Rotations:
- Learn to build tour own Percussion Instrument in the wood shop, and play it in a song after you are done.
- Learn how to make electronic Dance music using Midi and Logic Pro.
- Learn another Instrument
Instrumental Composition -
- In small groups compose an instrumental song (using your instruments which students play in class) which is a soundtrack for a Slideshow of images.
- The slideshow is comprised of images about a world event such as (911, Hati, Ugandan Genocide, Hurricane Katrina, Remembrance Day)
- (Option: Record the composition and set it to the images, like in a video)
- Students need to understand and communicate the relationship between the music/emotion in the music to the images.
- A written response of musical/compositional choices and rationale provided to the teacher
- Composition will be performed in class, while the slideshow is shown on the projector.
Theory Needed for Project:
- Understanding of Minor Keys (Most of the world topics are sad so a firm understanding of minor keys is necessary)
- Compositional techniques (forms of instrumental compositions, or movie sound tracks etc.)
- Understanding of Melodic Phrasing
- Understanding of Chord progressions/harmony in music
- Performance skills (to play in front of the class)
Small Ensemble Pop Song Arrangement -
- In small groups pick a simple pop song with no more than 4 chords.
- Figure out the chord progression of your song, either by ear or using the internet
- Figure out how to play the melody of the song
- In your group arrange the pop song so that the chord progression is clearly represented by the instruments in your group. And that the melody will be clearly heard on top of the chord progression.
- Chord progression should be simple rhythmically in order to be heard
- Notate your arrangement using music notation software (Finale, Sibelius etc.)
- Perform your arrangement for the class
- (Potential extension talk about how to arrange the song for the whole class to play)
Theory required for this project:
- Triads (Knowing which three notes make up each chord)
- Keys (Knowing which notes are in the key of the song in order to play the melody)
- Transposition (In order for each instrument to “sound” in the same key they music transpose the notes for their instrument)
- Simple Rhythm ( In order to play melody, they need an understanding of the rhythm of the original song)
- Music notation standards and practices (knowing how to write rhythms and pitch in music notation)
- Using Music Notation Software
Theory for Grade 10 Music:
- Key Signatures
- Relative Major/Minor Keys
- Transposition for Instruments
- Triads
- Keys/Chord progressions
- Time signatures
Playing Scales -
- Bb, Eb, Ab, F, C, Chromatic
- All the relative minors to the above scales
- Bb Blues, Pentatonic scale
Analysis -
- Being able to analyze forms of music (identifying new sections by ear, then labeling them with a proper form name upon second listen)
- Analyze melodies by ear (identify melodic form by ear, i.e AABB melodic phrasing).
- Live performance practices (analyzing live concerts, using proper music language and conventions).