artsource music...take the entire day to compile your list. in the next few days create an essay or...

Photo: Richard Hines

California

“It’s always gratifying to seeyoung people’s faces light upas they listen to music.“

Amy Knoles, percussionist

Title of Work:Shapes! (1999) Performed by members of The California

E.A.R. Unit: Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, Arthur Jarvinen,

Amy Knoles, Robin Lorentz, Vicky Ray, James Rohrig,

Rand Steiger, Dorothy Stone.

Creator: The California E.A.R. Unit

Background Information:The California E.A.R. Unit has been performing,

promoting and creating new music since 1981.

Performing all around the world, they are recognized as

one of America’s finest chamber ensembles. They enjoy

the challenges of playing innovative musical pieces and

developing new instrumental techniques. Their

performances highlight the music of modern composers

who create complex works. This demanding written

music may also require them to improvise, making up

sections of the music. Performing innovative, new music,

as well as the more traditional music of composers like

Mozart and Rossini, The California E.A.R. Unit has an

incredible talent for moving between these two extremes.

Their performances include traditional instruments,

such as the flute, clarinet, keyboards, percussion, violin

and cello, as well as non-traditional ones that include

pots and pans, plastic tubes, duck calls, blow dryers and

even a cello played with a carrot. The California E.A.R.

Unit performers let their personalities shine through the

music they play. They also teach how the basic elements

of music, which include rhythm, tempo, harmony and

melody, are the foundation of many musical styles,

whether they be serious or comedic. Part of the mission of

The California E.A.R. Unit is to remind us that music is for

everyone, and it can have many different faces and sounds.

About the Artwork:Shapes! is an improvisational piece of music based on

graphic notation. This style of writing music uses

lines, shapes, letters, words, blotches, or any kind of

symbol a composer would like to use in place of

standard musical notes. The performer is asked to

interpret these symbols as she feels is appropriate. If

the image on the page moves upward, the performer

might play louder or a higher note. The composer

might also include some guidelines on how the

music should be played. The main idea is to free the

performer and provide an opportunity for him to

improvise and use his imagination.

Creative Process of the Artist or Culture:Music created through graphic notation and

improvisation also requires the imagination of the

listener. She participates by reacting to the sound

of the music in the same way the performer reacts

to the written page – freely. The listener can choose

to interpret the music literally by giving it a story

or meaning, or abstractly, by letting it simply

exist as sound. The magic of this music allows

everyone in the concert

hall, performers and

listeners, to experience new

and unrehearsed moments.

MUSIC

TRANSFORMATIONTHE POWER OF NATURE

FREEDOM &OPPRESSION

ENDURING VALUES

THE HUMANFAMILY

ARTISTIC PROCESSES

1. CREATING (Cr)

2. PERFORMING, PRESENTING, PRODUCING (Pr)

3. RESPONDING (Re)

4. CONNECTING (Cn)

rtsource ®The Music Center’s Study Guide

to the Performing Arts

A TRADITIONALCLASSICALCONTEMPORARY

EXPERIMENTAL

MULTI-MEDIA

Make your list as long as possible. Take the entire day to

compile your list. In the next few days create an essay or

poem using the sounds on your list.

• Go on a scavenger hunt of objects that can make

interesting sounds. (5-gallon water bottles, bags of rice,

bouncing tennis balls, hairdryer, clocks, lawnmowers, etc.)

Audio-Visual Materials:• Artsource® video excerpt of Shapes!. Composed and

performed by members of The California E.A.R. Unit.

• Musical scores: Shapes!, 4 Systems, Random Choices.

Courtesy of The California E.A.R. Unit.

Additional References:• William Duckworth. Talking Music: Conversations with

American Composers. Music Sales Ltd. 1995.

• I Have Nothing to Say and I’m Saying It. (Video) The life,

work and philosophy of John Cage

• ZILVER: The California E.A.R. Unit performs Louis Andriessen

(CD) New Albion Records. Website: www.earunit.org

Sample Experiences:Level I• Create your own musical piece using a variety of shapes.

Draw, paint or color to an abstract piece of music and

create a story that goes with your drawing.

• Visit The California E.A.R Unit website. www.earunit.org

• Make a Web of words that come to mind after hearing

Shapes! Arrange them in a random order.

Level II• Create and perform a structured improvisation. Make a

list of things you would like to accomplish in class in a

single day and create a structured improvisation for your

day. Use Graphic Notation symbols to diagram the score.

• Create a collage using symbols or pictures from a magazine

to express something about yourself. First lay the pieces out

in a random way, then organize them to your liking.

Level III• Interpret and perform an abstract piece of music using

different styles of graphic notation. This process will reveal

some of the complexities and challenge of playing

experimental music.

• Watch the video, Shapes! Take the point of view of a music

critic and write a review about the performance. Highlight

the strengths and also give some suggestions.

*

*

*

Discussion Questions: After the video has been viewed:

• Discuss any emotions that you experienced during

the music. Did a story come to mind?

• How is listening required to perform this music?

• Why is it important to listen to the music of living

composers?

• Are there any artists you wish you could have seen

perform when they were alive? (Jimi Hendrix, John

Coltrane, Vladimir Horowitz, etc.)

• What most surprised you about this music?

Summary of the Music Scenario:Improvising music and creating music have many

things in common. They both involve inventiveness.

Early musical experiences were improvised, meaning

they were not written or predetermined in any way.

By creating a sound, in the moment, in an organized

fashion, you are improvising. The creation of music

notation did not discourage improvisation, but

merely provided musicians with a common written

language they could read, write and play. The musi-

cians of the Baroque period of Johann Sebastian

Bach were very skilled improvisers. Today, jazz music

is based on the combination of improvisation and

composition, although unlike classical music, the

emphasis is on improvisation. Louis Armstrong,

Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk

all created a distinct, personal voice on their instruments

and in the style of their improvisations. Jazz has cre-

ated a new kind of musician, one that can create

phrases of complex, beautiful music. Around 1950,

modern composers were looking to find new ideas

and sounds that included improvisation. This new

music used a new written language -- graphic notation.

One of the most famous pieces that uses graphic

notation is Fontana Mix by American composer John

Cage. This is one of the types of music being

performed by The California E.A.R. Unit.

Multidisciplinary Options:• Become an investigative reporter. Discover how

many sounds happen around you each day (buzzing,

creaking, honking, banging, barking, talking, etc.) * Indicates sample lessons 2

3

THE HUMAN FAMILYSQUARES, CIRCLES AND TRIANGLES

LEVEL I Sample Lesson

INTRODUCTION:

Listening to music often creates mental images of memories, far away places, pictures and shapes.Musicians and composers have also used other pieces of art to inspire the music they create; paintings,drawings, sculpture, dance, etc. There seems to be a natural connection between music and visual art, oneinvoking the other. By using symbols and shapes in place of standard music notation we can give ourselves more freedom in the music we make. Shapes start to become sounds; we interpret the symbolsthat we see and translate them into music.

OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)

Students will be able to:

• Create a piece of visual art with symbols that have musical meanings. (Creating & Connecting &Presenting)

• Perform a structured improvisation using graphic notation. (Creating & Performing & Connecting)

• Demonstrate an understanding of the connection between visual art and music. (Connecting)

• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer toAssessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)

MATERIALS:

• Artsource® video: Shapes!, composed and performed by members of The California E.A.R. Unit.

• Music Score: Shapes!

PROGRESSION:

• Give some background information on The California E.A.R. Unit.

• View the video, Shapes!

• Have your students give their impressions of the performance.

• Show your students the graphic notation of Shapes!

• Give a description of how graphic notation is used in a musical performance.

MUSIC

• Have your students describe what the symbols of each piece might represent.

• Have each student draw a series of squares, circles and triangles on a piece of paper. Make sure theshapes are in a straight line, include various amounts of space between each shape.

Example:

• Each shape will be given a musical meaning (what to play, how loud to play, what speed to play, special sounds effects, etc.) The space between each symbol represents silence or rests. The greater the distance between symbols equals a longer pause of silence.

• The definitions for each shape are:Square = Play Fast Circle = Play Slow Triangle = Scratch, Rub or Shake

• For the square and circle use a constant rhythmic pattern.

The fast version of this pattern (square) will be

the slow version (Circle) will be

Notice that both patterns contain three beats.

• Each player can interpret the music with the following variables:

a) Volume - How loud or soft, how often the volume changesb) Duration of each shape - how long each rhythm will be played.c) Relative silence between shapesd) Tempo

• Practice the rhythms for the square and circles, as well as, the possibilities for the triangle (not all variations may be available on every instrument).

• Have each student play their own version of Shapes!.

EXTENSIONS:

• Incorporate more shapes and symbols in your music (rectangles, dots, dashes, etc.) Create definitionsfor the new shapes.

• Have several students perform their music at the same time.

4

5

California E.A.R. Unit

Dorothy Stone (keyboard), Amy Knoles (percussion), Robin Lorentz (violin).

Photo: Richard Hines

• Have the class perform the same version of shapes at the same time.

• Visit The California E.A.R Unit website: www.earunit.org

VOCABULARY: shape, variation, symbol, performance

ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)

DESCRIBE: Describe objects in your daily life that are made of shapes.

DISCUSS: Discuss the kind of shapes that make up your body and its parts.

ANALYZE: Analyze how each person in the class has slightly different shapes.

Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking

6

TRANSFORMATIONRANDOM CHOICES

LEVEL II Sample Lesson

INTRODUCTION:

Alternative methods of music notation, such as graphic notation, have been used to create a strong senseof freedom for musicians during performances. Many times the main objective is to give the player a setof choices that varies the way the music is performed, while maintaining the original concept of the composer. This type of music is also called a “structured improvisation,” meaning that the player isallowed to improvise while following some general rules or guidelines. This structure can be a very liberatingexperience because the player doesn’t have to invent every idea that is played but rather, interpret theintent of the music.



• Demonstrate an understanding of a structured improvisation. (Responding & Performing)

• Demonstrate an appreciation for abstract music and art. (Responding & Connecting)

• Interpret and perform an abstract piece of music as individuals and in a group. (Creating &Performing)

• Connect to the ideas of freedom and choice in a piece of music. (Responding & Connecting)

• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer toAssessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)

MATERIALS:

• Artsource® video: Shapes! Composed and performed by members of The California E.A.R. Unit.

• Music Scores: Random Choices, 4 Systems by Earl Brown and Shapes! (Pages 10-12)

PROGRESSION:


• View the video - Shapes!


• Show your students the graphic notation examples, 4 Systems by Earl Brown and Shapes!


MUSICMUSIC

7


• Handout Random Choices to your students.

• Explain to your students that Random Choices can be performed by one or more people.

• Discuss the instructions in each circle and oval.

Most instructions are to be played on an instrument.Crescendo means from soft to loud. Decrescendo means from loud to soft. When you see an oval that reads Crescendo/Decrescendo you can play any combinationof those terms. Questions are to be answered out loud.Improvise means ad-lib, play or say something.Heartbeat means to imitate the sound of your heart on your instrument.Each player performs at their own tempo.

• The sound of this music is more of a sonic collage than a traditional song.

• Start by having a few students perform Random Choices alone.

• Next, perform Random Choices in small groups.

• Now, have the entire class perform Random Choices.

• The more people in a group the more of a collage effect you will get from the performance.

• Have Fun!

• Use the extensions and questions below to the broaden the experience for your students.

EXTENSIONS:

• Find other types of collages to experience, such as visual art, spoken word, soundscapes, etc.

• Find a partner that you don’t know very well. Each of you create a visual symbol that reflects who youare. Exchange symbols and see if you can identify the qualities and ideas behind them. Discuss howaccurate you were.

• Research the mathematical uses of a graph. What types of technologies use graphs?

• Visit The California E.A.R Unit website. www.earunit.org. Search the Internet for more informationon the people who are a part of The California E.A.R. Unit. (Dorothy Stone, James Rohrig, RobinLorentz, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, Amy Knoles, Arthur Jarvinen, Vicky Ray, Rand Steiger) What otherprojects are they involved with that are not related to The California E.A.R. Unit?

8

VOCABULARY: symbol, interpretation, creativity, collage, soundscape

ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)

DESCRIBE: Describe the experience of performing a structured improvisation.

DISCUSS: Discuss areas in your life that might be considered a structured improvisation.

ANALYZE: Analyze the similarities between a visual art collage and a sonic music collage.

CONNECT: How is the world we live in similar to a collage? What makes it unique?

Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking

10

4 SYSTEMSfor David Tudor on a birthday

January 20, 1954

May be played in any sequence either side up, at any tempo. The continuous lines from far left to far right define the outer limits of the keyboard. Thickness may indicatae dynamics or clusters.

12

TRANSFORMATIONCOMPOSED CHAOS

LEVEL III Sample Lesson

INTRODUCTION:

Music and art often draws inspiration from our everyday lives; nature, technology and human interaction.

The American composer John Cage believed that the randomness of nature served as an example of beauty

in its natural process. Much of his art, which included music, writing and visual art, was created by what

he called “chance operations.” He looked at the ordinary things that surrounded him and used them in

is work. He found beauty in the imperfections in the paper he used, the random joining of words and

phrases cut out of a newspaper, and the patter, music and noise from a radio. He would take a selection

of these random items and graphically notate them, focusing on timbre, loudness and duration of sound,

rather than pitch and harmony.

When a composer decides to use graphic notation as a way to create music, he or she is allowing the music

to take many forms depending on the style and personality of each performer. Music that is composed

in this way strives to create a limitless amount of possibilities, the amount of variation from performance

to performance may be great or slight but it reflects and helps us appreciate those little details that make

each one of us unique. Living in a world of sound with the potential for so many surprises can make this

type of music exciting for performers and audience members. Although it takes more patience and

introspection, in the end we can expand our understanding of ourselves and the unique sonic world that is

music.



• Interpret and perform an abstract piece of music as individuals and in a group. (Creating & Performing)

• Demonstrate an understanding for the complexities of experimental music. (Responding &Connecting)

• Create variations on the same piece of music. (Creating & Performing)

• Demonstrate an understanding for how musicians work as a group. (Connecting)

• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer to

Assessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)

DANCEMUSICMUSIC

MATERIALS:

• Artsource® video: Shapes! Composed and performed by members of The California E.A.R. Unit.

• Music Scores: Random Choices, 4 Systems by Earl Brown and Shapes!

PROGRESSION:


• View the video - Shapes!


• Show your students the graphic notation examples, Random Choices and 4 Systems, by Earl Brown, and Shapes!



• Ask your students to bring found objects that can be used as percussion instruments (coffee cans, waterbottles, plastic buckets, plastic tubes, etc.). Ask them to experiment with the sounds and then select avariety to bring to class.

• Give students the opportunity to explore the objects they’ve brought and make a list of five soundsthey can create with each object. They can use sticks and other objects to strike their instrument, dropit on the floor or shake it, etc.

• As a class, ask students to design their own music using graphic notation (lines, shapes, text, etc.) Theycan write it on an overhead projector or chalkboard for everyone to see.

• Use the graphic notation examples that are a part of this unit for inspiration.

• Have your music performed by a variety of different sized ensembles or groups. Solos can be performedas well. Make sure everyone in the class gets to perform at least once.

• Have each student create a page of his or her own graphic notation. This music should be written forone person. You can request strange and unusual items that make sound (blow dryers, radios, pagers,alarm clocks, etc.)

• Each composer should assign their part a unique number (part 1, part 2, etc.)

13

• You have just created a group composition with many parts. This music should be performed with a

minimum of five players.

• Each player should pay special attention to interacting with the other performers through visual cues

and musical conversation.

• Here’s the most difficult part... give your group composition a title.

• Use the questions below to extend the experience for your students.

EXTENSIONS:

• Using a tape recorder, record a few performances and play them back for the class. Be sure to keep track

of the parts that were used.

• In groups of four to six people. Have each person tell an improvised story based on a topic chosen by

the group.

• Visit The California E.A.R Unit Web site, www.earunit.org

• Visit www.livingroom.org, a home for experimental musicians, performance and multimedia artists,

and all other persons interested in nurturing creative artistic endeavors.

• Search the Internet for more information on modern musicians or musical groups that share similar

musical and/or social philosophies with The California E.A.R Unit. (Louis Andriessen, John Cage,

Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, Bang on a Can, Ensemble Intercontemporian, Icebreaker)

VOCABULARY: rhythm, instrument, metaphor, interpretation, technique, concept, composition, collaboration

ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Performing)

DESCRIBE: Describe the feeling of having choices in your performances.

DISCUSS: Discuss other areas in your life that you would like to make your own choices.

ANALYZE: Analyze how having a few instructions or guidelines made your performance easier.

CONNECT: What situations require you to improvise in your everyday life?

Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking 14

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