Music Symbolizes

The objective of this unit is to explore, demonstrate, and present how music can
symbolize the tangible and intangible; it can represent people, places, or things, as well as
those personalities, ideas, and beliefs inherent in them.
Context Overview:
Cub Run Elementary School in Penn Laird, VA is a large school of about 600
students and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. It contains an even split of genders, albeit with a
slight favor of males. Of these students, 61% are white, 28% are Hispanic, and 4%
consider themselves two or more races. Asian, Black, and American Indian students are
the least represented with only 3%, 2%, and 1% of the population, respectively. The
community is less economically fruitful, and 43% of the students are therefore placed on
free/reduced lunch. In the Gifted/Talented Program, 21% of White students are enrolled.
However, only 1% of Hispanic students are enrolled.
This unit is preceded by music theory units on different meters as represented by
shapes in different measures. Music from various cultures are used to represent different
sounds and styles associated with certain meters. Performances of these multicultural
songs will be done in two-part harmony. After this unit, the students explore composers
through time and how they felt/approached music creation in their culture and society.

Experience Overview:
Lesson 1: Woodwinds Berliner Philharmoniker plays Tango Youtube
This lesson explores/identifies the different sounds of woodwinds through
nonchoreographed movement representative of an instrument they choose to listen/watch.
In addition, musical vocabulary (lyrical, dance-like, tango, call-and-response),
components of performership, and aesthetics will be discussed. The lesson ends with a
dance choreographed by two groups (one for the tango A section, and one for the more
lyrical B section).
Lesson 2: Brass Canadian Brass Little Fugue in G minor Youtube J.S. Bach, baroque
This lesson begins with nonchoreographed movement to Bachs Fugue in G minor.
Learning the instruments of the brass family, students also engage with the concept of a
fugue by coordinating a movement exercise and executing it in stages as the fugue does.
*Lesson 3: A Response to Ravels Bolero Youtube
This lesson sees students combining the elements of a full orchestra and work into graphic
notation. Graphic scores would contain the apparent repetition of the melody/rhythm in
various sizes and colors. A key is built by students to inform the teacher what students are
aware of while listening. Class discussion of the elements of Bolero (rhythmic ostinato,
adagio, lyrical), behavior of performer/listener, and personal interest closes the class.
*Lesson 4: A New Work
Here, students are utilizing their previous work to recognize a meaningful and personal
musical experience. Students create images of various size/color to depict a personal
event, feeling, or hobby. A key is made to describe the symbols and what element of
music they represent. Graphic scores inform teacher of students aural-visual thought and
musical preference (rhythm vs. melody, thick vs. thin, etc.).
Lesson 5: Performance and Reflection
Students are given their compositions and allowed 10 minutes to rehearse their piece.
Students are sitting in a circle and take turns as a performer and courteous audience
member. We discuss what we enjoyed, what the intent was, and how it could be
represented differently or more effectively.

Rationale:
My unit aims to be culturally relevant as in Ladsons Billings But thats just good
teaching! Student creation is sourced from within, and I hope to see students engage with
their personal history, people, places, etc. as they express themselves through sound and
shape. Due to the limited oversight/mandates, I am eager to see where the students align
themselves with music and to help them question the symbolic nature of music and their
own lives. One interesting element to this assignment is the observation of student
cognition. Some will start with drums/rhythm first, and others with melody. Some may
entirely exclude melody or drums, and some may have multiple layers and styles. These
choices by the students represent what initially attracts them to music and can inform
the teacher of what music to perform, learn, and analyze, as well as in what order to
sequence learning.
*Lesson 3: A Response to Ravels Bolero Youtube
This lesson sees students combining the elements of a full orchestra and work into graphic
notation. Graphic scores would contain the apparent repetition of the melody/rhythm in
various sizes and colors. A key is built by students to inform the teacher what students are
aware of while listening. Class discussion of the elements of Bolero (rhythmic ostinato,
adagio, lyrical), behavior of performer/listener, and personal interest closes the class.
Understanding Statements: Students will come to know the depth and range of an
orchestra, the elements of music (rhythm, melody, structure, etc.), and the symbolic nature
of our world.
I Can Statements:
I can compare/contrast Ravel to Bach (5.7).
I can symbolize elements of music (5.11).
I can describe why Ravel wrote Bolero (5.17).
Materials: medium/large paper of various colors, colored markers, puddy, colored/shaped
blocks, chalkboard.
On chalkboard:
Elements to pay attention to Rhythm, Melody, Instrument, Tempo, Style, Thick vs. Thin,
Loud v. Soft
Procedures:
*Bolero is playing
1. Teacher leads students into arranged circle and asks them to listen to create a
personal bubble for movement

2. Today we are going to be responding to this piece by Ravel, Bolero, through

dancing and drawing.
3. Teacher calls out an element of music to listen for and respond. Can you hear that
delicate tap? What instrument is that? Can you dance to the rhythm of the snare
drum?
4. What instrument is that you hear? Playing the melody? How could you represent
the sound of the saxophone?
5. Are there a lot of people playing at once or is there a select few of each instrument?
So would you say this is thick or thin?
6. What patterns do you hear? Are they repeating a lot of the same material? How
about volume?
7. Students stand still in a circle. In 30 seconds, grab some colored markers and pass
around these papers. Continue listening for the different elements of Ravels Bolero
and draw them through different shapes, colors, and sizes.
8. Be sure to draw the whole piece remembering we started with uber-soft taps on
the snare drum and now we hear louder, thicker sounds
9. After Bolero is done, students write a key for all the images, colors, locations,
layers, sizes, etc. they used to symbolize the music of Ravel.
10. We gather back in a circle and discuss what our graphic score is created out of,
and how we felt of the piece itself. Was it too long? Boring? Colorful? Engaging?
Building? Surprising?
11. What was Ravel trying to do when he composed this? Do you know when he
composed it? 1928. This was written for a ballet. Were any of you thinking of a
dance when you were drawing pictures? Why or why not?
12. In Ravels words, this piece has an insistent nature, one that is helpful to a dancer
that must recognize a beat and be able to coordinate with it. In addition, this piece
explores a very simple idea in the presence of different instruments over and over
and over again but was there any significant change that you noticed? When was
it? Do you remember the ending?
13. Replay ending: Why do you think Ravel decided to end this way? What similarities
does this have to the song we heard last class, Bachs fugue in G minor? What
patterns were present there? (both simple ideas that are passed around the
ensemble) And how did Bach choose to develop that idea? Through an overlapping

fugue vs. distinct repetitions. Remember what a fugue is? (a short melody/subject
introduced by one and taken up by others; interweaving throughout the piece.)
Assessment:
Exit Ticket on back of graphic score:
What was Ravel writing Bolero for and what did he want to accomplish?
What did Bach and Ravel do similarly in their compositions?
What did they do differently in their compositions?
Complete/turn-in graphic scores with key of symbols to music.
Extensions:
Students write down form of entire piece, the shift of instrumentation (woodwinds to brass
to strings), and new score with similar color formations but different instruments.
Adaptations:
Color Different color construction paper and markers.
Size Large scale paper for easier motor control, puddy to help with gripping markers.
Pacing Dance for entire song and replay all of Bolero when switching to drawing.
Modality:
Kinesthetic Shaped/colored blocks to move on large mat instead of drawing,
Hum/describe tune to handler or student-helper and have them draw/arrange the
composition.
Aural Allow students to stand closer to speaker
Visual Large drawing paper, allow students closer to smartboard, use
colored/shaped blocks

*Lesson 4: A New Work

Understanding Statements: Students will come to know the feasibility and range of music
composition. In addition, students will engage with music as a social construct of
understood symbols and patterns.
I Can Statements:
I can read/write a graphic score (5.6). (identify music as a collection of symbols)
I can journal the personal quality and value of my compositions (5.15).
I can discuss the role of music in society (5.10).
Materials: Plain white paper, colored construction paper, extra-large papers,
colored/shaped blocks, puddy, color markers, chalkboard with music vocabulary in large
print (and dual languages if necessary), any pitched/non-pitched instruments you can find.
Musical vocabulary for composition:
Ostinato a short, repeated idea played with a melody
Drone typically low, but persistent hum/buzz underlying musical content
Adagio slow; at ease, restful
Allegro quick, lively
Percussive powerful, striking, rhythmic
Lyrical suitable for song; light, flowing, emotional (personal)
Procedure:
*bolero is playing
1. Students enter room in single-file and are led around in a circle. Complete the
circle and have students sit in it.
2. Who remembers this piece? Did you enjoy it? What instruments are your favorite?
What symbols did you draw to represent those?
3. Return students images/keys and hand out a new blank paper.
4. Today we are going to work backward from last class
5. On this sheet of paper, I want you to draw shapes of various sizes, colors, and
forms that will be used to create a piece of music. Consider how you want to
begin: with a simple idea that builds (maybe a small shape such as a line), with a
theme and variations, maybe these shapes/colors will represent a special place like
your room and the things in it, or a hobby you enjoy.
6. You do not need to create something extravagant, there can be one simple idea
that is shared between many instruments or elements of music as in Bolero.

7. Guidelines: You must be able to perform this yourself. For each element (shape,
form, color, size) you must describe what that symbol represents in music (rhythm,
tempo, instrument, pitch, articulation) and how it is to be performed. Use the
instruments (voices, too!) available to you and use your imagination.
8. I will be walking around the room and helping you.
*Guiding questions:
A triangle (or any shape) is a shape with what? How many points?
How could you take this shape, or the idea of 3, and apply it to your instrument?
You could use the shape of a triangle to represent to play a triangle, the idea
of 3 as a 3-note pattern, a triplet or 3 beat rhythm, etc.
9. When you hear music, what is the element called that is the main idea and is most
noticeable/prevalent? How might you look at your graphic score and assign the
melody?
10. Pause and look at your graphic score. Will your piece be more adagio or allegro?
(help them find the chalkboard if they do not know or recognize it is already
written). How about percussive or lyrical? Are your instrument choices
emphasizing these qualities?
11. Continue to move around and ask if students could include an ostinato pattern, or
why they might not want to include an ostinato/drone. Question what elements of
music they are using in their piece and how they are representing it.
12. As students gather a strong sense of their composition, have them write/discuss
their symbols and thought process behind the piece to the teacher. Ask how they
start and end, where it goes in between, and if there was a person, place, thing, or
idea that influenced them.
13. If their composition is well defended, allow them to start piecing it together on
instruments. Express to the other students that they have time to continue creating,
and that they can move to another part of the room that is more quiet if they wish.
14. With 12 minutes left, tell and help students find a good place to end so they can
begin playing it on instruments.
15. As all students are now practicing, ask them to prepare quietly and move around
to students asking them to demonstrate how they will start the piece in a
performance for their class or parents.

16. With 2 minutes left, students return their instruments, they return their score to the
teacher, and wait in line at the door.
Assessments:
Graphic score contains key identifying the color, shape, and size of an object to an
element of music (tempo, instrument, dynamic, rhythm, etc.)
The back of the score contains their thoughts on what the piece is to represent.
Extensions:
Students are given a situation (overslept and late for the bus, visiting the Grand Canyon,
etc.) and create a graphic score, key, and reflection of storys progression.
Students are given music vocabulary (ostinato, allegro, percussive, for example) and must
create a piece with those elements.
Adaptations:
Color Different color construction paper and markers.
Size Large scale paper for easier motor control, puddy to help with gripping markers.
Pacing All class to create, limit the composition to just rhythm and tempo.
Modality:
Kinesthetic Shaped/colored blocks to move on large mat instead of drawing,
Hum/describe tune to handler or student-helper and have them draw/arrange the
composition.
Aural Allow students to play/hear instruments they may want to use to get a sense
of the color.
Visual Large drawing paper.