Download Musical Artifacts - Fifth House Ensemble

Musical Artifacts
Uncovering the music in your curriculum
Cr ys ta l Ha ll, Fi ft h Ho us e En se m ble
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Samiotissa
Chorus:
Sa-mio-tis-sa sa-mio-tis-sa,
When will you go to Sa-a-mos?
Sa-mio-tis-sa, sa-mio-tis-sa
When will you go to Sa-a-mos?
Verse:
I will spread roses
on the shore, Sa-mio-tis-sa
And bright carnations on the sand
I will spread roses
on the shore, Sa-mio-tis-sa
And bright carnations on the sand.
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What is a musical artifact?
A musical
example that
relates directly
or concretely to
the subject
being studied
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Examples
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Academic subject:
Impressionist Art
by Claude Monet
Musical artifact:
music by French
impressionist
composer Claude
Debussy (La Mer)
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Academic subject: Musical Artifact:
Russian Literature Symphony no. 4
by Pyotr Illyich
Tchaikovsky
Academic subject: Musical Artifact:
U.S. History at the The Entertainer
by Scott Joplin
turn of the 20th
century
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Activity One:
Characters in Music
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Academic subject: Fairy tales/ Musical artifact: Beauty and
the Beast from Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel
This song was written based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Who
are our main two characters in the story? Brainstorm character traits
based on the story.
Play a recording of Beauty and the Beast (from Mother Goose Suite) by
Maurice Ravel: this is his musical idea of Beauty and the Beast. Listen for
the two characters, and imagine what they look like.
Divide into two groups. Each group is assigned one of the main characters.
Listen again, and each group should think about what movements they can
do to create their character.
Each group works with one teacher to create their character movements.
Class comes back together and performs their movement with the music.
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Extensions
Have students write their own
fairy tale to another
movement of Mother Goose
Suite
Have students draw pictures
of their characters
Play “Name that Fairy Tale”
with the other movements of
Mother Goose Suite
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Activity 2:
A Scale of Fractions
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Academic subject: fractions and ratios
Musical artifact: origin of the Greek scale,
(basis for the Western scale)
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Constructing the Ancient
Greek Pentatonic (5-tone) Scale
Listen to the pitch the sounds as you pull the
string taut
Now find 4/5 on your string and hold it at that
mark, then pluck the other side (the long side).
This is your second pitch
Now find the 3/4 point on your string, hold it,
and pluck the long side. This is your third pitch.
Repeat for 2/3. This is your fourth pitch.
Repeat for 3/5. This is your fifth pitch.
Ancient Greek Pentatonic Scale
Finally, repeat for 1/2. This is your last pitch,
which should be approximately the same as
your first pitch, but higher.
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Extension: Creating a song
in Fraction Notation
Now take a familiar tune:
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
See if you can pluck out the first
few notes (the first line)
Figure out the approximate
fractions to allow you to achieve
your desired pitches.
Record your “fraction notation”
and without telling them the
song, have another group see if
they can follow it enough to
guess the song.
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More Extensions
Have students investigate other uses of
fractions and ratios by the ancient Greeks
in music
Have students create a visual
representation of their fraction notation.
Have students write an original song using
fractions. Challenge students to find more
notes (expressed as fractions).
Have students express fractions as ratios.
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Recipe for Success!
Finding your own
musical artifacts
Using the template
Looking ahead to
August!
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Activity 3:
Follow the
Drinking
Gourd
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Academic subject: American history OR
Astronomy/ Musical artifact: folk song
Story behind the song (academic connections), learn it
and sing it!
www.followthedrinkinggourd.org
Create your own song map!
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Extensions
Have students research other slave and
American folk songs
Have students make up words to the
song using another constellation
Have students write a journal entry
from the perspective of a slave traveling
north and tell how they used this song
Encourage students to research the
authenticity of the song, have students
debate whether the song was really used
as a map.
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Get inspired!
Resources: www.fifthhouse.com/artifacts
Assignment for next
meeting
Contact me!
[email protected]
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