Lesson: Approaches to song writing:

EMOTIONS - using an emotional response to inspire creation of a musical work.

Learning intention:
We are learning to harness an emotional response and to use that response and personal
understanding to inuence, create and structure a composition.
Success Criteria:
We will create a composition that is inspired by our reactions and emotional response to a
specic text.
Evidence will be in links made to text - whether they are implicit (implied themes or moods)
or explicit (direct quotes, descriptions of actions).
Do now:
Write one page of stream of consciousness. No one will read this. Not even you. Write
whatever comes into your mind.
Learning Sequence:
1. View/read the 3 following articles:
I will be frozen when I die
http://www.bbc.com/future/tags/humanbody
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/jul/14/gaza-families-ee-israeli-air-strikes-
bombardment-video
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28917198
Watch/read these texts and list any adjectives, direct quotes, dialogue, imagery - anything
at all that comes to mind when you view the text.
2. In pairs, using your inspiration as a basis for lyrical content, begin to create a
composition based on either article. Aim to create a verse and chorus. You will have
approximately 20 minutes. You may use instruments to begin to create chord
progressions.
3. Share creations back with class. Can we guess which article has inspired you?
Reection:
How is this approach to composition similar or different to how you might usually go about
creating? What have you found most useful/most difcult?
Extension:
Write a paragraph discussing your intent. Make links to any images or dialogue that has
inuenced you. You may wish to discuss your chosen instrumentation, use of chords or
scales you have used.
Reection of how it went:
Construct success criteria and process criteria together - rather than by myself. The
prospect of creating a verse and chorus daunting for some. Change groups up and give
less variables in terms of chords and musical stuff.
Or try it that way and see how it goes next time. Would be useful to practice these sorts
of playful reactions/interpretations of different moods/emotions/reactions. Guitar or
keyboard only so there is less opportunity to just jam out!