Year 9 Research & Presentation Project
Introduction
*Working on your own or in a group of 2-4 students you will complete an independent research and presentation project: selecting/designing then responding to a question on a musical subject of your choice.
*You will share your findings and conclusions through a presentation, including an illustrative musical performance, to other students.
*Each group member may choose to lead a different aspect of the project, reflecting their individual strengths in research, design, presenting and performing.
*All group members will contribute in some way as both performers and presenters.
*Within this project you will:
- Select / Design Your Question
*Select or adapt one of the questions below, or design your own question, as the basis for your project.
*Ensure that your question is as focussed/refined as possible: the most successful projects will present complete responses to questions which are narrow in scope, while less successful projects will respond to questions which are too broad or complex to be answered within a single project.
- Research & Rehearse
Consider how you will combine different types of research and information to build your response to the question. These might include:
*'Fact-based' research: for questions with definitive answers (e.g. What is the name of Beethoven's only opera?)
*'Multiple response' research: for questions with multiple answers, selecting the most valid and relevant (e.g. What are some of the influences on the musical 'Hamilton'?)
*'Evaluative' research: for questions concerning matters of opinion, gathering and judging the validity of evidence which supports or challenges the argument (e.g. Is Taylor Swift the most important artist of our generation?)
Because our understanding of music is best communicated through music itself, your presentation will include an illustrative performance. Consider how you will prepare a performance which best demonstrates your skills and understanding, and engages the audience. Consider:
*Will the music be learned through sheet music / a lead sheet / chord symbols / a tutorial video / the artist's original recording / a combination of these sources?
*How will the role played by each group member best demonstrate / reflect their skills as a performer?
*Will the music be rearranged / adapted to demonstrate / reflect each performers' skills?
- Present & Perform
*Your research and rehearsal period will conclude with a presentation and performance to other students in the week of 1st December.
*Carefully prepare your spoken, visual and musical material to communicate confidently and concisely, thereby engaging your audience.
*In total, your presentation and performance should be approximately 8 - 12 minutes in duration.
Preparation
Activity 1(a): Fastest Fact Finders
This fact-finding task introduces eight contrasting pieces of music and the musicians who created them (also studied within the GCSE music course). Work as a team to find the following musical facts fast! Which sources are most efficient? Which are most reliable? Complete the questions in any order, listening to each piece of music as you answer. The group with the greatest number of ACCURATE answers wins!
Activity 1 Fastest Fact Finders.pdfActivity 1(b): Originals & Arrangements - from Notation to Performance
When performing a piece of music, musicians may choose from an endless array of resources to help them: sheet music (using traditional staff notation), lead sheets, chord symbols, note names, TAB, audio recordings and tutorial videos, each in multiple versions and arrangements for a variety of instruments and ability levels. The traditional melodies below have become and remained popular for generations, reflected in the countless arrangements*, performances and recordings of music featuring these tunes. Working on your own or in a group of 2-4 students, choose one of these melodies, then find the resources you need to help you to perform your own 'cover version' or arrangement. (*An arrangement is an adaptation of an existing piece of music which retains some original features whilst changing others).
Working on your own or in a group of 2-4 students, choose, prepare and perform one of the following popular, traditional melodies:
A traditional African-American song, also known as a spiritual, probably composed in the 1860s. More recently a popular chant at England rugby games.
A traditional Scottish folk melody, dating from long before 1788 when Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns, wrote the words. Now performed in anglophone countries around the world to welcome in the new year.
A traditional 19th century Irish melody, known as the Londonderry Air, paired with many different lyrics over time, of which 'Danny Boy' (written 1910) have become most famous.
When choosing your resources and preparing your performance, consider:
*The number of musicians performing.
*The instrument(s) and/or role performed by each: will the musicians perform in unison (the same line of music) or homophony/polyphony (independent lines of music)?
*The difficulty of each musician's part.
*For each musician, the most easily understood medium (such as traditional or non-traditional notations).
Activity 1b Originals-Arrangements, Notation-Performance.pdfActivity 1(c): Arranging through Notation - Developing Skills for Notation Software
You will use notation software (such as Sibelius) to better understand your traditional melody, develop and organise ideas for your arrangement, and play back your ideas for learning/review/editing.
Getting Started
Work in a pair or on your own. If you can do so, work with another member of your group.
Search 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot / Auld Lang Syne / Danny Boy Sheet Music'. Choose one source as the basis for your arrangement.
Begin by selecting a new score for piano - it is the most versatile instrument which will feature in every group's perfomance. Later you can add other sounds / instruments.
Check the time signature of your source. (If no time signature is given, count the number of beats in each bar). Use this time signature in your work.
Check the key signature of your source. (If no key signature is given, look for recurring sharps/flats in the music). Use this key signature in your work.
Title your work 'Swing Low / Auld Lang Syne / Danny Boy Arrangement', add your names (as composers) and save your work.
Melody
Find the melody (the tune) on your sheet music source. (Where two or more notes are written simultaneoulsy, the melody is usually nearest the top of the page, on a treble stave). Notate the first 8 bars of melody on the piano treble stave in your work. You can click pitches/durations or type them with letters/the number key pad.
Add more instruments/voices to your score - in a live performance these sounds can be sung or played by acoustic instruments or a keyboard. Copy the melody to these instruments (Ctrl C, Ctrl V): what is the effect?
Don't copy the harmony / accompaniment from your sheet music source - this might be complex and difficult for your group to perform. Instead, compose a simple accompaniment of your own:
Accompaniment: traditional drones / chords
First add the most simple accompaniment used in (traditional) folk music: a drone (a sustained or repeated note/notes).
In the piano bass stave (or other bass stave instrument) repeat/sustain the tonic note (note 1 of the scale) as the bass note (the lowest note). E.g. in C major, use C in the bass. Consider using the dominant note (note 5 of the scale) at the same time (5 notes higher). E.g. in C major, use C in the bass and G just above.
Some parts of a melody work well with a tonic drone, other parts work better with different primary chords. Where the music is dissonant (clashing) select one bar of the drone accompaniment and use the arrow key to move the drone up. Try moving the bass note from note 1 of the scale to note 4 or note 5. Which chord works best? E.g. in C major, move the bass note from C (1) to F (4) or G (5). (I, IV and V are the primary chords).
Activity 2: Top Three Answers
To some questions there are many answers, especially concerning music: whilst science offers certainty, the arts explore ambiguous subjects such as human perception, interpretation, emotion, thought and belief. In this case, the most valuable information is not only the most accurate but also most relevant to its context. Which are the most widely recognised answers to a question? Which might be true but of less significance? Using multiple sources, select what you believe to be the three most accurate AND relevant answers to each of the questions below. This task will take you back in time, from the present day to the beginnings of recorded music history.
(Insert activity here)
Activity 2 Top Three Answers.pdfTask 1
Find three different websites giving a review of the same concert or album by an artist of your choice. How different are the verdicts?
Task 2
Choose one of the questions below to answer. You will need to research using several different websites. Consider how reliable and accurate these sites might be. You can include your own opinions, but you should also use your research. Your response should be in a PowerPoint and may include images and backing music. Aim to use short bullet points for text, rather than long paragraphs. The final slide must be a bibliography giving links to each website you used for your research
What is the ‘Mozart effect’? Do you think it is accurate?
Is Taylor Swift the most influential artist of our generation?
Which is the most important musical written since the year 2000?
Why did the Oasis reunion tour sell out so quickly?
Task 3 (extension)
Of the websites and online sources you used for Task 2, which do you feel was the most reliable and why? What about the least reliable?
Activity 3b: Evaluating Subjects & Sources - Making Judgements, Evidencing Opinions
*Remember that the title of your project will be a question which you will try to answer. To do this, you will need to evaluate (make judgements about) not only the subject of the question, but also the evidence you use in the process.
*Some sources will be more reliable: they will make statements supported by a wide range of measurable evidence. Others will be questionable: they will voice opinions based on little or no reliable evidence.
*Some sources will be more accessible: they will be detailed enough to support their conclusions, but still simple enough to understand.
*Below are statements, each followed by a list of sources which may be used to support or challenge them.
*View each source, then rank the value of the evidence they provide (from most to least valuable) in evaluating the statement. Next to each source, comment on its rank, suggesting why you have ranked it so.
Activity 3 Evaluating Subjects and Sources.pdfActivity 4: Synopses - Understanding, Summarising & Contextualising Evidence
What is analysis? Although a subject (such as a work of music, art or literature) can be analysed in many different ways, every analysis is a form of reduction: from the large volume of information expressed by the creator (through a musical recording/score, painting or novel for example) to a shorter expression of its defining features in the opinion of the analyst (summarised in words, diagrams or even excerpts from the original work). Any material can be analysed (or reduced) in this way to create a summary or synopsis, improving the understanding both of the analyst and reader. Improve and demonstrate your understanding of the following sources by using no more than 100 words to write your own (shorter) synopsis of each article.
Activity 4 Synopses - Understanding Summarising Contextualising Evidence.pdfModel Questions
*Select or adapt one of the questions below, or design your own question, as the basis for your project.
*To reflect the time available, adapt the number of pieces of music you study to illustrate your points.
*Ensure that your question is as focussed/refined as possible: the most successful projects will present complete responses to questions which are narrow in scope, while less successful projects will respond to questions which are too broad or complex to be answered within a single project.
Model Question 1:
What makes a perfect pop melody?
A study examining ten of the most popular tunes of the decade, their similarities and differences.
Model Question 2:
What makes harmony worth repeating?
A study of recurring chord patterns within five illustrative pieces of music.
Model Question 3:
A study of major and minor keys and their effect on the listener.
A study of scales and systems which predate, resist or reject the influence of the predominant western major and minor scales.
Model Question 4:
A study of a musical era: is the period clearly defined or part of a gradual evolution?
A study of a turning point in musical history through the revolutionary features found in three pioneering musical works.
Model Question 5:
A study of a musical genre: is the style clearly defined or part of a gradual evolution?
A study of a turning point in musical history through the revolutionary features found in three pioneering musical works.
Model Question 6:
Discuss the development of an instrument and its music: what influenced its evolution and what has been its legacy?
A study of five pieces illustrating the development of a musical instrument and its relationship to the music which inspired and was inspired by it.
Model Question 7:
What makes a successful structure in musical theatre?
A study of structural similarities between three successful musicals: the nature and position of musical numbers within their structure.
Model Question 8:
Musical rule breakers: a study of artists who reacted against the music of their time.
A study of musical styles and genres through five illustrative examples which react against the status quo.
Model Question 9:
Samples, quotes and covers: tribute or theft?
A study of five pieces which repurpose existing music. Does borrowing from others enahnce or detract from the final work?
Model Question 10:
Beyond the triad: how do composers expand their harmonic language by extending chords?
A study of the importance of consonant triads as the basis for more complex harmony in five illustrative works.
Alternative Model Questions
*Select or adapt one of the questions below, or design your own question, as the basis for your project.
*To reflect the time available, adapt the number of pieces of music you study to illustrate your points.
*Ensure that your question is as focussed/refined as possible: the most successful projects will present complete responses to questions which are narrow in scope, while less successful projects will respond to questions which are too broad or complex to be answered within a single project.
Model Question 1:
What makes a perfect pop melody?
A study examining ten of the most popular tunes of the decade, their similarities and differences.
Model Question 2:
What makes harmony worth repeating?
A study of recurring chord patterns within five illustrative pieces of music.
Model Question 3:
What are the alternatives to major and minor keys in music?
A study of scales and systems which predate, resist or reject the influence of the predominant western major and minor scales.
Model Question 4:
Where can the dawn of a new musical era be found?
A study of a turning point in musical history through the revolutionary features found in three pioneering musical works.
Model Question 5:
Where can the dawn of a new musical genre be found?
A study of a turning point in musical history through the revolutionary features found in three pioneering musical works.
Model Question 6:
Which came first, the instrument or its music?
A study of five pieces illustrating the development of a musical instrument and its relationship to the music which inspired and was inspired by it.
Model Question 7:
What makes a successful structure in musical theatre?
A study of structural similarities between three successful musicals: the nature and position of musical numbers within their structure.
Model Question 8:
Ars nova, renaissance, galant style, atonality, punk: does reactivity lead to creativity?
A study of musical styles and genres through five illustrative examples which react against the status quo.
Model Question 9:
Samples, quotes and covers: tribute or theft?
A study of five pieces which repurpose existing music. Does borrowing from others enahnce or detract from the final work?
Model Question 10:
Beyond the triad: how do composers expand their harmonic language by extending chords?
A study of the importance of consonant triads as the basis for more complex harmony in five illustrative works.
Useful Sources
Sheet Music
IMSLP: https://imslp.org/
Professionally published sheet music with excellent reliability, but limited to music within the public domain (outside the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years). If a piece of music can be found here, it is one of the most reliable sources.
Musescore: https://musescore.com/
User created sheet music with questionable reliability, but including transciptions of contemporary music (not within the public domain). If a piece of music is found here, check carefully for discrepencies with the original.
1Y9 Music Research and Presentation Project Workbook.pdf