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

Students will compose a basic, short cellphone (mobile phone) ringtone composition. Within 2 lessons, students will compose a short piece of cellphone ringtone music. • Acquire a knowledge of the characteristics of a ringtone • Analyze well-known ringtones • Compose a loop pattern Concepts • Ringtones • Composition length • Loop • Rhythm • Notation • Timbre Included: sample ringtones and an assignment rubric handout

Lesson Plan Elementary - Middle - High School 2-4 lessons Students will compose a piece of music based on word games. They will practice and perform the composition with an optional additional accompaniment (self-composed or backtrack) to match the composition topic. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music for voice and speech choir inspired by a play on the words “day”. In the process the student will: • Explore speech rhythms • Translate a speech rhythm to notation • Learn and memorize through practice to write a rhythmic motif and develop a motif • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation • Explore setting words to music • Practice short fragments on a instrument • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Concepts • Melody • Rhythm • Motif • Repetition • Sequence • Fragmentation • Voice parts • Triads • Setting words to a rhythm

Students will compose a radio or audio drama. Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High • Acquire knowledge of the genre radio or audio drama • Learn how to develop a poem/play or skit into an audio version • Analyze, plan and develop radio drama components, e.g., narrative, dialogue, title music, sting, ambient sound, sound effects • Plot a soundboard for a radio/audio drama • Explore basic techniques of layering sound • Acquire, review or practice technology for performing and making a sound recording Concepts • Radio drama • Audio drama • Narrative • Voice actor • Dialogue • Sound/Silence • Theme music • Background music • Sound effects • Sting • Ambient sound

Music Composition and Technology lesson plan: Ringtones II for Advanced. Students will compose or generate a ringtone, save it as a file, and upload to their cellphone/mobile. This lesson is for more advanced groups using the class set of iPads or their personal iPad or cellphone/mobile. The GarageBand app would need to be installed on the device. • Acquire a knowledge of how to compose a ringtone using GarageBand • Save the newly created composition in GarageBand and export as a ringtone • Find the ringtone on your phone’s settings and set as new ringtone Concepts • Ringtones • Composition length • Loop • Instrument • Timbre Included: screen shots for setting up the ringtone and student assignment sheet.

Students will compose a rhythm using Morse code. They will use Morse code to embed their names or other messages in musical code. They will practice and perform the rhythm composition. Objectives • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore note values and rests • Understand functional concepts about note and rest values • Learn the basics of Morse code • Acquire, review or practice basic rhythm reading Included: rhythm chart, Morse Code chart, sample composition

Students will make one or more of the following: Design and participate in a Sound Walk, documenting, recording, and noting the sound of the environment. Make a Soundwalk composition Make a Soundwalk map Make a digital sound map Objectives Within 2-6 lessons, students will compose a digital Sound Map based on the undertaken Soundwalk. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of Soundwalks • Acquire knowledge of Sound maps • Acquire an awareness of the sounds of the environment • Design a Sound Walk • Design a Sound Map • Record sound for digital placement on the Sound Map • Become familiar with software such as mapme.com • Understand the significance of documenting and preserving our physical environment in sound Concepts • Sound Map: Cartographic, Compositional, Performative • Soundwalk • Acoustic Environment • Soundscape Included: Sound Walk Checklist template

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.

This lesson is aimed at the piano studio. Students will compose a piece of piano music based on a well-known melody and follow a step-by-step guide to “jazzify” the piece. Objectives Within 4-6 lessons students will prepare a jazzy piece for piano. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the different ways in which a piece may be altered. • Analyze the various parameters that may be altered to achieve a different style, e.g., rhythm, melody, effects, etc. • Plan the structure of a composition. • Focus on the interplay between recognizable melodic material and jazz-effect development of the material. • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or ornamentation. • Practice short “jazzified” melodic fragments on the piano. • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition. • Acquire, review or practice melodic and rhythmic staff notation. Concepts • Accompaniment jazz bass styles, e.g., boogie bass, stride bass, etc. • Crushed notes • Seventh chord • Syncopated rhythm • Dotted rhythms • Melodic “filler” A 6-step plan is provided to "jazzify" a piece.

Students will compose a piece of music based on musical fragmentation of the song "Auld Lang Syne". For Studio or School: Late elementary - High School. They will name their compositions, and practice and perform the composition with an optional additional accompaniment (self-composed or from the original sheet music). The composition assignment is designed as an individual composition (e.g. for use in the piano studio setting) or as a classroom composition (e.g. for use in schools). Objectives Within 1-2 lessons, students will compose a piece of music inspired by a given composition (in this example Auld Lang Syne). In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the motivic structure of a composition • Learn and memorize through practice to fragment and develop a motif • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation • Explore the principles of variation • Practice short melodic fragments on a melodic instrument • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Concepts: • Melody • Rhythm • Motif • Repetition • Sequence • Fragmentation • Variation

Overview Lesson Plan Music Composition Elementary - Middle 2 - 4 lessons Students will compose a piece of music that has secret codes (their names, last names, birth month, etc.) embedded in the melody. They will name their compositions, practice and perform the composition with a provided backtrack for live recording of the final product. As follow-up activity in successive lessons, explore adding accompaniment. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music based on the 7 musical letters. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the 7 musical letters, ABCDEFG • Learn and memorize through practice to write the 7 musical letters on the treble staff • Learn, review and practice basic note values • Practice short melodic fragments on a melodic instrument • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation • Play a melody to a steady beat (provided by a backtrack)

Students will compose an instrumental piece that includes a body percussion part. This lesson is aimed at piano composition. Objectives Within 3-4 lessons (depending on level), students will prepare a piece. In the process the student will: • Use current notation skills; • Use standard notation; • Expand rhythm skills; • Learn to write for a non-melodic part; • Consider how a percussive part enhances a melodic composition. Concepts • Beat • Rhythm • Percussion • Upbeat (anacrusis) • Strong beat • Echo • Repetition Included: Sample composition and prompts.

Overview Lesson Plan and Appendix A Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High 2 - 3 lessons Students will compose a piece of music using a landscape as inspiration. They will name their compositions, and practice and perform the composition. Objectives Within 2-3 lessons, students will compose a piece of music inspired by a landscape. In the process the student will: • Analyze a visual image • Identify and define elements of art and music: line, color, form, contour, contrast, etc. • Make connections between various art forms • Analyze how visual image and sound image are similar and different • Explore new writing and playing techniques to accommodate soundscape creation • Explore soundscapes as compositional device Concepts • Contour • Line • Scales • Pitch • Timbre (tone color) • Glissando • Accents • Dynamics • Mood

Overview Lesson Plan Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High 1 lesson Students will compose a melody using a random selector for pitch, but within certain structural and tonal parameters. They will practice and perform the melody. Objectives Within one lesson, students will compose a melody. In the process the student will: • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore the steps of a scale • Understand functional concepts about tones within the scale: home note/tonic (tonal center), semitone relationship of steps 3-4 and 7-8 • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation if the melody is used to extend into a larger piece • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Concepts • Melody • Rhythm • Tonal system (major, minor) • Semitones • Home note / tonic (tonal center) • Scale • Pitch relationships

By Dr. Adriana Janse van Rensburg Lesson Plan Music Composition Elementary – Middle -High 2 - 4 lessons Students will compose a piece of music by using only triads to create a melody and accompaniment. Objectives Within 2-4 lessons, students will compose a piece of music based on the three notes of a triad. In the process the student will: • Explore the concept “triad”. • Write triads in root position. • Explore “block” and “broken” chords. • Write a melody or accompaniment pattern based on triad manipulation. Concepts • Triad • Block Chord • Arpeggiated or Broken Chord • Primary Triads (I, IV , V) • Thirds • Harmonic Progression • Cadence • Harmonic scheme/plan Photocopiable templates included.

Lesson Plan Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High 1-4 lessons Students will compose a melody using a scale, (with optional template provided) but within certain structural and tonal parameters. They will practice and perform the melody. Use major/minor or chromatic as needed for your syllabus. Objectives Within one lesson, students will compose a scale-based melody. In the process the student will: • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore pitch as per their curriculum guide • Explore the steps of a scale • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation if the scale- melody is used to extend into a larger piece • Explore basic techniques of “linking” sections of a composition through scales • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Concepts • Melody • Rhythm • Scale • Steps of the scale • Home note / tonic (tonal center) • Whole tone/Half tone Photocopiable template included

Overview Middle and High School 4-6 lessons Students will compose a multi-media composition. They will name the project, and practice and perform the composition synchronizing live self-composed and recorded music with a slide-show presentation. The composition is designed as a 2-minute (20 seconds per slide) performance with the accompanying 10-image slideshow. Optional: Make your own 10-image slideshow presentation. Objectives Within 4-6 lessons, students will prepare a project inspired by a 10-image slideshow. In the process the student will: • Acquire knowledge of the different ways in which images inspire sound; • Analyze the graphic and artistic qualities of an image to determine the exact parameters of how the image may inspire sound; • Use a graphic organizer to delineate the sound structure; • Plan the structure of a composition; • Learn and memorize through practice to write motifs reflecting the image; • Focus on the interplay between sound and silence; • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation • Practice short melodic fragments on a melodic instrument; • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition; • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation and graphic notation; • Explore various recording options of self-composed materials; • Plan a multi-media presentation of live and recorded music synchronized with images. Concepts • Program Music • Melody and rhythm • Motif • Repetition • Sequence • Fragmentation • Sound and silence

Overview Lesson Plan Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High 1 lesson Students will compose a melody using a random selections of manipulatives (“stuff”), e.g. buttons, string, post-it notes, etc., to establish pitch, but within certain structural and tonal parameters. They will practice and perform the melody. Objectives Within one lesson, students will compose a melody. In the process the student will: • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore line-space-line, or skips, or the steps of a scale • Learn, review and practice basic writing techniques such as line, space, skips, note size, grammar or writing, spacing of notes, placing notes on a staff, stem directions, etc. • Explore basic techniques of starting a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Concepts • Melody • Rhythm • Pitch • Staff • Home note • Stepwise and skips • Pitch relationships

Lesson Plan Music Composition Elementary – Middle - High 2 - 3 lessons Students will compose a piece of music using basic variation form techniques. They will select a simple, well-known melody and create 3 to 4 variations, and practice and perform the composition. Objectives Within 2-3 lessons, students will compose a piece of music using basic variation techniques. In the process the student will: • Explore and analyze pitch and rhythm • Explore and analyze formal structure • Learn and memorize through practice to write a rhythmic and/or melodic motif and develop a motif • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as repetition, sequence and/or fragmentation to create variations • Analyze the character and mood changes particular variations techniques lend to a piece • Explore variation form as a basic technique of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation Concepts • Melody • Rhythm • Motif • Repetition • Sequence • Fragmentation • Character/Mood • Tonality • Accompaniment style • Meter

8 templates to kick off the school year with some structured activity. The templates are from very basic to more advanced. The template gives the teacher opportunity to assess prior knowledge, work on writing grammar (how to draw those notes!), and have a ready work sheet to ease the start of the school year writing activities. Objectives Within one lesson, students will compose a structured piece on a template. In the process the student will: • Explore rhythms as per their curriculum guide • Explore pitch as per their curriculum guide • Work on notation grammar: how to draw the notes, stems, size of notes, how to space notes in a measure, etc. • Learn, review and practice basic compositional techniques such as motif, repeats, long note endings, etc. • Explore basic techniques of extending a composition • Acquire, review or practice basic staff notation