Composition Project - Week Two

Week two of the grade 5 composition project focused on writing a melody for an A section of their piece.  I began the class by reviewing how to write a melody.  I put a piece of staff paper under the Elmo and, with the class' help wrote a simple 8 measure melody.  We reviewed clef and meter.  We reviewed rhythm and pitch. And I showed them how they could use simple rhythmic patterns in their melodies.  I have found in the past that many students think they need to write something completely different in each measure.  I showed them how they could stick with a simple rhythmic pattern and change the pitch slightly for each measure to make a pleasant sounding tune.

I brought enough of the small glockenspiels for each group to be able to use two.  I also had my electric keyboard set up and explained that anyone who wanted to play their melodies on the piano they had to "prove" they could really play.  (See the note at the bottom.)  I have had several students tell me they are going to use recorder or guitar or violin - which I have encouraged.  They can write their piece for any instrument as long as someone in their group can play it.  This could get interesting in the next few weeks since no student has actually brought in another instrument that they can play on.

I walked around the room to monitor progress and answer questions.  I helped students as they formed thier melodies offering suggestions and playing some of their melodies for them to hear.  Once they completed thier A section melody I told them to practice it and play it for me. 

Most groups have been working really well together.  Some students have even worked on their compositions at home and come to school with already formed ideas for their project.  I love to see the more advanced students really take off with this.  I have even had a special education student really surprise me with his piano playing. (He doesn't take lessons but he wrote a simple melody.  I showed him where the first note was and he figured the rest of it out by himself.)  I have had some students who have been showing signs they can't work well with their group.  I tell them if they change groups it's fine with me but they will have to start over from the beginning and play catch up to everyone else.

 

Here are some samples of week two work.

*Many students "play" on piano and if I had several keyboards with which the students could use I would allow anyone who wanted to to try their melodies on the keyboard - but I don't.  So I simply ask "Do you know where C is on the piano?" If they say yes and they can show me I let them use it.  If they say no I tell them to use the xylophones because the xylos have the note names on the bars.

I also tell them that if multiple groups use piano they have to share mine, which doesn't allow them as much practice time as the groups who have their own xylophones to practice on.  If a student wants to bring in thier own keyboard I encourage them to ask their parents if they can bring it in for the purpose of this project.