Category Archives: Music 2 Save Music

Music 2 Save Music Part 3-Creating Magical Moments

Posted on by
Reply

Classroom experiences are created to make magical moments for the learners. In music, these magical moments can come from many different experiences. I have had these moments in performance many times, but the most memorable have been from the realization of my own musical ideas, my own compositions. As I think of ways to design these experiences for the musicians that visit my classroom, I try to ensure that they emerge from the individual’s musicianship.

The 4/5 grade musicians at East Hills and West Hills Middle Schools are making their songs for Music 2 Save Music. They are navigating this experience for their first time and I would like to share some of the incredible musical moments we are creating in class. In general, there are a few songwriters in each class. They are the musicians who have a song playing in their minds all day, mostly the recitative of their lives. These songs are much easier to capture with the technology many have in their pocket.

IMG_5911

The above picture is my 8 year old recording her song into her iPod touch’s Voice Momos to remember the melody she created to use later. These songwriters may not have the tools and understandings they need to realize their music into “songs” yet. Some do. This is that songwriter’s time to shine, scaffold other musicians in the class, and create those magical musical moments.

I am a cheerleader and fan when I need to be, and a producer or studio musician when needed. The songs emerge from the musicians ideas. Today we started a song from the beginning. Through some dialogue and suggestions from different musicians in the class, we came up with this outline. The big idea of their song is that there are different ways of being rich.

IMG_5932Two verses (verse 1 is about being rich with money, and verse 2 is about being rich in other ways), then chorus and of course a featured artist who will rap. The musicians decided that the verses should of contrasting genre because the lyrics are contrasting as well. Verse 1 will be pop and verse 2 will be acoustic rock, with the chorus being pop plus electric sounds. (Pretty sophisticated plan for their piece.) We began brainstorming lyrics. Please pay close attention to the way the musicians show beat and style through their body language to one another. We haven’t created any of the rhythm, melody, or harmony yet.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/827002/Blog%20Media/lyrcs.MOV

The beginning stages took about five minutes. Enough time for the musicians to discuss lyrics and form a few lines that they connected with. We wrote the lyrics down and put them into an order that made sense together. The lyrics are:

We are (rich X3)
In our own ways
Even (onX3) on a bad day
Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter
We are all different in our own way

There was some apprehension about using voice to create an original melody and taking a risk to share any musical thoughts with the class. This is my first year at this school and these musicians. We are building relationships and a community of supportive risk-takers. The apprehension quickly disappeared when a melody was heard from one of the musicians in the class. Everyone really liked it. I quickly realized the vocal melody on the piano and the class sang through the words a few times. As they became more comfortable with the melody, revisions began emerging. The melody was revised a few times including ending the melody with an ascending pattern to transition to the next line.

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/827002/Blog%20Media/song.MOV

When this came together, the energy of the room changed. The musicians were sitting on the edge of their chairs asking to sing the verse over and over. They asked to share their musical idea with their classroom teacher as soon as he came to the door. They were excited. These are magical moments for them. Since this class period, earlier today, there have been many musicians from that class that have come to my room between classes and sought me out during lunch to share new ideas they had. These are magical moments for me.

Create these moments for the musicians, they deserve them.

More to come from Music 2 Save Music soon. Until then, please visit and like our Music 2 Save Music Facebook page.

Building Community Through Song Writing

Posted on by
Reply

This is my first year as the 4th and 5th grade general music teacher in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It’s always my goal to extend the musical experience beyond the classroom and into the lives of the musicians that visit my music classroom. I have written an article for the Michigan Music Educators Journal about breaking down the wall between “school” music and “real” music. This is a wall that musicians build in their mind caused by the disconnect from their school musical experiences The music that is the soundtrack of their lives is different. Music 2 Save Music is bridging those  experiences into one “music”. The way the students are talking about their songs and the purpose behind their musical decision making is shifting the culture of my new classroom. The musicians are taking the experiences home. I have only met with the 4/5 grade classes 3 times. The first meeting was a time for community building. I was a new teacher and we needed to begin building relationships right away if we were going to become a supportive community of risk-takers. The first couple of meetings was where Music 2 Save Music emerged as a purpose for our expressive music making.

Last week on Monday, I met with the East Hills Middle School musicians. Mrs. Rowe’s class framed the next few weeks in beginning our whole class composition. We shared our thinking about whether to start with the harmony, melody, rhythm, or vocals first. Understandably, the class was undecided. Every musician begins their creative process differently. The class decided to form collaborative groups that would focus on each and come back together. Class time ended before the musicians were able to realize their parts. On the way out, one of the lyricists asked if she could work on the song at home. Later that evening I got this in me email 

Lyrics:

Verse:

Try to bring me down but I won’t fall. I’m gonna build up a big brick wall.

You know I don’t quit. I’ll never stop trying.

Gonna reach my goal. Forget all the crying.

Cuz, I’ll get to the top. Whatever it takes.

I know what to do and I’ve learned from my mistakes.

Chorus:

You try to bring me down, but I refuse to fall.

I’m gonna stand up, big and tall.

You know how I work. You know how I live.

Shooting for the stars and just dream big.

It was great to be included in the connection this songwriter made with the experience that we shared at school. Mrs. Rowe’s class came to the music room again today. This is the first songwriting experience that most of the musicians have been a part of. We are using Logic Pro X, a M-Audio MIDI keyboard, and a Blue Spark condenser microphone to record our music, which is all new to these musicians as well. The class was excited to engage in the songwriting and recording process, yet reluctant to share their voices to sing the lyrics. As the song came together (lyrical melody supported by harmonic structure), the class began to take more ownership of the music and their singing became more confidant. At the end of today’s class, a different lyricist approached me with a notebook clenched to her body and said, “Mr. M, I have added some lyrics and changed the melody a little bit to the words we already wrote.” I enjoy learning more about the musicians that come see me, and am realizing that there is creativity surfacing. There needs to be a sense of trust reciprocally built in a new music classroom that will support these risks and celebrate accomplishmants. I am excited to be a part of the community that is being built in my new music rooms. I will leave you with the progress that was made today with Mrs. Rowe’s class song.

Screen Shot 2013-09-11 at 3.56.52 PM

Music 2 Save Music Part 2

Posted on by
Reply

Family Saturday mornings look like this: wake-up, get the kids together, get skateboard and gear, breakfast in the car, drop Ari, my 6 year old, off at the skatepark, go get coffee, back to the skatepark, farmers market, lunch out, then come home. Today was different. We did the usual routine until the lunch part. My wife took Dahlia, my 8 year old, shopping with her BFF Gloria and I took Ari to the skate shop to get custom graffiti on his new deck. The shop was crowded with parents and kids with their skateboards leaning over a table of artists creating their masterpieces on freshly unwrapped boards. The owner and I have known each other from Saturday morning clinics and he asked me what was up? I started talking about my new position as a middle school music teacher and Music 2 Save Music. A few of the adults within ears distance started asking questions and we had a great conversation about the power of music and how wonderful this outreach program was. When I told them that I had just started the effort, and the 5/6 grade musicians at East and West Hills Middle Schools in Bloomfield Hills were going to lead the project, a buzz started throughout the store. Before I knew it, an artist was already sketching a logo for Music 2 Save Music on the paper covered table. I quickly purchased a skateboard so the logo could be inked onto it.

Left: Michael Medvinsky Right: Evan Guzman, Artist, aka. Xillix

Left: Michael Medvinsky                                                    Right: Evan Guzman, Artist, aka. Xillix

See the process here: http://instagram.com/p/d-QPPfodhi/

It was exciting to feel the buzz in the room (I wasn’t the only one who took a picture of me holding the Music 2 Save Music board). Another artist, Evan Wojtowicz, who had donated his own art for other fundraisers that support music, offered to come when the musicians plan to perform their original pieces at a concert, and paint live. He would then auction his pieces at the event to support Music 2 Save Music. Awesome! My first post about Music 2 Save Music has been retweeted quite a few times and I have been contacted by some of my tweeps, including my friend Ron Madison (@madison_ron) from Flint Schools, to share the process with their music staff.

Screen Shot 2013-09-07 at 10.21.07 PM

Things are moving fast. Many people asked me about a website or Facebook page. I guess I’d better get moving.