Curriculum Update!

6th Grade:  Compose a Painting Project

Tomorrow the students will begin a composition project.  First, the students will be assigned a famous painting.  The students will analyze their painting using the elements of art (color, texture, line, etc).  Then, they will compose a song to accompany their painting using MixCraft 6.  Next week, the students will present their painting analysis and composition to the class. 

Some paintings that the students can choose from are:

American Gothic by Grant Wood

Two Dancers on Stage by Edgar Degas

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

And Many More...

7th Grade: Musician Project

The remainder of this week, the students will present their 100 point Musician Projects.  The students were assigned this project two weeks ago.  They were allowed to choose any musician, band or composer who inspires them.  They will present their research to the class with a visual and oral presentation.  The assignment and rubric are located on the 7th grade file cabinet.

8th Grade: Jazz & Blues Unit

This week, the students will learn about Jazz Music.  We will discuss the various sub-genres and musicians through a variety of activities.  For example, today the students conducted "interviews" by pretending to be famous Jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and Duke Ellington.  Next week, they will create their own Blues Combo in class using the 12 Bar Blues Form.  

What's happening in Music Class???

6th Grade: The Music of Europe

The students are learning about the culture, instruments, and dances of Europe. This unit includes PowerPoint presentations, listening clips, educational videos, and learning songs and dances from other countries.

7th Grade:  Mixing & Arranging Music
The students will be taking famous Holiday tunes and mixing them together or creating a unique arrangement.  For example, they might make a mix of "Dominick the Donkey" and "Last Christmas"- or turn "Little Drummer Boy" into a Heavy Metal Rock song.  In order to do this, they will use Mix Craft 6 Software to manipulate the audio tracks by changing the key, changing tempo, adding instruments, and much more.  I will post some samples once they are completed.  

Next week, the students have their 100 point Musician Project due.  The students were assigned this project Nov. 24.  They were allowed to choose any musician who inspires them.  They will present their research to the class with a visual and oral presentation next week.  You will find the directions and rubric on the 7th grade file cabinet.  The directions were also shared with the students in google classroom.  Please feel free to contact me with questions. 

8th Grade: Musical Theatre- The Phantom of the Opera

The students are learning about Musical Theater.  First, they will learn about what a musical is and who makes a musical possible (composer, librettist, director, choreographer, etc.), then they will study one musical in depth. We will finish this week by watching the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Phantom of the Opera, in class.  There will be a short quiz on musical theatre and this particular musical in class next Monday, December 8.