TEN STEPS TO YOUR PLANETS COMPOSITION

Students create music in easy keys, meters, and rhythms with limited ranges accurately applying the knowledge and skills of notation: symbols, terminology of dynamics.  Students perform music of various styles and genres.

1. CHOOSE A PLANET OR ASTROLOGICAL SIGN OR ASTRONOMY SUBJECT OR MYTH TO INSPIRE YOUR ORIGINAL COMPOSITION FOR PIANO.  FIND A PIECE OF COMPOSITION PAPER.

2.  WRITE 4/4 TIME AFTER THE TREBLE AND BASS CLEF.  USE QUARTER NOTES, HALF NOTES, WHOLE NOTES, EIGHTH NOTES AND SIXTEENTH NOTES IN YOUR COMPOSITION. 

3.  CREATE AN OSTINATO TO USE IN YOUR PIECE, AS IN MARS. (REPEATED RHYTHMIC OR MELODIC PATTERN) USE C POSITION NOTES.  USE OTHER HAND POSITIONS IF YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY THEM ON THE PIANO.

4.  BE SURE TO ADD A MEASURE LINE EVERY FOUR BEATS, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST 32 MEASURES WHEN THE COMPOSITION IS COMPLETE. BEGIN AND END ON C.

5.  BE SURE YOUR STEMS ARE GOING THE CORRECT WAY.  DOWN ON THE LEFT ABOVE THE MIDDLE LINE, UP ON THE RIGHT BELOW THE MIDDLE LINE.

6.  BE SURE YOU ARE USING NOTES YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY, SO YOU CAN PERFORM YOUR PIECE.

7.  IF YOUR LEFT HAND OR YOUR RIGHT HAND IS NOT PLAYING, YOU MUST ADD RESTS TO SHOW SILENCE IN ONE HAND OR ANOTHER.

8.  FINISH THIS SECTION OF YOUR PIECE FIRST BEFORE YOU PLAY IT, THEN WHEN YOU PLAY IT YOU CAN CHANGE WHATEVER YOU WISH TO MAKE IT BETTER OR MORE INTERESTING. 

9.  NOW, AFTER THE 32 MEASURES ADD AS MUCH AS YOU CAN OR WANT TO TO YOUR PIECE, AT LEAST 10 MORE MEASURES, AND YOU CAN WRITE THIS DOWN IN ANY WAY YOU WISH, NOT USING CONVENTIONAL NOTATION IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO.

10.  PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.  ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR SUCCESS IN ANY PROJECT IS ASKING QUESTIONS OR ASKING FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT! 

Holiday Poems from Enrichment class - Exemplar

THE HOLIDAY

How is a person

Supposed to celebrate

The holidays

When there is so much pain

In this world

How is a person

Supposed to be joyful

When you are so far away

From the life that you desire

How is a person

Supposed to believe

In the miracle birth

The red clothed fat-bellied guy

With the eight tiny reindeer

When children are starving

Millions are homeless

Racism is never ending

The world is a hostile place

I will tell you

The smile of a child

The first hot sip of a maple latte

The light of a million stars

on the early morning walk

The laugh you get from a great joke

Told in desperation

For a moment not to be lost

The gratitude of a friend

Whose jewelry you bought

The money you spent

That goes to a good cause

The time you know

Will be yours and ours

When they come home

To spend it with you

The holiday

Appreciate the moment

The holiday

Appreciate the time

The holiday

Appreciate the love, always

Holst Rap: From the tune of "Changes"

Holst Rap

Ooh, cuz Gustav I don't understand it,

Why did that heart failu-u-ure

have to ruin your life forever

Cuz the way you played was amazing

OOo, xuz Gustav why'd you have to do this

Cheltenham, England 1874

Ooo, cuz Gustav...why...?

Did you have to write the Planets

Teaching Everyone, can't stand it, ooo

Neuritis your making it hard for me

Neuritis you're making it hard for me

Neuritis you're making it hard for me..

ooooo

My Version of a poem about Holst

HOLST: A GIFTED SOUL 

He was a great musician

Steeped in Tradition

Supportive parents,

Helped his common sense

Neuritis electrified his hand

It was a good thing

he could join a band.

Trombone playing uphill and down

Oh Never to see him as a clown!

He was paid to play

So he could spend his day

Composing Masterpieces

Concentrating his energy

Using his shyness practically

Finally, 

Invited to teach

He gave his best self to push the reach

of his talented students.

All young women players

Performing with all their flairs

It fulfilled him in ways he never knew before

What he never figured was in store

His trip to Spain

Excited his brain

About a new subject

Learning to dissect

Theosophy 

Astronomy

Astrology

Erupted in a new work

Ideas left to lurk

Fame, Fortune, Recognition

Was his new identification

Still shy

He wished to be left to try

his hand at new pieces

And now we have no traces

Of his original spaces

Except we continue to perform

"The Planets" in its complete form 

And his fame will live on

long after we are 

ALL GONE!! 

Gustav Holst Raps, using Fifteen Facts about his life and work...

Holst,

he got to post,

up that Sweet sweet music

….Holst,

he got the most,

of that sweet sweet music!

(Music).................................................................................

He had the trombone,

the organ,

and his sweet sweet voice,

and he didn’t even have a choice!

He had Neuritis that prevented

that sweet sweet piano playing!

But he’s still slaying!

He’s now a COMPOSER!!!!……….

But then he met a girl….

AND NOW HE KNOW’S HER,

ISobel got that sweet sweet, smile

and now she got be happy while...

THEY GET MARRIED!!!!

Holst,

He got to post,

up that sweet sweet music!

Holst, he got the most,

of that sweet sweet music!.......................

Listening Assignment for The Planets

Listening Assignment for The Planets

Mars, Bringer of War_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Venus, Bringer of Peace_____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Mercury, Winged Messenger_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity_____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Saturn, Bringer of Old Age___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Uranus, The Magician_______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Neptune, The Mystic________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Draw a Picture of What you Hear, or What the music inspires you to draw, Choose one or more of the Sections to draw..use the back if you need to..

Cool Poem by one of my students about Venus from The Planets

Poem About the Venus music piece

Air goes in, Air goes out.

Life is hard, without a doubt.

Not a care in the world,

Just you, and the music.

Feel the steady beat of the blow of the trombones,

Feel the rhythm of the mallet banging against the drum

Feel yourself get pulled out of reality,

And in to the air.

Forget all of your worries,

All of your struggles

All of the darkness,

And come into the light.

Here you are free

Here you can be yourself

Dreams can be whatever you want,

Dreams can go however you want,

Here is you dreams.

Change and twist reality.

Here is wherever you want.

Here goes however you want.

Here is your dreams.
Never give up on your dreams.

Or else, they will become fears.