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Music Lesson: The Producers

 

Return to That's Entertainment: Music Lessons for Every Grade

 

Subjects

  • Arts & Humanities:
    --Language Arts
    --Dance, Music
    --Visual Arts
  • Educational Technology

 

Grades

  • 3-5
  • 6-8
  • 9-12
  • Advanced

 

Brief Description

Design attractive posters to promote the work of Leroy Anderson, an American composer with an unusual style kids will love.

 

Objectives

Students will
  • listen attentively to samples of music.
  • make guesses about the meaning of musical pieces.
  • represent a musical piece through art.

 

Keywords

Music, art, composition, composer

 

Materials Needed

  • biography of Leroy Anderson and samples of his work (available online, resources provided)
  • paper and pencils
  • large sheets of paper for posters
  • paint and/or other artistic media

 

Lesson Plan

Leroy Anderson was a composer whose work conveyed very strong visual images. The creator of "Sleigh Ride," "The Syncopated Clock," and "The Typewriter," his musical scores demystify the world of concert music and are still enjoyed by adults and children alike. In this lesson, students learn about the composer, hear his work, and design a poster to promote one of Anderson's classic songs.

Introduce this activity by sharing an audio clip of a composition by Leroy Anderson which may be obtained at the library or found on the official Web site of the composer, Leroy Anderson. Select one of the more obvious songs such as "The Syncopated Clock," "The Typewriter," or "The Waltzing Cat." Ask your students to interpret the music: What images come to mind when listening to it? Then share the title and discuss what insight it gives to the meaning of the piece. With the students, investigate the background of Leroy Anderson by reading his biography on the official Web site or from the school library.

Now explain that your students are about to become Leroy Anderson's "producers." Independently or in small groups, have the students select a song by Anderson after listening to clips of a few examples. (Audio clips are available online at Leroy Anderson, or you might play a few selections from a CD or tape.) Upon choosing a song, the students may research the composition with PBS's Once Upon a Sleigh Ride. Background is provided on this site's Compositions page.

Based on this reading and listening experience, the students should sketch a plan for a poster that will capture the meaning and feeling of the song as they imagine it. Have students gain your approval (or their peer's thoughts and suggestions) before using art media to create a large finished version of the poster. Each poster must contain the composer's name, the title of the piece, and artwork that reflects the music and the composer's intent. Students should bear in mind that the goal of a poster is to generate interest and entice patrons to attend a concert or buy a recording.

Assessment

Collect and display posters. Satisfactory submissions will contain the composer's name, the title of the piece, and artwork that reflects the music and the composer's intent.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Cara Bafile

National Standards

FINE ARTS: Music
GRADES K - 4
NA-M.K-4.6 Listening to, Analyzing, and Describing Music
NA-M.K-4.7 Evaluating Music and Music Performances
NA-M.K-4.8 Understanding Relationships Between Music, Other Arts, and Disciplines Outside the Arts
NA-M.K-4.9 Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture
GRADES 5 - 8
NA-M.5-8.6 Listening to, Analyzing, and Describing Music
NA-M.5-8.7 Evaluating Music and Music Performances
NA-M.5-8.8 Understanding Relationships Between Music, Other Arts, and Disciplines Outside the Arts
NA-M.5-8.9 Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture
GRADES 9 - 12
NA-M.9-12.6 Listening to, Analyzing, and Describing Music
NA-M.9-12.7 Evaluating Music and Music Performances
NA-M.9-12.8 Understanding Relationships Between Music, Other Arts, and Disciplines Outside the Arts
NA-M.9-12.9 Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture

FINE ARTS: Visual Arts
GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.K-4.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.K-4.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.K-4.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.5-8.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 9 - 12
NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.9-12.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.9-12.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.9-12.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines

Return to this week's Lesson Planning article, That's Entertainment: Music Lessons for Every Grade.

See more music lessons on our special Music in Our Schools archive page.
 

Originally published 06/06/2003
Last updated 03/25/2015