Wk 7: Listening and Organising Sound

This week was much more of a theory based lesson. We discussed the idea of composition and different ways of creating a composition with students. Programs such as Garage Band and Audacity were demonstrated and we discussed how they could be used in the classroom. We also discussed some famous composer and scores that students are likely to recognize and how these could be used as a stimulus in music lessons. We discussed scores such as the Harry Potter theme song. It was interesting to note that many of the famous compositions we discussed were out of movies, I think this makes an interesting comment on the popular culture of society also. I think that these kinds of lessons and discussion are also crucial to have in the Primary school setting as it is important for students to understand the process' involved in making music as well as being able to play it. Especially in learning how technology can be used in the classroom through programs such as garage band, this allows students who do not have confidence in using intruments but have other skills such as using garage band to be involved in the creation process, “new technologies have made it possible for even the most novice of composers to write music with software” (Portowitz, Peppler, & Downton, 2014, p. 243)

We also watched a video of band called Naturally 7, an America a cappella group. In this video they performed a song called ‘Wall of Sound’ which involves the introduction of instruments one at a time gradually building the song in a very minimalistic way. However as the description a cappella suggests, there are no instruments involved only their voices. Therefore band members make all of the instruments sounds that are heard. This video is absolutely fascinating, and I think a great tool to use with students to explore the versatility of using voice. As a class we discussed the video and we thought about the song, despite the comments on the band members unfashionable attire, most students were intrigued by the bands ability to make such a wide variety of sounds. If this video was to be used in the classroom I think it would be useful at the beginning of a music unit that involved singing. It very much opens up many doors as to what can be done in a performance apart from simply singing.

Portowitz, A., Peppler, K., & Downton, M. (2014). In harmony: A technology-based music education model to enhance musical understanding and general skills. International Journal of Music Education , 32 (2), 242-260.