Funky+Music+Wonders+2013

• Mr Turrell is a passionate skilled musician. He studied music at university and was a professional musician before becoming a teacher. He loves the versatility of the trombone. As we introduced ourselves we talked about the instruments and music we play, and what music means to us. Lots of us said music inspires us. • Mr Turrell talked about how lovely it is to have people in our families and others we know who are our role models in music. • He said when people compose and play music, they are influenced by musicians they’ve heard before. For example, the music of the Beatles was influenced by them listening to Elvis Presley’s music. There are very few completely unique ideas in music and art. Throughout history it depends on who comes along and likes your music as to how long it will last. • Mr Turrell encouraged us to compose and play our own music. If it’s brilliant and special it will last.

**The history of music.** We brainstormed what we knew about the story of music over the last 10 000 years and looked at the development of music through history. Mr Turrell told us that music began as a tool for communication, then developed into a means of praising God and then became a tool for entertainment. Music has also become a way of showing emotions. • Cave people used music for communication, singing and using early percussion instruments made from sticks, stones, bones and skins. • Early monks in monasteries used music for praising God. • Music for entertainment has been made by people from Beethoven to Chuck Berry then Elvis, the Beatles and in 2013 Adele and Taylor Swift.

**The history of instruments** As technology has developed it has allowed musical instruments to be invented and then music changes. Singing was the earliest music, then drums, then someone found a way to make a string vibrate, leading to an early guitar about 5-600 yrs ago. It was called a lute and had 4 strings. Next came the harpsichord, the earliest keyboard music. The organ was next, used in music for praising God. Later orchestral instruments developed. Then with the development of electricity, electric guitars and other electric instruments were developed. As computers and the internet developed, that has led to changes in the way music is shared and to how music is made.

**The history of musicians** Mr Turrell told us some information about the place of some musicians in their communities. Bach was a servant who provided music by playing piano for a wealthy house. He died in 1750. Composers were status symbols by the time of Mozart. Rich people employed musicians to show others how wealthy they were. Lots of people copied the music Mozart had been doing. Beethoven was the first superstar, he was conscious of his image. He was born as “Ludwig van Beethoven” and he changed his name to “Ludwig von Beethoven”, so people would think better of him. Beethoven’s music was much more complex and he had to write a score to record it, so that the musicians knew their parts.

**We listened to music by some famous composers and we decoded it.** We listened to lots of music and learnt how to decode it so we could understand what the composer is telling us. It’s like when you learn to read you decode words and then you understand them.

• **Early church music** had 2 groups of voices harmonising and was seen as music for paradise. This clip has Gregorian chanting monks in the style from the 9th and 10th centuries. [|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aoj2kGBddRA&feature=player_embedded#at=604] This clip is from the 12th and 13th centuries. []

• **Early stringed instruments** work by vibration. This clip is a lute playing. [|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGpl1Utbqzw&feature=player_embedded]

• **A madrigal** is a musician and singer. A lute is the earliest simple guitar. [|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctci_zhGhvY&feature=player_embedded#at=19]

• **A harsichord** is an early piano. In this clip the lady is playing an ostinato with one hand and improvising with the other. An ostinato is a pattern that repeats over and over. She plays the scale and then repeats it. []

• **Bach** played organ. We listened to “Toccato and Fugue in D minor” We looked at the repeating idea, which is called a fugue, with the suspension, the pattern, and scales. The toccato is the organist showing off. [|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o&feature=player_embedded#at=20]

• **Vivaldi’s** most famous music is called Four Seasons. Mr Turrell told us the story of the Four Seasons and helped us decode it so we understood Vivaldi was painting a picture with music. In Spring we heard 3 birds calling and repeating. In Summer we heard the thunder storm, river, flies buzzing. In Autumn we heard the fox hunt, with foxes scampering, hounds racing, horses, and hunting horns. In Winter we heard ice skating and ice cracking. [] Check out this animated score version of Winter. [|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqe0GdUpJHs&feature=player_embedded#at=16]

• **Mozart’s** music has been used in movies. It’s very dramatic. []

**•Beethoven** wrote 9 symphonies for full orchestras. [] His Moonlight Sonata is very famous. []

• **Wagner** wrote music that is dark and heavy. His messages were not very nice and they influenced Hitler. []

**• The Beatles** composed and played in the 1960’s. The music they wrote was influenced by listening to Elvis Presley’s songs as they were growing up. []

**We put the composers and dates in order.** 1678 – 1741 [] [] || Four Seasons || string orchestra and harsichord || [] [] || Tocatta and Fugue || church organ || 1756 -1791 [] [] || Requiem Dies Irae || orchestra and choir || 1770 – 1827 [] [] || 5th Symphony || full orchestra || 1813-1883 [] [] || The Ride of the Valkyries || full orchestra ||
 * Vivaldi
 * J. S. Bach 1685-1750
 * Amadeus Mozart
 * Ludwig van Beethoven
 * Wagner

**We identified these tools composers use for telling their story through music.** As we decoded the music Mr Turrell played the piano to help us understand what the composer was doing. - patterns that repeated - scales- copied lower or higher - suspensions and resolutions - 3 note patterns - chords - pattern and echo - new key, new key - 2 ideas put together, and swapping - 4 parts - major and minor chords, diminished chords - suspension and resolution- building up the drama – tension then release - play it loud and then repeat it quiet - slow and fast - character 1 and character 2 - ostinato pattern and improvisation - speeding it up or halving the tempo - diminution - arpeggios - fugue with 1st and 2nd ideas - cadences

**Soundscapes – Interpreting Music**

We listened and sketched, decoding, responding and interpreting the emotion and story of the music composed by Mussorgsky “Pictures at an Exhibition” and played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with George Solti conducting. []

**Composing our own music** Then we composed our own music on a web-based programme. Incredibox has effects, beats, melodies and voice, which you drag and drop, giving you about 20 different options to combine. You can have the dudes play solo or together. You can change the levels.

[]

We had a first idea and a second idea, then we put it together. We set up idea 1, using a number of dudes and then went for a contrast with idea 2. Then we mixed and matched to produce a piece of music.

media type="file" key="Composing on Incredibox.mov" width="300" height="300"media type="file" key="George & Joshua's composition.mov" width="300" height="300" We finished with a work in progress by George and Joshua who have worked on an original guitar piece.
 * Click on these to hear some of our work. **

**As musicians we loved jamming together.** media type="file" key="Sweet Child of Mine.mov" width="302" height="293"media type="file" key="Someone Like You.mov" width="300" height="300"
 * Click on these to hear some of our work. **

**If you are interested in learning to play an instrument you can go to** • **Saturday Morning Music Classes** [] **• Out of School Music Classes at CSC** Out of School Music held at Central Southland College on Tuesday afternoons from 4-5pm. You can learn ukelele, violin, clarinet, saxophone, flute, recorder and guitar. For further information please contact Tania Beck 0272 101 811. **• Some schools have a music tutor come in after school.** **• You can look online for music tutors in Southland.** [] [] []

**This is what we think about coming to Funky Music Wonders with Mr Turrell.** Molly plays recorder and ukelele. She said, “It’s been interesting. I’ve learnt a lot.” Joshua plays piano and guitar. He said, “I’ve learnt about the music and how it’s meant to paint a picture in your head. I’ve learnt how to listen and break the codes of them. I’d recommend this for anyone who is into music.“ Natasha plays guitar. She said, “It’s really fun and exciting to learn about all the different people who have composed songs.” George plays guitar. He said, “I’ve learnt about the history of music. I love it, it’s been fun today.” Clayton plays piano. He said, “I’ve learnt how to listen to music and what it’s actually telling me. “ Kaitlin plays piano. She said, “I like listening to music because it’s inspirational. It’s very cool. I really enjoyed listening to the music, and Mr Turrell explaining it on the piano.” Jodee sings. She said, “I think it has been really cool and my favourite thing has been learning about the music itself, how it has been put together.” Kendra plays saxaphone. She said, “I really enjoyed it and listening to music has never been so interesting. REAP should definitely run this again.” Naythan plays piano. He said, “I liked this day exactly the way it is. I’ve learnt how to break up the music and figure out the message.” MacKenzie sings. She said, “I’ve learnt how to listen to the music, what to look out for in it while you are listening. It’s been fun and I feel quite honoured to have come, it’s been awesome.” Tuti sings. She said, “The best bit has been Mr T. teaching us stuff on the piano and letting us listen to music and sketch at the same time.” Taryn sings. She said, “I’ve learnt a lot about how to listen to music and what it means. Mr Turrell gave us heaps of cool things to do. “ Caitlin sings. She said, “I recommend other musical people to come here. I’ve learnt to really listen to music, how the composer has made it, and not just think it’s cool.”