Charleston Symphony Orchestra
ELE Experience: Students think critically about a text (both a story and music) analyzing and identifying traits of the source that help them interpret the meaning. Students will be challenged to create musical motifs to represent the different characters, moods, and plot design of the story. All students will be engaged through reading and analysis of a specific children’s text. Students will be asked to take the role of a composer, make compositional choices, and evaluate the impact those choices have on the final product. Students discuss the choices they made during the writing process, comparing and contrasting their decisions, and evaluating how those choices shaped the final composition. (Visit link for additional information).
Sample Lesson
Collaborative Composition Unit on John Henry: In this unit, students are thinking critically about a text (both a story and music) – analyzing and identifying traits of the source that help them interpret the meaning. The strategies overlap naturally and aid students in making interpretations in music and making inferences in reading. The collaborative composition relies on students’ background knowledge of John Henry, the history of the time in which the story originated, and the version told by Julius Lester. It also requires the knowledge of musical motifs and ideas that were studied in the excerpts below. The creative process of writing text set to rhythms is mutually beneficial to the music and ELA curriculum. (See link for more detailed information on this lesson)
3rd-8th Grade: Social studies, ELA and Music: This unit plan ties music to social studies and literacy through critical and creative thinking as well as collaboration (all 21st century skills) Students learn parallel listening and reading strategies that tie music interpretation to making inferences in reading- a key component in reading comprehension, in which students understand a deeper meaning of what they are reading instead of just reading the words.
SC Academic Standards for General Music Addressed During this Residency:
MG3-2.6 Demonstrate creativity by arranging music to accompany readings and dramatizations, including literature referencing the history and culture of SC.
MG4-6.3 Integrate music into creative writing, storytelling, poetry, visual arts, and other disciplines.
MG5-2.7 Compose and arrange short songs and instrumental pieces using the expressive elements of music.
MG6-2.6 Demonstrate creativity by composing and arranging music to accompany readings and dramatizations.
MG7-5.2 Classify and define by genre and style exemplary characteristics of musical works from diverse cultures and historical periods.
MG8-2.5 Demonstrate creativity and expression by composing short pieces within specified guidelines, using manuscript and/or available technologies.
