Check out our amazing student musicians!
Note: All student work pages are password protected. If you are a student or parent, email Ms. Weinert for access information.
Note: All student work pages are password protected. If you are a student or parent, email Ms. Weinert for access information.
Ligeti Composition:
In this assignment, students are asked to use only 2 notes (A and C, for example) to create a piece of music, a la Ligeti's "musica ricercarta I." Because a piece of music with only 2 notes could sound boring and/or repetitive, it is often necessary to vary other factors, such as tempo, dynamics, rhythm, silence, articulation, and range. This assignment is done near the beginning of the school year, right after students learn the note names on the piano.
Triad Composition:
In this assignment, students randomly select 3 triads out of a hat and arrange the 3 triads in a desirable order to create a unique chord progression. Students are encouraged to be creative- try different rhythmic motives, layer and arpeggiate the chords, etc. We learned what a triad was during yesterday's lesson, and this is their first time actually playing a triad on the piano!
Independent Piano Project:
Students independently select, analyze, practice, and perform a challenging piano piece of their choice. Each student spends weeks preparing and practicing for a final concert, which is videotaped and posted here. This project reflects students' understanding of music notation, basic piano skills, interpretation, and the ability to perform for an audience.
Balance and Mixing in Audacity:
In this assignment, students are asked to use the program Audacity to record and/or mix sounds of their choice together. The main objective is to achieve balance in music through the mixing process. NOTE: Some material contains cursing and is not appropriate for young children or people who may be offended by such language.
Melody/Harmony through MIDI:
Students use MIDI keyboards and Garageband to create short compositions that include a melodic line and an underlying harmonic accompaniment. To focus our energies on learning the software and the concepts of harmony/melody, students are encouraged to use only black keys on the keyboard so that the notes played are easily harmonized with one another (being that all black keys fit into the pentatonic scale).
Final Composition Project:
Students are asked to revisit a project or unfinished idea they have created during the term, edit, revise, and build upon it, and submit the polished piece as a showcase of the musical knowledge they have gained from this core/general music survey course.
Art Inspiration Compositions:
Students choose a Rothko painting they are drawn to. Then, they are asked to read and deeply analyze the painting, recording the form, character, focal point, and other details in their notes. Finally, they use Soundation, Garageband, Audacity, or acoustic instruments to compose music that is inspired by their chosen Rothko painting. Upon presentation of the compositions, students defend/argue how their music and painting are linked in terms of form and character.
March Melody Madness:
In this project, students are asked to compose a short, catchy, singable melody using the C Major scale. Each melody must follow the basic rules of music theory and counterpoint- that is, that notes must progress mostly in steps with few leaps (so it's easy to sing) and resolve to the tonic (C). Students record, notate, and analyze their melodies.
Melody/Harmony Compositions (Advanced):
Students rely on their previous study of melody, intervals, triads, chord progressions, and the keyboard to compose a melody over a chord progression.
Film Soundtrack Project:
In this final project of the term, students are challenged to create/edit a short film in iMovie to follow a conventional plot arc. Then, students compose an original soundtrack to fit the film with tension and release in mind. Enjoy our films, and please be aware that some of them may contain material that is PG-13+ in nature.
In this assignment, students are asked to use only 2 notes (A and C, for example) to create a piece of music, a la Ligeti's "musica ricercarta I." Because a piece of music with only 2 notes could sound boring and/or repetitive, it is often necessary to vary other factors, such as tempo, dynamics, rhythm, silence, articulation, and range. This assignment is done near the beginning of the school year, right after students learn the note names on the piano.
Triad Composition:
In this assignment, students randomly select 3 triads out of a hat and arrange the 3 triads in a desirable order to create a unique chord progression. Students are encouraged to be creative- try different rhythmic motives, layer and arpeggiate the chords, etc. We learned what a triad was during yesterday's lesson, and this is their first time actually playing a triad on the piano!
Independent Piano Project:
Students independently select, analyze, practice, and perform a challenging piano piece of their choice. Each student spends weeks preparing and practicing for a final concert, which is videotaped and posted here. This project reflects students' understanding of music notation, basic piano skills, interpretation, and the ability to perform for an audience.
Balance and Mixing in Audacity:
In this assignment, students are asked to use the program Audacity to record and/or mix sounds of their choice together. The main objective is to achieve balance in music through the mixing process. NOTE: Some material contains cursing and is not appropriate for young children or people who may be offended by such language.
Melody/Harmony through MIDI:
Students use MIDI keyboards and Garageband to create short compositions that include a melodic line and an underlying harmonic accompaniment. To focus our energies on learning the software and the concepts of harmony/melody, students are encouraged to use only black keys on the keyboard so that the notes played are easily harmonized with one another (being that all black keys fit into the pentatonic scale).
Final Composition Project:
Students are asked to revisit a project or unfinished idea they have created during the term, edit, revise, and build upon it, and submit the polished piece as a showcase of the musical knowledge they have gained from this core/general music survey course.
Art Inspiration Compositions:
Students choose a Rothko painting they are drawn to. Then, they are asked to read and deeply analyze the painting, recording the form, character, focal point, and other details in their notes. Finally, they use Soundation, Garageband, Audacity, or acoustic instruments to compose music that is inspired by their chosen Rothko painting. Upon presentation of the compositions, students defend/argue how their music and painting are linked in terms of form and character.
March Melody Madness:
In this project, students are asked to compose a short, catchy, singable melody using the C Major scale. Each melody must follow the basic rules of music theory and counterpoint- that is, that notes must progress mostly in steps with few leaps (so it's easy to sing) and resolve to the tonic (C). Students record, notate, and analyze their melodies.
Melody/Harmony Compositions (Advanced):
Students rely on their previous study of melody, intervals, triads, chord progressions, and the keyboard to compose a melody over a chord progression.
Film Soundtrack Project:
In this final project of the term, students are challenged to create/edit a short film in iMovie to follow a conventional plot arc. Then, students compose an original soundtrack to fit the film with tension and release in mind. Enjoy our films, and please be aware that some of them may contain material that is PG-13+ in nature.