Transcript Music Style & Composition 2011

Music Style & Composition
2011
Units 3 & 4
Classroom strategies
to prepare your students for
assessment
Lesson 1: Clear
information on assessment

The three outcomes

Works to be studied

Tests and SAC dates

Allocation of marks and weightings

Plan ahead to avoid disasters – spell out the
expectations from the beginning, particularly re
computer ‘issues’.
UNIT 3 & 4 MUSIC STYLE & COMPOSITION 2011
UNIT 3
Area of study 2: Organisation and context
Study of two short works; one an Australian work:
Antarctica by Nigel Westlake.
Treat her Right by Roy Head and Gene Kurtz.
In both works we focus on the use of contrast as well as repetition and
variation
Key knowledge and skills to be covered consist of:
Treatment of the elements of music
Use of compositional devices
Characteristics of the music style
Contextual issues and how they influence the work
Assessment is based on a written test. (SAC)
This will be on Tuesday March 29th.
This Outcome is allocated 15 marks and is worth 7.5% of the study score.
•Area of study 1: Responses to music
•Develop skills in aural analysis using the elements of music.
•How the elements of music are treated across a range of music styles
•Compositional devices of repetition, variation and contrast.
•Developing appropriate musical terminology and language
•Developing ability to present critical responses that include subjective
responses to music justified by objective analytical information evident
in the music.
•Assessment is based on a written test.
• This will be on Tuesday May 3rd.
•This Outcome is allocated 15 marks and is worth 7.5% of the total
study score.
Area of study 3: Creative responses
Assessment will comprise an externally assessed task. Students submit a folio that
contains two short exercises, documentation and audio recordings.
Folio contains:
Two short creative exercises in notated and audio form that were completed in
response to works studied.
Description/annotation of relationship between exercises and music studied
including elements of music and compositional devices.
Evidence of development and refinement of the work and explanation of decisions.
Explanation of technical factors
Requirements for this task:
Documentation and score must be word processed and submitted in an A4 plastic
pocket folder.
Each version of the creative exercises must be saved into a named folder and dated so
that the progress of the responses can be seen and work authenticated.
Sibelius file must be saved in three places:
On Senior Public
On your own USB
On a CD
Loss of computer files is not a legitimate reason for failure to submit any part of this
assessment. All of the above formats must be submitted to VCAA for this externally
assessed task.
The eternally assessed tasks for Units 3 & 4 together contribute 30% to the study
score.
UNIT 3
OUTCOME 1 SAC: 7.5%
OUTCOME 2 SAC: 7.5%
OUTCOME 3 EAT: S/N
UNIT 4
OUTCOME 1 SAC: 7.5%
OUTCOME 2 SAC: 7.5%
OUTCOME 3 EAT: S/N
School assessed coursework contributes 30% to the study score.
The eternally assessed tasks for units 3 & 4 together contribute 30%
to the study score.
The end of year aural and written exam contributes 40% to the
study score.
Organising your classes
•Begin with Outcomes 2 & 1. Initially spend
most time on Outcome 2.
•Use the start of double periods and some
homework time to practise Outcome 1 – aural
analysis.
•Assess Outcome 2 first. Test each topic
separately, and try to fit in a ‘Practice SAC’
before the ‘real one’.
Sample timeline for Semester
1:
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February 7 – March 4:
Antarctica. Outcome 1 –
homework and class work.
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March 4: Test on Antarctica
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March 4– March 22: other
work. (Treat her Right)
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March 22 Test on Treat her
Right
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March 29 – April 8: Outcome 1
activities – homework and class
work. Set homework for holidays

Commence work on Outcome 3;
creative response exercises.

April 27: Outcome 1 Test (practice
SAC)
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May 3: Outcome 1 SAC.
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May 4 – 26 Work on Outcome 3
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March 25 SAC revision
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May 27 Outcome 3 EAT due
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March 29 Outcome 2 SAC
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May 30 – June 6 Unit 3 revision
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June 6 – 10 Unit 3 (Practice) Exam
Sample weekly class organisation
Class work:
Homework:
Monday:
Ear Gym (wiki) worksheet.
Tuesday:
Listening to
, analyse two
elements, background reading.
Friday:
Listening to
. Short essay
describing use of contrast
Teaching ideas for
Outcome 1
•Create
Track 1: The Habibis: traditional
Greek song (1:30)
1. a.List the sound sources in this
extract.
a CD or wiki of
aural examples for
b. Describe the roles of these sound
homework and class
sources in the music overall, and how
discussion.
the parts interact.
http://2011vcassauralhom
2.Describe the treatment of melody
ework.wikispaces.com/
and rhythm in this excerpt.
•Begin
with tick box sheets
3. Describe the use of two
to assist students ‘get their
compositional devices in this excerpt.
bearings’ at the start.
•Provide
a number of
questions for each excerpt,
so they practise a range of
4.Describe the use of tone colour in
this excerpt.
Melody
How many main melodies are there in this excerpt? _____________
The first melody is performed on which instruments?
__________________________________________
This melody is based on: a diatonic scale: a non western scale or mode
It uses a wide range of notes
It uses a narrow range of notes
It uses little/ no repetition
It uses a lot of repetition of notes and
melodic ideas
The melody sounds like it is improvised The melody sounds like it has
been composed
The phrases in the melody are regular (all the same length)
The phrases
are irregular
The melody uses small intervals The melody uses large intervals
The contour is mainly descending
Ascending Ascends and descends
Write a short paragraph describing the first melody, using some of the ideas
above as well as some of your own.
Have students working in groups to create and revise the
components of each element of music:
Melody:
Scale
Contour
Phrasing
________________
________________
________________
________________
Instrumentation:
Solo instrument
Chamber ensemble
Rock band
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
Rhythm:
Time signature
Note values
syncopation
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Form/Structure:
Binary form
Repetition
Contrast
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Tone colour:
Extremes of register
unusual combinations
harsh, bright sound
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Texture:
Number of layers
who does what when
homophonic
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Outcome 2: choosing works
Unit 3 works:
Australian work:
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Clear use of contrast with plenty of evidence in the music
Two major contextual issues – clear link to the music with specific musical
examples.
Consideration of how much it reflects (or doesn’t) an ‘Australian’ style –
exam questions on this in 2007 & 2010.
Other work:
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
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Clear use of contrast with plenty of evidence in the music
Two major contextual issues – clear link to the music with specific musical
examples.
Try to choose a contrasting work to the Australian work to cater for different
interests of the students.
Both works: Clear distinction between contextual issues and
characteristics of the style.
Unit 4 works:
Work created since 1910

Significant use of repetition and variation with plenty of evidence in the
music
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Investigate ways repetition and variation are used to develop ideas.
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Two major contextual issues – clear link to the music with specific musical
examples.
Other work:

As above
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* No comparison of compositional devices between the two works.
Contextual issues
Contextual issues are external influences such as social
trends, personal circumstances or practical considerations.
The CONTEXT in which the work was composed. Choose
two major ones which are quite different to characteristics of
the style, and make sure there is plenty of evidence in the
music.
Students need to be able to describe the issue and make a
clear link to the work studied, with specific musical
examples.
Contextual issues: Symphony of
Psalms
Issue 1: Renewed faith in Russian Orthodox church:
After a 16 year break, Stravinsky had rejoined the church, and
composed the work to reflect the renewal of his faith. This is
reflected in:
 His choice of text from the Latin Vulgate.
 His reverential, prayer-like setting of the text, particularly
evident in the plain chant melody at fig.4.
 The ritualistic style created at fig. 4 and fig. 7; a narrow range,
chant-like melody accompanied by a dry, organ-like ostinato
using oboes and bassoons
 His preference for a children’s choir to create an open, pure
and calm tone colour.
Contextual issue 1: Music composed for a documentary on
Antarctica
This music was originally composed in 1991 specifically for a documentary
on Antarctica. For the IMAX film, Westlake’s task was to compose music
which captured the grandeur, desolation and harshness of the Antarctic
environment. The theme of the film focuses on this, and the impact humans
are having on the planet. The structure of the suite is determined by the film
content. Westlake dedicated the score to ‘the future of Antarctica as a world
park’. In 1992, Westlake received a commission to compose a work for the
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He reworked the film score as a Suite for
guitar and orchestra. Only small changes were made to create the second
version, and Westlake’s original creative intention is still very apparent in the
Suite for Guitar and Orchestra. In the suite the guitar replaced the sections
taken by the narrator in the film; so the guitar became the narrator. Describe
three different images/ scenes from the documentary, and link them
specifically to how they are depicted by the
music:1:__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_____
2.
Exam preparation

Use Section A from previous exams to practise
responding under exam conditions.
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http://2010vcasseargym.wikispaces.com/
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Create wikis to practise writing responses to practise
and past exam questions.
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http://2010vcassrevision-oc2.wikispaces.com/
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Give students information about exam timings and
opportunities to practise within the time constraints.
MUSIC STYLES EXAM 2010
15 minutes reading time
2 hours writing time
Section A
52 minutes
(aural responses)
4 questions
app. 10 minutes each
44 marks
Section B
68 minutes
(Organisation and context)
marks)
4 questions
36 - 40 minutes
Q5 (15 minutes)
35 marks
(12
Q6 (12 minutes)
Q7 (6 minutes)
Q8 (7 minutes)
(9 marks)
(6 marks)
(8 marks)
25 - 30 minutes
21 marks
(10 + 20/15)
(9 + 12)
Section C
(composition)
1 question
•Students need to understand the different types of questions and organise
their time effectively for the different question types
•Discuss questions are usually worth more marks and need more time to
construct an ‘essay-type’ response.
•Often these include a quote which must be discussed.
E.g.2010 Q5:
(15 minutes)
(12 marks)
It has been said that there is no such thing as an ‘Australian’ music
style. Discuss this statement with reference to this work. In your
answer refer to the following.
•characteristics of the music style(s) of the selected work
•contextual issues associated with the selected work
•Students should be discouraged from going in with prepared responses.
The exam rewards students who can synthesise the concepts and information
they have learnt, and can use this knowledge to discuss a concept.
•Read the examiners’ report to gain a deeper understanding of how the exam
is marked.
Question types:
List - just a simple list of words or short sentences (usually a list of instruments)
Identify - list with some identifying information. Often a question such as
'identify features’ means identify as many of the characteristics of each section
as you can; instruments, texture, form, key, things about the melody).
Describe - a lot more information - but you can still use dot points. Describe as
many aspects of the music as you can, in as much detail as you can.
Explain - similar to describe but very detailed and include background
information. Construct a clear link between the music and the background - e.g.
Q6 on the 09 exam - a clear explanation is needed with a clear link between the
issues and how they affected the creation of the work.
Discuss - often involves discussing a statement. Develop an opinion and present
an argumentative essay that argues that opinion, using evidence from the work(s)
to support your contention. Involves comparing similarities and differences,
considering different points of view. Is a very detailed, well constructed response
that uses musical examples to support the argument.
MUSIC STYLE & COMPOSITION EXAM 2011
15 minutes reading time
120 minutes writing time
Section A 50-60 minutes? 4 – 5 questions?
(aural responses)
45 - 55marks
Section B 50 - 60 minutes 4 questions?
(Organisation and context)
45 – 55 marks
Overall exam out of 100 marks
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/music/musicstylecompunits14/mustylecomp-samp-w.pdf