Teaching Sequence

Part A: What is a Fanfare?
Part B: Experiencing Fanfares
Part C: Viewing Instrumentation
Part D: Composing a Fanfare

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Preparation:

Print a copy of these resources for your students: Y-Chart Worksheet , Beethoven Symphony No.3 Mov 1piano score pp1-2, Beethoven Symphony No.3 Mov 1 full scorepp1-5. You will also need access to YouTube, a computer, speakers, whiteboard and a copy of the Student Worksheet. TheFanfare Competition DIY Student Toolkit is also available to help students in planning and composing their fanfare.

Part A: What is a Fanfare?

Step 1.

Listen to the fanfares below as a class. Explain that these compositions were the winners of last years' Fanfare Competition. Facilitate a class discussion that explores the elements of music that may have impressed the competition judges.

(https://artology.org.au/composers/)

Step 2.

Pair students up and ask them to come up with a shared definition of the term 'fanfare' based on what they heard. There is space on the Student Worksheet for pairs to make notes.

Step 3.

Show your class the 'Introduction to Fanfare' video created by the Royal Opera House.

Fanfare: Introduction to Fanfares (https://youtu.be/EQvQM7qi9sk?t=1s)

Ask students if their definition of fanfare has changed after viewing the video.

Step 4.

Next, ask students to write a definition for the concept of a ‘fanfare’ on their Student Worksheet.

Summarise their understanding by facilitating a class discussion around the following questions:

How has the definition of a fanfare changed over time?
Has the use of technology impacted on a traditional fanfares?
Would a fanfare be understood differently in other countries?

Part B: Experiencing Fanfares

Step 1.

As a class, watch and listen to the clip of 'Fanfare for the Common Man' by Copland. Distribute a copy of the Y-Chart Worksheet thinking tool to each student. In reference to the clip, students should record what it looks, sounds and feels like to them.

Ask your students to focus particularly on what they are feeling. Does it make them think of outer-space or nature or a sporting contest? The aim of this thinking routine is to help students immerse themselves in the elements of the music regardless of their learning styles.

Copland: Fanfare for the common man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdqjcMmjeaA)

Step 2.

Ask students to further analyse the clip by responding to the following question:

What are the strengths of the performance and/or composition: 'Fanfare for the Common Man' by Copland?

There is space on the Student Worksheet for them to note their responses.

Step 3.

Ask students to volunteer to share their responses, noting the similarities and differences in their observations.

Step 4.

Further explore examples of fanfares byPlaying the pieces linked below to students. Encourage students to listen carefully and think about which elements make the music 'attention grabbing'. Foreshadow with students that they will be asked to rank the works according to how attention grabbing they were. There is space provided on the Student Worksheet for them to do so.

Bill Conti: Fanfare For Rocky (Rocky)
Nigel Westlake: Cudmirrah fanfare : for symphony orchestra (1987)
Liza Lim: Flying banner : full orchestra (2005)
John Williams: Olympic Fanfare and Theme

Part C: Viewing Instrumentation

Step 1.

Guide the class to view the first page of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony (full score). Ask students to guess which instruments are used. Point out about clefs, key and time signatures to students.

Share with students that Beethoven's instrumentation for his 3rd Symphony is: flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, bassoon, horns (in different keys), trumpet, timpani, violin, viola, cello and bass.

Step 2.

Invite students to form pairs and provide them with one copy of both files below. Ask students to compare a short score or piano reduction with its full orchestral score – what has been left and what has been kept out?

BeethovenSymphony No.3Mov 1piano scorepp1-2

BeethovenSymphony No.3Mov 1full scorepp1-5

HINT: Ask students to think about whether any of the main themes are missing? Are some of the harmony notes missing?

Part D: Composing a Fanfare

Step 1.

Distribute manuscript paper to the class and ask students to start writing 4 bars of their own composition. Work with students so as they can develop their ideas and start creating a central idea for their composition.

Step 2.

If available, students can then transfer their hand written works to music notation software.

Step 3.

Direct students to the Fanfare Competition website and re-enforce the 5pm, Friday 15 June 2018 deadline for entries. For the competition they will need to lodge their favourite four bars of their composition. Remind students that the function of the 30 second piece of music is to replace the ‘cue bells’ to assist calling people to their seats at venues across Australia. Encourage students to continue to work on their fanfare composition and remind them that they will be responsible for completing it in their own time and uploading their finished entry to the website.

The easiest way for students to fulfil the regulations and provide an MP3 is to input their 30 second composition into Sibelius or Finale (music notation software). The software will help them put the orchestral score in correct order. Highest to lowest instruments are: woodwind, brass (horns first), percussion, then string families). The software will also prompt students to consider time signature and key signature. For assistance, go to this website.

If the class doesn't have access to Finale and/or Sibelius they can submit a handwritten score (PDF) and create a recording on an instrument of their choice.

Differentiated activities

Provisions for learning support: Many activities are in pairs, so try to group lower ability students with higher ability students.

Homework and extension opportunities

Ask your students to complete their fanfare compositions, publish them digitally (e.g. Sibelius or Finale software), export an MP3 audio version and enter Artology’s Fanfare Competition. If they don’t have access to Finale and Sibelius they can submit a handwritten score (PDF) and create a recording on an instrument of their choice.

Fanfare Competition - Create a fanfare and enter the competition

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