1. You can Compose, Too: It's as easy as 1, 2, GarageBand! Teachers: Nate Boyer, Aimon Dwan, Brian Fancher, Ella O'Neil, & Kristen Scuderi School: River City Middle School Grade Level: 8th Grade Subject: General Music (18 student class)

2. Driving Questions - Using various concepts of melody, harmony, and form, can students create and justify a musical representation of a poem of their choosing.

3. Standards Music - Identify components of larger music works (e.g., symphony, mass, concerto.) - Identify and describe non-performing careers in music. - Describe ways that technology and the media arts are used to create perform and listen to music. - Improvise, compose and arrange music. - Demonstrate and use technology and media arts to create, perform and research music. - Apply multiple criteria to evaluate quality and effectiveness of personal and selected music performance and compositions and identify areas for improvement. - Compare and contrast selected composers and their works. - Apply criteria based on elements of music to support personal preferences for specific musical works.

4. Standards Language Arts -Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;summarize the key supporting details and ideas. - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

5. Phase 1: Setting the Stage

6. Define Programmatic Music Listen to Programmatic Music* Class Discussion Homework: Choose a poem *Programmatic selections may include: Symphony Fantastique by Hector BerliozDo Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by John Mackey Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” by Ludwig van Beethoven Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland Les Preludes by Franz Liszt Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky Má Vlast by Bedrich Smetana Day 1

7. Day 2 Short GarageBand Tutorial Students create a project using this process: 1. Choose drum beat 2. Add a bass line 3. Add two more loops Minimum length of 16 beats (4 measures) Discussion in pairs More Experimentation (if time permits) Students' projects are assessed after class. (Demonstration)

8. Rubric 1 - Initial Assessment

9. Day 3 Revisit Discussion Discussion in Pairs Students Create Short Compositions These should represent one line of poetry. Share and Discuss Mini-Compositions Students offer feedback on others' compositions.

10. Phase 2: Creating Electronic Compositions

11. Day 4 Present Student Composition Guidelines Forms that may be used (eg. binary, rounded binary, ternary, & rondo) Students Choose a Form for their Compositions Students Work on Compositions Students Give Partner Feedback Halfway Through Class

12. Day 5 Students Continue to Work on Compositions Teacher may provide assistance as requested Students may use a midi keyboard Instruction on this tool should happen on an individual basis

13. Day 6 Students Present Compositions Play presentation for class Explain choices and relation to poem Allow time for questions after each presentation Class Identifies Form for each Composition Homework: Students write one-page reflections on how their thoughts towards the poem and music have changed.

14. Rubric 2 - Student Presentation

15. Assignment Sheet

16. Rubric 3 - Reflection

17. Driving Passion - Jeg Stone Wind in your hair Moonlight on your face Without a care You set your pace As you drive the road Chasing freedom to and fro You loosen your load And just let go As you take the bend Now freedom is near It's on the wind But only you can hear Example of a Finished Project With life in the air Your heart beats faster You haven't a care Cause now you're the master The mile goes quick The smile comes slow What a great pick Cause this road you know Freedom is near So you hit the gas You have no fear It's all in the past

18. Later, In Class... (Optional) Students work in small groups to combine their compositions Students Write a Narrative to Fit the New Composition Groups Trade Compositions and Write New Narratives Narratives and Compositions Shared with Class