Laurel
Leder, ED 381
Musical
Instruments
AIM:
To show students that music is all around us and can be created using any
items and can be done by anyone
GOAL:
To allow students to use their creativity to create a musical instrument
and to use their musical knowledge in doing simple compositions
GRADE
LEVEL: General music classes
for 8 through 12 grades
PROBLEM:
The Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra is looking to replace all of
their instruments with new, innovative instruments, which have nonstandard
notation. The symphony will be
auditioning inventors/composers of these nonstandard instruments in two weeks.
To audition an inventor/composer must have the following prepared.
1) A prototype of an
instrument that is in good working order, and can be used in performance.
2) Notation for the
instrument that is complete, nonstandard, and written down, which will be used
for playing the instrument. 3)
A short musical composition using nonstandard notation.
The composition will be performed on the instrument by the
composer/inventor.
PROBLEM
CONDITIONS:
The students will
each invent a musical instrument, which can be played by them
The assignment will
be due on __________ which allows two weeks for completion
The students will
each write a short report on what the instrument is made of and how the
instrument was put together
The students will
each invent a new nonstandard notation for music which can be used to perform
pieces on their instrument
The students will
each compose a short piece which uses their new notation and perform it before
the class
The report will be
typed while the notation and musical composition will be neatly handwritten
Students will not be
able to invest money in their instruments, they must use items they own already
This project will
count as 25% of their grade for the current grading period
PROBLEM
PARAMETERS:
1.
The instrument can be made of anything(s) used by the inventor/composer
in everyday life, but it cannot be of an offensive nature.
2.
No extra money can be spent on the instrument.
It must be made of an item(s) found in the inventor/composer’s
possession.
3.
The notation must be written down, it cannot be standard musical
notation, and must be readable so others can follow it.
4.
The musical composition must be at least 30 second in length, but not
more than two minutes long. It must be written down and use the nonstandard musical
notation developed by the inventor/composer.
5.
The nonstandard notation and musical composition must be written down
neatly so it can be photocopied and handed out to the class.
6.
The inventor/composer must present the following at the time of their
presentation:
An instrument they created with standards in Number 1 and
2 above
A
half page typed report explaining how the instrument works and what it is made
of
A
sheet containing the nonstandard notation used for playing the instrument
A
written out composition for the instrument using the nonstandard notation
Note:
The inventor/composer must perform the composition on their instrument
for the class.
PROCESS SKILLS:
Performance skills and
self-confidence
Reading and writing musical
notation
Creativity and imagination
Evaluation:
If students
are not prepared for the class when they are asked to play, an automatic letter
grade will be deducted from their final grade for this project.
All
reports will be typed and ready for handing in. A handwritten report or a report with excessive spelling and
grammatical errors will be marked down. The nonstandard notation and the
compositions will be checked for accuracy and neatness.
These three items together will count for 1/2 of the grade.
The instrument itself will count for the remaining 1/2 of the grade.
Performance, while expected to be rehearsed and well done, will not count
in the final grade. There will be a
possible total of 100 points for the entire project with each of the two
sections each having 50 points possible.
Teacher
will be available to help with ideas and projects on a limited basis.
Please ask for help if necessary, but the imagination used must be your
own. Limited class time will be
used on solving this problem.
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