PGCE course 1980-1981
School of Education
Leicester University
Course Tutor
Mr Glyn Loosmore BA LLB MM Croix de Guerre
DISSERTATION
CREATIVE MUSIC IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
CONTENTS
1 Introduction
2 Bibliography
3 List of projects
4 List of instruments
5 General description of projects
5.1 Introduction by the teacher5.2 Experimenting with, and practising the project
5.3 recording the pieces/discussing the pieces
6 Project 1 Fairground piece
7 Project 2 clock piece
8 Project 3 number piece
9 Project 4 Morse Code piece
10 Project 5 river piece
11 Project 6 the sea
12 Writing a score
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 A Short History of Western Music Arthur Jacobs
2 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music Michael Kennedy (ed)
3 Sound and Silence
classroom projects in creative music John Paynter and Ian Aston
4 Pop Music in Schools Ed Vulliamy and Ed Lee
5 Twentieth Century Music Peter Yates
6 Experiments in Sound Gertrud Meyer-Denkmann
7 Projects in Music Books 1, 2 and 4 Ian Lawrence
8 Advanced Projects in Music Ian Lawrence
CREATIVE MUSIC IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
INTRODUCTION
Creative music is the term used to describe the music which is thought up, experimented with, and performed by the children. It is a striking contrast to the kind of music usually associated with schools. Traditional music was, and is, very much a teacher centred activity, frequently following one or other of a limited number of options – e.g. the singing lesson, listen to a record of a piece of music, or talking about the life of a famous composer, and so on.
Creative music, on the other hand, is much more a child centred or learner centred activity. The teacher acts more like a central advisor rather than the leader of the class. Creative music is the activity where the children make and perform their own music, using (for younger groups) ideas suggested by the teacher. It is therefore an activity requiring full and active participation from every individual in the class. It is therefore essentially an experimental situation. It is not necessary for the children to be able to read conventional musical notation, although for certain activities, like making a score, a knowledge of a conventional score will help. Neither is it necessary for children to be able to sing or play any of the standard orchestral instruments. Again, if they can, an extra dimension can be used in their music. I have included a list of the instruments used in projects I have worked on. Most of these are non-pitched instrument - that is, they do not play a particular note – and the ones that are, such as the glockenspiel and the chime bars, have the note written on the metal bar.
The projects described here together with most of the information in the dissertation came from my teaching practice in Judgemeadow School, Leicester. All I have learned about creative music in schools had come from Mr John Broadhurst and Ms Helen Reece of the music department there. Without their very considerable help and cooperation, any sort of dissertation along these lines would have been impossible to write.
I would also like to thank my PGCE tutor, Mr Glyn Loosmore, for the constant interest and encouragement shown to me throughout the course in general, and with the music in particular.
PROJECTS DONE AT JUDGEMEADOW SCHOOL, LEICESTER 1980-1981
Ist Year
Machines
Fairgrounds
Clocks
Numbers
Morse Code
Patterns
Constellations
The Sea
2nd Year
Journeys (of anything)
Space
River Journeys
Reflections
Metamorphosis
Echoes
The Sea
Not all these projects will be completed in this order by every class. They give an idea of what has been done, and what could be done, in the first two years of secondary school. Of the projects listed here, only two others have I had no experience of - constellations and reflections.
Constellations involves the group choosing a well-known constellation, drawing its shape and any animal or being associated with it, and making a piece of music based on this. Reflections looks at the way objects are reflected – back-to-front and upside-down, and apiece of music is created using these ideas.
If possible, it is a good idea to play pieces of music on record or tape which illustrate the type of idea that the class is exploring.
For example, there are numerous space films which have had their soundtracks recorded: Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica. For machines: Pacific 231 (Honneger); for fairground pieces: Fourth of July (Ives), Parade (Satie) and Circus Polka (Stravinsky).
INSTRUMENTS USED IN MUSIC PROJECTS
If any pupil was able to play an orchestral instrument, and wished to do so in a particular project, then they were free to do so. The actual times this happened were few and far between as most of the children did not play an instrument.
The instruments used were largely percussive.
Tuned instruments, but with the notes written on the keys.
Glockenspiel
Chime bars
Xylophone
Metallaphone
Non tuned instruments
Bass drum
Side drum
Bongos
Temple blocks
Triangle
Wooden block
High hat cymbal
Crash cymbal
Finger bells
Shakers (home made from containers with sand/peas in them)
Whistle
Bottle
Quiro
Beaters – three types are used 1 hard eg standard drum stick
2 soft eg felt head stick
3 wire brush
PROJECTS
The project is the term given to the particular piece of work undertaken by the children. All projects follow the same basic outline. This serves two purposes; first, it is a sensible and logical way of organising a class. Second, it gives the children a broad framework to work in, as well as some kind of continuity in their musical appreciation and training. That is, although each project in terms of subject material is very different, the broad guidelines enable a class, once they have completed one project, to tackle another without any feeling of being totally lost. The project itself necessitates both the whole class as well as group work, the latter being the greater part of the project – some 80-90% of the project being done in this way. The class comes together as a whole at the beginning of the project, and at the end. The outline of a project is as follows:
1 Introduction to the project
This is done by the teacher or teachers. (In Judgemeadow School two and sometimes three teachers were in the class at the same time. This is especially useful when a large amount of group work is taking place, not only in terms of class/group control, but also in the amount of time given to each group. The system seemed to work extremely well.)
A particular topic will be introduced. This takes the form of the teacher informing the whole class about the project, and then getting them to elaborate on this by asking questions, suggestions, ideas, etc. Lists, diagrams, and any other relevant material can be put on the blackboard to illustrate the project. (This will become clearer later during descriptions of particular projects.)
The class is then divided into groups for the next stage of the project. This division usually takes the form of those children sharing with their friends as much as possible. If they are to work in small groups, then the greater the cooperation between members of that group, the better. Frequently, if a group has worked well with one project, they then prefer to keep to the same members for subsequent projects. Groups usually have four members - there being 7 to 9 groups per class. This does not have to be rigidly adhered to, although it makes a good balance for instrumental sound production. Groups that I have worked with have ranged in size from 2 to 7. At Judgemeadow School, music was allocated one double period per week - 70 minutes - for years 1 and 2. Thereafter, music becomes one of the options.
2 Planning the project
After the project has been introduced, the class divide into groups to plan their own piece. This is done in their folders, into which are put all work associated with the projects. Planning requires them to write down which instruments they are going to use, and how. Whilst a detailed description of the use of the instrument is not required at the stage, some idea of how and why they are going to use a particular instrument is needed to prevent an instrument being taken without prior thought as to what it is suitable for.
For example, in the project Clock Pieces, it would not be suitable to use the bass drum by hitting it hard and quickly. Similarly, to give the idea of noise, movement and variety of colour in a fairground, gentle, occasional hits on a triangle might not be the best way to show this. It is therefore not only the type of instrument that has to be considered - the type of sounds it is capable of making - but also the way in which it can be used.
For example, cymbals are often associated with loud crashing sounds; but by reversing the beater - i.e. hitting the cymbal with the light bamboo handle, or stroking it with a bow, or tapping it with fingers - the range of sounds produced can be extended to produce those far removed from the standard, more usual sound that one is accustomed to hear.
Cage in Prepared Piano with its wood, rubber, metal, glass etc muted strings does much the same thought of thing. Birtwhistle, Berio and Xenakis have also used instruments to produce different sounds.
The planning of the pieces includes a description of what each instrument is supposed to represent, that is, trying to build up a picture of the overall frame of their piece. For example, in River Pieces, a group might choose to use a triangle for the start of the river, with its light, cold and quick sound; a cymbal and drum - continual movement, like a roll - maybe to illustrate rapids; bottles and shakers to illustrate the movement of the water over the sand and stones on the bottom of the river.
Planning may also take the form of consulting with the teacher as to whether perhaps a particular instrument is suitable for a special sound, or perhaps this could be used for this purpose. Once they have finished their planning, they draw out their plan in the form of a picture – which for younger children can be coloured. The idea of creating a picture in music is helped by creating a picture in graphic form. This helps the group to remember what their general idea is. Not every project is suited to picture-drawing.
For example, Clock Pieces, reflections might be done with a picture. Fairground Pieces, Rivers, Constellations are usefully assisted in with a picture.
3 Experimenting with, and practising the piece
This, the third part of the project, takes up the greatest time in proportion to the total project. Some projects vary in length, partly due to the simplicity of the work involved, or conversely, its complexity; partly too, to the ability of the group. To give two examples, one 1st year group halfway through the third term were starting their third project; another first year group were doing their sixth.
Having been divided into groups, the children then take whatever instruments they require. (A list of instruments is included separately on another sheet.)
Occasionally, one of the group who may be a member of the school orchestra might decide to use their own instrument for a particular piece.
For example, one girl used her violin, played glissando, to represent the ghost train in her Fairground Piece.
This part of the project, more than anywhere else, requires a child-centred creative ability to be used. The job of the teachers is to monitor what is going on, to give advice if it is asked for, to listen to a preliminary play-through, perhaps make suggestions if things seem to be grinding to a halt.
Physically, the groups are spread out over the music room and into surroundings areas if any are available. The larger and more divided up the music area of a school, the better. By divided up, I mean the provision of practice rooms with their own doors, and with enough space in them for four or five children to play their instruments in some degree of comfort. This is a sensible and practical arrangement for obvious reasons – to have several groups playing mainly percussion instruments in a confined area, each member of each group doing his or her own thing, would result in aural chaos.
During this practice time, there is plenty of opportunity for experiment. I have found that experimenting with the instruments is less likely to be done unless the teacher shows how it can be done.
For example, if they choose a drum, then this will be hit with the usual end of the beater; there is frequently no use of any other method of sound production. There are a number of other methods of hitting a percussion instrument - fingers, reverse stick, different heads, metal/wooden side of the drum, different places on the drum skin etc. But generally, the familiar way will be used by children automatically.
(A list of different methods of sound production has been included separately.)
Two things may happen during this practice and experimental session: the instruments may be changed; or an individual may swop his or her instrument with that of another member of the group. The latter often seems to happen because of a sudden preference for another instrument. In particular, noisy and disruptive members of certain groups generally tend to choose the drums to play, rather than one of the quieter instruments, regardless of the type of project they are doing.
For example, certain children will decide that the best way to show the colour and feel of a watch, in Clock Pieces, might be to use the bass drum.
The change of instruments for part of the group is an admission that the planning they have done previously has gone wrong, possibly because they have not been careful enough, although sometime an idea comes up in rehearsing the piece, and the group decide that a certain instrument is not quite right.
As in all aspects of creative music, there is flexibility in the approach to this, and they are permitted to change their instruments, although with teacher permission and suitable comments or criticism.
For example, a group that have reason for changing their instrument, and have thought carefully about what they are doing, and why, can be commended for their thinking. A group that changes without a particular reason may be sent back to re-plan their piece on paper.
This third section of the project goes on until the majority of the class decide that they are ready to record, or until the teacher decides that enough time has been spent on the project, and nothing more can be gained from continuing the work
4 Recording the pieces and discussing them
This section is usually about a period long, or with a big class, may run into two.
The class re-assemble and each group take it in turn to come out to the front and perform their piece into the recorder. Whilst recording is taking place, it is essential that the rest of the class are quiet, all instruments are on the floor, and all beaters out of hands. The group who are playing come out to the front of the class with their instrument. The physical layout is very important during recording. Most schools are equipped with tape recorders of less than professional recording ability. The reproduction is unlikely to be of the highest quality. Therefore, to get as good a recording as possible, some care has to be taken. The instrument layout is the first thing. The louder instruments generally go further back, the quieter ones near the microphone. However, care must be taken to find out from the group how loud an instrument is going to be played.
For example, a glockenspiel played firmly too close to the microphone may well distort the sound, whilst a cymbal played softly, if placed at the back of the group, may well barely be heard on the tape.
Nothing will be worse for a group member to feel that their contribution was of little value because he or she could not hear himself or herself on the tape. These are small practical points to mention, but I feel very important. Another thing to watch for is one player turning their back on the microphone, masking the sound, or one other members of the group. I have always tried to get a group to watch each other, by facing inwards slightly whilst they are playing. Few string quartets would play in a straight line.
Each group introduces their own piece, either through a spokesman, or individually. Apart from the organisational value of the tape for future listening, it gives the group the firm idea that THEY are talking about THEIR piece.
When a group has finished recording, they immediately return their instruments and beaters to the storeroom or boxes. Whilst they are doing this, the next group comes out and gets ready to record. The reasons for this are obvious: less time is wasted, as two activities are being carried on at the same time; fewer instruments and beaters in the room during the remainder of the recording mean less chance of disturbance; the group again get further responsibility for storing their instruments correctly and in a tidy way. This system is helped by the presence of two teachers in the room, one to do the recording and organising related to the activity, the other to mark the piece and to make sure the instruments go back in the correct place and are not left around. With the number of children involved, the value of the instruments, the cost of the tape recorder, and the different groups, good organisation is essential.
When every group has been put on tape, a few of the class go round to make sure nothing has been left out, particularly beaters. It is a sensible move for one of the teachers to check this afterwards.
A practical point of importance is to write on both the tape and the box the class year, group number, project title, and if possible, the counter number where each piece begins and finishes. The next and final part of the project is a form of simple musical appreciation and criticism. The class as a whole listen to their recordings. First, the group who made the recording are asked for their comments. Apart from the inevitable smart answers from a few, the majority of comments, criticism and suggestions are sensible and mature. The role of the teacher here is important, as he or she help the discussion along. A question used frequently to begin the session is ‘Do you think that piece gave the idea of…’? ‘If so, why’? Or the converse.
This part of the project is designed to encourage both critical and careful listening to music, which can later be extended to orchestral works, particularly those which aim to do the same as the projects - create a picture, for example Gershwin An American in Paris, Mendelssohn The Hebrides, Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture etc. These works might be used to introduce certain projects.
Summary
Each project is a self-contained work activity, although they all follow the same basic framework. The division of the project into four main sections helps to give the children some sense of continuity with their work in the music lesson. Each part of the project serves a particular purpose with the overall aim being to stimulate young children’s awareness of different types of sound through their own music, and to develop a sense of musical analysis and appreciation.
PROJECT 1 FAIRGROUND PIECES
(This was the second project that various groups had tackled, the first being Machine Pieces. They therefore had some experience of making ‘machine music’. It was the first project that I was involved in.)
This project started with the teacher asking questions about a fairground. These were along the lines of ‘Who has been to a fairground?’, ‘What sort of things can you find there?’, ‘What sort of colours/sounds/ smells/movement are there? – and so on. The idea is to get the children to start thinking in their own minds of a fairground they have been to. (One of the reasons that this title was chosen was that most of the class had been to one. There was little teacher talk of what one finds in a fairground, but more child-suggestion. (Other projects may have to be explained because the subject matter may be less familiar, or to complex for the children to cover all aspects of it.)
A general picture of a fairground would gradually be built up. Basic general impressions would include such things as: machines - big, noisy, circular movement; lights - flashing, colours; stalls - rifles, coconuts; people - movement, bustle, talking. These few suggestions all give the idea of some kind of movement, which is one of the main features of this project. The music they had to make had to reflect this idea.
The next thing they had to do was to get down to planning their pieces, and in this project, being a first year one, a colour picture was asked for as part of their plan - to be done for homework This was then put in their folders. The use of folders rather than exercise books seems sensible for a number of reasons, one being the size of paper that could be used could be much larger than if it had to fit into an exercise book. But more important, the use of a folder gives the idea of what is in that folder being rather more personal, something that one made oneself, than an exercise book, which is immediately associated with the school, classroom, and exercises/writing. A folder seems to give the work a less ’school flavour’ to it.
Once the initial planning had been checked and deemed to be satisfactory by one of the teachers, the students were free to get their instruments out and start to experiment and practice. The main theme in this project was that of movement, and how it could be represented musically. One way in which this could be shown is by using repeated themes; another way might be by the use of quicker, shorter notes.
PROJECT 2 CLOCK PIECES
This project begins with the teacher getting the class to write down as many examples of clocks and watches as they can think of. Usually, because of the large number of individual lists, a wide selection of clocks can be obtained. These clocks can then be divided into large, medium and small types. The reason for this is that large clocks (building clocks, grandfather clocks) produce low, slow sounds, and small clocks and watches faster, higher pitched sounds. The idea therefore is to draw attention to the wide variety of sounds, both in pitch and speed, produced by clocks and watches.
This project explores the concept of rhythm, and how different types of rhythm can be combined to produce an interesting piece of music. This project seems to be enjoyed greatly by the classes who worked on it. Apart from being a fairly simple project, the nature of it precludes one member of any group having a more dominant part to play. That is, it is a project in which everyone in the group plays a more or less equally important role. It is a good exercise for rhythm training, especially in maintaining a regular beat. Clocks and watches, one wound up, do not vary their speed. It is important to illustrate this in the project.
Each member of the group may have a different speed, but one that speed has been started, then it should continue in the same way. There is nothing to stop a group member from representing more than one clock however.
For example, if a group decided to begin their piece with the sound of a church clock - perhaps using a slow speed on the triangle - they could have that member change from the church clock to the rapid ticking of a watch - perhaps by hitting two bottles. They may decide to finish the piece as it started, with the church clock, and the triangle player could then revert to his original instrument and appropriate speed.
This project can create some very good pieces of music with practice, and it is in this project that practice is of great importance, because the correct and regular speeds have to be played; another reason why this seems to go down well is that most of the sounds produced do bear a close resemblance to the real-life sounds.
For example, two bottles, an inch apart, hit gently with the bamboo handle of the beater produce a sound almost exactly like a small clock ticking. Similarly, a triangle, especially the heavier kind, hit firmly with a wooden beater rather than a metal beater, does sound like a church bell.
Another sound that is very popular is the cuckoo clock, the sound of which can be produced either with a recorder, or a swanee flute - a whistle with a sliding piston inside it, producing a sliding sound. Although the project is concerned largely with rhythm, this does not mean that melody is ignored. Several types of clocks can be called ‘musical’ clocks. Big Ben is an example. The short melodies made by this type of clock can be effectively portrayed or imitated by using the glockenspiel, with its bell-like sounds, with hard headed beaters.
PROJECT 3 NUMBER PIECES
This is a fairly simple project to do, and is particularly well-suited for the less able groups to perform. The emphasis is less on a complex musical item, and more on a fluent and accurate performance of the piece they create.
The construction of the piece takes relatively little time; what does take time is the practice of the piece. This should become clear as the project is explained.
It is based on the idea of bell ringing, which uses a series of numbers. These numbers are then repeated in a different order. The ideal number in a group for this project is four, one number being assigned to one member of the group. That member then makes up a short musical theme or rhythm, which is repeated in the same form whenever his or her number occurs.
For example, a simple sequence of numbers might be as follows:
1 2 3 4
2 3 4 1
3 4 1 2
4 1 2 3
1 4 3 2
2 4 1 3
3 4 2 1
4 2 3 1
The sequence can be made more complicated in two ways: increase the number of permutations; and increase the number of digits to five. A further complexity can be made by getting each member of the group to play two parts - that is, make up sequences of six or eight numbers. The piece now can be very difficult to perform.
In the above series of numbers, to make it straightforward for younger groups, one person takes a number. They keep that number for the whole piece. As each number occurs the same number of times as the others, no one in the group feels he or she is being left out, or playing a less important role, something which has to be considered especially with groups containing less able pupils.
Number 1 might decide to use a triangle, number 2 a wooden block, number 3 a couple of bottles, and number 4 the bongos. Each member then works out a short rhythm if using non-pitched instruments, or perhaps a short melody, if using pitched instruments. The theme, whether rhythmic or melodic, should be short for two reasons: the repetitions have to be clear to the listener; more importantly, they have to be performed fluently. Long themes are difficult to play; therefore, the shorter the themes, the easier they are to perform Even making it this simple does not make the project too easy for most groups. A longer theme will make the piece appear to be too uneven when performed. Speed is not of paramount importance; fluency and accuracy are, and this project is a useful coordination exercise apart from its creativity and enjoyment.
In the example, number 1, the triangle, might decide to play one long beat, two short, followed by two long again.
In conventional notation - crotchet, 2 quavers, crotchet, crotchet
Number 2, the wooden block, might decide on two short beats
In conventional notation - two quavers
Number 3, the bottles might decide to play four short notes followed by one long beat, the short one being played on one bottle, the long one on another, of different pitch.
In conventional notation - 4 quavers, 1 crotchet
Number 4, the bongos, might want a slightly more complicated rhythm, using both drums, perhaps with a long beat, followed by four very short ones, then one long beat again, in turn followed by two long beats on the second drum.
In conventional notation - crotchet, 4 semiquavers, then 3 crotchets
When each member of the group has decided on his or her theme, the group can start to practice these together, following the sequence they have already written down.
One major advantage of this project is that it can be kept fairly simple, as in this example, or made quite complicated, which is useful for mixed-ability groups. In addition, once the idea of making up a sequence of numbers is understood, then the group can either make up their own sequence of numbers and work out another piece, or use the same sequence, but use different rhythmic and melodic theme to create a completely different piece. Even the instruments can be the same, although they may be changed around within the group, but the result will be very different.
It is a good project for both higher ability and enthusiastic children, who, once they have finished one piece can be left to work out another with little teacher supervision, but also for lower ability groups who may find some projects very demanding. This project is simple enough for them to do it, and do it well. It can be made as easy or as difficult as you want to.
PROJECT 4 MORSE CODE PIECES
This is another project which can be kept fairly simple, or made more complicated. As in the previous project, a good deal of freedom is given to the children to choose how they want to work - keeping it straightforward, or doing something more challenging. Again, as with the number pieces, one they have finished one piece, they can go on to create another, with little help from the teacher.
This project, as the title implies, uses the Morse code invented by Samuel Morse (1791-1872). This uses a system of dots and dashes to represent the different letters of the alphabet, plus the number 0 to 9. in the project the dots are represented by short sounds, the dashes by long sounds. Once the class has copied down the code, each group then decides what word, words or message they want to use.
Examples used in class frequently were such things as:
Names of children, short messages such as ‘I love you’, or ‘see you tomorrow’. In practice, almost anything can be used.
Whatever is chosen, the group then decide how they are going to divide the work up. Each member might play a particular letter or letters, or they might play one letter each until the word or message is finished. This type of decision is left entirely up to the group, rather than the teacher.
Each member of the group will then chose an instrument, although having said that, some groups have used two people on one instrument.
For example, two playing a xylophone, one the upper register, the other, the lower notes. They then look at the code they have copied down, and write their message/words in code. Then they can start to work out what they are going to play.
To take a simple example, the call sign SOS; in the code this is … --- …that is, three short sounds, followed by three long sounds, then the short sounds repeated.
This might be represented by three short hits on a triangle, then three hits, sounding longer, on a wooden block, followed by three hits again on the triangle. Needless to say, this is a very simple example, and would require little practice to get fluency in playing.
The longer the message, the more complicated the project becomes, and in particular, the greater the difficulty in playing the piece with accuracy.
Like the previous project (Number Pieces), one of the important aspects of Morse Code Pieces is the ability to perform well. The piece can be made more interesting musically by including in the instruments
used, one which can play different notes. This again can make the piece more complicated, and might be suggested for certain groups. Other less able groups might be encouraged to concentrate more on the rhythmic aspect of the work. That is, a less able group might use a triangle, a wooden block, side drum and bottles. Rhythmically, an interesting piece will be created; melodically, it might be less so. One difficulty has been removed. A more able group might be encouraged to use a xylophone with perhaps tow players, a cymbal, which requires some skill to play long and short notes one after another, plus a shaker or drum. Not only is the rhythmical aspect of the piece the same as the other group, but they have the added difficulty/problem of making the piece melodically interesting.
An example of how a longer word might work could be as follows:
The group chose (as several did) JUDGEMEADOW SCHOOL LEICESTER
Most groups decided that member 1 would play J, member 2 U, member 3D, member 4 G and so on. Each member of the group would make his or her own copy of the words, with the appropriate code written next to the letter. In order to make it easier for the individual members to read their own copy, I suggested that they mark whichever letters they are playing in a different colour from the others, or put an asterisk next to them – something that will make it clear which are THEIR letters, and which are the OTHER. Each copy might look like this:
(Here I have used three columns to save space. It is clearer for children to have one column, rather than them try to jump across the paper from one column to another.)
J .---
U ..-
D -..
G --.
E .
M --
E .
A .-
D -..
O ---
W .--
S …
C -.-. .
H ….
O ---
O ---
L .-..
L .-..
E .
I ..
C -.-.
E .
S …
T -
E .
R .-.
Assuming that there are four members in the group; each will play one instrument. Number 1 might play the triangle, 2 the bottles, 3 the wooden block and 4 the side drum. I have used non-pitched instruments to keep the explanation simple. A point of practical importance: the difference between long and short sounds has to be made very clear. From my experience with this project, this difference is not made distinct enough, and in some cases, not at all. Frequently, children seem to think that hitting an instrument more quietly makes the sound shorter - which in some ways it does - but the difference is not immediately apparent.
One way that sounds can be shortened is to muffle them, by using part of a finger or hand, or clothing.
Member 1 might decide to play short sounds on the triangle by touching the metal with a finger immediately after striking the instrument. The long sounds will be made in the normal unmuffled manner.
This project therefore, is useful for both learning to play in different ways on an instrument, as well as for learning to play a piece of music, as in Number Pieces, with fluency and accuracy. It is a suitable activity for mixed ability classes, as more able children will carry on making new pieces with little help from the teacher.
One way in which this can be done is to make every member of the group write their own message/words. In this way, there are at least four (in a group of four) separate pieces to work on. With the more able groups kept busy, and contented too, the teacher can spend more time with the less able groups, helping for example with playing an instrument with a child who thinks there is only one way to play it, or by suggesting more interesting ideas which could be used in the piece itself. In the same way as the Number Pieces, this project brings a lot of pleasure to the children, making it a rewarding time.
PROJECT 5 RIVER JOURNEYS
The aim of this project is to try to describe the various phases of a river journey, using musical ideas which should give the colour, feel, the movement of a river. The project can be introduced by a description of how a river grows, what happens from the start to the finish, where the river might go, who might be on the banks etc. This can be done, as in the other projects, by asking the class questions, getting them involved from the beginning.
A ‘typical’ journey might be as follows:
The river begins in the mountains, formed partly by the rain, maybe come out of a spring. The volume is small, but the movement fast; it’s cold and clear. The second stage id where the river broadens out slightly, flowing through forests and villages, or near roads and railways, before slowing down on the final leg and coming to the sea. Here, it moves much more sedately, it is much broader and deeper, before it loses itself in the estuary or just disappears into the distance. The ideas in this simple example (and this is just one possibility) can then be represented musically by the groups. This is one project where pictures or photographs can usefully be employed in the initial presentation pr discussion.
A useful aid in explaining this project to the class, illustrating how music can represent pictures, and in this case, a river, is to play the class, talking the class through the various sections of the piece. If there are any orchestral players in the class, the symphonic poem could be briefly mentioned, with a couple of examples and simple explanation.
To take the example above, possible ways of doing this might be as follows: (All the examples used have actually been created in school in various groups.)
The start of the river in the mountains; rain is falling and the water moves quickly. It is cold. The ideas of rain, the cold, quick movement can be exploited: metallic instruments are good for this. Quick movement, small volume of water can be suggested by light, soft metallic sounds on the triangle/glockenspiel/bells. The rain is conjured up using the cymbal with wire brush/bamboo handle of beater, hitting the cymbal in a light and quick way.
The middle section of the river can be given distinctive features. A forest could be suggested by the wind in the trees. This might be done with a recorder/whistle, or by using a shaker. A railway was very popular with the movement and sound of the train suggested by a drum being stroked in circular way with a wire beater, with a four beat rhythm, the first beat being accented. That is, a ONE two three four piston-engine train type of sound. A church can be suggested by the sound of bells, using either the small hand bells, or the triangle.
The idea of the river might be suggested by the use of a musical theme. This theme, or short melody, might be used in the beginning to show the rapid movement of the river in the mountains. As mentioned earlier, it would probably use higher notes to give the idea of height and size. To show the river at various stages of its course, the same theme could be used in different ways. The central section of the river is slower and larger than the source. The music should reflect this, by becoming slower. This represents the change in speed, but not the size. This might be done by playing the instrument louder, and using lower notes. Lower notes can give the idea of depth and width.
Another way might be to use another instrument, such as the xylophone which has a lower and drier sound. The glockenspiel therefore might be used for the upper reaches of the river, but the xylophone for the lower, broader, slower parts.
To introduce extra variety into the piece, the river might go over a waterfall, or rapids, which would give the group the chance to use loud, crashing sounds, perhaps with drums and cymbals.
The final part of a river journey is going to be slower. Pictures of an estuary might be shown to the class by the teacher. Ideas of a quiet, rustic nature might be suggested, with birds, cows, other wildlife being suggested. The river might flow away into the distance, or it may finish going through a city, with the opposite images of noise, rushing about, factories, cars etc.
River Pieces is therefore a particularly good project for creative music, as the possibilities are almost unlimited, in that there are so many aspects of a river to explore before any musical ideas are worked out. It provides a good contrast to the two previous pieces, which are fairly short and simple. Being more complicated, it can give a group a great deal of work to do, as each member can quite easily be doing two or even three things during the piece, on different occasions.
For example, the cymbal might be used for the rain at the beginning of the piece, and also for the rapids in the middle of the journey.
PROJECT 6 THE SEA
This project examines both the types of sound one hears by the sea, and the type of movement associated with the sea. Like earlier projects, it can be introduced by the teacher in the form of a question and answer session, to try to get the children to give their ideas and impressions of the sea, rather than have the teacher tell them what they should be looking for. It is important in creative music not to lose sight of the fact that it is the children who are creating something, not the teacher. As with the other projects, there is no ‘one way’ of making the piece. What might emerge in the end may well be different to what the teacher or even the group had in mind in the beginning, and there is nothing wrong with that, so long as it falls into the general big picture. As with the other projects, it is the creativity of the children that is the key factor, the most important element in this type of work. It is quite possible, that for much of the class time, the teacher keeps quiet. This is my own experience.
Initial ideas which may be discussed at the beginning of the project by the teacher and class may include the different types of movement of the sea – near land, next to the beach, crashing against the rocks, a still, windless sea without movement, the waves etc. Other things which influence the sound and movement of the sea can also be included, such as the wind and the rain. These can also be portrayed in sound in the piece.
In order to show the way in which music can illustrate some of these things, one could play La Mer/Debussy, the teacher talking the piece through.
One way of illustrating a type of movement in music is to use a short theme in different ways. One can change the tempo, repeat the theme, change the dynamics, change the pitch etc.
The piece might tart off with the gentle movement of the sea being represented by a short, quiet theme on one of the melodic instruments. In this example, the upper register of the glockenspiel might not be used because this tends to give the idea of something short, sharp and light, inappropriate for a unit as large as the sea. The teacher might suggest the lower register of the glockenspiel or the xylophone, with its broader sounding notes. If, however, a child might suggest that the glockenspiel here is representing flying fish jumping out of the water, or sea birds pecking at something on the surface, or a light drizzle, that, to me, would be quite acceptable. It is their idea, their creativity, their imagination; so why not use it?
Rain starts to fall, and a storm blows up. This might be done using bottles to represent the rain hitting the surface of the water, followed by soft rolls on the cymbal, or a shaker, to give the idea of the wind blowing. Thunder and lightning follow, using perhaps rolls on the bass drum to illustrate the thunder, and short, hard hits on the cymbal making the cracking noise of lightning. The storm blows away, the instruments fade, and the sea is calm once again, with the return of the original theme.
Another piece of music created around the idea of the sea might try to illustrate the way in which the sea moves towards the land. One might consider the changes in sound as the sea comes onto the beach, with the waves rolling over the sand making a hissing noise, the sand and small stones being moved around by the water, and the sea moving back away from the land. This could be suggested by the use of a cymbal with a soft beater making a quiet roll to give the idea of the waves turning over; the sound of the sand and stones can be done effectively and realistically with a shaker (which might even have small stones inside it) which is moved upside down and back, giving the hissing sound heard along the coast.
The return of the water to the sea can be shown by the theme already in use, and maybe turning it around, too.
Another aspect of this piece might be to look at the sort of sounds produced when a rough sea hits against a cliff or rocks. The movement of the sea will be more violent, and this can be reflected in the music. The crash of the waves against the rocks might be done with drum and cymbal, to portray the boom of the hitting water, and the softer sounds of the spray hitting the land.
Some groups have used other ideas such as the sound of a ship, or a church bell in a coastal village, or the sound of seabirds. This, however, is really getting rather too far away from the main idea of this piece, which is to look at the type of sounds the sea makes, rather than sounds made by things on or near the sea, and the types of movement the sea might make in a different place and a different time.
WRITING A SCORE
The writing of scores serves two main purposes; firstly, it is a written record of the piece that the students have just made up. It is something they can keep in their school portfolio; secondly, it enables either the same group or another group to play the piece again with some degree of accuracy at a later date. Another, though perhaps less important reason for writing a score, but a useful and interesting one, particularly for the younger children, is the creation of an attractive piece of art work. Once again, if the children enjoy doing it, then that should be good reason.
A score shows two main things: a list of the instruments used in that piece, and some kind of representation of how these instruments are used in playing the piece.
The list of instruments is fairly straightforward. The instruments used are listed on the left-hand side of the score, as in an orchestral score. Depending on the age of the group in question, these lists can be either simple or complex. For younger children, the instruments can be drawn and coloured as well as written, thereby helping them to learn the names of the instruments as well as giving some practice in writing and spelling. (The most common mistake which occurred time and again was ‘symbol’ rather than ‘cymbal’.) Younger groups can also colour in these mini-pictures if they so wish. The name of the player who uses the instrument can be written under the name and picture of the instrument. For older children, the name of the instrument used will probably be sufficient, but younger children seem to like the idea of drawing, colouring, and putting their name next to their instrument.
The greater part of the score is taken up with notation; that is, what is to be played, and how. This can be made as simple or as complex as required. For younger groups, time can be dispensed with; that is, there is no marking for a time-frame on the score. Perhaps a simple indication will be written on the score.
For example, they might write - ‘count 5 for the cymbal, count 10 for the triangle’, and so on.
The speed of the piece naturally varies with the speed at which they will count. If one wanted a more complex score, then times could be written in, maybe at the top of the score. For example, the length of the score could be divided into 5 second sections. This would give the piece a fairly tight overall time-frame within which to work.
The score so far consists of the title at the top, a list of instruments down the left-hand side, and some kind of graphic representation of how these instruments are to be played. This part of the score takes up the largest amount of space on the paper, and needs to be worked out carefully. However, as in all parts of creative music, there are different ways of doing this, and more than one suitable way of showing the same thing. Again, as throughout creative music, the teacher can suggest certain ways of doing this, but there is no one correct way. This reflects one of the important aspects of creative music - that it is an exploration of sound, and as in all art/creative forms, every individual will have a different response to a particular stimulus.
One of the most striking ways a score can come alive, especially for children, is through the use of colour. When score writing is introduced to a class, this is one of the things that can be mentioned. The idea is to represent certain instruments with colours that reflect the ‘colour’ of that instrument. For example, wooden instruments would be in brown, metallic instruments in yellow, bass instruments in blue or black, representing respectively the ‘colour’ of a wooden block or xylophone (flat, dry, natural sound), the bright, metallic and hard sound of the triangle or cymbal, and the darker, heavier sound of the bass drum. This idea of using different colours for different instrument, in addition to making a colourful and interesting score, also helps young children to sense and feel various sounds.
Whilst the colour of the instrument helps to set the tone of the piece, it does not tell a performer how or when to use that instrument. This is done by using a variety of graphic symbols, written opposite the name of the instrument; that is, moving from left to right in the same way as written orchestral music does. (It is becoming clear that, as I said in the introduction, a knowledge of written ‘classical’ music, whilst not essential for the teacher, is very useful and helpful.) For the moment, the time factor will be ignored, to be mentioned at a later stage.
When the basic score outline has been written down (that is, the title, the instruments, and the section lines drawn in - the dividing lines between each instrument), the next thing to decide is how to represent how the instrument is to be played. This means two basics of music: pitch, and rhythm.
Both these terms will have to be explained to the class before they start on any project at all, and score writing comes after they have done at least one project. They therefore are terms which they are familiar with. Pitch is basically described as the ‘level’ of the notes played – high, medium, or low notes. Rhythm is explained as the speed of the music and the individual notes in that music. These are slightly simplistic explanations, and deliberately so. Notes will be fast, medium, or slow, single, or in groups. Whilst not actually using the word dynamics, explanations will be given relating to how quiet or loud the instruments have to be played. Dynamic markings as in orchestral music - cresc, dim, accent, etc - would not be used. Unless there is someone in the group who plays an orchestral instrument, this seems to be complicating the score unnecessarily.
In writing down the pitch of the instruments that can play a variety of notes - glockenspiel, metallaphone, chimes bars, xylophone, and perhaps the recorder - there are different way in which to express this. The simplest way is to write down the notes which are of high pitch in the top area of the section, and the lower notes in the bottom area of the section. This, of course, only gives the approximate pitch of the notes required, and does not specify one or more particular notes.
If a particular note, or sequence of notes, is required to be written exactly, then the names of the notes can be written in the order needed. For younger children, it is often the case that they are not interested in playing an exact order of notes, but rather that a group of notes in no fixed order will suffice. The degree to which the exact notation on the score is required is left up to the writer.
Dynamics likewise can be very easily written down. One way of doing this is to make the louder sounds look louder on paper, i.e. to make them larger and heavier, by making, for example, dots bigger and filled in with coloured pencils. A soft sound might, in contrast, use a small dot or other mark only lightly coloured. If more exact instructions are needed, then the degree of loudness or softness can be written in on the score.
For example, if the bass drum needed to be hit hard for four beats, then along the bass drum section on the score might be four large heavy marks with possibly the instruction 'hard’ written under them.
Both the pitch and dynamic markings are straightforward, perhaps over-simplistically so. However, the basis of a good score is that it is clear to other people as well as the writer, and can be looked at several months later and the piece performed with some semblance of accuracy. Again, this is one of the reasons for scores in orchestral music.
The method of writing down the rhythm is slightly more complicated as this covers two aspects of performance - the speed at which certain things are to be played, and the number of times they are to be played. To take the latter first, this presents fewer problems as simple marks can be used to represent individual ‘hits’. This works well until the other factor of rhythm is needed. It is easy enough to play x number of dots or marks - some children preferred dashes, commas, etc - the actual graphic symbol is unimportant. Dots were preferred largely because of their economy in usage, i.e. you can write in dots more easily, particularly in a small space - until they need to be played in a particular order - the rhythm.
To do this accurately, some form of notation similar to that used in orchestral scores is needed, and this for the purposes of creative music is too complicated. It should be remembered that the majority of children engaged in creative music do not, and will not, play any orchestral instrument. Therefore, to start to use a form of notation similar to the traditional type would be getting away from one of the important elements in creative music, namely, its creativity and child-centred activity. It is therefore necessary to use a type of notation which, although not completely accurate, gives an approximate idea of what is required. There are many different ways in which to give the idea of a rhythm, and all are valid if they enable the performer to read his or her score with some degree of accuracy.
One way is to arrange the dots closely together for a quick rhythm, and spaced further apart for a slower beat. So a score which had perhaps
…………. . . . could be played as a series of short, fast notes, followed by three long notes. It is not an exact way of showing a rhythm. It is not meant to be.
Another way of showing rhythm and speed is to have a series of inverted V’s joined together. Closer together would mean a fast speed, and spaced further apart, a slower speed. The speed is much easier to notate than the rhythm. For younger children, the idea of complex rhythm patterns does not occur. What rhythms they do use are simple, and can be written fairly accurately in the above ways.
The bottom of the score must have a key. This tells what each symbol on that score means. In addition to the musical information it gives, it seems also to be another way of getting children to think about hat they have done, and to explain why. Once a particular form had bee decided upon, and suitable graphic symbols used, the key can be written in, simply explaining what each symbol on the score means, and how it should be played.
SUMMARY
Score writing for a creative music project serves several purposes. It introduces the idea of scores in the wider sense to children, useful to those in the group with orchestral experience, or likely to be getting it. It enables all the group to make an individual contribution to the project, as distinct from a verbal and possibly not-very-considerable one. It also gives a certain amount of expressive writing and colouring - which seems particularly well-suited to younger children - to every member of the group.
A good score therefore will have all the following on:
A title, a key, a list of the various instruments used, by whom, and an indication of various degrees of complexity, (depending on the age range and ability of the group concerned), of the pitch, dynamics and speed/rhythm required for performance.
