This week the year 8 students were put to the test with their knowledge of how to create a piece of world music. They had the option to create music using iPads, Macs or keyboards, then had to demonstrate the style of music and reasons why they chose that option to their class. In this topic we explored:
- Chinese music – developing improvisation skills using the pentatonic scale (5 black notes) on the piano/keyboards.
- Samba music – Creating rhythms using Samba percussion, playing in a samba band, and using the Afro-Latin Drum Machine app on iPads.
- Indian Music – Classical Indian raga and Bhangra, exploring 9 Indian music apps on the iPads, including Indian Groovebox, and Samvada.
- Gamelan music – VJG (Virtual Javanese Gamelan) app on the iPad.
- Reggae music – SInging ‘Three Little birds’ by Bob Marley, and exploring a range of reggae beats/samples apps for example DubSirenDX
- Fusion music
Two students chose to improvise on the piano. Three students chose to create fusion music using samples on Garageband on the Mac (even using the Jurassic World theme and adding world beats to create a crazy fusion piece!). Four students chose to make music on the iPads, exploring world samples on Garageband and creating beats on Indian Groovebox. The students learnt that they all prefer to make music in different ways and that it is ‘cool’ to enjoy a range of music from different cultures. iPads were embedded throughout the project, having no more importance than the traditional instruments or Macs, simply enhancing the learning experience and enabling the students to instantaneously explore sounds and compose music using instrumental sounds and samples from another country.
GOPADMUSIC 