Native American music intro.
Lynsey Esser
Grade Level: 4/5
Music Standard:
6. Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
b. Analyze uses of elements of music in aural examples representing diverse genres and cultures.
Objectives: Students will:
Materials:
--Various instruments for each student to play
--Chalkboard/Overhead and marker
--Computer and speakers OR cd sound recording of music clip along with cd player
--Music clip from Omaha Native American Tribe (Library of Congress online contains numerous clips as mp3 files at <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/omhhtml/omhhome.html>
--One piece of paper and one writing utensil for each child
Background for Teachers: This may be different, depending on the country or culture that you choose to focus on. In general, the teacher should research the musical background of the specific country/culture you will be discussing with the class, including the historical context, past and present composers/ performers, and the current way music influences the country, its culture, and the world.
Introduction/Building Background Knowledge: We’re going to create and perform songs today in groups, but all I will tell you is the country/culture the song must reflect. You and your group members can think about what you have heard from the media and movies about the music in other places around the world and use this knowledge to decide how you think a song from here would sound and think about what musical elements make it sound a particular way.
Teacher’s note: For this particular lesson, the students will be discussing the music they might hear on a Native American Reservation or at a Native American powwow.
Procedures:
1. Divide the students into groups (4 groups of 3) and tell the students which country/culture they will be focusing on. Have each group create a short (less than 30 seconds) musical piece that represents what they think the music of a certain nation will sound like. Provide few guidelines and allow them to choose whatever instruments they think may be appropriate (they may add their voices if they wish).
2. For each group, discuss what the students know about the country and its music, and how it influenced the musical piece they made. Create a t-chart on the board to record their answers in the left column (the left column will be about the first versions of their song, and the right column will be about the traditional clip that you will play later in the lesson).
3. Allow each group to play their music for the class after they explain it, and then play the sample clip of traditional music for the class.
4. Tell students a brief history of music in the specific country or culture.
“In traditional Native American cultures, poems (more properly called "songs") were usually created for tribal occasions such as initiation rites, healings ceremonies, and planting or hunting rituals. The songs could also be used to pass on tribal history, standards of ethical conduct, and religious beliefs to other members of the tribe. Usually the songs were rhythmically chanted or sung in a tribal context to drums or musical accompaniment.
To tribal singers, words could magically connect them with the supernatural forces in all of nature. Rather than describing a present-tense scene, the singers often projected themselves into the future by "visualizing" the outcome they hoped to produce or by identifying with, for example, the rain cloud or the buffalo irresistibly attracted (hopefully) to the singer's powerful song-words.“ <http://members.cox.net/academia/songs.html#intro>
“Drums are an integral part of Native American music. Main percussion instruments are drums and rattles whereas flutes and whistles are chief wind instruments.
Native Americans use music as means of communication with mystical powers. Here music is not used for fun but rather, for exact results like, bringing rain, success in battles and wars, curing diseases etc. Types of music include, traditional songs, medicine songs and ceremonial songs and modern songs. Traditional songs have existed since centuries and still they are most widely used style of songs. Modern songs show sign of other advance cultures. Famous singers include, Lila Downs, Robert Mirabal, Martin Espino, R. Carlos Nakai, Robert Tree Cody, Native American Celebration, Joanne Shenandoah,Tru Rez Crew amongst others. Other genres that are getting popular in Native American regions include Rock, blues, jazz, country and folk.” <http://www.indianchild.com/Music/download_native_american_songs_music.htm>
5. Discuss the specific musical elements of the music and how it sounds different than what we hear on the radio (encourage/demonstrate using musical element vocabulary terms to describe the music). What did you like or not like about this music? Imagine you are a Native American; would you hear or feel about this music differently?
“Native American music is known for its melodious songs. The uniqueness of this music lies in the fact that, it does not include any harmony or polyphony and practiced more as a vocal art. Mostly it comprises of choral singing barring few exceptions of solo singing.
Native American music follows a descending melodic figure with irregular rhythm. This form of music is considered as quite typical because of its lack of absolute pitch and intonation.”<http://www.indianchild.com/Music/download_native_american_songs_music.htm>
6. Students will return to the groups they were in at the beginning and create another version of their musical piece that more appropriately represents the Native American music and culture. Have the students share their new songs with the entire group and explain what is different than their first version. **If students created appropriate songs from the beginning, then just skip this step and move on to completing the t-chart.**
7. Add the elements of the traditional clip of music to the right column of the t-chart to illustrate the differences and similarities between the songs they created and the traditional song played for them.
Closure: Each student writes one specific characteristic of Native American music, two other things they learned during class, and one question they have. They will share one of their ideas with a classmate before turning the piece of paper in to me at the end of class.
Assessment:
If a student has a physical disability that doesn’t allow them to play an instrument, they can still contribute to the creation of the music verbally by adding their voice (either directly into the song or in the discussion of how and why they created what they did).
Next Steps/Connections to Other Subjects: By using a different country or culture as a focus, the lesson could be continued. I could also simply continue with more Native American history and culture and teach a specific song and dance next time (step-by-step instructions on page 57 of document at http://books.google.com/books?id=kE9O_EAbkScC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=omaha+festival+of+joy+song&source=bl&ots=4_nBQMutBH&sig=qwMi1NgZpV974JsODHzgn35UQvo&hl=en&ei=P4bKSt2pOoyMMcrylfMH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=omaha%20festival%20of%20joy%20song&f=false or search Indian Games and Dances by Alice C. Fletcher
Lynsey Esser
Grade Level: 4/5
Music Standard:
6. Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
b. Analyze uses of elements of music in aural examples representing diverse genres and cultures.
Objectives: Students will:
- Perform their interpretations of Native American music and discuss how they developed these ideas about the music.
- List elements of the Native American music clip, using specific music vocabulary (i.e. rhythm, melody, etc. which has been previously learned and discussed) by comparing the music clip to music they hear on the radio.
Materials:
--Various instruments for each student to play
--Chalkboard/Overhead and marker
--Computer and speakers OR cd sound recording of music clip along with cd player
--Music clip from Omaha Native American Tribe (Library of Congress online contains numerous clips as mp3 files at <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/omhhtml/omhhome.html>
--One piece of paper and one writing utensil for each child
Background for Teachers: This may be different, depending on the country or culture that you choose to focus on. In general, the teacher should research the musical background of the specific country/culture you will be discussing with the class, including the historical context, past and present composers/ performers, and the current way music influences the country, its culture, and the world.
Introduction/Building Background Knowledge: We’re going to create and perform songs today in groups, but all I will tell you is the country/culture the song must reflect. You and your group members can think about what you have heard from the media and movies about the music in other places around the world and use this knowledge to decide how you think a song from here would sound and think about what musical elements make it sound a particular way.
Teacher’s note: For this particular lesson, the students will be discussing the music they might hear on a Native American Reservation or at a Native American powwow.
Procedures:
1. Divide the students into groups (4 groups of 3) and tell the students which country/culture they will be focusing on. Have each group create a short (less than 30 seconds) musical piece that represents what they think the music of a certain nation will sound like. Provide few guidelines and allow them to choose whatever instruments they think may be appropriate (they may add their voices if they wish).
2. For each group, discuss what the students know about the country and its music, and how it influenced the musical piece they made. Create a t-chart on the board to record their answers in the left column (the left column will be about the first versions of their song, and the right column will be about the traditional clip that you will play later in the lesson).
3. Allow each group to play their music for the class after they explain it, and then play the sample clip of traditional music for the class.
4. Tell students a brief history of music in the specific country or culture.
“In traditional Native American cultures, poems (more properly called "songs") were usually created for tribal occasions such as initiation rites, healings ceremonies, and planting or hunting rituals. The songs could also be used to pass on tribal history, standards of ethical conduct, and religious beliefs to other members of the tribe. Usually the songs were rhythmically chanted or sung in a tribal context to drums or musical accompaniment.
To tribal singers, words could magically connect them with the supernatural forces in all of nature. Rather than describing a present-tense scene, the singers often projected themselves into the future by "visualizing" the outcome they hoped to produce or by identifying with, for example, the rain cloud or the buffalo irresistibly attracted (hopefully) to the singer's powerful song-words.“ <http://members.cox.net/academia/songs.html#intro>
“Drums are an integral part of Native American music. Main percussion instruments are drums and rattles whereas flutes and whistles are chief wind instruments.
Native Americans use music as means of communication with mystical powers. Here music is not used for fun but rather, for exact results like, bringing rain, success in battles and wars, curing diseases etc. Types of music include, traditional songs, medicine songs and ceremonial songs and modern songs. Traditional songs have existed since centuries and still they are most widely used style of songs. Modern songs show sign of other advance cultures. Famous singers include, Lila Downs, Robert Mirabal, Martin Espino, R. Carlos Nakai, Robert Tree Cody, Native American Celebration, Joanne Shenandoah,Tru Rez Crew amongst others. Other genres that are getting popular in Native American regions include Rock, blues, jazz, country and folk.” <http://www.indianchild.com/Music/download_native_american_songs_music.htm>
5. Discuss the specific musical elements of the music and how it sounds different than what we hear on the radio (encourage/demonstrate using musical element vocabulary terms to describe the music). What did you like or not like about this music? Imagine you are a Native American; would you hear or feel about this music differently?
“Native American music is known for its melodious songs. The uniqueness of this music lies in the fact that, it does not include any harmony or polyphony and practiced more as a vocal art. Mostly it comprises of choral singing barring few exceptions of solo singing.
Native American music follows a descending melodic figure with irregular rhythm. This form of music is considered as quite typical because of its lack of absolute pitch and intonation.”<http://www.indianchild.com/Music/download_native_american_songs_music.htm>
6. Students will return to the groups they were in at the beginning and create another version of their musical piece that more appropriately represents the Native American music and culture. Have the students share their new songs with the entire group and explain what is different than their first version. **If students created appropriate songs from the beginning, then just skip this step and move on to completing the t-chart.**
7. Add the elements of the traditional clip of music to the right column of the t-chart to illustrate the differences and similarities between the songs they created and the traditional song played for them.
Closure: Each student writes one specific characteristic of Native American music, two other things they learned during class, and one question they have. They will share one of their ideas with a classmate before turning the piece of paper in to me at the end of class.
Assessment:
- I will observe the group work while they create a musical piece and each student’s participation in the performance. Also, the students must demonstrate and explain why they created the music the way they did and how they can modify their piece of music to more appropriately fit the country/culture discussed during the lesson.
- The students will write down and share one specific characteristic of Native American music that was covered during class discussion and turn the paper in at the end of class with this written on it, two other things they learned from class and a question I have.
If a student has a physical disability that doesn’t allow them to play an instrument, they can still contribute to the creation of the music verbally by adding their voice (either directly into the song or in the discussion of how and why they created what they did).
Next Steps/Connections to Other Subjects: By using a different country or culture as a focus, the lesson could be continued. I could also simply continue with more Native American history and culture and teach a specific song and dance next time (step-by-step instructions on page 57 of document at http://books.google.com/books?id=kE9O_EAbkScC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=omaha+festival+of+joy+song&source=bl&ots=4_nBQMutBH&sig=qwMi1NgZpV974JsODHzgn35UQvo&hl=en&ei=P4bKSt2pOoyMMcrylfMH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=omaha%20festival%20of%20joy%20song&f=false or search Indian Games and Dances by Alice C. Fletcher
