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

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