Junior Cycle Music - First Year

STRANDS: • INNOVATE AND IDEATE • PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE

ELEMENTS

Creating and Exploring; Participating and Music Making

THEME

Music paints a million dreams

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.2 create and present a short piece, using instruments and/or other sounds in response to a stimulus.

2.4 Rehearse and present a song or brief instrumental piece; identify and discuss the performance skills and techniques that were necessary to interpret the music effectively.

LEARNING INTENTIONS

We are learning to:

• play the chords of C, Am and F on ukulele fluently• play various strumming patterns• create a backing track on GarageBand using ‘smart’

instruments.• compose music appropriate to the visual stimulus

we chose.• rehearse our short piece as a group, considering the

techniques to be developed • record our group playing ukulele to the backing

track we made.

CONTEXT AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES.

This task was conducted at the end of a 6-week unit on ‘Introduction to Performing’. The students in this first-year class have two 40-minute class periods per week. They were given approximately 2 weeks to complete the task.

Prior to the task the students engaged in learning activities such as learning to play 3 chords on the ukulele: C, Am, and F. They played these chords with various strumming patterns.

They explored how to record using ‘smart’ instruments on GarageBand, considering what instruments complement each other to make an effective backing track.

Students had also explored various ways of musically representing a visual stimulus and they investigated methods of recording effectively.

For this particular activity, the students had to create a backing track that would represent the piece of art “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh. This backing track had to be created in a key that would match the chords they had learnt and would represent the emotion, or the mood of the painting chosen. Then they had to perform live on their ukuleles to their backing track.

TASK

In groups, you need to compose, perform and record a brief instrumental piece, inspired by a chosen visual stimulus, using a ukulele and Garageband.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

• The student can play the chords C, Am and F fluently on the Ukulele.• The student can play a variety of strumming patterns.• The student can create a simple backing track on GarageBand using ‘smart’ instruments. • The composition complements the visual stimulus given. • During rehearsals, the student considered techniques and skills to refine the performance • The student performs along with the backing track that is created

TIME ALLOWED

Approximately 2 weeks with 80 minutes class contact Time per week (2x40minutes)

Junior Cycle Music - First Year

GARAGEBAND EXPLORATION

Junior Cycle Music - First Year

STUDENT REFLECTION

Junior Cycle Music - First Year

STUDENT WORK

Click here to listen to the students composition

Exceptional Above expectations In line with expectations Yet to meet expectations

TEACHER ANNOTATIONS

STUDENT A (STUDENT ON THE LEFT)

SC1: The student fulfilled the success criteria as they successfully learned to play the chords of C, Am and F on the ukulele, but struggled to change all chords smoothly and accurately.

SC2: The student partially fulfilled this success criteria as he struggled to play simple strumming patterns which used both up and down strums.

SC3: The student fulfilled the success criteria. He could utilise a range of ‘smart instruments’ on Garageband. He is aware of how to change tempo on the track and how to change the dynamic level.

SC4: The student fulfilled the success criteria. He was aware of how dynamics and tempo are musical features that can be used to depict a visual stimulus, and was aware of how the timbre of different instruments can create a calm atmosphere.

SC5: The student fulfilled the success criteria. They showed evidence of being able to work in a group to refine their composition for a later public performance.

SC6: The student successfully performed along to the backing track.

Best fit on balance judgement = In line with expectations