Understanding Primary Music

Session 3:

Composing and performing

Listening and responding to music

Evaluation of teaching approaches

Aims:

1. Develop the skills involved in listening and appraising.

2. Develop skills and understanding needed to plan and perform a composition project

3. Identify ways of evaluating / assessing/ improving a composition.

4. Evaluate teaching approaches for supporting development of children’s skills in music.

5. Reflect on how children learn in aspects of their music development.

Lessons from research 1: Children composing

The higher the awareness the pupils themselves have about the working processes they use in generating their own music, the more they are likely to be able to progress with their work. (Glover: 2000:32)

Discuss this quote: What are the implications for teaching and learning?

Lessons from research 2: Children composing

- Composition can support the development of children’s problem solving skills (DeLorenzo, 1989)

- Children’s musical activity is closely bound to the development of movement and speech (Pond and Moorhead, 1942 cited in Glover, 2000)

- Children’s music has its own features and is not merely a poor imitation of music composed by adults

- Opportunities for developing musical skills during free play are essential building blocks for later learning (Littleton, 1991, cited in Glover, 2000)

Teaching a song

Review what you know about teaching a song – group discussion.

How do you think children may respond when asked to sing?

How can you help develop the skills of children who are having difficulties singing?

In your small groups choose a song and use the principles you have learned to teach it to the rest of the class.

Swanwick-Tillman spiral of musical composition

Sensory Manipulative Personal expression Vernacular Speculative Idiomatic Symbolic

Approaches for scaffolding composition of tuned elements: Plainsong

A plainsong also uses the approach of limiting the notes that can be used:

D E F G A This type of scaffold does not facilitate more

than one tuned instrument playing at once Compose a plainsong melody to accompany

the following poemhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o27yzE0K-g4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuVA_KHDyow

What can you see?

What can you see?

I can see the pattern of the waves on the sea

What can you hear?

I can hear the seagulls when they’re flying near

What can you smell?

I can smell the salt that’s hiding in a shell

What can you feel?

I can feel the stones moving under my heel

What can you taste?

I can taste my ice-cream, couldn’t bear to let it waste

What is a pentatonic scale? The purpose of a pentatonic scale is to

provide children with freedom to compose using tuned percussion without the possibility of notes clashing

For the key of C major the pentatonic scale is:

C D E G A Keys can be removed from a xylophone or

glockenspiel to facilitate this

Group composition Listen to the composition developed by the children: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/stomp-rhythm-and-dance/10185.html 

Compose a piece of music using tuned and untuned percussion:

- base the composition on an ABA structure- with 3 or 4 beats in a bar- the composition should last about 2 minutes Use graphic notation to record the piece Think about each of the musical elements e.g.

dynamics during the composition process

Improving compositions: encouraging children to talk about music

Talking about music facilitates evaluating and improving of compositions

Role of the teacher:- Modeling talking about music- Facilitating talk through open questioning- Scaffolding discussion by supporting through

providing necessary vocabulary

Independent study task 3

Find a web-based resource for a music activity of your own choice and bring this to the next session (in Semester 2)

Session 3 support for learning has suggested web links that will help you.

Listening and appraising

Evaluate the different approaches for supporting listening and appraising

Devise a format that will enable you to structure the listening process and facilitate recording of feelings and thoughts about a piece of music

Choir Singer Slow Fast

Loud Soft Happy music Sad music

Piano Drums Violin Scary music