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Composers choose and organise sounds to communicate different ideas.
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In year 2 we will be using IT to explore the decisions composers make when they create music.
Why repeat musical ideas?
Why use ideas that contrast one another?
Why are some sounds long and some sounds short?
Check out Beethoven’s famous Symphony Number 5 below and notice how some sounds are short and some long.
Why do you think he chose to organise his sounds like this?
Charles Ives – The Unanswered Question
Don’t worry, be happy
In all cultures the Arts are used to express identity.
As we draw our current “How we express ourselves” unit to a close, I would like to offer the students in year 2 an opportunity to share a musical example of their cultural identity. This is optional and should not create any extra work in any way. Examples can be shared over the course of the next 2 or 3 music lessons, as part of our ‘Music and Me’ time and we will continue to study musical examples from Thailand, Kenya and other parts of the world.
Examples might be: a significant musical instrument (or a photo or video of one if it is difficult to bring to school), a dance move or a song. The most important thing is that there is some brief thought or discussion as to how the artefact is connected to your child’s culture. It could be an example from a home country, a country lived in for a while or even a country visited on holiday that has significance.
I have shared my East African drums and instruments from Kenya and Tanzania with the students as they embody a very important part of my musical life, when I lived in Africa for 3 years.
East African drums are an important part of my cultural identity.
Ms.Nid’s Secret Sound
Ms.Nid is in her cave, she has stolen our instruments. We must get them back!!!
She is practicing to be a famous composer.
What sounds will she choose?
How will she organize them?
How are the sounds changing?
NIST Song (YMCA)
Sorry about this, but it had to be done ……
N I S T Song (YMCA)
Kazoo solo
Young kid, there’s no need to feel down.
I said, young kid, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young kid, ’cause you’re in a new town,
There’s no need to be unhappy.
Young kid, there’s a place you can go.
I said, young kid, when you’re feeling so low
You can learn there, and I’m sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
They have everything for us kids to enjoy,
You can hang out and make some noise
N I S T
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
You can learn some new things,
You can make some new friends,
You can do whatever you feel …
Young kid, are you listening to me?
I said, young kid, what do you want to be?
I said, young kid, you can make real your dreams.
But you’ve got to know this one thing!
No one does it all by themself.
I said, young kid, put your pride on the shelf,
And just hang there, at the N I S T
I’m sure they can help you today. X X X X X
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
They have everything for us kids to enjoy,
You can hang out and make some noise.
N I S T
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
You can learn some new things,
You can make some new friends,
You can do whatever you feel …
Young kid, I was once in your shoes.
I said, I was down and out with the blues.
I felt no one cared if I were alive.
I felt the whole world was so tight …
That’s when someone came up to me,
And said, young kid, take a walk up the street.
There’s a place there called the N I S T
They can start you back on your way. X X X X X
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
You can learn some new things,
You can make some new friends,
You can do whatever you feel …
N I S T – It’s fun to learn at the N I S T
Young kid, young kid, there’s no need to feel down.
Young kid, young kid, get yourself off the ground.
Kazoo solo
N I S T !
How can we draw sounds?
An unseen animated graphic score was played on a projector. a crowd of around 30 people (mostly voice and 6 instrumentalists) improvised along with the visuals.
This event explored how an animated graphic score can create a musical dialogue between a group of musicians and non musicians, young and old.
Graphic score
Leafcutter John – Animated score
Active listening and Creative Composers
The composer Edvard Grieg liked to compose stories in his music.
Here are two different stories by him.
Be an active listener.
Think of action that might fit these pieces of music.
What are the stories he is trying to tell?
How is the music changing?