Matrix

    Using Google spreadsheets was a very convenient method of documenting and sharing a lesson plan I have created.  This was my first experience using an online spreadsheet and a very positive one because of the ease I had navigating through the program, and its ability to auto save my work!  Originally, I used this lesson as part of a unit on blues music for an 8th grade private or small group guitar class.  It was written for my Language & Literacy class.  In this unit of about three to four weeks the students learn about significant blues and jazz artists, stylistic aspects of the music, and the form the music typically follows.  For this project I considered a classroom of guitar based music students who have access to a computer lab.  This lesson could offer some extra support and variety during a unit of exploring musical form.  In the matrix attached to this blog my lesson plan has been divided into three columns that include the standards used in the lesson, classroom strategies for achieving each standard, and technologies that assist in completing each task.  I have organized the matrix to represent a suggested order for the lesson to follow in five rows, top to bottom.
    In the first row labeled Discovery, the lesson begins with a video presentation of Miles Davis's song “Freddie Freeloader”.  As the students watch this video from YouTube they are considering the source of where this recording comes from, and if it is valid or not.  After hearing the original song a second video would be played of someone covering the same tune, possibly in a different style.  In this example the students should also look at who posted the video and if they are a well-known or legitimate source or not.  This portion of the class addresses the NJCCCS of comparing and contrasting the use of musical form in a composition of a specific style.  It also addresses the NETS-S standard of evaluating resources to determine credibility of authors.  Both of these standards are for 8th grade as well. 
    I labeled the second row with Analyze.  During this portion of the lesson the students would be instructed to write a response to the videos they just viewed in their reflective journals.  The writing task would ask students to describe how this music is an example of the culture during the late 50’s and early 60’s, what kind of setting they imagine it being performed in, and any other pictures or events they can link with this song.  They can also consider the second video and how the original song might have influenced the cover.  After the students finish their journal entries the teacher would lead a group discussion to talk about their responses, continue analyzing the music, and write key responses in a word processor through the overhead projector.  The most important part of the group discussion is to introduce the new material of the 12-bar blues form used in the song.  The analysis of social, historical, and political influence of artists on culture and how culture impacts the arts refers to the NJCCCS standard.  The NETS-S standard of examining patterns is also being addressed. 
    After the discussion the class would begin learning “Freddie Freeloader” from handouts or digital copies of the written music.  Students would work individually or in pairs to learn the chord progression and melody on guitar.  If the students have trouble with learning the rhythms they can use a metronome or computer software to assist them.  Taking note of the elements that define the music as a blues song, like the form and rhythms used, will be part of the learning objective.  This correspond to the NJ standard of performing expressive qualities within the style. 
    After the students have spend some time learning the song individually a large circle would be formed to have a group performance.  Everyone will play the rhythm changes to the song while the students take turns playing solos.  The teacher would be using a metronome to make sure everyone’s tempo remains consistent (clicking drumsticks would also work if the metronome seems too challenging). During the performance the teacher can see who has a good understanding of the form and who may need some extra time practicing.  The students can give each other feedback, suggest ideas, or discuss the process they went through in their performance. 
    Lastly, the Create section is dedicated to beginning a recording project using music notation software and recording software.  Students will be assigned the task of composing an original blues song that follows a typical form in the key of their choice.  They can choose to work in small groups or individually.  A requirement would be to include a musical sample from the internet and incorporate it into their song in a creative way.  This project would probably be ongoing throughout the unit, not intended to be completed during this lesson.  Hopefully this kind of task will keep students thinking about ideas for their project and continue analyzing form in the music they hear.

Here is the link to the Matrix

Amplifiers

In an ensemble setting one of the most difficult challenges lies in achieving balance and blend among the group.  Playing with dynamics, arranging the instrumentation appropriately, and selecting the right players all have a significant impact on the ensemble sound.  The use of amplifiers has made the job of blending and balance easier since their invention.  Amps have also allowed for new musical styles to develop as well as many other possibilities for the musical world.

Most commonly amplifiers are used by the electric guitar, bass, and occasionally keyboard players.  However, they have the ability to amplify anything that can be plugged into the input jack from a 1/4 inch cable.  You can see the extent of these possibilities explored in the music of composers like John Cage who wrote a piece for an amplified cactus.  For live performances, being able to amplify instruments has created more possibilities for audiences to attend shows and participate in musical culture.  Amps allow fewer instruments to produce the same sound levels as hundreds of acoustic instruments.  This invention may have even had an impact on the kind of music people choose to see today.  Before the invention of amps, filling a large concert hall with sound probably meant seeing an orchestra or choir perform.  Cathedrals and churches are also naturally build to project sound within the room, and organs could project within the walls very loudly.  But outside of these environments a large audience hearing music probably did not exist.  Today, the possibility of one person, or a band of three people, can produce as much sound or greater than an orchestra, choir, or pipe organ within cathedral.

Not only have amps impacted the musical styles and genres since their invention, they impact the school environments too.  In school bands there are opportunities for guitar, bass, and keyboard players to join marching bands in the “pit” section.  Although they don’t all march it is a nice option and allows for some interesting arrangements of music.  The lack of specific instruments can also be substituted by amplified guitars or basses that fill in the missing parts very well.  The variety of companies that make amps as well as their ability to adjust and customize sound levels has created endless possibilities for musicians from all fields and specialties.  Here are a couple of my favorite companies and innovators of amplifiers:
Fender
Ampeg
GK

Headphones

    Actively listening to music can be done in many types of environments.  At concert halls, in studios, theaters, or from your living room, people engage in the listening experience for many different reasons.  One technology that has changed the way we listen to music is the invention of headphones.  Instead of hearing music live or through speakers, the headphones directly plug your ears into a music source and create an entirely different musical experience.  You can hear much more detail and differentiate between instrumental parts easier.  The use of headphones in the music education world has many applications.
    In my experience I have been able to learn music much faster with headphones.  Using speakers can sometimes distort the sound a bit or leave out important parts, especially bass.  As a bass player it is hard to pinpoint what my part sounds like sometimes.  If I need to learn a song using my ear, the headphones are my best friend.  Unless I am blasting music with really good quality speakers it can be impossible to learn the music.
    Some musical artists now consider how many people listen to their music exclusively using headphones.  In the recording studio there are small details that can be added to mixing and mastering music that make the listening experience more enjoyable.  With each listen more content can be discovered making each listen feel like a new experience.
    Headphones allow music to be more accessible to a larger audience when compared to before its invention.  When paired with portable music players almost every setting can and has been turned into a musical landscape.  Headphones can be utilized for the musician: droning a constant note for intonation practice, quickly refreshing a musical sound before a performance, or for the joy and relaxation music offers.

Youtube

    Listening to music plays a big part in learning music.  Before the internet the best ways to play musical examples to a class might have been a CD, cassette, or even vinyl record.  With these technologies the teacher would need to have a specific musical example in mind and play the audio for the class. If they didn’t own a copy they might have to buy it at a music shop or rent it from a library.  Today we have the internet where endless audio of music exists in many different forms.  Perhaps one of the greatest tools that exists in the form of a website, for teachers and students, is Youtube.
    Youtube is a resource full of information that can be used for learning and demonstrating.  This is probably true for every subject area, but in music, seeing performers from many backgrounds can create a cultural experience in the classroom for the students.  Instead of being limited to audio from a recording Youtube adds the visual element to the music, whether it be the performers themselves or a home made video that goes along with the music.  Everyone is familiar with youtube and it’s vast library of videos, but not everyone knows how to navigate it to achieve musical growth. 
    An example of demonstrating with Youtube in an orchestra class could be playing a famous orchestra’s version of the piece they plan to perform in an upcoming concert.  Seeing the emotion from the performers and audience might suggest a new approach to a specific playing style, or clear up some confusion about a difficult part.  Comparing the video to other well-known or student orchestras can engage students in an analytical thinking process as well creating room for new understandings.  There are many tutorial videos as well ranging from actual instrumental lessons to advanced techniques and specific performances of parts.  These can be used for student development at home outside of class or as a supplement to the teachings.  One of my favorite things youtube does is suggest other links at the end of a video that are similar to what you just viewed.  I have discovered many new artists, songs, and great versions of music from the suggestions that I would have never known about otherwise. 

Collaboration Canvas

Remixing a unit plan was a really interesting learning experience for me.  I wasn’t sure what subject area I might want to collaborate with so I browsed our class submissions until I stumbled upon an English unit plan that focused on poetry.  I immediately thought of a couple of directions I could take this unit and apply it into a music curriculum, so I decided to remix the canvas into my subject area.  I presented a new unit on poetry in music that mainly focused on tone poem compositions.  These composers created a new style of music that was directly inspired by popular poems, or ones specifically written for the genre.  This unit could lead into program music, a similar compositional technique where music is set to any non-musical sources like poems, landscapes, paintings, and many others.  On the analytical side of this unit we could discuss how poetry made its way into rap music as well.  On the original canvas the author used Shel Silverstein as an example of a poet to study.  Silverstein is also a musician and I made the connection of the subject areas with a video of him speak-singing a poem of his while playing guitar. The remixed version of the canvas can be seen
here.

Digital synthesizer

The digital synthesizer is a huge advancement in music technology.  It is important to understand a bit of history when considering how significant of an impact the digital synth has had on music in the last couple decades.  Before digital instruments, there were analog instruments and effects.  Both digital and analog instruments attempted to modify or imitate the sound of an acoustic instrument such as a violin or trumpet.  The difference is one uses a computer to achieve the sound (digital) an the other uses circuits and sound modification mechanics closer to an acoustical instrument (analog).  Although many musicians still prefer the analog instrument sound over digital instruments, the digital synthesizer has created a broad range of possibilities for music educators, students, musicians, producers and hobbyists. 
    As more people become consumers of digital music and electronic instruments, the competition to craft a digital synthesizer that is an all-in-one machine is progressing at a tremendous rate.  The possibilities with some of the most recent models let users choose between thousands of different sound options.  Multiple variations in style of just one musical instrument means there might be three different saxophone sounds built into the synth, or thirty depending on the make and model.  Imagine these options for every kind of instrument of the orchestra or wind symphony and boom, thousand and thousands of sound options with the toggle of a switch or even the click of a mouse.  Connecting digital synths to a computer is also a possibility where synchronizing with music software allows even more sound options and custom modifications of those sounds.
    What does this mean for educators and where are synthesizers seen in a school setting?  For band directors and general music teachers synthesizers can make their way into almost every musical setting.  In the orchestra for example, being able to demonstrate the first violin part without actually playing a violin might come in handy.  Or in the general music class, introducing different families of instruments through pictures with sounds accompanied by the synthesizer could be a fun way to utilize the technology.  There are also programs at some schools that include music industry classes into their curriculum.  In the classroom there are usually workstations for each student made up of a computer and synthesizer.  These students get very familiar with how this instrument works and how professionals might use them on a daily basis.  One more place the synthesizer might be found is the school’s auditorium especially if the regularly put on shows and musicals.  Instead of needing an entire pit orchestra to accompany the performers, the synth can replace many difficult to find parts of the band.  Even if the school doesn’t have too much room for a pit band, the synth can take on many parts of the show, or a team of synths could potentially take all the parts. 
    In so many ways this technology is changing the way classroom teachers and musicians interact with music on a daily basis.  Their affordability makes them very accessible to all schools and players as well.  It will be interesting to see how the digital synthesizer develops over the next few years and what new roles it will be able to take on.
   

Unit Plan Canvas

Creating a canvas using PLAYground has been a fun experience for me.  This website has allowed me to create a place for my future students to visit and see what material I will be covering in upcoming classes as well as discover links, videos, pictures, and other sources of information about our unit.  While I was creating my canvas I found myself researching many sources for credible information that I could use for links and videos.  In this process I was able to make connections to artists throughout history who share rejection by the majority of society to their music.  I chose to display a unit on the affect of society on musicians and composers, noting artists who were criticized for introducing a new genre or style.  My aim is to show the similarities to today’s highly criticized music and art, and how this theme has been on-going.  Some of these artists have become idols and legends in music history so their mention serves as a good model for what the future may bring for today’s music that is looked down upon.  PLAYground canvas