@The Arts Unit Creative Classes

Introduced Species – Lesson 3

Discover contemporary orchestral composition through 'Introduced Species' by Katy Abbott

Student music resource developed by The Arts Unit

Years 11 and 12 music

What will I learn?

In Lesson 3, you will:

  • reflect on your observations of 'Introduced Species' and responses to Lesson 1 and Lesson 2

  • plan your own composition

  • compose themes and structure a work

  • record and edit your own work where needed.

  1. Explore

Review your observations on the concepts of music as explored in Lesson 2.

Plan your own composition.

  • Choose a topic that causes you concern or inspires you, for example, climate change, bushfires, pandemic or something else that personally matters to you.

  • Find a stimulus – an artwork, article or video relating to this issue.

This will become the stimulus for your own composition.

Here are some examples to get you started. You could use one of these or find one of your own.

Climate change – National Geographic

Scroll through the works of Matthew Quick, which inspired Katy Abbott's 'Introduced Species'.

2. Create

Select a structure for your work. Select a shorter structure, for example binary form AB or ternary form ABA, aiming for 2 minutes in length.

Select an ensemble for your composition.

Some helpful hints:

  • Write for instruments you know and understand.

  • Choose a bass instrument, a melodic instrument, a harmonic instrument, a percussive instrument for rhythm and special effects.

Your piece will need two contrasting themes.

Plan some of the ways that you could compose two contrasting 8 bar themes that represents your chosen issue, using the concepts of music in the table below.

Composition plan

3. Improvise

Improvise two contrasting 8 bar melodies or themes, using your ideas above.

Record, play the themes back and edit where necessary.

You may choose to notate these themes using traditional or graphic notation.

4. Compose

Compose a piece of music that represents the stimulus you chose at the beginning of this lesson, using these themes and the instruments you have selected to provide harmonic, rhythmic and special effects.

You may notate it using traditional or graphic notation.

You may perform it live and record it or create it using music editing software.

Name your composition and send to your teacher for feedback.

Conductor character bowing

Take a bow!

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

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