Make it and play it

Part 3

What will I learn?

You will:

  • brainstorm ideas for making your own percussion instrument

  • plan how you will construct your instrument

  • construct your instrument

  • compose and perform with your instrument

  • reflect on your composition.

Before you begin

You will need:

  • paper and a pencil

  • worksheets for this lesson.


You will also need a number of items and materials to create your instrument. You will determine what you need in the 'brainstorm' and 'plan' sections of this lesson.

Worksheets for this lesson:

Get inspired!

You can make instruments in very creative ways!

Watch the video of an orchestra who made their instruments out of recycled materials.

Landfill Harmonic - the "Recycled Orchestra"

Duration: 3:31

There are a number of music groups who only use recycled materials. 'The Music of Junk' is an ensemble who perform a concert using junk items!

Watch their video The Music of Junk: Rhythm and Tubes to see them in action.

The Music of Junk: Rhythm and Tubes

Duration: 5:27

Brainstorm

In this STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) challenge, we are going to create our own percussion instruments!

We will be using recyclable materials to make our instruments (for example, recycled bottles, tins, containers or cardboard). You might collect these materials from home or from school... just make sure you check before using them!

Two students striking the top of their instrument made out of junk (pipes and foil)
Stage 3 students from EA Southee Public School. These students explored percussion before designing and creating their own instruments made from junk.

Start by listing 3 percussion instruments that you are interested in re-creating. Brainstorm what each would look like and what materials you would need by using the brainstorm worksheet.

Try to think outside the box! Your re-created instrument does not have to look exactly like the original! It should resemble it and make a similar sound, but you can adjust the shape and materials if you need to. You could even create a fusion instrument or invent a completely new percussion instrument from your imagination!

Brainstorm worksheet

(Word doc, 28KB)
Make it and play it - Brainstorm.docx

Not sure where to start?

Have a look at some of the wonderful creations others have made to inspire you!

Remember to get an adult to help you with any construction that is a bit tricky (such as using hot glue, knives or scissors).

Plan

Consider the designs from your brainstorm. Before you select your instrument, think about the following questions:

  • do I have (or can I easily get) the materials I will need?

  • can I construct this in time?

  • will this challenge me?

Hint: aim to challenge yourself the way Goldilocks might – not too easy, not too difficult ... just right!

After you have answered these questions, decide which instrument you are going to make.

Stage 3 students from EA Southee Public School creating percussion instruments out of junk.

Once you have decided which instrument you will be making, complete the planning worksheet.

You should keep this with you as you create, so you can always refer back to your plan.

Note: your timeline will depend on how long your teacher gives you to construct your instrument. It is a guess only. Goals are specific things that you want to achieve. For example: main part constructed, test and fix issues or finish and decorate.

Planning worksheet

(Word doc, 29KB)
Make it and play it - Planning.docx

Construct

Safety

Make sure you have an adult supervising you as you build your instrument and ask them to help with any construction that is a bit tricky (such as using hot glue, knives or scissors).

Construction time!

It's time to start building your wonderful, musical creations!

Complete the progress report worksheets as you go. This will help you record your progress and any changes to your design.

Progress report worksheets

(Word doc, 30KB)
Make it and play it - Progress reports.docx

Changing and improving your design

It is very rare to create something that works perfectly straight away. You might have difficulty getting materials or things don't work the way you expected them to.

Your design might change a little (or a lot) as you construct it, and that's okay! In STEAM, this is referred to as the engineering design process. This often involves a lot of trial and error to find a solution.

These changes might be about fixing problems (for example: the instrument isn't making any sound) or improving your creation (for example: making it easier to use). Either way, these sorts of changes will make your instrument better and better!

Reflection

When you are finished building your instrument and you are happy with it, complete the final page of the progress report worksheet. You will reflect on what you have created.

You might also like to share your creation with your class.

Compose and perform

After construction, students from EA Southee PS explored the different sounds and ways they are able to use their instruments.

Let's get playing!

Now that you have created your instrument, let's put it to good use... it's time to make some music!

If you can, compose and perform in a small group of students with different instruments. If that's not possible, you can compose and perform individually.

  1. Experiment
    First, experiment with the sounds it can make. Spend some time learning how to play your instrument.


  1. Create a pattern
    Can you perform a few interesting patterns with your instrument? What sounds good together?


  1. Compose
    Begin to compose a short piece of music that you will perform on your instrument. Your composition should be between 30 seconds and 1 minute long.


  1. Refine
    To make your composition interesting, you should try to include at least 2-3 changes in your composition. These could be changes in pitch, dynamics, tempo, rhythm or tone colour.


  1. Practice
    Practice makes perfect! Rehearse your performance until you are comfortable. You might also like to do a rehearsal performance in front of your friends, a family member or your teacher.


  1. Perform
    It's time to take the stage! When you are ready, perform your composition in front of an audience. This might be in front of family members, friends or your class. You might also like to record your performance.

Reflect

Once you have performed, reflect on your composition and answer the following questions:

  • In 3 words, how would you describe your composition?

  • What would you name your composition? Give it a title.

  • What instruments and sounds did you use?

  • What changes happen during your song?

  • What did you find challenging when you were composing?

  • What do you like most about your composition?


Student from EA Southee Public School playing her percussion instrument.

Drum roll please ...

Congratulations!

You have completed this @The Arts Unit Creative Class. Well done!

Third-party content attributions

  • Student images 1-6, photographs supplied by EA Southee Public School.