Inside the Box

Today is October 16, 2014.  I have spent the last week just trying to teach students how to write a simple melody.  The problem is not that the students cannot understand how to create a treble clef on staff paper, create 4/4 time.  It is not that they don't understand how to compose notes that show contour, and a little bit of repetition and contrast.  I know they can utilize quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, double eighth notes and their corresponding rests.  The problem is not that they are having trouble composing a simple melody, it is that they want their song to be so much more complicated than it has to be!  They do not yet have the skills to write complicated pieces of music.  You cannot build a car before you know how to build a bicycle, for example.  You can't multiply if you can't add!   I was struggling with this, and then I came upon a quotation from the famous dancer, Twyla Tharp, which perfectly explains my predicament.

 "You have to be capable of thinking inside the box first, before you can think outside the box."  

So- The interpretation of this quotation became our discussion at the beginning of class yesterday and this morning.  I asked the students to explain the meaning of the quote first, then how it would apply to their current situation.  I finally got through to them, and it has had very exciting results!  Now they can complete the original assignment within the time given.  They can write 32 measures, and also create lyrics for those measures.  But the best part is, they will be able to play their songs as well, because they kept it simple enough to do so!

I have given my students a wonderful short list of instructions to complete their song for their opera.  They now just have to do each one of the things on that list, and they will be successful.  For everyone's convenience, here is a replica of the list:

                                      TEN STEPS TO A SONG FOR YOUR OPERA
1.  FIND A PIECE OF STAFF PAPER.

2.  DRAW A TREBLE CLEF AT THE BEGINNING OF IT.

3.  DRAW 4/4 TIME.  FOUR BEATS IN A MEASURE AND QUARTER NOTE EQUALS ONE.

4.  USE C SCALE NOTES: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, NO SHARPS OR FLATS.

5.  USE QUARTER NOTES, HALF NOTES, DOUBLE EIGHTH NOTES, WHOLE NOTES, AND THEIR CORRESPONDING RESTS.  

6.  USE MEASURE LINES EVERY FOUR BEATS.

7.    CREATE UNITY AND CONTRAST BY REPEATING EIGHT MEASURES AND CREATING A SECTION THAT DOESN'T REPEAT.

8.  USE A CONTOUR THAT GOES UP AND DOWN SMOOTHLY.

9.   ONE NOTE PER SYLLABLE FOR YOUR LYRICS UNDERNEATH YOUR NOTES.

10.   AT LEAST 32 MEASURES FOR A COMPLETE SONG.  

DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO!!  ENJOY YOUR COMPOSITION AND KEEP ON PRACTICING YOUR MUSIC AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS!  DON'T CREATE ART, JUST CREATE SOMETHING!  SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!