[MUSIC PLAYING] JULIA BRENNAN: In part 6, we're exploring the relationship between visual arts and music in a concept base. So we're looking at the musical concepts of tempo, or the speed, we're looking at dynamics, or the volume, and we're also looking at texture, so the way that the lines interweave and the articulation of the sounds. So identifying the relationship between music and visual arts here is obviously the key.
So tempo in music, as we've said, means the speed. But in art, it might also mean the feel the rhythm or the movement within the artwork-- how fast does it look as though the movement is going on in the artwork or how slow? So relating those two concepts together.
Also looking at articulation, so are there short, sharp sections? So in music, articulation means the way it's played, is it smooth, is it short, is it sharp, those sort of things. So can we see those in the artwork as well? By texture we're referring to the different layers of sound. Now, in artworks, texture's a very common thing. So you'll see layers of art being built up on top of each other. And often you also have that real texture where you can feel it or not work. So that's got two different meanings there with visual art.
Also, we're looking at the dynamics in both music and visual arts. So dynamics in music means the louds and the softs. In art, it may not be so obvious. What do you think the noise level could be within the artwork, would it be loud, or would it be soft? So it's looking at the artworks that are identified there, looking at the pieces of music and identifying the similarities in those things-- so tempo, dynamics, texture, articulation.
From there, the students can create their own soundscapes that incorporate those things. So a really easy way to start with a soundscape is just doing a storm, because storms use all of those things very well.
You might start off slow and softly, and then it might build up and get louder and stronger, and you might feel lots of textural layers coming in. And then it might die away again. So that can be represented through an artwork and also through a musical composition.
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Content updated - 22 March 2020