Here are some ideas for senior classes incorporating the three strands for theme teaching in music and that can be integrated with a general theme across the arts curriculum....
Suggested theme here is WATER or The sea or Rivers ....but this general template can be adapted for many other themes.
Listening and Responding:
Performing:
Composing:
Suggested theme here is WATER or The sea or Rivers ....but this general template can be adapted for many other themes.
Listening and Responding:
- Inspiring pieces to listen to based on the theme - Use YouTube as it is both visual and aural stimulus for the children, and technology grabs their attention more
- Pieces that will evoke emotion and imagery
- River dance ....
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mC0rWgUqTc
- Rivers in the Rock Pool ....
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pcWYKXDU38
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2Dhb4mQto
- Loan Some Boatman ....
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8rULrp_J5E
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntGIkGuFBL8
- Ask them to describe the pieces of music using the musical elements terms....
- Create pictures in response to the pieces of music
Performing:
- Singing:
- English Song - The water is wide
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eypBHOHQuX4 Maura O Connell
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EfHZtCKJGY
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAqWQbzFXiQ Eva Cassidy
- O Ró Sé do bheatha abhaile
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e6S9jRhIW4 paul brady animation
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sje2VYw99A sinead o conor
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsdOT4IG1lQ sinead o conor
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwM8pCAynbM The dubliners
- Playing Instruments:
- Inisheer whistle notes that can be used for any instrument
- or notes for any of the songs above
- Literacy: - Reading the Music of the piece to play or sing
- Using Percussion Instruments: Use them when the children are singing - ask children to come up with ideas what to use and when - this is also integrating composition in this accompaniment idea
Composing:
- Ideas around the theme include ........
- Using percussion instruments compose sounds for a poem based on theme letting the students decide what to use and where at what point etc
- Using images compose music for each picture that will set the scene
- Using YouTube Ariel footage of the sea e.g. Cliffs of Moher and compose simple 4 line 4 bar per line melody , using layers of sounds maybe and long drones on tunes instruments ... let them children experiment
- Compose a Body Percussion piece with 4/4 time - give the kids a structure and 4 bars to compose for example on short piece based on an angry sea and one on a peaceful sea
- Using a story use own instruments using long drones and layers of percussion instruments to create a seascape mood sound board for the story. e.g. "The Sea" story book recommended on building bridges of understanding english curriculum.
- See the Teacher Guidelines Book for Music section on composing for a list of materials that can be used for composition
- Finally sont forget to record their composition on some digital media format and play it back for the cstudents to listen and respond to their own creativity.
