Mr. Baum - Music
Course Description
Grading Policy35% Effort
(Preparation Participation Conduct) 25% In class work 20% Homework/Projects 20% Assessments Music classes will receive a number grade on report cards |
In music class, students will experience music through a multi faceted approach to help address all of the New York State educational standards for music as well as enrich the school’s dedication to addressing the Common Core Learning Standards. It is my goal to make music an effective supplement to the school wide curriculum in order to prepare our students with the skills needed to succeed in the real world. I believe music education provides opportunities to develop creative thinking, teamwork, self-confidence and an understanding of what makes us both unique and alike as members of a global community. Music also fits in well to the Renzulli Schoolwide Enrichment Model which focuses on helping each student to develop his or her own unique set of talents.
For in-classroom instruction, we will be exploring a variety of topics to broaden students understanding of what music is. We will learn that music is not just a subject in and of itself, but can be looked at through the scope of several other disciplines such as science, math, history, social studies, language arts and more. This approach aims to help contribute to the school’s instructional goals of engaging students in high quality discourse to improve their performance in both written and oral responses. In 7th grade, students will also be given an opportunity to experience music making through technology resources provided by the school. We will be using Sonic Pi, a coding environment used for music making, as a vehicle for composition and understanding music theory. Students will have the chance to write their own songs as well as learn basics of computer programming. |
Contact email - lbaum@thebellacademy.com
Links
Homework, practice assignments and upcoming performance assessments will be posted on the calendar page the day they are assigned.
Contact via email for any questions or concerns.
Contact via email for any questions or concerns.
WHat's going on in class
Unit 1 - Genres
Week 1 - What is genre?
Genre: a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content (As define by Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Week 2 - How do we classify songs by genre?
Students brainstormed how many different genres they could think of and what criteria we can use to categorize songs into specific genres.
Musical characteristics to classify genres
- Types of instruments - Language - Subject Matter - Tempo/BPM
- Dynamics(Loud/Quiet) - Meter -Vocals/Instrumental - Rhythm
- Country of Origin - Emotional Content/Feel - Lyrical Structure - Harmony
- Frequencies(High/Low, Bass/Treble) - Vocal Style (The way people sing) - Melody
Week 3 - Genre Analysis
Students wrote descriptions of genres using characteristics discussed in class.
Students listened to the following 3 songs all from the same genre.
Genre Description Assignment
Write a description about the genre these 3 songs come from based on the musical characteristics you observed when listening to each song
Week 1 - What is genre?
Genre: a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content (As define by Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Week 2 - How do we classify songs by genre?
Students brainstormed how many different genres they could think of and what criteria we can use to categorize songs into specific genres.
Musical characteristics to classify genres
- Types of instruments - Language - Subject Matter - Tempo/BPM
- Dynamics(Loud/Quiet) - Meter -Vocals/Instrumental - Rhythm
- Country of Origin - Emotional Content/Feel - Lyrical Structure - Harmony
- Frequencies(High/Low, Bass/Treble) - Vocal Style (The way people sing) - Melody
Week 3 - Genre Analysis
Students wrote descriptions of genres using characteristics discussed in class.
Students listened to the following 3 songs all from the same genre.
Genre Description Assignment
Write a description about the genre these 3 songs come from based on the musical characteristics you observed when listening to each song
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Song #Week 4 - Compare/Contrast Songs
Genre Compare/Contrast Assignment
Determine which song better fits into the genre CHILLWAVE and explain why by comparing and contrasting musical characteristics(See jupitered for specific due dates)
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Chillwave Musical characteristics
Slow-to mid tempo
Steady drum beats
Mellow Vocal style
Electronic sounds
Heavy use of effects
Escapist/Relaxed lyrical content
Sparse use of lyrics
Dreamy/Airy/Calm feel
Little change in dynamics (medium quiet/medium loud)
Song #1 . Song #2
Slow-to mid tempo
Steady drum beats
Mellow Vocal style
Electronic sounds
Heavy use of effects
Escapist/Relaxed lyrical content
Sparse use of lyrics
Dreamy/Airy/Calm feel
Little change in dynamics (medium quiet/medium loud)
Song #1 . Song #2
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