Composing and Creating at Sunset Ridge School
Project-based curriculum with performance
Northfield, Illinois
Rule 1: Follow the rules
Rule 2: Rules can be broken
Rule 3: What rules?
Creating OPPORTUNITIES for students to create, compose, and follow their dreams
Cool networking
http://musictechieteachers.ning.com/
New podcasting program
http://www.techtempo.com/MATS/
Main website
Composer Collaborative with Brenda Muench
http://composerproject.wikispaces.com/
SRS music curriculum
All parents sign a Parental consent in order to be on www.carolbroos.com, pictures, works. and printed media.
Parentalconsent_09.doc It is a .doc, download and change the names
Students are not taught theory, just these simple rules:
- Repeat, repeat, I repeat, repeat (both notes and phrases)
- Crayon story - don't use EVERY note in your song
- Stepwise
Along with composition, 4/5 classes put on a classroom musical and the fourth graders perform at the yearly Holiday Concert.
There is a yearly Talent Show and an "All School Musical" where over 50% of the school participate.
All 4/5 students are required to take a band instrument.
Composition Curriculum
Fourth Grade (2x a week - 40 minutes)
Piano Keyboard - simple sound effects, no talking
Sound Studio - talking only
GarageBand - one picture, only music, then talking (when they ask)
Sibelius - compose song for band instrument, must be able to play song
Fifth Grade (2x a week - 40 minutes)
Piano Keyboard - story with sound effects
Sound Studio - only review, no files
GarageBand and iMovie - composer project
Sibelius - any instruments allowed
Sixth Grade (Nine weeks every day)
Piano Keyboard/GarageBand - story with claymation, Flash, or iMovie
Sibelius/GarageBand - compose in Sibelius, save a MIDI, drag and drop into GB, with pictures, Flash, or iMovie
Spectacular Project - students have 14-18 days to work on ONE project.
Seventh and Eighth Grade (Elective - three times a week)
Individual Projects
Vermont MIDI Students (grades 5-8, only 5-8 students in the program)
Once a week, arranged separately with student and teacher
Individual time
Must be taking private band/string/piano lessons
Desire to compose
Main website www.carolbroos.com
Teacher website www.carolbroos.net
Composition website - you need to download scorch in order to view files. It views better in Safari than Firefox.
GarageBand, not GarbageBand - presentation and student files
www.lazertron.net - a gaming site that won a National Website award in Hollywood.