Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Miscellaneous

TITLE:  Create-a-Composition

AUTHOR:  Cheryl Nelson, Springville, UT

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:  2-6, music (basic knowledge of musical
scale and notes needed)

OVERVIEW:  Expressing oneself creatively in the performing
arts media adds an extra dimension to one's creative
energies.  Composing a musical piece will spark in the child
a new found enthusiasm for music and its value in his/her
social and effective learning development.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  melody bells, one octave xylophones
(many children will have them in their homes and are more
than willing to bring them to school), tube bells, piano,
electronic keyboards (many children will have the small
keyboards)
  Each students needs one of the above items, musical staff
paper, and a sharpened pencil.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1.   Provide several examples of simple, recognizable melody
     compositions and demonstrate on the musical instruments
     what they sound like.
2.   Demonstrate how this melody is written on staff paper.
3.   Create your own composition of eight to 16 measures
     which has the basic musical form of AB (eight measures)
     or AABA (16 measures).  The creative process is first
     hum,med (or sung) into a likable melody, copying the
     melody onto the musical intruments, and then
     transferred onto the staff paper.  Corrections are then
     made.
4.   Students create their composition, first humming or
     singing, then finding the sounds on the instruments and
     then transferring those sounds onto the staff paper.
     Corrections are made.  (Don't stress that the writing
     has to be perfect or in perfect timing.  With each
     experience in composing students will improve those
     skills.
5.   Students practice their compositions and perform them
     for the class members.

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