Students’ age range: 10-12

Topic: Music Education- How Tempo and Dynamics can enhance our music experience

 

Description: THE TEACHER WILL:
• Begin with a class discussion. Have students express prior knowledge of the effectiveness of having dynamics and tempo markings present in a piece of music.
• Lesson 1: Explain to the students that when a composer creates a piece of music it is based on a personal testimony, event in one’s life or an emotion that they wish to share through a piece of music. By changing the speed of the melody and the dynamics it helps the listener get a better concept or paint a visual picture of the emotions experienced by the composer.
A conductor is the one who first interprets what the composer has written and through hand gestures encourages the performers to implement the nuances of tempo and dynamic changes as written in the piece of music.
Give a basic vocabulary list with definitions of terms to be discussed.

• Lesson 2 and 3: Introduction of melody
Students imitate teacher by echoing phrases, “draw” melodic direction in the air as they sing, discuss the term melody. Introduce the story sample as the melody, explaining how the dynamic markings enhance the story. Have students get into groups to perform the story for the class, ensuring that the dynamic markings are observed.

• Lesson 4: Use the cartoon, the Tortoise and the Hare to reinforce tempo changes In watching the cartoon we will discuss how a tempo does not have to remain constant in a piece of music in order to evoke the intended message, but like the tortoise who exemplified a steady pace, the hare showcased a more entertaining race with presto tempo, largo at times and even restful pauses, before ending the race.
• Lesson 5: Discuss Tempo in terms of largo, moderato, and discuss the effects on the mood and feelings. Discuss dynamics in terms of diminuendo and crescendo, discuss the effects on mood and feelings. Use a tempo walk from www.musictechteacher.com to test understanding of the tempo terms discussed.
Lesson 6: Introduce improvisation, giving restrictions on time signatures, note range, rhythm etc, and have students write an eight measure excerpt using a 4/4 time signature, which they will be required to play for the class on the recorder incorporating two samples of dynamics and tempo markings. (class/homework activity )
Groups will perform their excerpts for their classmates which had been written in lesson 6 during lesson 7, and 8.