flight night

By Columbia Elementary 3rd Graders

Flight Night

Step One: InspirationComposers, or song

writers, write songs because something inspires them.

Many composers are inspired by nature.

What do you think of when you see this picture?

What words would you use to describe this picture?

Aren’t I beautiful

to look at?

Step Two: Add the LyricsWith a full moon in the

sky,

On a chilly autumn night,

Listen for the whoosh of wings,

As the barn owl makes its flight.

Lyrics are the words to a song.

Step Three: Match rhythms to the words

With-a full-moon in-the sky,

On-a chil-ly au-tumn night,

Lis-ten for-the whoosh-of wings,

As-the barn-owl makes-its flight.

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Step Four: Add pitches to the rhythms

With-a full-moon in-the sky,

On-a chil-ly au-tumn night,

Lis-ten for-the whoosh-of wings,

As-the barn-owl makes-its flight.

24 d d

d d

d d

d d d

r r

r

r

r r

r r r

r r r

m m

mm

m m

m

Our song used the pitches “Do-Re-Mi”? Composers use those too.

Our song began on “Do” and ended on “Do”. Most songs do that too.

All of the rhythms were the same but the pitches had an ABAB’ pattern. Did you notice any other patterns?

Since we are most comfortable with “Do-Re-Mi”, we used them in our song. Other composers like to decide what mood (happy, sad, angry, excited) their song will be before they add the pitches. Pitches can help express the mood.

HEY…DID YOU NOTICE?!

Step Five: Put the pitches on their home, the music staff.

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Do

With-a full-moon in-the sky,

Step Five: Put the pitches on their home, the music staff.

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Do

on-a chil-ly au-tumn night,

Step Five: Put the pitches on their home, the music staff.

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Do lis-ten for-the whoosh-of wings,

Step Five: Put the pitches on their home, the music staff.

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Doas-the barn-owl makes-his

flight,

The tempo, or speed, of the songPresto (very fast)Allegro (fast)Andante (walking speed)Largo (slow)

The dynamic level, or volume, of the songPiano (quiet)Mezzoforte (medium loud)Forte (loud)

Step Six: Some more important things to decide

Drums: Hand Drums

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Metals: Triangle

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Step Seven: Add instrumental ostinatos (repeated patterns) on unpitched instruments

Step Eight: Add instrumental ostinatos on pitched instruments (we can sing these too)Bass Metalophone: Roll on F

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Do

whooooooooooooooooooooooo

Step Eight: Add instrumental ostinatos on pitched instruments (we can sing these too)Soprano Metalophone: In octaves

44

Do

See-the owl-is fly-ing!

You could have some people fly around, pretending to be owls?

Step Nine: Add motions or dramatic elements to the song

Let’s record our performance.

Let’s listen to our performance. Doesn’t is sound so cool with all the different parts going on?

What did you think? Did you like the song?

Was there anything we could do better?

Step Ten: Record your song