ASO Composer Project Listening tips

How do I find music to listen to?

Aside from the sites I've listed already there's a lot of free music available online. Last week in class I suggested to the kids to just to a search (google, bing, etc) for their composers’ names and pieces and put in the word “listen”. Youtube is a great resource for free listening examples, interestingly enough, and there is an Education section you can search also. Or you can set youtube up to do a "safe search" in the settings tab if you have an account. You may search other video sites (Vimeo, teachertube, etc) also.   

How do I listen and fill in Step 1 items?

The best thing to do is to listen to a section of the music several times, preferably with your Music cards laid out around you (definition side up). Then, while listening, you can see which words are the ones that match what you're hearing. 

When I grade that part I’m shooting more for “I tried” rather than “I answered perfectly”.  If you get stuck, you could try to do a Google/Bing search for your composer and piece title +program notes.  Often orchestras will have a step-by-step description on what’s going on in the music for their patrons listed in the concert program. Another avenue is to search for the "piece + listening" or “listening maps” or "analysis".

 

 

What is FORM?

The form question is more about the big picture of the piece--did the composer repeat some melodic material in between other sections of music? And for that question I'm checking to see if the students can tell sections of a piece (when/how many times does the music change?) and that type of thing. It's really an advanced listening skill, but my hope is that kids will start listening for sections in a piece instead of thinking a 7-20 minute piece as a big long chunk of music. 

Here are examples of simple form, (listening for the tune/melody, not the text):

AABA Song Form - "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

A: Somewhere over the rainbow way up high

A: Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue

B : Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me

A: Someday over the rainbow bluebirds fly...

ABA:

A: Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are.

B: Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.

A: Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are.

In the event a child needs a boost for some of the listening cues, here's a site that analyzes a lot of big works.  http://www.angelfire.com/in/ideahum/music.html .  It’s really more about listening for familiar tunes and melodies that the composer may re-use or alter.

How do I determine FORM?
This site
This video

Form Lessons

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks | ABA Form
Bow, Wow, Wow | Round
Hungarian Dance No.5 | AABBCDAB Codetta
In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg) | Form
Messiah/Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) | Listening Map
Michael Row the Boat Ashore | Call and Response
Rhythm Go "Round" | Round
Skittle, Skittle, Skittle, Ski | Canon
Trashin' the Camp/Tarzan | AABA Form
Twinkle, Twinkle, Changing Star | Theme and Variations
Viennese Musical Clock | Rondo