Mini Jammers

Ann Emond
Dagmond@att.net
Leicester Public Schools

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

Sequencing

Level:

Elementary

Class:

General Music

Equipment:

Keyboard with an integrated sequencer.

Duration:

30 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

1. The teacher has presented rhythm patterns by clapping his/her hands.
2. The students have repeated the same rhythm patterns by clapping their hands.
3. The teacher has taught vocabulary words describing music tempo. For example, Largo, Moderato, and Allegro.

MENC Standards Addressed:

MENC 2: Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
MENC 3: Improvising melodies, harmonies, and accompaniments.
MENC 4: Composing and Arranging Music within specified guidelines.
MENC 6: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.

Materials:

Keyboard with three simple, teacher programmed drum sequences having regularly occurring “breaks” for the students to “respond” with their drum “solos”.

Objectives:

1. The student will answer with the same drum pattern in the same tempo using one key on the keyboard drum kit appropriately marked.
2. The student will describe the tempo using musical terms, i.e. Largo, Moderato, and Allegro.

Procedures:

1. The teacher will demonstrate how to use one note on the keyboard to answer the sequenced pre-programmed drum pattern.
2. After the keyboard plays a sequenced drum pattern, the students will play a drum key on the keyboard in the break to answer the pattern, following in tempo.
3. The students in the class will rotate to the keyboard so each student will have a turn answering the drum and describing the drum tempo in musical terms.

Evaluation:

1. The student repeats the rhythmic pattern in perfect tempo.
2. The student nearly matches the tempo with some mistakes in the rhythmic pattern.
3. The student does not play in tempo or repeat the rhythmic pattern (unrecognizable).
4. The student does not try.

Follow Up:

1. The teacher will encourage the student to answer the drum sequence using his or her own creative rhythmic style in tempo.
2. Using a co-operative learning techniques, the students could be divided into groups each having a keyboard with a drum sequencer programmed with drum tracks and breaks. The group could improvise a drum pattern that follows the tempo.