What role does Music play across cultures?

IB students, we’ll be embarking on an ethnomusicological expedition on Monday, March 28. We will choose areas of the world that eash student will specialize in for the unit. We will choose from Northern Africa, Central Africa, Central and/or South America, and Asia (one subset of a vast topic)
Students will understand …

1) that music is deeply imbedded into the tribal (indigenous) cultures of people throughout the world, and it’s ritualistic importance is has great meaning to the people

2) many tribal (indigenous) instruments correspond to instrument families of the Western world.

3) that the classical music tribal (indigenous) cultures have long and varied histories of very complex and sophisticated virtuoso performers and composers (this only where applicable)

4) that the pop music of Africa has a rich tradition of political and social content as well as links to tribal, classical African, Caribbean, and American jazz that make it quite varied and rich

Full Band rehearsals for the ISB Mass Band Festival

1. Monday, Oct. 4 – After school 3:00-4:20

2. Wednesday, Oct. 6 – 1:00 – 3:30 

3. Monday, Oct 11  Block H and after school – 3:00-4:20   

4. Thursday, Oct. 14  Block C

On Monday Oct 11 we will be rehearsing with Mr. Roger Faulmann at ISE.

Friday, Oct 15 is a day off from school for our band as we travel to ISB for a full rehearsal.

The Performance in on Saturday, October 16 at 2:00 pm.  All parents and friends and family are strongly encouraged to attend this Mass Band concert.  Permission slips and information letters will be given out next week.

Music Tech Podcast Assignment – Narrative due Thursday, Oct. 7

The narrative for your podcast project is due to be turned in on Thursday, Oct. 7.  Who is the voice that is speaking.  What is their point of view?  Is the voice within the piece (subjective)or is it detached (objective)?  Your writing should be typed.

Each student will create their own podcast that will be available for the world to listen to.  The length of your project should be about five (5) minutes.  We will work in small groups, but each student is responsible for the production of a podcast.  The initial stage of the project will require you to :

1. Propose a topic, idea, or concept you would like to investigate.  This can be a documentary on almost any topic (a class or teacher, sport or club, people, culture, a market place, an activity, Thailand-Pattaya-Sriracha-Burapha).  You can tell a story, either true or imaginary.  Conduct interviews.                      (Please be respectful and school appropriate.)

2.  Write a script that will be read as a narrative in the podcast.  This can be notes on your topic.

3.  Create a visual, horizontal score (timeline) to show when different things will occur in your podcast.  For example, show where music begins and ends, where an environmental sound enters, or when the narrator begins and ends.

We will begin brainstorming and formulating ideas in class on Friday, Sept 24.  For HOMEWORK, due on Tuesday, Sept. 28, have your score completed for class.  (Your score is a working guideline to help you organize your creative material-it will grow and change as you work.)

Materials; Audacity; a portable recorder (or a laptop w/mic); paper and writing utensils; imagination/creativity

Audacity project part B – Variation and form

Wednesday, Sept. 22 – Complete part “B” of your current project.  We will listen to all five projects in class today.

**Podcast assignment – Our next project will be to make a podcast using Audacity.  Each person must have at least two ideas of podcasts to make.  We will begin on Thursday, Sept 24.

Music Tech Students; the first section of your Audacity project should be completed (9/14), or at least  be close.

Part two: Take the two minutes of sound you have made, copy and paste it next to part one.

Transform this section. Make use of a) effects, b), editing, and add a track(s).  Be creative and take chances.  Too many of you are downloadinf sonds off the internet and not really doing enough to change it.  Take advantage of the software.  The “B” section will be related to the “A” section, but there must be noticable variation and contrast.

Percussionists in all ISE Bands

Drum practice pads are for sale through the school business office.

The cost is 1200 Baht and includes a practice pad, a stand, and drum sticks.

All students in band are required to practice on a regular basis to be successful and to pass the class.  Students who have drums or a practice pad at home are not required to purchase a practice pad (but please do use them to practice).  Percussionists who do not practice in school either during lunch or after school, and who do not practice at home will not pass band.  Practice is your homework.  All students must turn in signed practice sheets to receive credit for practice as homework.  Have fun playing!

All ISE percussionists have a copy of The International Drum Rudiments and excerpts from Joe Marroni’s Fundamentals of Rhythm for the Drummer to practice from.  I am always available during lunch and after school to help students with music.  Please speak to me in advance to arrange a meeting.

IB Music: Medieval to Renaissance

Look up these terms on the internet and be able to explain the concepts to your classmates during class discussion.
1. Early Organum
2. Parallel organum
3. Melismatic organum
4. Early polyphony
Medieval music:
Leonin and Perotin
Henry Purcell; “Dido and Aeneas”
Renaissance: time period; social causes for the renaissance
1. Josquin Des Pres
2. John Dowland
3. Palestrina

Music Technology Assignment 8/31/10

Wednesday, September 8.

• Now that we are into our projects we can now look towards completing them  (hopfully today) and also improving on what we have begun.
• Each group needs to add one more track
• Some groups have tracks from the net that require editing and the use of more effects
• Be experimental; take risks; extend your ideas
• Remember, continually save your project as you work- Audacity can crash easily

Audacity Project (continued) – (The length of the project should be about two minutes.)

1. Record any live sound (w/mic) on track one

2. Import any sound off the internet on track two.  (You may not import an entire song and play it.  If you import a song you must manipulate it and change it-only using part of it-be creative.)  Track two does not need to start where track one did.  Your entrances may be staggered.

3.  Record a vocal track on track 3.  It can be spoken or sung.  Treat this track with lots of effects

4.  Mix the project.  set the volume levels to your liking, work with the EQ, explore fade in and fade out.  

Due the end of class Thursday, September 2 – to be presented to the class by you on Monday, September 6