Move to the Movies
A lesson created by Laura Pagliari

Standards:
While participating in this lesson of music in context, students will:
  • Listen, analyze and describe music
  • Understand relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside of the arts.
Objectives:
  • Given my instruction, students will be exposed to one piece of music four times.
  • Reflecting on the music alone, students write down one sentence describing what they see, feel, hear.
  • Students will watch one movie clip three times. Two times with different pieces of music and one time silently.
  • Based on the levels of listening, students will list 4 reactions each time the movie clip is played with music based on what they hear, see, feel.
Why is it important that students learn this lesson? Often students are not listening to music in isolation. Mindlessly they disregard the influence and power sound can contribute to a specific situation. Most individuals enjoy watching movies, yet don't appreciate or stop and think how the music stimulates a specific feeling or mood in a particular scene.  Few children consider the artistic talent that goes into making a movie (ex: soundtrack, sound effects, camera angle).  Critiquing a movie clip allows students to discuss the different affects sound and music creates based on the choice of music. Sounds can drastically change the entire mood of a movie clip. Thus, music is a powerful tool that can't be over looked (or heard).  

Materials:
  • Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.
  • You Tube video Clip: Rocky Balboa 6 Training scene
  • You Tube music: Haunted Music
  • Technology: A projector, computer, and speakers
  • A picture with two different sounding pieces of music (if time permits)
    • Picture of an ocean scene
    • La Luna from Lifescapes CD
    • Moonlight Sonata from Lifescapes CD
Background for Teachers: Teachers should be aware of the key components (levels) of guided listening: What do I hear? What do I see? What do I feel?  It is important to encourage student reflection and remind them there isn't a "correct" answer to personal reactions of music/sound. Also, integrating music and film incorporate different kinds of learning styles (ex: auditory and visual learners) throughout the lesson.  Don’t forget: Enthusiasm goes a long way- be excited to participate yourself in the lesson.

Steps in the Lesson:

Introduction: Journal Prompt:
Students will begin journaling about a scene from their favorite movie (or one that is familiar to them). Ask the students to explicitly describe what you see, mood, emotions, sounds, feelings, etc..  While the students are journaling, quietly play Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.

Body:Take 3!  Activity:
  1. Music is a powerful tool that stimulates our reactions if we allow it to. Think in your mind if there is a soundtrack out there that you know by heart. Why did that particular sound track stand out more than others? Is there a specific song you like? What do I hear? What do I see? What do I feel?
  2. Introduce a piece of music and ask students to quietly close their eyes and imagine what is going on, what they hear, what they feel. After the music stops they need to write one sentence about their reactions to share with a partner. During this part, encourage spontaneous movement if students choose to. Tell students as they carefully listen, feel free to move your feet/hands if you get the urge.
  3.  Play the same piece of music in addition to a (silenced) movie clip. Have students write down 4 reactions that come to their mind when music is added to a visual. Play You Tube video Clip: Rocky Balboa 6 Training scene with the You Tube music: Haunted Music
    1. What do I hear? What do I see? What do I feel? What do you think is happening?
    2. Frequently we are caught up in a scene of a movie or the emotions of a character that we neglect the added music. However, when we stop and analyze the important decisions movies producers make regarding music, what is added?
  4. Play only the clip without sound. Have students quietly watch.
    1. What do we miss when we don't listen to the music?
  5. Now replay the clip with the 'original' music. Again student are to write 4 reactions. They may include how this experience affected them differently than the other times they heard it.
If time permits:
    • If there is extra time, show students a picture and have them describe music that they would incorporate with that single picture. What kinds of sounds do you hear when you look at this picture? Is the music fast or slow, loud or soft, are there words? You can also provide music samples (La Luna from Lifescapes CD and Moonlight Sonata from Lifescapes CD) and discuss how each of them pieces influence the picture.
Closures: Discussion
  Have students share their reactions. Does music influence your attitude/emotions towards an event? Using their listening skills, students work on having total awareness of their environment. The power of music allows students to have a deeper meaning of an interpretation.

Assessment
  • Students will experience one piece of music 4 times throughout the lesson. Repetition is often beneficial for students to gain a deeper understanding of the music.
  • Students will be asked to share their 1 reflective sentence with a partner.
  • Students will be exposed to 1 movie clip with three different corresponding sounds.
  • After the students have experienced the movie clip three times, the class will go around and each student will say one reaction (out of 12 or more) they had while watching the clip.
Adaptations/Extensions: This can be modified with a different clip that is age appropriate for the target group. Also, instead of a movie clip, the teacher can present the students with photos or paintings. With this, students will listen to how the music moves them when different songs are playing to the same picture.

Next Steps: As a follow up lesson students can pick different 'scenes' from their own life and create music/sounds to intensify their story.  There are many different directions this particular activity can lead into based on the intentions of the teacher. It can also be used as a bridge lesson focusing on detail in their writing to make it come alive. Or it can introduce a unit on the five senses. The idea of having total awareness, especially while listening, allows students to get the most out of an experience/their surroundings.