MUSIC ACROSS THE CURRICULUM David Wheway Trails (see explanation below), Stories, Poems, Videos, Photographs, Pictures…..Finding sounds to represent characters/objects, events, actions and moods in stories etc. offers lots of opportunity to explore sounds (vocal, body, environmental, percussion and other instruments). Trails are a way of taking a real or imagined event – breaking it down into 5 or 6 ‘sub-events’ and creating sounds to create a musical piece. For instance, a nature walk may be represented through a drawing of trees in the wind, walking through leaves, listening to birds, a stream…. A trail can then be developed, by thinking about the separate events and developing both as narrative and through music. There is scope to talk/write about the developing trail. As a precursor, younger/less experienced children might try ‘Storying from Sound’. Here – children are asked to find sounds – and then suggest what they may represent (e.g. bells – Santa’s sleigh). Once a number of suggestions have been made – the teacher/student create a story containing the suggested sounds – with children making their sounds in the appropriate place. This is much easier than the process of finding sounds to a story – as the suggestions come from the children. Stories: Goodnight Owl, Rosie’s Walk, Peace at Last. Extracts from stories. Books: Explore Music through …. (Wheway – pub LMP), Three Tapping Teddies, Three Singing Pigs, Three Rappin Rats (all by Umansky – pub A&C Black)). Sequences Putting sounds etc. into a sequence (with some repetition??) has links with creative writing Song Any singing supports literacy skills such as diction/pronunciation, vocabulary, phrasing, expressiveness, vocal intonation, as well as PSHE skills in turn-taking, working together towards a shared goal, presenting and appraising. Making up words and actions to simple songs – e.g. “This is the way we brush our teeth”, Syllables, Words and Rhymes: Using syllables to create rhythms and rhythm layers – (see ‘Bubbles’ booklet. Wheway – pub. LMP)
Developing Technical language – (see Sound Chance in Explore Music through… Wheway, pub LMP) Trails - Find sounds for animals/objects/instruments. Develop in music-area. Use in sequences. Select 4/5 points from a real/imaginary event which might relate to any curriculum area. Using words, pictures or symbols create a simple trail for children to follow. Suggested strategy: Find sound effects Work on parts of trail in groups. Supply background sounds Develop stations within the trail Incorporate rhythms to phrases, names, or those suggested by event. Create melodies for characters/events Develop as rhythmic/melodic piece (See `Safari Park', and `Explore Music…’ Series, Wheway, pub LMP) Examples of trail possibilities: Geography: Around the world climates, weather systems, Water cycle… History: Ancient Egypt, Myths and Legends, Timespan, Fire of London… Art: Interpreting pictures/collage Science: Electricity circuits, energy, digestive system, life cycles Literacy: Sound chance, stories, Explore comparisons such as loud - louder - loudest, by sorting instruments into sets. Examples: high higher highest low lower lowest short shorter shortest long longer longest quiet quieter quietest soft softer softest hard harder hardest Try making all three comparisons on the same instrument or three different instruments. The children could be introduced to some musical terms: Piu-more (piu lento = more slowly) Meno-less-(meno forte = less loud) Mosso -moved - (piu mosso = faster) Allegro -fast Lento-slow Piano-quiet Forte-loud Accelerando-becoming faster Rallentando-becoming slower Crescendo-becoming louder Diminuendo-becoming quieter Mezzo-half - (mezzo forte = moderately loud)
Music Glossaries: These can be found easily on the internet – and a few technical words can add a lot of interest to many activities. (Try http://www.classicalworks.com/html/glossary.html ) Descriptive Writing: Card sort – find words to describe a piece of music using the National Curriculum guidance on listening including the musical elements. Find words that don’t describe the music – or are ambivalent. Ask the children to sort the cards into groups – describing well, vaguely/unsure, don’t describe. Odd One Out Select two short extracts of music that have something in common –instruments, theme, mood, tempo (speed), dynamics. Plus one additional contrasting piece. Play the three pieces to the children Ask the children (in groups) to consider which piece was the odd one out. Can the children think of a number of reasons? Ask the children to share their thoughts with the rest of the class. It might be interesting for the teacher to choose three pieces without any obvious differences for children who have already experienced this activity, to see how the children respond. Rhymes Use rhythms of lines to create musical ensembles: ‘Deborah Delora’ A Deborah Delora, she liked a bit of fun B She went to the baker's and bought a penny bun. C Dropped the bun in treacle and threw it at her teacher D Deborah Delora - what a wicked creature. Moods: Select `mood' words (approx. 4-6) and secretly hand these to groups of children. Have the mood words displayed (e.g. on whiteboard). Children spend a few minutes interpreting moods in sounds. Each group plays its music whilst the rest of the class try to identify the mood from the given list. Use resulting music as background to story/trail etc. Use in agreed structure Use to stimulate children's subsequent work Describing their work/ the work of others: Questions for appraisal Tell us about your piece/performance Is it ready to be performed, and if so - who to? Was/Can the piece - be performed fluently? How will you/did you decide to start/finish your music? Why did you select those particular sounds/instruments? Could you have/Do you intend to - selected other sounds/instruments? Could you make similar sounds on another instrument? Can you incorporate instruments other than classroom percussion? Have you selected the most appropriate sound makers/instruments/blends? Can you find new sounds by playing in unorthodox ways? What changes might you make? Could aspects of your piece be further refined? Could different musical elements help in the refining process? Are there ideas from other pieces you have heard that you wish to incorporate into your own music? How would you improve on the music of another group? Can you build upon suggestions for developing your music? How could you make your piece more expressive/ relevant? What changes/improvements could you make to your performance? Can your piece be memorised? How might you extend your composition? Could you incorporate other musical knowledge/skills and previous experiences into your piece? Could you improve your performance techniques? Does your piece contain interesting sounds/ rhythms/melodies/moods? Can you/How will you - record what you have done? Can you describe the piece you have listened to? What musical elements does the piece contain? What contrasts does the piece contain? Why do you think this piece was written? Where do you think this music was written? When do you think this music was written? What do you think the composer was trying to convey? Why do you think the composer used/didn’t use certain resources? Contextual learning Develop poems or songs to convey moods The Barn Owl While moonlight, silvering all the walls - (Gentle glissandos on glockenspiels Through every mouldering crevice falls, Tipping with white his powdery plum - (Changing clusters of notes on xylophones) As shades or shifts the changing gloom; The owl that, watching in the barn - (Vocal hoots, or owl melody) Sees the mouse creeping in the corn - (Rustling tissue paper) Sits still and shuts his round blue eyes - (Gently slide together two cymbals) As if he slept - until he spies The little beast within his stretch - (Slow anticipatory taps on vibra- slap) Then starts - and seizes on the wretch! - (Single short crash of sounds-then silence)
MATHS Odd and even Choose a sound for odd numbers, and another for even. Play through 100 square. Try also with times tables (2,3 and 4). Are there any silent numbers? Partner odd and even Alternate counting, then action with partner. Which numbers prove easier? Book: `Tom Thumbs Musical Maths’ (MacGregor, Pub. A&C Black) Fractions Use North American note length names ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/16. Find equivalent fractions. Find various ways of completing a bar of 4/4. Four Operations Factors – Choose pentatonic notes. Assign them to numbers 2 to 6 exclusively. Point along 100 square. Each note plays whenever a number is a multiple of their number. Which numbers result in silence? Which makes the most noise? Boom Chicka Boom Use game with number facts: 4 6’s are 24 (repeat) 4 6’s are 24 (repeat) 4 6’s and the products 24 (repeat) Aha (repeat) Tee-hee (repeat) One more time (repeat) new fact…. Rhythm Tables: Try x3 table – children clap or stamp on multiples of 3. More difficult: Children combine 2 tables (e.g. 5 and 3). They clap on multiples of 3 and stamp on multiples of 5 (and stamp/clap if number appears in both tables). How high can they go? Matching Times Two groups. Count to steady beat. Each group plays on numbers from agreed table (e.g. 3 and 4). When do sounds coincide? Gamelan (Maths and Geography) Simple melodies (pentatonic) played normal speed, half speed and double speed) Songs with adding/subtracting: One man went to Mow 10 green bottles There were 10 in the bed Could amend with different bonds E.g. There were 34 in the bed and 3 of them said… There were 31 in the bed and 3 of them said… Sorting Using hoops, Venn and Carroll diagrams, sort instruments by: Long/Short Loud/Quiet Resonant/Non-resonant Hard/Soft Single sound/many sounds etc. Graphs Origins, materials, different sounds they can make, length of sound, etc. Probability composition Chose 3 notes that you can play. Write down all of the ways you can arrange these notes (using all three each time). Number those ways 1-6. Roll a die 4 (or 8) times to determine which patterns you play and in which order. Will you come up with the same composition each time? What if you didn’t have to use all three notes each time – how many combinations would there be? What if there were four notes? Just a minute Close your eyes and try to play a sound for 1 minute or 30 seconds. Was it too long, too short or just right? Try again a few times. Do you get better at estimating? (Extension – All play at start of minute, and individually every estimated 10 seconds. Encourage children to be strict in their counting). Graphic notation Use shapes and patterns as graphics to represent sounds. Shape match Sort instruments according to their shapes (2D, 3D). Use in various composing contexts. Tambour, tambourine, disco ring, drum, cymbal – (circle, cylinder) Triangle Gato drum, chime bar, woodblock, claves – (rectangle/ oblong/ cuboid) Jingle bells – (semi-circle) Glockenspiel, xylophone, metallophone – (quadrilateral) Co-ordinates Make 4x4 grid of 3-note patterns (see next page). One child gives grid reference, another plays pattern. Extend to 2 to 4 references. Line dancing Explore directional language including ½ and ¼ turns. Country dancing Explore symmetry and repeated patterns. Symmetry Dot pitch cards with 3 notes. (Single line staves – see 'Listen Carefully' – Wheway, pub. LMP) Produce 3 other cards through reflection (vertical/horizontal) Put together 4 melodies to make 4-bar tune. Try playing two at the same time. Extend with longer phrases to make symmetrical compositions. Note length Investigate whether physical length of bar on tuned percussion has any relationship with pitch. Does this correspond with other tuned instruments? What about keyboards? (Science: Note also saw marks under wooden bars) Make a sound map When listening to (recording) sounds in the environment, make a sound map indicating direction and distance of sound(s). Shape/solids recognition/rhythm grids. Use shapes in grids. Children say names of shapes to the beat (see ‘Bubbles’ – Wheway, pub. LMP) Down on the farm Count 1 – 4 (or 6, 7 etc.). Children select animal sound and their own `secret’ number. Children make their farmyard sound on their number. (Older children - link to probability.) Hiking Step to steady beat, and stamp (or clap) on accent. Try putting accent on other numbers (could link to styles – reggae 2 and 4). Try putting accent on multiples ICTUse audio recording programmes to look at sound waves, discuss sounds and combine for soundscapes and stories. SCIENCE (linking QCA)Sort and record (chart) sounds: percussion, recorders, found, internet… How are sounds produced? shake, pluck, bang, blow. Ask children how they themselves can make sounds (talking, whistling, clapping). Ask them to feel their faces and throats while they are talking/singing and while they are not. Ask children which sounds they can hear from far away eg thunder, ambulance/police sirens, shouting and whether they are louder if they are nearer. Ask children to describe what it is like to be near a very loud sound. Demonstrate to children a number of examples of sounds associated with visible vibrations eg a drum skin with rice grains on it, a plucked elastic band, a tip of a vibrating tuning fork placed in a beaker of water, a ruler clamped to a table and tapped at one end and some sounds associated with vibrations they can feel with their fingers but not see eg a cymbal that has been hit, a speaker for a stereo system, their larynx as they talk. Ask children to record in writing or in drawings what they see and feel with their fingers and to state what is common to the sources of sound. Ask children to listen carefully for sounds they can hear which are made outside the classroom. Include sounds which they regularly hear through walls/doors eg school bell, children talking in the corridor outside. Arrange for a loud sound to be made outside the classroom and ask children what it has travelled through eg bricks, walls, wood, door, air to reach their ears. Show children using a ticking clock or buzzer that sounds can be heard through a variety of materials eg putting it in water, sand, a wooden box. Extend children's experience with other activities eg listening to a ticking clock on a wooden table by putting their ear to the table, putting their ear to a radiator and hearing the water circulating, using a 'string telephone'. Ask children to make a table showing the materials tested and whether the sound travelled through them well and discuss what their results show. Ask children to demonstrate playing a range of musical instruments or show children a video of a band or orchestra playing. Talk with children about sounds made by individual instruments and help them to describe the pitch of sounds using terms eg high, low and the loudness of sounds eg loud, soft. Ask children to play a number of drums to show how the pitch of a drum varies with size and, if possible, how it can be changed by tightening the skin. Ask children to suggest how to make particular sorts of sound eg a high, loud sound and test their ideas. Ask children or others to demonstrate differences in the strings of a stringed instrument and how the note from a particular string can be changed by changing the length of the string or tuned by altering its tension. Illustrate the variety of pitch and loudness by asking children to suggest how to change a sound eg make the string longer and pluck it harder and to test their ideas. Show children how to make a sound by blowing across the top of a bottle and ask them to suggest what is vibrating. Ask them to suggest how to change the pitch of the sound eg if you put more water in the bottle the sound will get higher, to test out their predictions, and to record observations in a suitable table or chart. Discuss with children whether the results they collected supported the prediction. Ask children to play high or low notes on a recorder (or other wind instrument) and to describe what they do to alter the pitch. Ask them to relate this to the length of the air column vibrating. Ask children to use secondary sources eg CD-ROMs, reference books to find out about other aspects of sound eg other musical instruments, soundproofing and to present information to the class. Ask the children questions and encourage them to ask questions of others about the information presented.
ReadingAlligator Raggedy-Mouth - Hanke/ Leedham, A&C Black Bingo Lingo, Helen MacGregor, A&C Black Explore Music, Wheway/Thomson, /LMP Its OK, Bubbles, Listen Carefully, Safari Park (set of 4 boolets) Thomson/Wheway, LMP (www.LMPi.co.uk ) Literacy and Music, Wheway, LMP Three Singing Pigs, Three Tapping Teddies and Three Rapping Rats (x3 books), Kaye Umansky, A&C Black Tom Thumbs Musical Maths, Helen MacGregor, A&C Black LISTENING:NB: members of the LMP website (www.LMPi.co.uk ) – have access to hundreds of musical extracts which link across the curriculum (music/other)
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