7^th and 8^th Grade Music Project

The seventh and eighth grade music curriculum began with a look at the elements that are important in music. They studied and experienced melody, harmony, rhythm, tone color, form and texture by singing, listening and evaluating a variety of songs. By the end of each unit, they were familiar with how music is written, and they could begin to understand the thought processes that take place during composition. Most importantly, even if they did not like a piece of music, they developed the skills to explain why they felt one way or another.

            By second semester, we moved to the periods of music. They learned about the Renaissance period and the clever jokes composers place in the music. They studied the Baroque period, and with it, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Though they still are not fond of Classical music, they listened to operas and sang Handel’s “Messiah.” One of the most fun units was the Romantic period. The students very quickly anticipated that the music would be “sappy, cheesy,” and many other “mushy” descriptions. They were surprised, however, to find that the Romantic period was really about dramatic, intense music full of thick harmonies and complex rhythms. The final music period covered was the 20^th Century. Students learned about Impressionism, and chance and atonal music.

            In the fourth quarter, the students rewarded with a music project that allowed them to bring in their own music. After what seemed like torture for some of them, they were given the chance to bring in two pieces of music that either got them excited or calmed them. They could choose anything they wanted for this portion, as long as the lyrics were appropriate for school. Along with the presentation of the music, they also were asked to write a brief essay about the music using the elements we studied throughout the year.

            The greatest part of this assignment was the ownership it gave to the students. No two people listen to the same music for the same reasons. Some shared personal stories about events that revolved around the music they picked. Others just liked the instruments the bands used. Every presentation and paper was unique to the individual, and for ten minutes they had a chance to share something personal with their peers. It was a really fun project, and I was pleased with how well they handled it. I learned more about them in these nine weeks than I have all year.