Throughout the course you will be expected to:

• use appropriate terminology to describe melodic patterns.
• describe pulse, metre, and rhythmic patterns using both traditional and contemporary terminology
• use, care for, and maintain electronic tools, equipment, materials, and work space in a safe and environmentally sensitive fashion.
• provide and accept constructive feedback.
• identify the historical, cultural, and stylistic influences in their own compositions.
• demonstrate respect for music from various historical and cultural contexts when composing.
• use available technologies to create, reproduce, and manipulate music.
• use appropriate technical terminology to describe the composition process.
• use appropriate terminology to describe form and the principles of design.
• compose music incorporating a variety of forms and principles of design.
• compose, notate, and perform rhythms in a variety of metres.
• compare the use of form and principles of design in music compositions from a variety of historical, cultural, and stylistic contexts.
• use appropriate traditional and contemporary terminology to describe elements of expression.

Composition 1

Goals:

• use available technologies to create, reproduce, and manipulate music.
• notate pitch using a variety of traditional and non-traditional techniques.
• identify intervals within a melodic pattern.
• compose, notate, and perform rhythms in a variety of metres.
• apply melodic contour to compositions.
• use the elements of expression to achieve specific effects in their own compositions.
• use a variety of sound sources to manipulate elements of expression.
• apply an understanding of harmonic principles to composition

Demonstrable English Skills:

• poetic text
• descriptive text
• create a visual presentation for a specific purpose and audience
• collect and use evidence to explain your responses to content
• identify the influence of historical and social factors in texts and on texts
• extend vocabulary
• develop thinking skills
• analyze
• identify characteristics
• list
• describe
• opinion

Tasks:

There are two ways you can complete this assignment. You can either choose to work from a poem or lyrics of a song written by another person, OR you can write your own.

Your job is to create a melody for the lyrics that demonstrates your current understanding of expressive phrasing, music form and principles of design in composition. You will work with the melody you create in the following different ways:

• Write a reflection relating your composing experience to your experience creating other pieces of art (compare and contrast).
• Describe how your piece of music fits with a certain time, place and culture. What are the influences that helped shape your melody? Compare and contrast your created melody with known melodies from the time, place and culture you related to.
• Create a recording of your melody with lyrics and submit it with the other components of the project.
• Provide a copy of the notated version of your created melody and lyrics using the standard grand staff.

Composition 2

Goals:

• use available technologies to create, reproduce, and manipulate music.
• create a new part appropriate to a given multi-timbral texture.
• use the elements of expression to achieve specific effects in their own compositions.
• notate pitch using a variety of traditional and non-traditional techniques.
• identify the historical, cultural, and stylistic influences in their own compositions.

Task

Create an accompaniment to an existing piece of music. You can either change part of the existing piece of music (left/right hand) or create a part that would be played by a second musician. If you choose to create a part for a second musician you can also choose which instrument this accompaniment is for.

You will need to explain your choice of instrument and intention for the changes/additions you created. Your composition should be written in the spirit of the original piece OR you must justify your reasons for changing the piece so that it fits a different historical period or genre.

Be clear about what your intentions were for each part of this assignment. What do you want your audience to feel and experience when they listen to your composition?

Cultural Composition

Goals

• use available technologies to create, reproduce, and manipulate music.
• analyze and modify rhythms that reflect a diversity of cultures and styles of music.
• identify and use scales and melodic patterns that reflect cultural diversity.
• analyze the timbral qualities of various music styles in a variety of cultures.
• demonstrate respect for music from various historical and cultural contexts when composing.
• use appropriate technical terminology to describe the composition process.

Task

Note: This assignment can be completed in conjunction with Assignment 8 in the Prepared Course for Music 10.

Choose three different people groups from three different continents and compare their cultural music in terms of rhythm and tempo (metre). You do not need to list specific songs for this assignment, but you will likely need to listen to a variety of songs from each region to get a feel for the music. If you are more comfortable listing songs for each region and analyzing them according to the questions and tasks below this is also acceptable.

Answer the following questions:

• What is the typical tempo of this groups traditional music? (be sure to analyze their traditional, cultural specific music, not what they listen to downloaded from iTunes)
• What are some of the typical types of rhythms used in this type of music?

Choose one region that you would like to mimic and create a piece of music in the same style. You can choose whether you would like to add lyrics or just leave it instrumental however, if the region you chose typically does one or the other, your composition should fit with what is typical. If you choose to vary your composition in any way from what is typical, you must acknowledge that you did this provide your reasoning for why. Your composition should be a minimum of 1 minute in length and maximum of 4 minutes. Provide a brief write-up about your composition which addresses the aspects of tempo, timbre, instruments, melodic patterns and rhythms.

Performance Venue

Goals

• share personal insights derived from listening to, composing, and performing music.
• analyze a composer's intentions with regard to the thoughts, images, and feelings expressed by a piece of music.
• analyze how audience response affects composition.
• explain how performance can alter the effect of a composition.
• explain how music can be used to manipulate thoughts, images, and feelings.

Task

Attend a performance of any style of music and complete a piece of writing about your experience. Alternatively, prepare some notes about your experience and discuss them with your teacher. Address the following topics in your write-up or conversation:

• What feelings and emotions did you personally experience while at the performance?
• Was there a lasting emotional impact from your experience?
• What did the performer do to draw you into the experience? 
• How did he/she/they engage with the audience?
• What images came to mind when you listened to the music?
• Do you think the performer was trying to convey specific emotions or images during the performance? How so?
• What feeling and emotions did you notice in other audience members? How did you discern this?
• In what ways was it different for you hearing this music live rather than listening to a recording of it?

Careers

Goals

• identify legal, ethical, and moral issues related to composing music.
• demonstrate an awareness of careers related to music composition and technology.

Demonstrable English Skills:

• deliver a spoken presentation effectively using oral language features
• develop thinking skills
• opinion
• create a visual presentation for a specific purpose and audience
• select and apply strategies to develop, organize, revise, and present your own communications
• describe
• list
• plan
• classify
• clarify
• define
• analyze
• identify characteristics
• explain how to...
• essay forms
• presentation forms

Task:

Create a presentation (in any form you choose) detailing the career of your choice. Be sure to include

• what training is required (list any post-secondary institutions that offer training and their fees)
• personality types best suited for this career
• projected income
• pros and cons
• likelihood of obtaining a job
• best locations to pursue this career
• legal concerns of this role - what knowledge would be important to possess or become familiar with (this does mean you will know all the information but you will be aware of what the person pursuing this career would need to work towards learning)
  

Note: this assignment could be worked into Planning 10 for the Final Assignment. If youd like to use it for the credit and have questions on how to do that, contact your teacher.

Evolution of Composing

Goals

• demonstrate an awareness of advanced technologies available for music composition.
• explain how technology has changed the compositional process
• evaluate the cost and suitable applications of currently available music technology.
• demonstrate an understanding of the physics and physical properties of sound and sound synthesis.

Task

You will need to compare and contrast how songs are composed today vs. how they were composed before computers played a major role.  That means that you can choose how far back you want to go with your comparison, as long as it's far enough that computers were not a part of the process.  You can choose any format for the comparison.  This means that if you are using this course to help document your English requirements, you can check in your English tab and with your teacher about what format would be most beneficial to document remaining skills.

Suggested Resources for your research:

• Go to your local Long & McQuaide or other instrument supply store and ask them about what programs and devices are available for recording music.  (I would suggest concentrating on a few instruments)
• Google programs that are designed for music recording and track editing
• Visit your local library and check out books that deal with composing techniques or current musicians
• If you know any professional musicians or sound techs personally, ask if you could interview them

No matter you approach, format or research, be sure to touch on the following things in the final version:

• How does being able to record digitally change the composing process from your chosen era?
• What was the sequence of steps required in your chosen era compared to the sequence of steps now? (from the intial, "I want to create a lullabye", to final product being recorded)
• What are some of the more advanced programs out there for recording music?
• What would a basic recording studio cost nowadays?
• In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of having technology play such a large role in the composition and recording process?
• What are some devices used to record instruments and voice?
• What technologies have developed to improve sound qualities in recordings?

Music as Art

Goals

• notate pitch using a variety of traditional and non-traditional techniques.
• use other forms of expression to represent thoughts, images, and feelings evoked by their own compositions.
• analyze the elements of structure in compositions used to represent a broad range of thoughts, images, and feelings.

Task