Musical Composition Lesson 

 

Objectives 
1. Students will create a song that emphasizes a theme/emotion. 
2. Students will create a song using Soundtrap to record, reflect and critique work. 
3. Students will begin the process of exploring Soundtrap’s functions for aiding in 
music production.  
4. Students will reflect on their music to refine, come up with new ideas, and new 
challenges. 
5. Students will reflect on their current work in a journal entry. 

Standards 
Standards/Curriculum Goals:
___ Sing ____ Read ___ Improvise ___Audiate _X__Form ___Solos
_X__Play _X__Notate __X_Compose ​ X ​ Listening ​ X ​ Group Work ___ Movement

Create _X__ Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

_X__ Organize and develop artistic ideas
___ Refine and Complete artistic work.

Perform _X__ Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation
_X_ Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
_X__ Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

Respond X ​ Perceive and analyze artistic work.

X ​ Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
___ Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

Connect _X__Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make

art
X ​ Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical
context to deepen understanding

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Procedures 
Soundtrap Introduction (10) 

● Students get to explore Soundtrap basics; recording, metronome, instruments, fading in 
and out. 
● Students finish up quick tutorial, they get time during the week 
● Students share their compositions, and teacher will provide feedback and comments to 
help support students work 

Open Discussion (10) 

● What are some ideas you have for a music composition? What can you do to create a 
piece of music? Why are you creating music? What idea/emotion/theme could you 
represent?  
● Brainstorm all ideas on the chart and try to exhaust all the ideas 
● Students break off into Pair-Share discuss ideas 

Composition Construction (15) 

● Students begin their compositions 

● Any questions, comments or concerns can be answered by the teacher 
● Begin recording instruments and/or voice 

Journal Entry (5) 

● Prompt: What has sparked your creativity? What are your influences? How can you 
organize your ideas?  

Definitions: 

● Composition- the act of putting things together, formation 

Differentiated Instruction 
Gifted Learners: ​May complete more than composition, also compare and contrast the two 
compositions and define the practicality of use in their lives. 

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Visual Learners: ​Larger bolder fonts on text, larger font on brainstorming chart, any material 
written large on the board, fix any seats to be positioned closer to board. Having the checklist or 
agenda written on board. 

Auditory Learners: ​Listening with headphones, having students discuss answers, using 
describing words, any noise cancelling headphones. 

ESL Students: ​Any terms can be found from their perspective languages if desired. Any charts, 
organizers from resource room 

Materials & Resources 

Instructional Materials: ​Journal Entry Books, Brainstorm Chart, Chalkboard/Chalk, Chromebooks, 

Google Documents  

Resources:​ Soundtrap 

Assessment 
Informal: 

● Open Discussion for whole group instruction pertaining to the meaning of songs. How 
could you make a song that communicates an idea or emotion? What do you think? Why 
is this the argument?  
● Brainstorming chart with all ideas from our open discussion. The chart has room to 
exhaust all ideas. 
● Pair-Share allows students to share ideas amongst one another, garner more knowledge 
from their peers and create connections in class. 
● Reflect and review on your own individual work 

Formal: 

● Google Document comments and feedback 

● Journal entry on prompt: What sparked your creativity for this project? What were your 
influences? How can you organize your ideas?  
● Small portion of Soundtrap Project 
● Soundtrap comments on the projects 

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