Lesson Three
Outcomes
4.1 performs in a range of musical styles demonstrating an understanding of musical concepts
4.2 performs music using different forms of notation and different types of technology across a broad range of musical styles
4.3 performs music demonstrating solo and/or ensemble awareness
4.4 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through exploring, experimenting, improvising, organising, arranging, and composing
4.7 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through listening, observing, responding, discriminating, analysing, discussing and recording musical ideas
4.8 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through aural identification and discussion of the features of a range of repertoire
Syllabus Content
Pitch | Duration | Tone Colour | Dynamics and Expressive | Techniques | Texture | Structure
Starter Activity
Students will listen to a series of excerpts from different films and tv shows, making educated guesses from their own experiences with music in media about what genre and/or mood each clip might be accompanying – e.g. scifi, fantasy, thriller, horror, romance. Do not reveal the answers to the students.
Excerpt 1 - Scifi
Excerpt 2 - Western
Excerpt 3 - Romance
Excerpt 4 - Action
Lesson Body
In groups, students will choose an excerpt to discuss, and will generate a list/rationale, highlighting the reasons they think each clip embodies a specific genre with specific references to timbre and tone colours that might appear. This should include research into other pieces from the same genres. Once each group has created their list, share the answers, and discuss as a class what they might add or subtract from the list of features for each genre.
Once again the students should split into (different) groups and be instructed to choose a genre, and create their own excerpt of music that embodies the features of the genre. They may use any instruments available including classroom instruments, their voices and their own instruments.
Students should feel free to use the template linked below.
Conclusion
Repeating the starter activity, each group should perform their activity and have the class (this time more methodically referring to the lists from the starter activity) attempt to decipher the genre of each performance. Have each group perform twice, once before the guessing and once after so students can reflect on the intentions and choices made by the performing group.