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2O22/23Music WhatMusic,Makes
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Editors: Jason Spencer, Director of Education, North Carolina Symphony; Christopher Short, Education Assistant, North Carolina Symphony; Rhoda Yakowenko Education Intern, North Carolina Symphony
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North Carolina Symphony Student and Teacher Handbook © 2022 by North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. Reproduction of this book in its entirety is strictly prohibited.
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NCS also gratefully acknowledges the following supporters:
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Authors: Laura Black, Melissa Coxe, Pamela Day, Erin Fossa, Mary Michael, Jennifer Starkey
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PATRONSEDUCATIONSUSTAINERSEDUCATION
16 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
After moving, he began composing works for chamber orchestra; two of his early works are Darker America and From the Black Belt. Still’s concern with the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. can be seen in many of his works. This can especially be seen in the Afro-American Symphony, his ballet, Sahdji, and his operas, Troubled Island and Highway 1 U.S.A. These pieces were composed after Still’s extensive study and research on African music. His eclectic musical style, which included many different musical influences, was enjoyed by audience members of every race and ethnicity. Still is remembered as one of America’s greatest composers, and his music is widely performed today.
DIED: December 3, 1978, Los Angeles, California
• He was the first African American to conduct a major American orchestra—the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
FEATURED WORK: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,”
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
• William Grant Still studied medicine at Wilberforce University before going on to study composition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
This is the first symphony composed by an African American that was performed by a professional orchestra. The “AfroAmerican Symphony” is Still’s most famous work and was premiered by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 1931, the year after it was composed. The symphony has influences from the jazz and blues genres. Still’s goal was to raise the musical standing of the blues, since it was considered the music of the lower class. The symphony has four movements; each is packed with musical influences and colors.
BORN: May 11, 1895, Woodville, Mississippi
William Grant Still
William Grant Still was born in Woodville, Mississippi, but was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas by his mother and grandmother. He studied composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. Later, he went to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and studied under George W. Chadwick. After his time in Boston, he began studying with a composer of the avant-garde, Edgard Varèse. In the 1920’s, he began working in jazz music. He was a jazz arranger for Paul Whiteman, a dance-band leader of the time, and for blues composer W.C. Handy. In 1939, he moved to Los Angeles after getting married to pianist Verna Arvey.
III. Scherzo
“Rhythm” refers to placement of sounds as they move through time, usually forming a pattern. Every change in the pattern is a new rhythm.
• He was known as “The Dean of African American Classical Composers.”
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Rhythm
3.ML.3.2 Create soundscapes using a variety of sound sources.
1. Using your counting system of choice, review counting eighth note, quarter note, quarter rest, and half note patterns with students.
3. While students read various rhythm chains, encourage them to tap the beat lightly somewhere on their body (patting, tapping their foot, gently clapping). You may need to review the difference between rhythm and beat.
3.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including notes and rests in 3/4 and 4/4 meter signatures.
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes, and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
Second line - 4 syllables
b. Do you see how some blocks are made of more notes than others, even though they all equal with two beats?
6. To build the cinquain:
Third line - 6 syllables
c. Allow students time to build their poem, keeping track of their syllables and corresponding rhythm blocks
• Handout: Rhythm Building Blocks (copied or projected)
4. Show students the Rhythm Building Blocks and ask students to read each one.
OBJECTIVE:
b. Formula for the cinquain:
wilt Gardens
Students will create a cinquain (sing·kayn) poem using rhythmic building blocks.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
First line - 2 syllables
5.ML.3.1 Use improvisation to create short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources, including traditional and non-traditional sounds, body sounds, and sounds produced by electronic means.
2. Show students rhythm sentences (for example: “ta, ta, ti-ti, ta” or “ta-di ta-di ta rest”).
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Rhythm Building Blocks
Fourth line - 8 syllables
PROCESS:
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 17
a. How many beats are on each block? (Answer: 2)
a. Students will need to choose a topic for their poem. Perhaps brainstorm as a class if working individually.
MATERIALS:
Fifth line - 2 syllables
4.CR.1.2 Understand the relationships between music and concepts from other areas.
• Paper and writing utensils for students
5.ML.3.3 Create rhythmic compositions using notation whole, dotted half, half, and quarter notes; whole, half, and quarter rests; and beamed eighth notes in duple, triple, and common time and which are arranged using a variety of sound sources.
• Classroom percussion instruments
Cinquain Example: The Garden WaterBeesBlooming,FlowersBuzzingareflyingaroundtheplantsbeforethey
5. Explain to students that they will be building a cinquain (a five-line stanza) using the rhythm blocks. (Note: students could work individually or in small groups.)
5.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 meter signatures.
Classroom activities provided by Laura Black, Rocky Point Elementary School, Pender County
2. Listen to the third movement of the “Afro-American Symphony.” Have students tap, clap, and/or play their rhythms along with the piece.
1. Students can add musical effects to their cinquain using classroom instruments and perform for the class
7. As students are finishing, they should write out their poem with rhythms under/above the words to dictate the rhythm of the cinquain
8. Once they are done, students can illustrate their poems, share them with the class, and/or share them with their ELA teacher
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
18 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 19
MATERIALS:
5. You may want to repeat each 2 beats several times before moving on to the tied note rhythm after it.
d. This activity can also be done with non-pitched percussion instruments (rhythm sticks, hand drums, etc)
OBJECTIVE:
c. Mix up the patterns and chain several together (ex. going to the go—the go—the beach))
“Going to the beach” Rhythm Pattern
Students will learn to count and play dotted rhythms in music.
• Unpitched percussion instruments
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo
• “Going to the beach” Rhythm Pattern
3. Explain to students that today we’re going to learn about dotted rhythms, which combine an elongated (longer) note with a shorter note.
20 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
3.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including notes and rests in 3/4 and 4/4.
4. Using the example below, have students imitate you on each part of the “going to the beach” patterns.
5.MR.1.2 Use music terminology in explaining music, including notation, instruments, voices, and performances.
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes, and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
5.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 meter signatures.
3.ML.1.3 Use instruments to perform rhythmic and melodic patterns accurately and independently on classroom rhythmic and melodic instruments.
1. Using your counting system of choice, start by reviewing a variety of rhythm sentences that include quarter notes, beamed eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and rests. This could be written for students to read or simply spoken and echoed.
a. Encourage students to tap the steady beat (quarter note pulse) while listening and imitating.
PROCESS:
Examples:i.Tata ti-ti ta = pat, pat, clap-clap, pat
4.ML.1.2 Execute the performance of vocal ostinatos, partner songs, counter-melodies, and rounds in two or more parts.
b. When students feel comfortable with the patterns, you can show them the notation of how tied notes morph the rhythm into the next one (and they sound the same!)
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: Deciphering the Dots
2. Transfer some of the rhythm sentences to body percussion. This is also a good time to encourage student creation of rhythmic patterns for other students to echo!
ii. Takadimi ta ta rest = pat-pat-pat-pat, stomp, stomp, rest
2. Now that students have an idea what dotted rhythms feel and sound like, listen to William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo.
6. Be sure to reflect on the listening one more time with students to see what they observed, what they felt, what they might want to listen for next time, etc.
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 21
1. Show students examples of each different “going to the beach” pattern.
a. Ask students to get into small groups and create their own “beach sentence.”
b. Students can teach their sentence to the class.
b. After the first listen, ask students questions about what they heard, how the rhythms felt, and did they hear any dotted rhythms?
5. Listen to the piece again, asking students to find the sections they just isolated.
4. Teach the students these little rhythmic passages by rote.
a. Encourage students to pat a steady beat throughout, listening for any dotted rhythms.
c. As an extension, have the students pick a few of their favorite sentences and layer them as a class so that there are multiple sentences being looped at once.
c. Towards the middle of the piece, the violins and woodwinds start an ascending passage with following sixteenth notes and dotted eighth sixteenth patterns:
CREATION ACTIVITY: Composing an Ostinato Pattern
3. Then, the whole orchestra engages in the following dotted rhythm conversation (strings/woodwinds versus brass):
3.MR.1.2 Use musical terminology when describing music that is presented aurally.
a. Ta ti-ti ta ta
c. Ta-di ta-di ta-di ta
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo
22 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
4.MR.1.2 Explain personal preferences for specific musical works and styles, using appropriate music terminology.
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter and eighth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
d. Continue with several more patterns (also including rests).
3. Invite students to echo several syncopated patterns, using word chains, body percussion, unpitched percussion, etc.
5.ML.1.1 Illustrate independence and accuracy while singing and playing instruments within a group or ensemble.
MATERIALS:
1. Review basic quarter note/eighth note rhythm patterns, and have students put each pattern in body percussion while they say:
b. Ti-ti ta ti-ti ta
5.ML.3.1 Use improvisation to create short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources, including traditional and non-traditional sounds, body sounds, and sounds produced by electronic means.
5. After going through several examples of imitation, ask students how this new rhythm makes them feel; do they prefer ‘straight’ rhythms or syncopated rhythms?
OBJECTIVE:
7. Encourage students to keep the steady pulse somewhere in their body while others are performing their syncopated patterns so that they can feel that shifted emphasis of the quarter on the off-beat.
2. Explain that when two notes are tied together, their sound becomes just one note. So in the example below, “Ti-ti Ti-ti Ta rest” becomes “Syn-co-pa ta rest” (use whatever counting system you prefer).
5.ML.1.3 Use instruments to perform rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns accurately and independently on classroom rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic instruments.
3.ML.3.1 Use rhythmic improvisation to create rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments.
• Unpitched percussion instruments
4. Explain that syncopation shifts the emphasis of the rhythm. Instead of always falling on the strong pulse (quarter note beat), the rhythm shifts the emphasis to the off-beat.
3.ML.1.3 Use instruments to perform rhythmic and melodic patterns accurately and independently on classroom rhythmic and melodic instruments.
Students will learn to hear, count, and play syncopated rhythms in music.
6. Invite students to create their own syncopated patterns (extend the pattern into 8-beat echoes) using a variety of spoken words, body percussion, and unpitched percussion.
NORTH CAROLINA STANDARDS IN LITERACY:
PROCESS:
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #3: Synco-what Now?
b. After the first listen, ask students questions about what they heard, how the rhythms felt, and did they hear any syncopation?
a. Encourage students to pat a steady beat throughout, listening for any syncopated rhythms.
d. Where is the syncopation? How many syncopated rhythms can you find?
i. Adding lyrics would be beneficial for learning the rhythm and melody. Ask the students: How does this piece make you feel? What do you think the song is about? Use their ideas to collaboratively write lyrics for this excerpt.
ii. Can students add percussion instruments or body percussion to play the rhythm? To play the steady beat?
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 23
iii. Can half of the students sing the melody while the other half keep a steady beat?
e. Play/sing the melody for the students and teach students to sing it through an imitation process.
f. Listen to the piece again, asking students to listen for other instances of syncopation.
g. Be sure to reflect on the listening one more time with students to see what they observed, what they felt, what they might want to listen for next time, etc.
8. Now that students have an idea what syncopated rhythms feel and sound like, listen to William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo.
c. Look at the theme as first presented in the upper strings (violin & viola):