Intermediate Lesson Plan: Music and Architecture Standards: Singing, along and with others, a varied repertoire of music Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts Listening to, analyzing, and describing music Performance Indicators: Students will compose a variation on an excerpt of The Star Spangled Banner after gaining tools and knowledge on variations in music as well as in areas outside of music. Objectives: Students will understand how a variation is created and be able to create a variation on their own. Students will use their own creativity to create an original piece of music. Listening Repertoire: Ives - Variations on America Procedures: 1) Sing through the original version of My Country Tis of Thee as a class. 2) Show the class a picture of a house (you can use the picture provided, or use your own house, or the house of one of your students). You might also want them to all bring in a picture of their own houses so you can have a visual representation of all the different variations. 3) Have the students come up with a list of ways that their house is different from the one in the picture and a list of ways that their house is the same (all have a roof, windows, etc) 4) Talk about how even though the house may have different variations in the way they are put together and organized, they all have some things in common, and ultimately are all still houses where people live. 5) Discuss how a piece of music can have variations as well. Ask them if they can think of any songs that have multiple variations. (Perhaps a remix on the radio, or the star spangled banner sung at various sporting events ) 6) Using the list provided, talk about the different ways that a variation can use the original theme and then change it. See if you and the class can add to the list provided. 7) Listen to the excerpts from Ives Variations on America and have the students circle the different types of variations as they hear them 8) Using at least 2 of the types of variations from the list, have the students come up with a variation for The Star Spangled Banner. (the original melody is provided)
Extension: - Have a performance of the students variations - Using other popular tunes, have the students create variations to those pieces. You could put on a performance of original themes and their variations. - The Star Spangled Banner is an anthem celebrating our country, but the lyrics were written way back in 1814. Perhaps the students could come up with a variation on the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner for the modern America. My Country Tis of Thee- Original theme (sheet music is in an attachment) F Gm C F Gm F C7 F/D Gm F C F My Country Tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; F Gm/C C Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim s pride, F Gm C F Bb F C F from every mountain side, let freedom ring
Samuel Francis Smith Voice 8 My coun-try tis fa My Country Tis Of Thee of thee sweet land of li ber-ty of thee I J.S. Bach/Criswell sing. Land where my 11 from thers died land of the pil grims pride ev ry moun tain side l - et free - dom ring This arrangement is released to the public domain
Student Worksheet Look at this house. Does it look like your house? What parts are the same as your house and what parts are different? How is my house the same as this house? How is my house different from this house?
Theme and Variations: A piece written in theme and variations contains one melodic idea throughout which is changed in some way. This change is referred to as a variation. Tempo Rhythm Key (Major/minor) Instrumentation Repetition of a section Overlapping of melodies Types of variations: Now, let s see if you can create a variation of your own Look at the original theme of The Star Spangled Banner. Using at least two of the variation tools from above, see if you can compose a variation on The Star Spangled Banner! - Original theme of The Star Spangled Banner as well as blank music staves are provided as a finale attachment
The Star Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key &4 3 Voice Œ Œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ. J œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ Œ
Create your own variation [Composer] &4 3 Voice & &