Teaching Sequence

Preparation:Ensure you have access to YouTube, a computer and speakers. You will need a copy of the Student Worksheet for each student OR computers/tablets to access the digital worksheet via the Classroom Share button.

You can complete parts of this lesson as a flipped classroom by instructing the students to listen to the music and complete the Student Worksheet as homework. This strategy provides the opportunity for students to build their knowledge, attitudes and values independently, thereby freeing up class time for hands-on work.

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Attention Grabbing Music

Step 1.

Explain to students that they will be learning about fanfares and how to make a piece of attention grabbing music. Play the video below which shows a recent Fanfare participant discussing their inspiration.

Fanfare Competition - Attention Grabbing Music (https://youtu.be/h8dPXAYTaSo)

Step 2.

Give students five minutes to work in pairs to come up with some sounds and actions that grab our attention. They can use body percussion or their voices. Some ideas might include yelling cooooooo-eeee, shouting, loud sounds, clapping, and trumpet fanfare. Record some of the students' responses on the board.

Step 3.

Explain to students that they will be listening to different pieces of music that grab our attention. They are looking for the musical features that make the music bold and exciting. Instruct students to listen to the pieces of music and record their responses on the Student Worksheet. Play the following pieces of music for the class:

John Williams - Star Wars Main Theme (https://bit.ly/1gP1bYe)
Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra, Op.30 (https://bit.ly/1AyoqR0)

Step 4.

Ask students to share their responses in a quick class discussion. They could add to their own responses based on what they learn from their classmates.

Part B: The Composition of a Fanfare

Step 1.

Explain that, centuries ago, a trumpet fanfare might be played to announce the arrival of royalty at an important event. In those times, trumpets had no valves (or buttons) and could only play a small number of different notes.

Using a Think - Pair - Share routine, ask students to listen to the trumpet fanfare and record the musical aspects that make the music attention grabbing. They should record their answers on the Student Worksheet.

The London Fanfare Trumpets (https://bit.ly/1LlbacV)

Possible response: Loud blasts on trumpets; high register harmonies; catchy rhythms.

Step 2.

You will now use the brainstormed list of noises and actions that grab students' attention from the beginning of the class. Ask students to consider how those noises and actions can be expressed in music.

For instance: shaking = trill or tremolo; shouting = loud chorus with many instruments (like a shout chorus in jazz music); yelling = all instruments playing a melody in unison.

Step 3.

As a class, write 2-4 bars of a composition, that uses the elements just discussed. This can be done by creating a manuscript (staves) on your whiteboard. Decide which ones are most popular and incorporate them into this original class composition. Guide the students to turn these elements into a melody or rhythm.

Step 4.

On manuscript, ask students to write 2 - 4 bars of their composition using the class composition as a guide. Work with the students to develop their ideas and create a central idea for their composition. It might be a catchy rhythm or simple melody. They might borrow a rhythm from a melody heard today and change the notes/pitches.

Or students might experiment with notes of the natural trumpet: low G, middle C, E, G, high C.

Step 5.

Encourage students to transfer their hand-written works to music notation software. For the competition they will need to select their favourite four bars of their composition.

Differentiated activities

Provisions for Learning Support: For activities that are in pairs, try to group lower ability students with higher ability students.

Homework and extension opportunities

Ask students to study the entry details of the Fanfare Competition. Explain to students that they will be encouraged to write their own 30 second piece of attention grabbing music to enter into Fanfare (https://artology.org.au/fanfare/).

Explain to students they can start recording their ideas about composing a short piece of music using some of the attention grabbing ideas explored today.

Fanfare Competition - Attention Grabbing Music

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