The last three weeks in fifth grade music have been devoted to completing our compositions. Each student was asked to complete an eight measure composition that included a percussion line, a bourdun (bass), a melody line and an accompanying ostinato. The results from one student in Dr. Fulton's class are posted above. The song was composed, transferred to a notation software program and then learned, arranged for the instruments we had on hand, and performed today by the class. Check out the audio post -- they did a nice job.
My hope is to collect all songs from fifth grade into a booklet which we can make available and which will give us some music that the ensemble can perform. Students have until Friday to turn in their revised compositions.
I have mixed emotions about this project. I think some of the students found it a bit challenging and it was hard to give them feedback when I see them only once a week, and when their access to the instruments is limited to my time with them. On the other hand, despite the limitations, several quite extraordinary pieces of music were created. In music education having high expectations is not necessarily a bad thing.
Check back on the blog to see how the fifth grade song book is coming along. And in the mean time enjoy reading and listening to "Beautiful" by Tristan Galindo.
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