Name: John M. Gabriele
School District: Derry Township School District
Lesson Title: Mozart's Musical Dice Game
Grade Level: 6-8th
Piloted with students in grade: 8th
PA STANDARD AREA: ARTS AND HUMANITIES
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9.1 Producing, Performing and Exhibiting |
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9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts |
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9.3 Critical Response |
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9.4 Communicate Aesthetic Response |
Specific Standard:
9.1.8.J Incorporate specific uses of traditional and contemporary technologies within the design for producing, performing and exhibiting works in the arts or the works of others.
* Explain and demonstrate traditional technologies (e.g., paint, tools, sponges, weaving designs, instruments, natural pigments/glazes).
* Explain and demonstrate contemporary technologies (e.g., Musical Instrument Digital Interface keyboards, internet design, computers, interactive technologies, audio/sound equipment, board-mixer, video equipment, computerized lighting design).
9.3.8.A Know and use the critical process of the examination of works in the arts and humanities.
* Compare and contrast
* Analyze
* Interpret
* Form and test hypotheses
* Evaluate/form judgments
9.3.8.B. Analyze and interpret specific characteristics of works in the arts within each art form (e.g., pentatonic scales in Korean and Indonesian music).
9.3.8.C Identify and classify styles, forms, types and genre within art forms (e.g., modern dance and the ethnic dance, a ballad and a patriotic song).
Lesson Topic/Theme: Create a musical composition based on the principals of Baroque era musical dice composition.
Overview: Students will determine the sequence of measures in ABA (Minuet) form by working alone or in groups. This work will then be imported into a notation program for performance and display.
Keywords: Web site, Internet, Mozart, composition, factual
Materials: Dice (can use buttons and chart with numbers from 1-6), pages of possible notes in measures, blank manuscript paper, notation software, PC or MAC workstations with Web access and printer. http://www.worldvillage.com/jchuang/Music/Mozart/mozart.cgi#
Warm-Up: Students will be given instructions on how to compose a Minuet based on principles of chance used by W. A. Mozart and others during the Baroque period. A discussion with exemplary examples will be shown and listened to describing the time signature, ABA structure with 8 measures and simple notation symbols. Students might be grouped to complete tasks sufficiently.
Procedure: Students will listen to examples of Minuets and Trios by Baroque composers e.g., Mozart and be asked specific questions. Students will reflect on questions like "What instruments are used?", "What is the form of the piece?" and "Why do you like this piece or not?", for example. Once the students have familiarized themselves with the procedures, students roll a die or drop a button onto numbered paper to determine which measure should be written in the first measure of their composition. The measures have treble and bass notation. During this process students will determine the title, tempo and choices of instruments for their composition. Repeat the process until all measures have been notated. (It is important to note that there are 176 possible Minuet measures and 96 possible Trio measures to choose from. Of course, many of them will be closely related. Nevertheless, there are still many interesting possibilities). Another possible procedure is to have the students view the web site. Students can have the computer generate measures or choose a number from 2 thru 12 for each measure. After completing the notating of the composition students can import the notes into a notation program. They can then manipulate the notes to better suit the aesthetic tastes of the participants. Also, students can use "traditional" instruments to play their compositions. An example follows of the Minuet portion using "complex" notes. There are versions with "easier" notes.
Correctives: (enrichment activities for students who have not met the standard at proficient or advanced level)
Students that have not reached a proficient level at the end of the lesson should be placed in groups to help them advance through the composition. Also, students can be given tasks that do not require knowledge of music notation systems, writing music or playing music. A complete Minuet, (Minuet, Trio, Minuet) does not have to be completed to successfully achieve this standard.
Extensions: (Additional activities for students who have met the standard at a proficient or advanced level). By using a Fractal Generator students can visually represent the compositions. There are many web sites that have fractal generators. By putting in the measure number and number of your roll of the dice a visual representation of the Minuet can be derived. An example of a fractal follows:
Assessment-Task Criteria: How will you judge below basic, basic, proficient and advanced? Do you have a model/exemplar of your expectations?
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Below Basic Student displays no comprehension of the methods to derive the composition. This student will generally need teacher/student assistance and guidance.
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Basic Student will try to complete all the procedures to get the final product, but when symbols are incorrectly notated. This does not work, in groups to complete the project and is not comfortable with performance or inputting notation. |
Proficient Student will complete the composition with correct musical notation and symbols, show a level of comprehension with procedures to determine the composition and can create a Minuet by himself/herself. |
Advanced Student will complete the composition with correct musical notation and symbols, show advanced levels of comprehension with procedures and methods and is willing to play composition or input notation into a notation program. Also, the student will choose another art form to display the work. An example would be making a fractal out of the composition. |