Art & Applied Technology
Featured Lesson: Drawing to Music
In this lesson, students explore the principles of synesthesia through drawing to music. By viewing and analyzing artwork based on multi sensory perception, students will become aware of the role of the senses in art, and how sensory stimulation—such as listening to music—can be used as a tool for inspiration. Guided by a handout outlining the basic elements and principles of art, students will engage in active discussions about how sensory perceptions can be interpreted through color, line, and form. They will then apply these reflections on their own artistic work.
How Composers Make Music Sound Scary
"What techniques do horror movie composers use to terrify us? A lot of techniques are thanks to Krzysztof Penderecki, a Polish composer whose music was used by director William Friedkin to score The Exorcist and Stanley Kubrick to score The Shining
Penderecki's music can be heard in the works of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, and has even inspired the scores of modern horror films such as Bird Box. "
Visual Art & Music Tech Collaboration Project: 2018-2019
Each art student is assigned a music student. The student’s respond to their partner’s work by creating a piece of music or piece of visual art while incorporating musical and visual elements of the work. The project demonstrates their understanding of the respective elements and emphasizes the correlation between the two art focuses. Elements that students study and depict: Rhythm, Dynamics, Melody, Harmony, Tone Color, Texture, Form and Style.
Check out the SoundCloud Playlist of previous student work! Explore other playlists for more!
Is This Even Music? John Cage, Schoenberg and Outsider Artists
" 'What is music?' From John Cage to Legendary Stardust Cowboy, avant-garde artists have forever been pushing on the edges of what is considered music. Composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Harry Partch and outsider musicians like The Shaggs are constantly changing music."
This music is intertwined with the creation of Performance Art, click the video below to learn more!
Learn More About Performance Art Here
Check out the John Cage inspired app here!
The Greatest Album Covers of Jazz
When asked to visualize what jazz looks like, you might picture bold typography, two tone photography, and minimal graphic design. If you did, you’re recalling the work of a jazz label that single-handedly defined the “look” of jazz music in the 1950s and1960s: Blue Note. Blue Note captured the refined sophistication of jazz during the early 60s, giving it its signature look in the process.
Where the 1960s "Psychedelic" Look Came From
When you picture hippies, you probably picture bell bottoms and long hair. You might also think of a very specific graphic design and illustration style, seen on concert posters and album covers: curly, cloudy, barely legible lettering, trippy color combinations, and decorative meandering borders. This style was first conceived in San Francisco by a handful of designers in the late 1960s. Their job? Make posters for bands like The Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller Band, Jimi Hendrix … all of whom were just getting their start, competing for nightly stage time at venues like the Fillmore and the Avalon. But these designers didn’t invent that now-iconic style. In fact, they were heavily influenced by an art movement that started in the late 1800s called Art Nouveau.
Featured Lesson: Curriculum Work in Music
Process and Structures in the Visual Arts, a class designated for Music Educators at Columbia University.
One correlation between Visual Art and Music is the idea of programmatic music. Programmatic Music is a type of music that correlates with a story or a visual. By listening to pieces such as Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, or Copland’s Rodeo and have students create a visual based off of what they hear. This can be a simple drawing, or can be used with other mediums. This lesson would be used with the study of Programmatic Music, after talking about certain keys, colors, rhythms and meters and how they convey different pictures or visuals in our heads.