Preparation for Improvisation Improvising Soundtracks for Folktales IMPROVing

Preparation for Improvisation & Improvising Soundtracks for Folktales IMPROVing: Successful and Sequential
Improvisation that Develops the Musician at Every Level, Ark. MEA Sessions, All-State, Hot Springs, February 18, 2011 11: 15 A. M. to noon Deborah Barber, Ph. D Arkansas Tech University dbarber@atu. edu Thank you for making this session SO MUCH FUN!

Sequence for Developing Vocabulary for Improvisation • • Rhythmic patterns Tonal patterns (solfege) Melodic (neutral syllables) Harmonic *Edwin Gordon’s “Essential Preparation for Beginning Instrumental Music Education” 2010

Echo & Mirror* • • Teacher sings or plays a simple tonal pattern Student then echoes the exact pattern OR Student sings it backwards. T: d m S: m d T: d r m S: m r d *Edwin Gordon’s “Essential Preparation for Beginning Instrumental Music Education” 2010

Chaining* • One student improvises a rhythm pattern • The next student repeats the first then turns to neighbor and improvises a new pattern • Can also be done with tonal patterns • Later with rhythms and pitches, state names or animals or … *Edwin Gordon’s “Essential Preparation for Beginning Instrumental Music Education” 2010

Now for some fun… • Find a folktale. I like stories with a message. • Imagine a soundtrack for characters, action, and moods of the story. • Mark these places • Read the tale to the class • Have pitched and non-pitched instruments for the students to choose • Allow students to choose a section to bring to life with their music • Give a little time to experiment then perform • Teacher reads the narration, pausing and directing as needed.

Real Brotherly Love A Traditional Korean Folktale,

Real Brotherly Love A Traditional Korean Folktale, Retold by Yun Seok Kim from Korea A long, long time ago, there lived two brothers in a village. They were both very poor. The older brother had a little more than the other one: however, he had a larger family to support than the younger brother. One autumn, they harvested their grain, but the older one worried about his younger brother, so at night he took some grain and secretly put it in the place where his brother stored his grain. The next day, even though he had done this, his own grain supply was not reduced. The next night he did the same thing, and again the next day his grain supply was not diminished. It stayed the same. He thought it was strange, so that night he hid in the field to see what happened. A few hours later, he saw a person approaching. He went out to see who it was. The stranger was his brother who was also worried about his older brother. Each night he had been taking grain to his older brother to help him! This was true brotherly love. After that, they lived happily the rest of their lives http: //www. topics-mag. com/folk-tales/folk-tale-brotherly-love-korea. htm

Parts Prelude eeee Older brother eeee Younger brother eeee Harvesting grain eeee Night music eeee Magic eeee Slow mystery eeee Postlude eeee

Prelude eeee Real Brotherly Love A Traditional Korean Folktale, Retold by Yun Seok Kim from Korea • A long, long time ago, there lived two brothers in a village. Older brother eeee Younger brother eeee • They were both very poor.

• The older brother had a little more than the other one: Older brother eeee • however, he had a larger family to support than the younger brother. Younger brother eeee • One autumn, they harvested their grain, Harvesting grain eeee • but the older one worried about his younger brother, Older brother –slowly e e Younger brother - slowly e e

• … so at night he took some grain and secretly put it in the place Night music eeee • where his brother stored his grain. The next day, even though he had done this, his own grain supply was not reduced. Magic eeee The next night he did the same thing, Night music eeee and again the next day his grain supply was not diminished. Magic eeee • It stayed the same. • •

• He thought it was strange, so that night he hid in the field to see what happened. Night music eeee • A few hours later, he saw a person approaching. Slow mystery eeee • He went out to see who it was. Slow mystery eeee

• The stranger was his brother Younger brother eeee • who was also worried about his older brother. Older brother eeee • Each night he had been taking grain to his older brother to help him! Night music eeee • This was true brotherly love. Magic eeee • • After that, they lived happily the rest of their lives Postlude eeee

Where is Korea? CHINA North Korea South Korea Japan

Miss Julie Ann Johnson I V Chorus: Miss Julie Ann Johnson, oh ho. I Miss Julie Ann Johnson, oh ho. 1. Well, where is she going. . . She’s going to … 2. Well, how’s she going to get there… etc. 3. How long will it take her… Let’s record our song! 4. What’s she going to do there? …

Where the Wild Things Are • Improvise music for the wild rumpus • Part of the class act out the book and part play a soundtrack • Wild rumpus music is fun to improvise over an electronic keyboard drum pattern or a Garage. Band loop. This one is “Jacaranda. ” Use G D and F C

Where the Wild Things Are • Improvise movement for creatures… parrot - monkey - elephant – puppy kitten - prancing horse turtle - frog - fish giraffe - butterfly

http: //itunes. apple. com/us/podcast/tedtalks-video/id 160892972 #32 Charles Limb – Your Brain on Improv Broca’s area (speech/language) is active during improv.

Webpage http: //faculty. atu. edu/dbarber/inservice/All-State 2011 -Improv. html Link to this Power. Point and mp 3 of wild rumpus music Thank you for making this session SO MUCH FUN! dbarber@atu. edu