Flying Books of Morris Music Companion #3

Part Three

The

Music Teach er’s Companion

By Samuel Wright wrightstuffmusic.com

To use this resource you will first need to purchase and download the Film & the iPad app from the Apple iTunes Store.

What is this resource?

This booklet, and others like it, will form a collection of music lessons intended for junior to senior year students, that will build on the material created by William Joyce and composer John Hunter.

Why would music educators want this resource?

This film, and iPad app, encapsulate the very meaning of ‘interactive learning.‘ The unique theme development and incidental music heard in the story present unique situations for students to develop active listening and composing skills. They can analyse music simply by interacting with the iPad app or by watching the film.

About the author Samuel Wright is a music teacher who saw an opportunity for extensive learning within this beautiful story. Samuel holds a Bachelor of Music and Music Education and has recently completed a Masters in Music Technology.

Samuel has sought to create resources that inspire learning ever since he began teaching in 2004 and this was the beginning of wrightstuffmusic.com.

With these lessons it is expected that teachers build on the framework and continue to share their imaginative ideas for teaching music.

Part 3 Outline You will no doubt come up with many more exciting ideas for teaching with this resource. It may not even be for Music! This outline details the lesson material for Part Three, Transforming Musical Ideas.

1. Listening to the introduction theme 2. Transforming a musical idea • Listening Activity, ‘the empty book’ in A minor (2mins40s) 3. Performing Musical ideas • Sing ‘the empty book’ in solfege • Play arrangement of ‘the empty book’ Extension: • take a nursery rhyme and learn to sing it in Solfege • turn the nursery rhyme into a minor key or change its rhythm, instrumentation and perform it!

Music Lessons Remember this is a book made for the iPad with a film to accompany it.

This process could be applied to any resource for the study of concepts in art, dance, languages and of course music.

Book Icons Based upon the Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore each book icon represents something in this resource. The images are taken from http://morrislessmore.com/ Themes & Transcriptions Based upon the Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore each theme is my own arrangement or transcription by ear from http:// morrislessmore.com/

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Teacher plays the following theme on the piano or students watch it from the IWB as the music from the app plays.

Q ~ can you sing ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ to the introduction music?

Not entirely? That is because the melody has been changed by the composer for the film’s story, emotion, character or action.

This is what a film composer does & what you will be doing very soon!

Transforming a Musical Idea Lesson Plan A. Watch the film at 2mins40s for the scene where Morris coughs and his book has no more words in it B. Listen to the music and ask students to describe how it makes them feel? Why is everything grey in colour? Does Morris look sad?

C. Ask students if the music sounds different to the start of the book (replay the scenes if needed) 1. Once students have commented on the difference in themes teach them the new theme in solfa • Always through imitation, line by line (or bar by bar if needed) • Don’t give out the music yet, teach it aurally

2. Try singing the piece with some students holding the note ‘E,’ mi.

Extension: sing the solfa with a tonic-fifth bordun on A, G, F then G

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1.always sing and move to the melody 2.teach the accompaniment pattern to everyone 3.go through line by line, playing in groups and always applying the melody vocally & then on the instruments * Good chance here to teach about 1st time 2nd time bars

Extension Opportunity Improvisation & Composition 1. Collate for students a collection of nursery rhymes and write the Solfege on the main tune 2. Get the students to practice singing the tune themselves, record themselves singing it and practicing the hand signs 3. Work with the students in changing them into minor and singing that!

(You could also perform them on the classroom instruments/iPads) E.g.: Frere Jacques in C Major

E.g.: Frere Jacques in A Minor

Buy the hard-copy book for more interactive fun with Morris’ Flying Books

Thank you