Music Composition Lesson Plan Students will compose music using a basic steady beat and introduce chanting/rapping speech rhythms to the beat. After the initial improvisatory phase, students will notate the rhythms they chanted to the beat. In the process the students will: • Introduce themselves at the start of the school year • Learn about steady beat, pulse, meter, metronome • Learn about chanting/rapping speech patterns to a rhythm • Learn about rhythm and basic note values • Distinguish between beat and rhythm • Improvise rhythm patterns using self-generated lyrics • Compose rhythm patterns using self-generated lyrics • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic theory knowledge • Perform to a steady beat (provided by a metronome or backtrack)

Students will compose a piece of music that is inspired by a short narrative. This lesson is aimed at the piano studio, but works equally well for the general music class. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music based on a narrative. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of how to characterize sound to be descriptive • Learn more about descriptive/program music • Learn, review and practice basic note values • Learn how to use basic notes and rhythms to produce a particular mood or character • Practice short melodic patterns on an instrument • Explore basic techniques of creating mood, character and description in a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Included: sample composition and 9 short sample narratives to use

Music Composition and Technology lesson plan: Ringtones II for Advanced. Students will compose or generate a ringtone, save it as a file, and upload to their cellphone/mobile. This lesson is for more advanced groups using the class set of iPads or their personal iPad or cellphone/mobile. The GarageBand app would need to be installed on the device. • Acquire a knowledge of how to compose a ringtone using GarageBand • Save the newly created composition in GarageBand and export as a ringtone • Find the ringtone on your phone’s settings and set as new ringtone Concepts • Ringtones • Composition length • Loop • Instrument • Timbre Included: screen shots for setting up the ringtone and student assignment sheet.

Students will compose a basic, short cellphone (mobile phone) ringtone composition. Within 2 lessons, students will compose a short piece of cellphone ringtone music. • Acquire a knowledge of the characteristics of a ringtone • Analyze well-known ringtones • Compose a loop pattern Concepts • Ringtones • Composition length • Loop • Rhythm • Notation • Timbre Included: sample ringtones and an assignment rubric handout

Students will compose a melody using a question-answer design on a template for pitch, but within certain structural and tonal parameters. They will practice and perform the melody. Objectives Within one lesson, students will compose a question-answer melody. In the process the student will: • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore pitch as per their curriculum guide • Explore the steps of a scale • Learn question-answer motivic use • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation if the melody is used to extend into a larger piece • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Included: Composition template as a handout work sheet

8 templates to kick off the school year with some structured activity. The templates are from very basic to more advanced. The template gives the teacher opportunity to assess prior knowledge, work on writing grammar (how to draw those notes!), and have a ready work sheet to ease the start of the school year writing activities. Objectives Within one lesson, students will compose a structured piece on a template. In the process the student will: • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore pitch as per their curriculum guide • Work on notation grammar: how to draw the notes, stems, size of notes, how to space notes in a measure, etc. • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as motif, repeats, long note endings, etc. • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation

Students will compose a rhythm using Morse code. They will use Morse code to embed their names or other messages in musical code. They will practice and perform the rhythm composition. Objectives • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore note values and rests • Understand functional concepts about note and rest values • Learn the basics of Morse code • Acquire, review or practice basic rhythm reading Included: rhythm chart, Morse Code chart, sample composition

Students will compose a piece of music by using chord cards to form triads to create a melody and/or accompaniment. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music based on the three notes of a triad. In the process the student will: • Explore the concept “triad” and “chord”. • Explore thirds and how they form melody fragments, melodies and chords. • Write triads in root position. • Explore “block” and “broken” chords. • Write a melody or accompaniment pattern based on triad manipulation. Sample composition included.

Students will compose a piece of music that is inspired by emoji. They will use the emoji as visual cue to generate short 4-bar phrases. They will link the phrases to form a larger piece, name their compositions, practice and perform the composition. Included: Composition template and emoji graphic organizer for planning the composition. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music based on the emotion suggested by an emoji. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of music elements: melody, harmony, timbre, rhythm • Acquire knowledge of performance directions that suggest emotion: tempo, dynamics, and articulation. • Learn and memorize through practice to write the musical letters on the treble staff • Learn, review and practice basic note values • Practice short melodic fragments on a melodic instrument • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition by linking short 4-bar phrases • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation • Make creative decisions on the overall plan of a composition

This lesson is aimed at the more advanced general music class or the piano studio. Music Composition Intermediate 2 - 4 lessons Students will arrange/compose a piece of music based on medley techniques: link together well-known melodies following a step- by-step guide to compose a medley. Within 2-4 lessons students will prepare a medley. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the different ways in which pieces may be linked. • Analyze the various parameters that should be considered to comfortably link different pieces, e.g., metre, key, rhythm, melody, etc. • Plan the structure of a composition. • Focus on the interplay between recognizable melodic material and linking material. • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or ornamentation to compose links. • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition. • Acquire, review or practice melodic and rhythmic staff notation. Included: 6 step guide handout for students, Merry Medley sample composition and audio file

Students will make one or more of the following: Design and participate in a Sound Walk, documenting, recording, and noting the sound of the environment. Make a Soundwalk composition Make a Soundwalk map Make a digital sound map Objectives Within 2-6 lessons, students will compose a digital Sound Map based on the undertaken Soundwalk. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of Soundwalks • Acquire knowledge of Sound maps • Acquire an awareness of the sounds of the environment • Design a Sound Walk • Design a Sound Map • Record sound for digital placement on the Sound Map • Become familiar with software such as mapme.com • Understand the significance of documenting and preserving our physical environment in sound Concepts • Sound Map: Cartographic, Compositional, Performative • Soundwalk • Acoustic Environment • Soundscape Included: Sound Walk Checklist template

Students will compose a leading motif (leitmotif) that illustrates a feature of the character to be represented. Within 2-3 lessons, students will compose a leading motif inspired by a character from a story, poem or movie. In the process the student will: • Analyze a character for specific features • Identify and define descriptive elements of the character • Make connections between character and music • Analyze how visual image and sound image are similar and different • Explore new writing and playing techniques to accommodate musical characterization • Explore leitmotif as compositional device Includes: Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia leitmotif graphic organizer example, and a template to generate musical features ideas for the leitmotif. Adaptable for all grade levels. Particularly popular for generating leitmotifs for Disney movie characters or superhero movie characters.

Students will compose a piece of music directed by a set of graphic notation sound tiles which they will use to write a short narrative or poem and perform as multimedia orchestrated work for narration, sound effects, instrumental parts and/or images. Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music based on a set of sound tiles. In the process the student will: • Acquire a knowledge of graphic notation • Experiment with texture, timbre and tone • Integrate language arts skills in writing a narrative or poem • Experiment with sound effects • Acquire a knowledge of storyline/program in music • Tell a story in sound Included: Sample Sound Tiles and Sample Narratives

This lesson is aimed at the general music or chorus class. Students will compose a piece of music by generating tongue twister lyrics based on digraphs, trigraphs, alliteration and assonance following a step-by-step guide to set it to rhythm and then to a melody. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons students will prepare a tongue twister song. In the process the students will: • Acquire knowledge of the different ways in which catchy tongue twister lyrics may be generated. • Scan the tongue twister sentence or phrase for strong syllables. • Set to a beat and rhythm. • Plan the structure of a composition. • Analyze the lyrics for melodic suggestion/word painting. • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or ornamentation. • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition. • Acquire, review or practice melodic and rhythmic staff notation. Included: Graphic organizer to generate digraphs, trigraphs, alliterations and assonance with examples.

Students will compose a piece of music using a melodic technique that illustrates the meaning of words. Objectives Within 2-3 lessons, students will compose a piece of music inspired by a rhyme, poem or text. In the process the student will: • Analyze a text • Identify and define descriptive elements of the text • Make connections between text and music • Analyze how textual image and sound image are similar and different • Explore new writing and playing techniques to accommodate musical word painting • Explore word painting as compositional device Included: Graphic organizer for text analysis and sample Word Painting composition

Students will compose a piece of “body music*” (Keith Terry, Crosspulse). They will name their compositions, and practice and perform the composition with an optional additional accompaniment (self-composed or backtrack). Templates, graphic organizers, composition plan included. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music inspired by body percussion. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the basic formal structure of a composition • Learn and memorize through practice to write a rhythmic motif • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition and/or fragmentation • Practice short rhythmic fragments • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic rhythm notation • Acquire, review or practice concepts of meter, time signature, beat, pulse and rhythm.

Students will compose a piece of music using found sound. They will focus on composing for an UNUSUAL instrument e.g. vegetables/straws/toys, name the composition, and practice and perform the composition. The composition assignment is designed for individual, pair, small group or whole group composition. Objectives Within 1-2 lessons, students will compose a piece of music inspired by a found object. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the sound production possibilities of an object • Learn about tone production, timbre, and pitch • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation • Explore the principles of rhythmic variation • Notate and practice short rhythm sections • Explore basic playing techniques • Acquire, review or practice basic rhythm notation Composition template for handout included.

Students will compose a vocal or instrumental piece using a melodic contour as guide. They will design and plot a contour with string, identify sound, select timbre, plan and write a melodic line in notation or graphic score, name the composition, and practice and perform the composition. This lesson is aimed at: Elementary School, whole group, general music instruction: Use basic, single line patterns transcribe to simple line and space note pieces. Middle School, whole group, general music or choral performance group: Use melodic contours as vocal warm up exercises, pitch/ range exercises, voice leading illustrations and two- or multi-part singing exercises. Objectives Within 1 to 2 lessons, students will compose a piece of music using a melodic contour. In the process the student will: • Analyze a visual image of melodic contour • Make connections between visual contour lines on the music staff and high/low sound production • Analyze how melodic contour and sound reflect each other • Explore improvisatory techniques • Explore basic music notation • Explore new writing and playing techniques to accommodate composition • Explore melodic contour as compositional device • Explore melodies as sound layers: monophonic, polyphonic

Students will compose a radio or audio drama. Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High • Acquire knowledge of the genre radio or audio drama • Learn how to develop a poem/play or skit into an audio version • Analyze, plan and develop radio drama components, e.g., narrative, dialogue, title music, sting, ambient sound, sound effects • Plot a soundboard for a radio/audio drama • Explore basic techniques of layering sound • Acquire, review or practice technology for performing and making a sound recording Concepts • Radio drama • Audio drama • Narrative • Voice actor • Dialogue • Sound/Silence • Theme music • Background music • Sound effects • Sting • Ambient sound

Students will compose a short composition based on math principles using Google Song Maker and save it as a file. This lesson is for all age groups using the class set of iPads or their personal iPad or cell phone. Within 2 - 3 lessons, students will compose a short piece of music. • Acquire a knowledge of how to compose a 4-bar melody (for younger students) or multiple bar melody (older students) • Use math skills of number knowledge: even numbers, odd numbers, prime numbers, square numbers • Make musical decisions on timbre, rhythm, pitch patterns • Save the newly created composition