IMPLEMENTING COMPOSITION IN THE CLASSROOM
I am often asked "how do I implement composition in my classroom?" by teachers at conferences, conventions and workshops. Some concerns I often hear are
If these are some of your concerns, this step-by-step guideline below aims to address this "getting started" phase.
1. BABY STEPS
Composition in the classroom does not mean you are composing symphonies on day one. Composition does not happen in a vacuum - students need a prompt, an explorative set, discussion and analysis to figure out how to "come up" with new notes. Provide guides, prompts, ideas, images, stories, templates, analysis tables, manipulatives, etc.
2. NOTATION
Ultimately we would like students to be comfortable with standard notation and use that in composition. Use composition activities to explore notation, to learn notation as they continue and to understand notation in service to our ideas. Start with two or three notes - understand this as the compositional "motif". Generate a "motif" through random choices: aleatoric principles, roll of the dice, letters in your name, numbers, cards.
Also, include many activities that focus on rhythmic writing, e.g. percussion ensemble, body percussion scores, drumming scores, graphic scores, etc.
Provide rhythmic and/or melodic templates.
Lessons:
Music Composition for Teens 1: African Drumming pg. 2
Music Composition for Teens 2: Take Five pg. 40
3. TECHNIQUES
Students need guidelines as to how to create a melody that "feels right". Start by teaching them how to compose a 3 or 4 note motif or give them a motif. Then teach them how to expand this to longer phrases through
Music Composition for Teens 2: Compound Time (Motif) Pg.1
Music Tells my Story: Cryptography pg. 10
Building a melody based on triad-melody technique is another strategy to consider.
Lessons:
Music Composition for Teens 1: Triads pg. 26, Let's Boogie pg. 31,Piano Piece pg. 33, Fanfares Pg. 35, Let's Jazz-a-Tazz pg. 40.
4. TECHNOLOGY
The availability of technology varies greatly from class to class. Some teachers have computers, software, iPads, etc. Others have only a piano and maybe some keyboards. Here are some ideas to include technology:
Music Composition for Teens 1: Video Fun pg. 4
Music Composition for Teens 2: Cellphone Symphony pg. 66
5. GROUP WORK
Keep in mind that not every composition has to be an individual project. However, group work does require solid preplanning for it to be successful and not simply a group of kids arguing about whose ideas are going to be used.
Music Composition for Teens 1: Class Symphony pg. 49
Music Composition for Teens 2: Play-a-Long pg. 20, African Dance Song pg. 38
Music Tells my Story: Hyperbole pg. 42
6. INSTRUMENTS
Groups employing composition in the classroom vary greatly: performance groups (bands, orchestra, chorus), music appreciation, general music, etc. Therefore as you use composition, the product you produce and can perform will vary greatly depending on the general skill of your instrumentalists/vocalists. However, good ideas for all groups:
Music Composition for Teens 2: Found Sounds pg. 67, Percussion Soundscape pg. 68
Music Tells my Story: Words on the chop block pg. 56, My Story in Sounds pg. 74, My Story in Rhythm and Beat pg. 84
7. MULTI-MEDIA
Compositions can and should include media, particularly the arts. Think in terms of:
Music Composition for Teens 1: Media poem pg. 67
Music Composition for Teens 2: Set the Scene pg. 48, Video Fun pg. 49
Music Tells my Story: Concrete Composition pg. 3, Narrative poem pg. 4, Cinquain pg. 7, Pictures at an Exhibition pg. 17, Narrative composition pg. 26, Word Painting pg. 50, My Story in Color pg. 68, My Story in Images pg. 71, My Story in Sounds pg. 74, My Story in Melody pg. 77, My Story in Harmony pg.80
8. CONTEMPORARY TECHNIQUES
Teachers are often concerned about introducing techniques such as abstract music, serialism, minimalism, polytonality, aleatoric music, etc., because they are not sure how to introduce, plan and present these techniques. However, here is much scope for the innovative and creative teacher. Here are some easy entry points. Look these terms up and think how you can use this as a starting point for explorative activities followed by a composition:
Music Composition for Teens 1: Poeme Concrete pg. 65, Aleatoric Music pg. 66, Serialism pg. 68
Music Composition for Teens 2: Music from Africa pg. 35, Chords pg. 59, New Chords pg. 61, Ritual Dance pg. 64, Aleatoric Music pg. 65
I am often asked "how do I implement composition in my classroom?" by teachers at conferences, conventions and workshops. Some concerns I often hear are
- "my students don't really have notation skills"
- "we don't have technology and notation software"
- "I have never had composition classes at college"
- "the students don't respond well when I tell them we are going to write a song"
If these are some of your concerns, this step-by-step guideline below aims to address this "getting started" phase.
1. BABY STEPS
Composition in the classroom does not mean you are composing symphonies on day one. Composition does not happen in a vacuum - students need a prompt, an explorative set, discussion and analysis to figure out how to "come up" with new notes. Provide guides, prompts, ideas, images, stories, templates, analysis tables, manipulatives, etc.
2. NOTATION
Ultimately we would like students to be comfortable with standard notation and use that in composition. Use composition activities to explore notation, to learn notation as they continue and to understand notation in service to our ideas. Start with two or three notes - understand this as the compositional "motif". Generate a "motif" through random choices: aleatoric principles, roll of the dice, letters in your name, numbers, cards.
Also, include many activities that focus on rhythmic writing, e.g. percussion ensemble, body percussion scores, drumming scores, graphic scores, etc.
Provide rhythmic and/or melodic templates.
Lessons:
Music Composition for Teens 1: African Drumming pg. 2
Music Composition for Teens 2: Take Five pg. 40
3. TECHNIQUES
Students need guidelines as to how to create a melody that "feels right". Start by teaching them how to compose a 3 or 4 note motif or give them a motif. Then teach them how to expand this to longer phrases through
- repeat
- sequence (writing the motif one step higher or lower)
- augmentation (double the note values)
- diminution (half the note values)
- fragmentation (chop up the motif using only two of the notes e.g. the 2 beginning notes or the 2 last notes)
Music Composition for Teens 2: Compound Time (Motif) Pg.1
Music Tells my Story: Cryptography pg. 10
Building a melody based on triad-melody technique is another strategy to consider.
Lessons:
Music Composition for Teens 1: Triads pg. 26, Let's Boogie pg. 31,Piano Piece pg. 33, Fanfares Pg. 35, Let's Jazz-a-Tazz pg. 40.
4. TECHNOLOGY
The availability of technology varies greatly from class to class. Some teachers have computers, software, iPads, etc. Others have only a piano and maybe some keyboards. Here are some ideas to include technology:
- Smart phones: it seems everyone, including your youngest students, have smart phones these days. Smart phones at the minimum have apps such as camera, video, sound recorders, ring tones and more.
- iPads: similar to smart phones these devices have camera, video, sound, and so forth. If your class/school has iPads don't worry about additional software - there are enough projects you can come up with using only these very basic functions.
- Notation software: If you or your school have Finale or Sibelius, or maybe another program, use this as a starting point OR as the final step in a project. It's not always productive or worthwhile to have the entire class of 30+ students all trying to get to a computer, use software they are not familiar with, run into technology issues, and then expect them to produce a good composition. Students need more initial, preparatory work before "composing" at the computer right out the starting blocks.
- Keyboards: Keyboards have many functions such as multiple tone colors, rhythms, USB connections, storage and recording capabilities and even making sound tracks. This depends on your class and your particular situation.
Music Composition for Teens 1: Video Fun pg. 4
Music Composition for Teens 2: Cellphone Symphony pg. 66
5. GROUP WORK
Keep in mind that not every composition has to be an individual project. However, group work does require solid preplanning for it to be successful and not simply a group of kids arguing about whose ideas are going to be used.
- Make one person responsible for a section of a composition (e.g. One person on Part A, second person on Part B in a binary piece, composing around a given motif)
- Think in terms of "composite" works e.g. Suite, Sonata, etc. In composing a Suite Student 1 could have the Intro, Student 2 a 4/4 time piece (Allemande), Student 3 a lively 4/4 piece (Courante), Student 4 a 3/4 piece (Minuet), etc. Give ALL students the same 3-note motif and let them adapt it to their time signature and tempo.
- In two-person teams one student could be responsible for the melody and another for the accompaniment.
Music Composition for Teens 1: Class Symphony pg. 49
Music Composition for Teens 2: Play-a-Long pg. 20, African Dance Song pg. 38
Music Tells my Story: Hyperbole pg. 42
6. INSTRUMENTS
Groups employing composition in the classroom vary greatly: performance groups (bands, orchestra, chorus), music appreciation, general music, etc. Therefore as you use composition, the product you produce and can perform will vary greatly depending on the general skill of your instrumentalists/vocalists. However, good ideas for all groups:
- the voice: humming, clicking, open vowels, solfeggi syllables, sound effects, whispers, shouts, speech choir effects, etc.
- body percussion: tapping, stomping, clapping, finger snaps, etc.
- technology: phones, beepers, iPads (add these electronic sounds to compositions). Students can compose a score for voice, body percussion and phone!
- Found sounds: think beyond the classroom. Give students a list of possible objects to bring, else you will end up with pens, pencils and staplers they found in their backpacks. E.g. whistles, wind chimes, frisbees (drumming), chopsticks, pvc pipes, etc.
Music Composition for Teens 2: Found Sounds pg. 67, Percussion Soundscape pg. 68
Music Tells my Story: Words on the chop block pg. 56, My Story in Sounds pg. 74, My Story in Rhythm and Beat pg. 84
7. MULTI-MEDIA
Compositions can and should include media, particularly the arts. Think in terms of:
- slide-show presentations
- power point
- video
- drama
- speech choir
- story
- photographic exhibition
- visual art
- sound sculpture
- dance
- movement
- body percussion
- sound effects
- lighting effects
- spatialism
Music Composition for Teens 1: Media poem pg. 67
Music Composition for Teens 2: Set the Scene pg. 48, Video Fun pg. 49
Music Tells my Story: Concrete Composition pg. 3, Narrative poem pg. 4, Cinquain pg. 7, Pictures at an Exhibition pg. 17, Narrative composition pg. 26, Word Painting pg. 50, My Story in Color pg. 68, My Story in Images pg. 71, My Story in Sounds pg. 74, My Story in Melody pg. 77, My Story in Harmony pg.80
8. CONTEMPORARY TECHNIQUES
Teachers are often concerned about introducing techniques such as abstract music, serialism, minimalism, polytonality, aleatoric music, etc., because they are not sure how to introduce, plan and present these techniques. However, here is much scope for the innovative and creative teacher. Here are some easy entry points. Look these terms up and think how you can use this as a starting point for explorative activities followed by a composition:
- polychord
- tone clusters
- fourth chords
- soundscapes
- polyrhythm
- polymeter
- serialism
- aleatoric music
- electronic music
Music Composition for Teens 1: Poeme Concrete pg. 65, Aleatoric Music pg. 66, Serialism pg. 68
Music Composition for Teens 2: Music from Africa pg. 35, Chords pg. 59, New Chords pg. 61, Ritual Dance pg. 64, Aleatoric Music pg. 65