Grade 9 Music - What's going on?

In the past week or so, students have been busy doing a number of different things.

We have been learning how to use digital music software, Garageband, on a regular basis. Students created their own short songs using pre-made loops in the software. They really enjoyed this process.

Students using Garageband to create their songs.

After that, we added to the complexity. Students wrote their own "raps" based on short poems they created. They recorded their voices, rapping the poetry or rhymes in rhythm. They would then create a mini-song based on the raps. 

Students got creative with their lyrics - chopping them up and repeating words here and there. They were learning how to edit using the software and it was fun to watch them do these projects.

Students using Garageband to record and edit their musical ideas.

Following their Rap projects, students are now creating their own drum loops from scratch. They will generate percussion loops based on 4 layers. Students will generate these loops and they will be available for others to download and add to their own libraries of usable loops in Garageband. This connection to others through Twitter will be a motivator for some as they polish off their drum loops.

Meanwhile, we have down some spontaneous performances. Students were asked if they would like to play for the class. This is very much a surprise for them. It is great to see how many students actually want to perform even without being prepared. They do a great job and this helps build confidence in their abilities and for their future performances in the course.