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Music is a universal 'connector'.
Music is a universal 'connector'.
Music connects with people of every age and culture. It can be a unifying force in any makerspace, bringing people together to celebrate creativity and community. For these reasons and more, composing and creating music is a great maker activity.
Music = the arts
Music = the arts
Making = developing creatively and more!
Making = developing creatively and more!
Consider these aspects of the arts curriculum:
Learning experiences in the arts include aesthetic experiences, creative engagement, and development of skills of expressive participation, as well as acquisition of knowledge and skills related to specific arts.
Arts experiences are unique learning experiences since they combine sensory perception, the affective domain, and the kinesthetic domain with the cognitive domain
Creating, Performing, Reflecting, and Analysing are all expectations that can be covered by the 'making' process!
Chrome Music Lab is a website that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments.
The GRAMMY Museum is dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music through exhibits, and education,Check out the museum’s extensive collection of free
Led by some of world’s best artists and educators, each creative learning activity utilizes simple materials found at home to help families with children explore a variety of art forms.
The home of Canadian music. Watch exclusive performances, candid interviews, and behind-the-scenes content featuring your favourite artists from Canada ...
Some additional considerations at home:
Some additional considerations at home:
We know that being at home creates certain limitations - reduced space, limited materials, etc. The following are activities that can support learning at home, by developing skills in observation, critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. Depending on the age and ability of the student, they will require different levels of supervision and support.
Music Making Scavenger Hunts (challenge students to find items in their house that they could use to create different sounds/rhythms)
Active Listening Activities (invite students to stop for small periods of time to listen intently to a teacher selected resource, sounds of nature, etc. and reflect on what they hear/make connections between what they hear and something seemingly unrelated)
Patterning (investigate patterns in sounds or use found materials in your home to represent a beat)
Careers Exploration (challenge students to connect examples (items, media, etc.) around them to specific careers related to music and the arts and/or consider how the skills they are using connect to potential jobs/careers of interest)
Cultural Context (challenge students to consider possible messages in a particular piece. What is the artist saying to their audience? )
Mood Paintings/Doodles (invite students to listen to a piece of music of your/their choice for an identified period of time. While listening, have students paint/doodle freely, in response to the music. Provide an opportunity for students to share their creations with others)
reflection is key to learning:
reflection is key to learning:
Supporting students in reflecting on their process, decisions, and work allows them to make important connections to their awareness of self, the curriculum and between their learning and the world around them. Here are some ideas of prompts you might consider. Please note that when inviting students to reflect, the best questions are open ended, allow for students to think deeply, and don't expect a 'right or wrong' answer.
Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'What':
Identify one thing about the piece/experience that you enjoyed/are enjoying.
What did you find/are you finding challenging about the process? What strategies are you using to help you move forward?
How does listening/making music influence you (e.g. your mood, your feelings, your perspectives, etc.)?
What are you finding/did you find puzzling?
What is standing out for you in this process/in this final piece/about this experience?
What did you/are you noticing about creating/composing as a process?
Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'So What' (Why is this important?):
What is/does/has this experience illustrated about connections between music and _________?
Where else have you seen/experienced something like this?
Tell me about your decision making - what led you to consider ____________ ?
What strengths/skills are you noticing in yourself?
What areas would you like to keep working on/playing with?
How does music connect us/divide us/call us to action?
Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'Now What' (Where do I go next?):
If you were to do it again, what is one thing you would change/keep the same and why?
What other areas of music/composition would you like to explore?
What questions do you still have?
Identify a goal you have to support continuing to develop your skills.
How can you share your work/learning with others?
How will you apply your new understandings of (creating/music/yourself) moving forward?
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