Music

Our Thoughts on Music

Enhancing students' experiences in music composition through music notation software. [Pan-hang B. Tang, Deakin University.] post by Tucker

I read this article this week about the benefits of using music notation software to compose music in schools. It advocates using it in several ways, including as an experimental device which I thought was interesting. I had always thought that first student's should learn to read and writie music and then use such software, but thinking about it further has made me realize that working the other way around (explore and learn how to read and write music by 'seeing' it unfold on the screen while also hearing the music) is just as valid and could perhaps even provide a stronger learning experience in the long run.

<http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/education/teach-research/arts-ed/aojae/2-3.pdf>"Enhancing students' experiences in music composition through music notation software." [Pan-hang B. Tang, Deakin University.] <http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/education/teach-research/arts-ed/aojae/2-3.pdf>

Reference:

Tang, P.B. (2006). Enhancing students' experiences in music composition through music notation software. Australian Online Journal of Arts Education, Vol. 2, 3, 1-16. ISSN: 1833-1505

Comments by Alysha Downham:

Hi Eleanor, I agree that it could provide a stronger learning experience for students.  I think the software would be so engaging and students could have so much fun! I know that I would which is what I base a lot of the arts on.  Is that wrong? mmm...

Tuckers Tunes

I think I've FINALLY uploaded some of my own tunes! I put up three that I recorded with my band, Dreamboat. It's always so strange listening back to yourself on a recording - a very different sound than what you experience when 'doing' it. This is something to be aware of when working with children too - sometimes they are not happy listening back to their own sounds as others hear them.

TuckerTunes

This site posterous.com was a very easy site to navigate and has various privacy settings that would make it a great site for use with students.

Money Making Time Machine - I wish it was!

Here is a piece hot off the press that came out of the workshop I facilitated today with a group of adults with acquired brain injury. 

http://headstarts.posterous.com/

1 comments:

Mary Ann and Maureen said...

Just had to pop in here again, laydeez - top stuff, Eleanor. This was absolutely amazing to listen to and thanks for making it happen. Boyo, am I loving this Blog... and learning so much too. Thanks for this effort and commitment to it, Eleanor and Alysha.

15 August 2011 05:16

*****Behaviour Management Tucker Style (check out this video taken with my students on my last prac- the Samoan clap dance.)
There are heaps of these types of clapping games on Youtube. They take a bit of practice but well worth it!

Week 3 Reading - Sinclair Chapter 8

Posted by Alysha Downham

I think it is very true what Sinclair (2009) mentions in Education in the Arts about play within music. She questions why there is such a big focus on play and exploration in other areas of learning, but music lessons are so often teacher centred.

This made me think of my own musical history and whether I ‘played’ with music. While I don’t have a huge musical history, I do remember how much I loved the keyboard. I used to play it often at home and attempt to compose my own music. While I admit that I had/have no musical talent, I still remember how much I loved it. However, I can’t remember ever loving music classes like that. From what I can remember music in primary school, it was just as Sinclair describes it – teacher-centred and whole group. I wonder if I would have enjoyed music more if I were able to explore more on my own terms.

I’m not sure that things have changed much since I was at school either. In each of my three placements I sat in on each music lesson (which was always taken with a specialist teacher) and I never experienced children simply playing with music. Any music made by the students was always as instructed by the teacher and would generally involve the whole class. In each lesson there always seemed to be at least one group singing session with the teacher on the piano. I always thought it was interesting watching the teacher get so involved in the song and children were not interested at all. Maybe if the teacher actually played something that the students liked listening to then they would be more enthralled.

Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N. & O’Toole, J. (2009). Education in the Arts: teaching and learning in the contemporary curriculum. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press

Tucker responds:

Yes Alysha - It is a common scenario isn't it - the one where the teacher is the one playing all the music. I do understand how this situation occurs  - with a large group, 'free play' music making can become very hard to manage.

It was interesting for me to read the article as I have always come from the 'free-up and discover' music school, rather than the "whole-group, teacher-centred" style as described in Sinclair (2009), however, I am becoming increasingly aware of the necessity for both styles of teaching for successful, rounded music education.
Class size can be a huge issue with everyone wanting to make music at the same time (there is only so much space in one classroom for sounds!), yet why not have combined art workstations? One group could be exploring some sounds/instruments; the next could be working on some visual representation of what they are hearing; another group could be exploring the sounds that are coming from the music group through movement or puppetry; and those who may need a moment to work alone could be writing stories - all simultaneously in the same classroom!
The point you make about how students might participate more if the music was something they might listen to, is an important one. My eight-year-old son is extremely musical yet will only happily participate at school if  the music moves him. I have always been an advocate of using 'hip' music with children (provided the lyrics are suitable), yet I can also see the benefits of drawing on the more traditional children's folk songs and games, as employed by the 'Kodaly' and 'Orff-Schulwerk' methods, to teach understanding of pitch, rhythm and musical notation. Therefore, I think we best serve our students if we aim to provide a wide scope of musical experiences including: varied listening (live and recorded) and associated activities; a mix of experimental and structured music making (for process and at times, performance) as well as short, regular sessions building music literacy skills.


Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N. & O’Toole, J. (2009). Education in the Arts: teaching and learning in the contemporary curriculum. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press

Bobby McFerrin

In this video, Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale. This performance was given at the World Science Festival as part of a presentation titled Notes and Neurons: in search of the common chorus (Gerald Lynch Theatre, John Jay College, NYC, June 12th 2009).

I have shown this to all sorts of people, all ages - it always seems to resonate. I wonder why?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzOfHzaGZZE&feature=related

Beardyman - Beatboxer
I'm certainly no expert when it comes to music. But, have a look at this video on youtube, the musician's name is Beardyman. I just think that he is so talanted. Not only is his music really good (not that everybody likes that kind of music) but he is making all the music with his mouth. I'm not sure how exactly I could incorporate into a lesson. Have a listen and let me know what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQqTsMKa7ow&feature=relmfu

Media Arts

Our Thoughts on Media Arts:

Tucker's response:
Here is an example of what I might use as a pretext for a multimedia arts project. This one I call "Sweet Man". I like to take pictures of street signs and explore their ambiguities by taking them out of context (ie - looking at them as images...what are they communicating? In which ways can they be interpreted? What do they remind us of when they are not in the street?). I had an idea to one day use this as a fun teaching project: to make a sort of Chaplinesque video of someone on a bicycle totally misinterpreting these signs and getting into all sorts of trouble. It's been done before of course ( characters like Mr Bean make such mistakes all the time) but I haven't seen it done with local symbols and street signs, and I think that students would have great fun writing the script/acting/filming/producing it - and would learn a lot about symbolism too!

Dance

Our Thoughs on Dance

Downham's Thoughts:

At the beginning of this unit I was quite nervous about teaching dance since I was so bad at it myself (always up the back row L).  The readings in this unit have made clear to me that dance isn’t necessarily about co-ordination, rhythm and choreography; it is about finding other ways to communicate and express yourself. 

As children begin generating dances they will learn about the processes and language of creative dance through problem solving (Russell-Bowie, 2005).  Some examples given by Wright (2003) include, creating the movement of a spider, the movements required to make breakfast and what movements would toys make if they came to life. (Sounds like so much fun!)

As children realise their dances they perform their movements to either a single peer or for their whole class.  This gives them an opportunity to engage and reflect on their performance (Sinclair, Jeanneret & O’Tool, 2009).

When children respond to dance they are able to develop an understanding of what the dance is trying to communicate (Russell-Bowie, 2005).  As their teacher I will need to encourage discussion about dance is different to normal movement and how it is used to express ideas and feelings (Sinclair, 2009).

Through these readings I have began to develop confidence and understanding that I do not need to be a great dancer to teach dance.  I simply need enthusiasm, creativity and a desire to have fun. I think I can manage that!

References:

Russell-Bowie, D (2005).  MMADD about the arts! An introduction to primary arts education.  Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N., & O’Tool, J. (2009). Education in the arts: Teaching and learning in the contemporary curriculum.  South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Wright, S. (2003).  Children, Meaning-making and the Arts.  Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Tucker's Comments

Yes Alysha - it's interesting isn't it - how we immediately think of the formal applications of dance when we think of 'teaching dance', whereas really it's about movement and being present in our bodies and allowing and encouraging children to be the same. I think half the battle is to make it a regular activity - so that we all get moving without feeling self-conscious about it, and really learn to enjoy that freedom rather than worry about what we look like. 

I also think there's a lot to be said for learning simply steps and choreography though - it can bring with it a great sense of achievement as well as a cooperative spirit and a sense of belonging (must try and find some references/writings on this!)

Here is a link to an example of some Dalcroze (music educator) exercises aimed at embodying musical rhythm and feel. More fun ways to learn!

Dalcroze eurhythmics example

Drama

Our Thoughts on Drama

Posted by Alysha Downham
I’ve just spent some time watching the Drama and Literacy Video at:
http://www.schoolsworld.tv/videos/ks1-ks2-english-drama-in-the-classroom


And also the Drama and Maths Video at: http://www.schoolsworld.tv/videos/ks1-drama-in-maths-drama-for-learning

These are two videos that we are expected to watch in week 2. While I often struggle to find time to watch every video that is posted for my classes, I am so glad that I watched these. And I already feel that I’m developing an understanding of how to use drama in my classroom.

As I’ve gotten older, I guess that I have simply forgotten what it is like to have such a vivid imagination, where anything and everything is possible. It reminded me of when I was a child and would play with my Barbies or teddies; I would play a role and I would give them a role. I remembered how much I loved drama.

I really liked what the teacher from the Drama and Literacy video says about teaching drama “You don’t have to be a good actor at all. You have to feel confident with what you’re doing and you have to feel secure with your class. But definitely not a good actor”. I really understood what she is saying and believe that a teacher has to feel comfortable with their class all the time. For example, when I was on placement and reading my students a story, to make it enjoyable for myself and for them, I needed to feel comfortable enough to put on accents or scary voices. It took me a few lessons to really feel comfortable in myself as a teacher and story teller, but once I could immerse myself in the role of teacher it was more enjoyable for everybody and students were more engaged.

Watching these videos has changed my past understanding that drama was simply about taking on a role and pretending to be somebody else. These videos have helped me recognise that drama can be incorporated into so much of what we teach and has made me excited to test some out on my next placement.

Chapter 7: Question 1 - By Tucker

What strategies would you use in teaching a drama workshop like Fox to primary children?

This would depend on the text. I might even start by working with the children to first to write their own story. I’m thinking grades 3/4/5. Artifacts, such as stuffed toys from the opp shop, or photos from a magazine could be used as starting points for characters with a story built around these characters: their profiles formed collaboratively. We would give our characters a ‘space’ such as a home environment, perhaps send them on a journey – decide where and why etc. and gradually build our storyline together. Alternatively, the story could come out of some current issue  i.e. behaviour in the playground etc.

After the story was written (this initial part of the process would probably take part in literacy lessons – we would need at least two), we would then start to explore it as a piece of process theatre. The freeze frame strategy (found in this Drama and Literacy Video ) could be very useful for breaking the story up into its main parts/scenes. The concept of a storyboard could be discussed. This could also be added to with music/sound effects.

Following this we could have a brainstorming of the sort of things the characters might think/feel and say.Then small groups could improvise scenes, with the teacher leading the session and recording responses on the board, or it could be done in groups with students responding to a series of set questions (such as the examples given on pages 60-61 of the Sinclair et.al text (2010) . Depending on the story, decision alley , found at this Drama and Literacy Video, could be used. This idea strongly resonates with me as I think it really links up with how children make decisions (such as Mum’s voice versus peer pressure). Writing in role is another powerful tool. Perhaps as a formal writing exercise, students could be required to either write the story in the form of a series of letters (each student taking on one scene), or alternatively they could have a go at writing a script from the improvised dialogue previously created and recorded.

Work would then be shared and issues discussed. It could be further developed into a performance piece, a musical score, a series of paintings, put into a storybook form, comic strip – or simply finish there!

Possible difficulties:

Difficulties in carrying out such workshops/lessons can often arise when several children have strong opinions about what they want to convey – and the teacher is left in the unenviable position to make the decisions as to whose contribution will be included and whose will be left out at each step of the journey. One way I have found to tackle this problem is to give individual student ownership, or ‘decision making rights’ as it were, to different sections of a story. The group is encouraged to share ideas and opinions, but ultimately the student of the moment is given the ultimate say. Although it does take time to successfully establish such working relationships, I believe this is a very powerful way of sharing ownership – and the students, when supported this way with group guidance, are usually capable of making very discerning decisions.

That said, it is very hard to do this when faced with a large group of students. In fact, all strategies employed by the teacher must take into consideration the size, age, experience and dynamic of the class.

Another issue here is in the nature of improvisation – in my experience, some people think faster than others in such situations and can tend to dominate such sessions, making other students feel alienated. Other students may think of what to do/say (often very witty/entertaining/profound) but can’t seem to let it out in front of the group, and some students, once you ‘open the door’ to improvisation, become so completely involved that they become carried away, finding it difficult to ‘come back’. It is important to be aware of these issues when teaching drama in the classroom.

References

Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N., & O'Toole, J. (2009). Education in the Arts: Teaching and learning in the contemporary curriculum. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Schools World TV. Accessed, July 27, 2011
http://www.schoolsworld.tv/videos/ks1-ks2-english-drama-in-the-classroom

Visual Arts

Our Thoughts on Visual Arts:

My Arts Journey with Sketchfu (By Alysha Downham)

Thanks to Eleanor, I have been having fun with Sketchfu and have documented a clip of my arts journey. Have a look at http://sketchfu.com/drawing/4120821-my-arts-journey

After experimenting with this website, I can see how beneficial this could be to use in the classroom. In Education in the Arts, Sinclair mentions how important it is to give each student an opportunity to express themselves and achieve in other ways (Sinclair, Jeanneret & O'Toole 2009). Sketchfu would be very benefical for those students who have trouble expressing themselves through writing or speaking and gives them an opportunity to creativly express themselves (Sinclair et al., 2009).

Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N., & O'Toole, J. (2009). Education in the Arts: Teaching and learning in the contemporary curriculum. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Tucker's addition:

Another GREAT resource for constructivist teaching ideas that link in with the Arts is Edward de Bono's book called Children Solve Problems (1972). It argues that we should give children problems to solve in order to build their creative/lateral thinking skills. The book is filled with wonderful visual representations of how children might stop a dog and cat from fighting; how to build a house quickly; invent a fun machine etc. After I first read this book a few years back, I asked my son to draw what a tickle looks like and here is his response: 

Tucker "Balldroppings!"

I have just discovered this great online music/physics game called "Balldroppings"!

It's a very quick boot up and easy and interesting for various levels/ages. Small children can just have fun and play, yet older students can set themselves challenges with their visual designs affecting the music. Check it out - it'll only take five minutes (Unless, of course, you end up having too much fun!)

Owners calling for their dog on a beach: could be a 'pretext' for something...

...a piece on disobedience perhaps!

http://headstarts.posterous.com/