
• Dont assume that they know anything
• Share and critique often

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Strategies-Middle and High School

• Develop motif
• Repeat the Rhythm
• 4 measure phrases, ABAB rhythmic pattern
• Arrange known melodies
• Begin with harmonic progression in bass clef
• add treble matching up first note of measure
• with chord.
• Overall Form ABA, ABAA, Rondo

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Strategies-Middle and High School

• Theme and Variations- start with familiar tunes
• nursery rhymes, Christmas carols
• Music to Create a Mood or Tell a Story
• Fairy tale
• Commercials

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Strategies-Middle and High School

• Chorus/Band

• Create sightreading examples using known
  elements
• Write for instruments or voices
• Me and My Friend
• Issues of playability and transposition
• Compose canons for class to sing or play

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Critique

• Part of the composition process
• Develops vocabulary and deeper understanding
• Planned, guided and practiced
• Visual aspect important
• Worth the time

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Generic Rubric for AssessingStudent Responses
Level 1 Gives general comments that could apply
to other situations as well as the one under
discussion. Level 2 Accurately
describes the area being discussed. Uses a mix
of arts vocabulary and general terms. Level
3 Accurately describes the area being discussed.
Gives detailed examples, references,
connections or responses to general insights.
Uses arts vocabulary. Adapted from the Arts
Assessment Design Team and used in the WEB
Project www.webproject.org
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Sample Critique Assignment

• Structure your critique as follows
• Begin with affective comments.
• Make a positive observation about the piece.
• Analyze the piece according to those factors that
  we
• discussed in class.
• Address the requested feedback.
• Make any other suggestions that you have for
• improvement, but not too many.
• End your critique with positive comments, but be
  sure
• not to go overboard. Be sincere!

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Professional Development
and support are KEY
Vermont MIDI Project Arts and Technology Summer
Institute July 8-11, 2003
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Vermont MIDI Project
www.vtmidi.org Sandi MacLeod sandi_at_vtmidi.org Anne
Hamilton ahamlton_at_together .net