MUED 320 (Diversity Cohort) Notes

Feb 9, 2006

Demo by Karen:

-Charlene’s Play list and write up:

-Describing on sounds she heard, and the images in the music

-Metaphors and bringing out narratives in actual TV series (and how the two may relate)

-“Thousand Kisses Feet”: very smooth piece

-A dance piece: “The Era of Versai – the Sun Came”: a very bouncy piece too

-She concentrated on melody, simplicity and instilling a sense of pride (that’s her commonality – melody)

Making our own little mps

-Listen to the long sustained part where the flower dies…then it quickly goes to the next title

-This next tune is a lot slower (“Thousands Kisses Feet”)

-The last tune is bouncy, proud (like the court is coming in)

Karen will walk us through the process

-Question: mp3’s, cds, etc – can bring in anything?

-Karen’s answer: anything will work, except maybe things through lime-wire (peer-to-peer site). If you want to do this, email it to yourself or burn it on your cd

-The songs you choose do not have to have lyrics. You can even bring in children’s songs. It’s up to you!!

-We will be using Garage Band software system, which can accommodate Mac

-If you have your own computer and software, bring that in

-Karen will teach us to download music if you don’t own any music titles

-We have our own Diversity cohort section on the website

-Password: we must register – username, email address and password

-Web address:

-Question: written response: what about musical vocabulary and repertoire?

  • Try your best to talk about musical vocabulary – but yes, social and cultural context of music is important too (so, yes, please tell her why music is meaningful to you)
  • Karen says there will be a bulletin up on the website too – so you can respond and help with other people’s vocabulary

Karen: trained as a high-school math teacher

-Video that plays around the concept of math – see below for website

-In music: “Prime is the number that is only divisible by one and itself…everyone loves a prime…. we know that this pattern recurs …they like to come in pairs with a number in between…the name of our lecture is our proud conjecture…the number that goes to infinity…”

-Critical comments about the song: all white male singers, etc

Second video of Honda Civic ad using composed vocalizations. See:

Presentation by Gloria, Anna, Janine, Amber

-We will get into groups and write some feedback. Also write a question for them This will be done in secret.

-“Slippery fish, slippery fish sliding in the water…octopus, octopus swimming in the water, octopus, octopus, gulp, gulp…oh no, it’s been eating by a great white shark” (Charlotte Diamond’s The Octopus Song)

-The group gave handouts and together we sing!

-So as a teacher, you can get the students to sing and echo (repeat) after you

-You can also have the whole class follow the song that is written on large flipchart paper

-This group has dealt with multiple intelligences and the integration of the curriculum

  • They did actions for the visual and kinesthetic learners
  • This song also appeals to the auditory and language-based learners
  • In terms of cross-curriculum, this song deals with science (food chains). You can also make your puppets for your songs and/or have the class create their own songs (literacy).
  • And for the musical aspects, you can work on how loud you sing (so for the slippery fish, you can sing quietly and for the great big shark, a loud voice
  • Our turn! Let’s write our own song! Some ideas: garden, arctic, fantasy world…it’s up to you! Divide into groups: octopus, slippery fish, tuna fish, and great white shark.
  • Questions and Feedback for the group!
  • ***Note to the class: remember to footnote resources!!
  • Charlotte Diamond lives in Richmond and will do school visits
  • Can request her and email her
  • She can sing in French as well
  • Use Google to look for her website
  • She’s interested in environmental issues, but that’s about as far as she goes with social justice
  • Songs can be readily absorbed by primary and ESL children
  • How to get good count-ins?
  • Can use “Gulp, gulp, gulp!” beat as count-in instead of saying “1, 2, 3, Go!”
  • So, the count-in is right in the song!

-Caitlin will put up the songs we wrote up on the music website! 

  • If you have any questions about posting our songs on the site can email Charlene about it.

Puppets and Music

-Puppets can used to help a shy child be more interactive during music

-Have children name the puppets you have made with them

  • Give the puppet a personality and personal history
  • May be easier to make puppets than to buy them because it may be hard to find appropriate ones that have a movable mouth

-Can use sound graphs to help children practice highs and lows (pitch) in songs

  • Can have them make their own song graphs to practice
  • Now, we try to make our own graphs in small groups! First, we make our own graphs individually. Then we combine all the graphs we made in the group into one long sound graph.
  • Sound graphs can be high, low, short, long, curly, etc. You can layer them to make them more complicated!
  • Groups perform their sound graphs!
  • Such animation and excellent songs have come out of this activity!
  • Great solos too!
  • Conductors
  • Ostenado – also with only one sound
  • Different noises can be used when following the sound graphs
  • Clicks, hums, mouthed sounds, boops, etc.
  • Closing the eyes can be very beneficial and provide for different experiences – get kids to practice listening and doing the graphs
  • Hear what they see, and see what they hear
  • Sound graphs are the starting point to reading music
  • If two groups performed at the same time can have textured music
  • Sound graphs where there is harmony on the same graph – two lines starting and ending at the same points

Listening Riddle

­Talk to your neighbours after listening to the music samples

­Share your ideas about what you are hearing and feeling

­Today’s musical selections:

  • “The English Patient” performed by Marta Sebestyen. The English Patient original soundtrack. Music by Gabriel Yared. (1996)
  • No Instruments = solo = a cappella
  • Hungarian language
  • No beat, just free music
  • Playing around with the notes a lot - ornamentation
  • “Mercy” by Sarah McLachlan. Solace. (1991)
  • Harmony that was all Sarah, straight bass line (pedal) accompanying, one note ostenado (drone) that stabilizes and makes an incredible contrast
  • “Weyaho” by Asani. Rattle and Drum. (Arbor Records, 2004)
  • Different timbre, accompanying drum, dotted rhythm
  • Cree and Metis words, vocalizations used
  • All Female voices, Canadian, dotted rhythm, ornamentation