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Lesson Plan: Sound Orchestra

Sound, Noise, and Electronic Music

Group 1: Ages 5-7
Group 2: Ages 8-10
Group 3: Ages 10-13

Objectives

Group 1&2: Recognition of various sound waves, ability to construct simple compositions using sound waves, training the voice to imitate sound waves, using the body to imitate sound waves in musical movement, learning concepts of timbre and noise as music, encouraging improvisation with instruments, continuation of Primer Level in Keyboard playing.

Group 3: Recognition of various sound waves and noise types, ability to construct compositions using graphic notation, understanding the music history behind electronic music (John Cage, Futurists, noise, early electronic instruments, etc.), learning concepts of timbre and noise as music, encouraging improvisation and experimentation with instruments and various sound producers, using the voice for sonic imitation of sound waves, creating vocal compositions with graphic notation (vocalizations), continuation of Primer Level and Level 1 Keyboard playing.


SOUND ORCHESTRA
1 Rumbles Booms
2 Whistles and Hisses and Snorts
3 Whispers, murmurs, and gurgles
4 Screeches, creaks, buzzes
5 Percussion instruments noises
6 Voices of Animals and People

(See http://www.unknown.nu/futurism/noises.html)

WEEK TWO: Noise, Silence, and the Sound Orchestra

Day 1
Group 1&2: Introduction to Futurist concepts in music; “Music as Noise”; Luigi Russolo. Creation of the Futurist Orchestra; Students sound out the different families of the Futurist Orchestra; Reviewing dynamics (piano, forte, mezzo-forte, etc.), conducts the ensemble; basic keyboard ten minutes; musical movement twenty minutes
Group 3: Introduction to Futurist concepts in music; “Music as Noise”; Luigi Russolo. Creation of the Futurist Orchestra; Students sound out the different families of the Futurist Orchestra; Reviewing dynamics (piano, forte, mezzo-forte, etc.), conducts the ensemble; basic keyboard twenty minutes;

Day 2
Group 1&2: Introduction to John Cage; silence as an element of music; 4’33’’; discussion of sounds heard; “Everything is music”; begin collecting instruments for sound orchestra; basic keyboard ten minutes; musical movement twenty minutes
Group 3: Introduction to John Cage; silence as an element of music; 4’33’’; discussion of sounds heard; “Everything is music”; discussion of aleatoricism; using change operations class creates a music composition for keyboard; begin collecting instruments for sound orchestra; basic keyboard twenty minutes

Day 3
Group 1&2: Using flashcards, play game reviewing rhythms, notes on the keyboard, and the different families in the futurist orchestra; basic keyboard ten minutes; musical movement with instruments twenty minutes
Group 3: Introduction to musique concrete and tape; Bring in the reel-to-reel; students experiment with reel-to-reel; listen to examples of pieces using music concrete; basic keyboard twenty minutes

Day 4
Group 1&2: Students compose simple compositions using rhythm and noise; class reads back compositions; basic keyboard ten minutes; musical movement twenty minutes
Group 3: John Cage’s William’s Mix; Listen to samples of musique concrete’; students create own tape compositions using chance operations, scissors, and scotch tape; basic keyboard twenty minutes

Day 5
Group 1&2: Divide class into two or three sections; each group is given a part in the Futurist orchestra and performs compositions written on the board; learning the concept of ensemble playing; students conduct ensemble; basic keyboard ten minutes; musical movement with parachute twenty minutes
Group 3: Composition Fridaze Complete tape compositions; playback tape pieces; divide class into two or three sections; each group is given a part in the Futurist orchestra and performs compositions written on the board; learning the concept of ensemble playing; students conduct ensemble

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