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Composition & Improvising Article Reviews
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COMPOSING OR IMPROVISING 1
Geiersbach, F. J. (1998). Making the Most
of Minimalism in Music. Music Educator’s Journal, Nov.,
26-30&49.
Main Points of Article
-
Minimalism
o
from the American
avant-garde scene of the 1950’s and 1960’s
o
Distinctive for its extreme
reduction of materials and extensive repetition of ideas
o
Composers: Terry Riley,
LaMonte Young, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams,
o
Movement in revolt of
serialism
o
Extreme repetition,
prolonged harmony and gradual unfolding of elements
-
Student-Centered Composition
o
Student who are given the
opportunity to create original music will generate a wealth of musical
ideas that can serve as springboards for further class discussion and
future compositions
o
By using minimalism,
students can construct profound whole-class compositions from simple
means
o
A very easy concept to
understand is a pattern
o
Can use visual examples of
patterns with everyday resources
o
Fish tank (one layer for
sediment, plants, fish 1, fish 2, fish 3, bubbles) (interdisciplinary)
o
Can compose for sounds,
voices or instruments
o
Can perform the students
works in small groups
o
Can teach basic conducting
techniques and have students conduct their works
-
Extending a Melodic or
Rhythmic Fragment
o
Songs of second endings
o
Start with two notated
measures given by the teacher; all students learn to read and play
o
Individual students then can
in front of the xylophones to write an original second ending which were
added to the end of the piece
o
So students would play the
first two measures, the two new measures (1st ending); repast
the first four measures and add the two new measures (2nd
ending) and continue
o
Can gradually lead to
notational mastery by working together
o
It is important
§
Keep the expected writing
time for individual students brief (everyone a chance)
§
Write the notation clearly
and in a large size
§
Limit the pitch range to an
octave (so they can play in unison)
§
Allow ample time for student
exploration or original music ideas and reflection
o
-
Elementary Band
o
The principle of
minimalism can greatly aid beginning band students with the extreme
reduction of materials
o
Ideas
§
In small groups of mixed
wind instruments, students working together using only the tuning note
to create pattern pieces based on adjectives drawn from a hat
§
Each group discuss how they
will arrange the piece, rehearse it and perform it for the band
§
Recording the piece for
multiple listening and self-evaluations is helpful
o
Ideas
§
When you have students on
different levels, you can have each student compose a melody that they
can play and join them together with the others
§
Other members can compare
them for interesting properties
o
Ideas
§
Have the band pulse on a
B-flat while each section plays various individual melodies in unison
o
Students should arrange,
compose and conduct performances whenever possible
o
After he entire B-flat scale
has been learned by the entire band, experiment with harmonies
o
Tips
§
Record all in class
performances and allow for sufficient reflection
§
suggest to the winds to
include plenty of rests in their patterns to avoid fatigue
§
Use short excerpts from
recordings for in-class listening
§
Prepare easy-to-read scores
from student written work
-
In the Music Studio
o
When having trouble with a
passage, except t and make it into a minimalist composition
o
Encourage students to make
minimalist etudes to combat specific technical problems
o
Also possible to create a
midi accompaniment for minimalist student performances
o
Minimalism permits students
to slow down and pay attention to one particular element
o
Minimalism is a stylistic
practice in addition to a pedagogical tool
o
Use with caution because
students may become fatigued or overuse small muscle groups if balanced
rests are not included in the composition
o
Respect the needs and goals
of the individual
o
The Minimalist assignment
should not bee too hard or easy for the student
COMPOSING OR IMPROVISING 2
Beck, J. (2001). Discovering the Composer
Within. Teaching Music, 8(4), 55-57.
Main Points of Article
-
The creative aspect of
composing cannot be taught
-
Our job is to help the
student find his our her own creative voice by exposing them to a
variety of music form different cultures and periods
-
Teaching Composition falls
into three categories
o
Impart technical knowledge
o
Give historical perspective
o
Provide real-world facts
about the composing profession
o
Share Personal Strategies
for growth
-
Needs to be a certain
separation between the student and teacher for them to develop their own
personal style
-
Teachers who encourage
students to mimic them or discourage them from approaching it from their
own standpoint and doing the students a great disservice
COMPOSING OR IMPROVISING 3
Keyes, C. (2000). Teaching Improvisation
and 20th Century Idioms. Music Educator’s Journal,
May, 17-22&50.
Main Points of Article
-
Exposing children to 20th
century music and improvisation are valuable methods for achieving a
vast repertoire and creativity in performance
-
Teaching contemporary pieces
that are largely improvised provides and ideal learning opportunity by
engaging students at whatever level of playing ability they are capable
of
-
Different stages of musical
development
o
Exploring sounds on a given
instrument
o
Developing meaningful
patterns
o
Combining patterns to
communicate to an audience
o
Developing fluidity of the
above, freeing the learner to concentrate more on the music’s direction
and nuance
o
Developing strategies and
structures for pieces
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Improvisation at any level
involves preconceived structures and/or constraints
COMPOSING OR IMPROVISING 4
Hickey, M. & Webster, P. (2001). Creative
Thinking in Music. Music Educator’s Journal, July, 19-23
Main Points of Article
-
Creative Process – the
thinking that takes place as a person is planning to produce a creative
product
-
4-setps of creative thinking
by Graham Wallas
o
Preparation - Begins
thinking about gathering materials or ideas for the creative product or
problem
o
Incubation - When a person
steps away from the creative problem to allow thinking time
o
Illumination - The “aha”
effect when a great idea comes to mind
o
Verification - Bringing the
ideas together and trying the creative product
-
Opportunities for sound
exploration, manipulation, organization through composition, and even
time for simple playing around with sounds should be made available in
the music classroom to nurture the creative musical thinking processes
-
Activities that involve
brainstorming solutions to musical problems and do not require one
single right answer should also be offered
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Creative Product – something
that is both original and valuable or pleasing
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The creator of a musical
product must have an intent or plan – teachers can help with this by
encouraging reflective thoughts and offering opportunities for revision
-
An essential principle of
music teaching and learning is related to thinking in sound
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By imagining different
sounds and remembering them over time as they are applied to listening,
performing, composing, or improvising, students experience music
personally
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Music Teachers should not
miss an opportunity to imagine sound
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It is more logical to embed
creative thinking activities as part of skill building. If learning is
to be effective, it must be experiences actively and in context
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Student maintained folders
of tasks that result from creative, project-centered learning are useful
in documenting growth in creative-thinking tasks.
COMPOSING OR IMPROVISING 5
Wilson, D. (2001). Guidelines for
Coaching Student Composers. Music Educator’s Journal, July,
28-33.
Main Points of Article
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A teacher’s responsibility
in the composing process is two-fold:
o
To try to determine what a
student composer’s intentions are
o
To suggest ways that he or
she might better achieve them
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Getting Students Started
o
Beginning with a dialogue
can sometimes spark ideas for a piece
o
Thinking about music that
has extra musical associations can help because it makes it seem more
concrete
o
Or a teacher can have them
listen to a piece and ask them what they liked most about it (melodic
figure, rhythmic pattern, bass groove) and then begin writing a
composition based on that element
o
Provide certain material
(such as a bass line) and limit the parameters of other materials they
may use
o
Provide a melody and ask
students to write a counter line
o
Provide a melody and ask
students to write a piano accompaniment made up of fourths
o
Provide a melody and have
students make up variations
o
Provide a harmonic
progression and ask students to write a melody using only 4 pitches
o
Provide a rhythmic phrase
and ask students to provide pitches
o
Provide a theme and ask
students to write a contrasting theme
o
Provide a repeated pattern
and ask students to layer complementary material on to of it
o
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Helping Students who get
Blocked
o
What is your intent for the
piece? (tell a story, meditate, scare, dance)
o
What is your main musical
idea? (intervals, rhythm)
o
What would you like to
happen to the main idea? (build slowly/quickly, reach a climax)
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The more interesting the
material, the more is should be repeated so the listener can fully
absorb it
-
If a student’s composition
seemed confusing, it may be because too many ideas are introduced. It
is what the composer does with the idea, not how many ideas are used
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MELODY
o
Not all pieces have a
melody, but it can be a very powerful way to state a compositions
important material
o
A small 3-4 note fragment
can be manipulated throughout
o
The overall shape of a
composition depends on what kind of emotional ride the composer wishes
to create (start tranquility and build to fury; start quietly, build to
excitement, return to calm)
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HARMONY
o
I, IV, V are what most
students will tend to use
o
Add interest by substituting
iii or iv for I / and ii for V
o
Harmonies form a blues scale
(flat 3 against natural 3) are also colorful
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RHYTHM & METER
o
When balance is desired,
pitch and rhythm should complement each other
o
Increase in rhythmic
activity builds excitement
o
Layer different levels of
rhythms, introduce one at a time and combine
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TIMBRE
o
Synthesizers make it each
for students to experiment with timbre
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TEXTURE
o
Put the melody in the bass
the second time
o
Play it more softly when
repeated
o
Drop the accompaniment for
the climatic melodic note and final descent
o
Divide up the melody the
third time so that each motive id played in different octaves
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COUNTERPOINT
o
Provide students with an
unchangeable line, against which they must write a counter line
o
Propose that it must
compliment the melody by suggesting a particular sound
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FORMAL DESIGN
o
Large-scale interaction of
the familiar (unity) with variety or contrast
o
Formal Forms (rondo, binary,
sonata)
o
Informal forms (base music
on a story with different scenes)
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Teachers should try these
things personally before trying to teach them to others
COMPOSING OR IMPROVISING 6
Brophy, T.S. (2001). Developing
Improvisation in General Music Classes. Music Educator’s Journal,
July, 34-41&53
Main Points of Article
-
Composition refers to the
act of creating new music with the intent of revising it to suit the
composer’s intentions
-
Improvising is the
spontaneous creation of music without the intent to revise
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Research indicated that
children’s improvised melodies may become significantly more rhythmic as
structurally organized around age 9
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Step 1: Accommodating Skill
and Experience
o
Teacher must first determine
the performance level and music generative skill levels
o
The comfort level of
improvising are facilitated by the child’s proficiency with the
instrument being used
o
Four Levels
§
Imitation – The teacher
provides experiences that encourage direct imitation of pattern
§
Consequence – Encouraging
students to create consequent phrases to given antecedent phrases
§
Variation – Create a musical
variation on the rhythm or melody
§
Origination – Generate a
new, never before heard melody or rhythm
o
As children gain experience
in the music classroom and in their daily lives, they build a body of
musical referents that serve as the building blocks for improvisation
(gained through listening and performing)
-
Step 2: Planning Medium,
Context, and Materials
o
Medium – instruments, the
voice, movement, or a combination or these
o
Teacher needs to determine
if rhythmic or melodic improvisation will be focus of lesson
o
Three primary
improvisational contexts:
§
response to a word or
musical cues (create a rhythm or melody as a result of reading or
hearing a specific word in the phrase; antecedent and consequent
phrases)
§
free improvisation within a
given musical form (class rondo, theme & variations)
§
free improvisation without
reference to a given musical form (improvised musical backgrounds to
stories, poems or other non musical stimuli)
-
Kindergarten through Grade 3
o
While young children tend to
be naturally spontaneous in their musical creativity, the products of
their creative endeavors may seem unformed and unstructured by
conventional standards
o
Kratus describes the
improvisations of children as possessing some micro-structures, but no
macro
o
Short songs, stories, games
and poems are excellent for beginners
o
Start with language, moving
to body percussion, and then to instruments
o
Imitation and consequence
are key experiences in developing improvisation
o
Activity
Ideas
§
Let the instruments say your
name
§
Pretend you are glad, mad,
sad, scared
§
Improvise sounds like rain,
lion, lightening, train and cat
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Grades 4-6
o
Children around the age of 9
become more product oriented in their melodic improvisations
o
Their musical creations
become influenced by their skill and musical knowledge, as well as their
perception of what is “good”
o
Activity
Ideas
§
Rondo
·
Teach A section to class and
have each student make up another section
§
Antecedent/Consequent
Phrases
§
Backgrounds to literature,
stories, or poetry
·
Read the poem aloud as an
entire class, adding expression and tempo changes where they feel they
are necessary
·
Can be drawn on a large
sheet of paper and used as a score for the children to folow
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