Poem Orchestration

Harry Levicky
levicky@comcast.net
St. Teresa of Avila

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

Electronic Musical Instruments

Level:

Elementary

Class:

General Music

Equipment:

6 Electronic keyboards

Duration:

80 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Students should already be familiar with navigating and selecting instrument sounds and sound effects on the keyboard.

NAfME Standard of 1994 Addressed:

NAfME Standard of 1994: Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

NAfME 2014: Performing 

NAfME Standard of 1994: Improvising melodies, harmonies, and accompaniments.
NAfME Standard of 1994: Composing and Arranging Music within specified guidelines.

NAfME 2014: Creating 

Materials:

Copies of the poem to be orchestrated from the book Exploring General Music in the Keyboard Lab, Carl Fisher, New York, NY

Objectives:

Students will orchestrate a poem using sounds on the electronic keyboard to create an audio image of each line of the poem. Students should use appropriate sounds that compliment the imagery described in the poem – swiftly or slowly, dark or bright, etc.

Procedures:

1. Students will be paired in groups of two.
2. Students will choose their sounds for each line of the poem and write the patch name and number in the space provided in the right margin of each line.
3. Students will then practice their orchestrations. One student will expressively read the poem will the other student plays the sounds. Students should then reverse roles so each student performs each part.
4. Students will take turns performing their orchestrations for the class.

Evaluation:

Create a check list to see if the following things were accomplished:
Sounds were played in the appropriate range to match the image being described.
Sounds matched the mood of the poem – i.e. light, airy, soft, loud, strong, dark, fast, etc.
Students read and played expressively

Follow Up:

Students could bring in a passage from their own favorite book or poem to orchestrate OR
Given several general topics as a guide, children could write their own story or poem and then orchestrate it.

Items to Purchase:

none – keyboards are already in place.

When budget should be submitted:

n/a