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.
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.
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
