Fine+Arts-Music

=** Subject: Fine Arts-Music **=

**Ohio Academic Content Standard:**
**Creative Expression and Communication** Students sing, play instruments, improvise, compose, read and notate music.
 * Fine Arts-Music**

**Grade 4:** 4. Improvise and compose short compositions using a variety of classroom instruments and sound sources.
 * Benchmark B:** Read, write, improvise and compose melodies and accompaniments.

**Technologies Incorporated in this Lesson:**

 * POCKETRAK 2G audio-recording device
 * Computers
 * Adobe Audition 3 software-audio manipulation software.



**Classroom and Activity Description:**
This activity will take place in a regular music classroom equipped with 3 computers. Students will also be traveling to various parts of the school to gather data. > > > >
 * 1) Introduce the lesson and tell students that they are going to be creating a ‘school soundtrack’ using sounds that can be heard in different places in the school.
 * 2)  Have students brainstorm a list of sounds that could be heard in different places around the school.
 * 1)  Separate the class into groups of 3 or 4 and divide the sounds listed among the different groups as evenly as possible.
 * 1)  Give an audio recorder to each group and allow them to go out into the school to capture their assigned sounds.
 * 1)  Students will return to the classroom after each sound has been recorded and upload their sound to the computer using the Audition software.
 * 1)  After sounds have been uploaded, allow students to manipulate the sound waves in a variety of different ways, including cutting, pasting and distorting.
 * 2)  Students can share their audio track composition with other groups in the class.

Tried and True or New and Innovative?
This lesson is new and innovative because it allows students to use brand new software and equipment to record and manipulate sounds. The POCKETRAK 2G audio recording devices allow students to be mobile and unobtrusive in their quest for sounds.

Supporting Research:
This lesson fits into the Technology Institute for Music Educators’ second (of seven) areas of competency: Music Production; Processes; Sequencing and Sound Design. Through this activity, s tudents gather, personalize, and share sound creations in the context of music class. The book, //Technology Strategies for Music Education// supports the goals of this project. Its authors confirm that “…today’s technologies can support teaching activities and improve students’ abilities to learn". The //Audition// software used in this lesson is a form of music production technology. By engaging students in this process, we “instill confidence in their abilities to be musically creative and productive,” and by giving students the tools they need in their hands, we guide them to “active music making.”   (Rudolph et al. 2005)

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