In my second year of teaching band I received information about a Young Composers competition sponsored by Eastern Illinois University. I offered the opportunity to participate to my students- many were interested, but only one followed through with an actual written piece of music. Her work was fine creatively, but incomprehensibly written. The others gave up in frustration.
Knowing how to read and play music doesn't translate into knowing how to write down music. I didn't realize this, having never tried it until I took college music theory. My college theory classes were comprised of sixteen hours of hard-earned credit. Just the basic skill of writing a treble clef (the sign at the beginning of music written for soprano and alto voices, right hand of piano) took quite a bit of practice. To learn how to write music- a melody with correct rhythm and note placement, with added harmony, may be comparable to learning how to write prose. The physical and mental mechanics of writing language take years of pre and elemetary school to master. Creativity, in music or languge or visual art, is a gift that can be developed - but to express this gift a person must have the necessary tools.
Music applications do not come to mind to most people when they think of technology in the classroom- but recent advances in music notation programs have opened a option for people that wish to compose music, but have minimal music writing skills. I would like to use this technology in my instrumental music classes.
Major Project-
ONE MONTH TIME TABLE
First week: Monday-1/2 hour lesson on creating original theme (melody). Review the two fundamental qualities of music- pitch and duration. Discuss logical succession of tones and rhythm, and horizontal element of music texture.
Students work on their own time, record with a cassette player or attempt to write ideas using manuscript paper. Bring ideas during regular band lessons and planning periods. Modify, if necessary throughout the week. Record the original idea (8 measure theme) by Friday, using Autoscore.
Second week: Monday-1/2 hour lesson on developing original theme into variations (2).Use as examples Mozart's Theme and Variations on "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Mamman" (better known to us as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star") and Handel's Air and Variations on "The Harmonious Blacksmith" (from his Suite #5).
Students work on own, again coming in during planning/lunch periods for individual help as needed. Record theme and variations (ending with repetition of theme- 32 measures of melody).
Third week: Monday 1/2 hour lesson on basic harmony. Discuss the vertical element of music texture, and introduce elementary chord structure and progression.
Students sign up for large group (about 5) lab time with teacher. Using MIDI keyboard and Encore, transfer original theme MIDI file to Encore for editing. Students sign up for individual computer times to add voices, chords, and rhythm percussion. Print final copy.
Fourth week: Students practice parts, learning their own line, and then practice as ensemble.Using Music@passport, publish on our school web page under student projects. Live performance to be scheduled with school calendar activities- possibly Winter Concert , Academic Fair, or a Team Family Night.
Refinement possibilities