Music at the MoviesMusic at the Movies

An After-School AdventureAn After-School Adventure

Music at the MoviesMusic at the Movies

We spent three weeks at South We spent three weeks at South Elementary watching movies in after-Elementary watching movies in after-school and learning about the use of school and learning about the use of music in each.music in each.

Anybody could teach this after-Anybody could teach this after-school program; the only musical school program; the only musical skill you need is the ability to skill you need is the ability to recognize repeating melodies.recognize repeating melodies.

IntroductionIntroduction

We started by learning about We started by learning about vocabulary such as the vocabulary such as the ““soundtracksoundtrack”” and and ““scorescore”” of a film. of a film.

We talked about the difference We talked about the difference between the between the ““score,score,”” where music where music plays beneath other action and plays beneath other action and dialogue, and a dialogue, and a ““musical,musical,”” in which in which the characters do the singing the characters do the singing themselves.themselves.

IntroductionIntroduction

It turns out that we It turns out that we love classical music, love classical music, but the place most of but the place most of us hear it most often us hear it most often nowadays is at the nowadays is at the movies.movies.

We compared the film We compared the film music of Henry music of Henry Mancini and John Mancini and John Williams and asked, Williams and asked, ““Are you on Team Are you on Team Henry or Team John?Henry or Team John?””

FantasiaFantasia

Before watching Walt Before watching Walt DisneyDisney’’s s ““Fantasia,Fantasia,”” we talked about how we talked about how music and art used to music and art used to follow similar trends.follow similar trends.

We looked at art and We looked at art and listened to music listened to music from the Baroque, from the Baroque, (Neo)-Classical, (Neo)-Classical, Romantic, Romantic, Impressionist, and Impressionist, and 2020thth Century periods. Century periods.

FantasiaFantasia We discussed how Walt DisneWe discussed how Walt Disne

yy ’’s aim in s aim in ““FantasiaFantasia”” was to get was to get the public to take animation the public to take animation seriously by pairing it with seriously by pairing it with music that they took seriously.music that they took seriously.

Though the music fit into three Though the music fit into three categories (categories (““programmaticprogrammatic”” music that tells a story, music music that tells a story, music that suggests certain that suggests certain indefinite themes, and indefinite themes, and ““absoluteabsolute”” music that exists for music that exists for its own sake), the Disney its own sake), the Disney artists did not always follow artists did not always follow the story suggested by the the story suggested by the composers, nor did they composers, nor did they always pair the artwork of the always pair the artwork of the animation with the art of the animation with the art of the time period in which the music time period in which the music was composed. was composed.

FantasiaFantasia We incorporated other We incorporated other

content areas into our study content areas into our study of the film. We read the of the film. We read the original story of original story of ““The The NutcrackerNutcracker”” by E.T.A. by E.T.A. Hoffmann and explored the Hoffmann and explored the creation of Stravinsky-like creation of Stravinsky-like beat patterns by coming up beat patterns by coming up with math equations that with math equations that added up to a certain added up to a certain number of beats and number of beats and clapping and holding clapping and holding accordingly (example: accordingly (example: 1+2+5=8, so Clap + Clap 1+2+5=8, so Clap + Clap (Hold) + Clap (Hold Hold (Hold) + Clap (Hold Hold Hold Hold) to get eight beats Hold Hold) to get eight beats with claps that do not all fall with claps that do not all fall on the downbeat). on the downbeat).

FantasiaFantasia

Also, we Also, we discovered that we discovered that we all REALLY want all REALLY want our very own our very own Pegasus.Pegasus.

The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz Next, we watched Next, we watched ““The The

Wizard of OzWizard of Oz”” and looked for and looked for ““leitmotifs,leitmotifs,”” pieces of music pieces of music that recur in association that recur in association with the same character or with the same character or theme.theme.

For example, For example, ““Over the Over the RainbowRainbow”” reappears reappears throughout the score in throughout the score in strategic places to remind strategic places to remind the viewer of Dorothythe viewer of Dorothy’’s s desire to get home. The desire to get home. The same piece of music is same piece of music is played whenever a played whenever a ““bad bad witchwitch”” is on-screen, whether is on-screen, whether that is the Wicked Witch of that is the Wicked Witch of the Eastthe East’’s feet, the Wicked s feet, the Wicked Witch of the West, or Miss Witch of the West, or Miss Elmira Gulch.Elmira Gulch.

The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz

Throughout the Throughout the film, we considered film, we considered whether the music whether the music met Walt Disneymet Walt Disney’’s s definition of what definition of what music should do in music should do in a good musical: a good musical: either move the either move the story forward or story forward or tell you something tell you something about a character.about a character.

The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz We learned about musical We learned about musical

styles used in the movie, styles used in the movie, such as such as ““operettaoperetta”” style, style, where spoken dialogue is where spoken dialogue is mixed in with singing, and mixed in with singing, and the use of a the use of a ““choruschorus”” (in (in the Greek dramatic sense) the Greek dramatic sense) to provide information to provide information about other characters.about other characters.

After watching the movie, After watching the movie, we also saw a clip from we also saw a clip from ““The WizThe Wiz”” and explored the and explored the possibility of telling the possibility of telling the exact same story with a exact same story with a different style of music.different style of music.

The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz

““Yeah, I like Michael Yeah, I like Michael Jackson, but I donJackson, but I don’’t t like this.like this.”” – –R.R.

Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast We put our new We put our new

understanding of leitmotifs understanding of leitmotifs to the test by exploring how to the test by exploring how they were used differently in they were used differently in Walt DisneyWalt Disney’’s s ““Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.the Beast.”” For example, For example, music does not recur with a music does not recur with a single character as it does in single character as it does in ““The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz”” (you don (you don’’t t hear hear ““BelleBelle”” or or ““GastonGaston”” every time you see those every time you see those characters), but instead characters), but instead repeats to bring back a repeats to bring back a theme, such as the music theme, such as the music associated with the associated with the enchantment back-story at enchantment back-story at the beginning of the film.the beginning of the film.

Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast We again looked at how music We again looked at how music

was meeting Disneywas meeting Disney’’s own s own criteria of moving the story criteria of moving the story forward or telling us about forward or telling us about characters.characters.

We thought about questions We thought about questions such as, such as, ““Why are there two Why are there two love songs (love songs (““Something ThereSomething There”” and and ““Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast””) ) almost back-to-back in the almost back-to-back in the film? (Because they express film? (Because they express the transition from the the transition from the beginning of the romantic beginning of the romantic relationship to a deeper relationship to a deeper emotional attachment in a emotional attachment in a shorter period of time than it shorter period of time than it would take to show those would take to show those events transpiring naturally)events transpiring naturally)

Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast We finished our study We finished our study

of the film by choosing of the film by choosing a story that Disney has a story that Disney has yet to tell in animated yet to tell in animated form, form, ““Rumpelstiltskin.Rumpelstiltskin.””

We wrote out a sketch We wrote out a sketch of the main story of the main story points, then went back points, then went back and discussed where and discussed where we might put songs to we might put songs to make our story into a make our story into a musical, and even who musical, and even who would play the parts of would play the parts of the characters.the characters.

Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast

““You could play the You could play the girl. I want to be girl. I want to be Rumpelstiltskin.Rumpelstiltskin.”” – –D.D.

The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music We ended our program by We ended our program by

watching watching ““The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music”” and thinking about what music and thinking about what music can do in the lives of real people.can do in the lives of real people.

We journaled our thoughts on a We journaled our thoughts on a graphic organizer while watching graphic organizer while watching the movie. In the first column of the movie. In the first column of the organizer, we wrote our own the organizer, we wrote our own names and an anecdote about names and an anecdote about what role music plays in our lives. what role music plays in our lives. In the middle five columns, we In the middle five columns, we took notes on how music took notes on how music impacted the lives of Maria, the impacted the lives of Maria, the Captain, the children, Max, and Captain, the children, Max, and the Austrian people. After the Austrian people. After watching the movie, we chose a watching the movie, we chose a group to which we belong and group to which we belong and wrote it in the last column along wrote it in the last column along with what music can do to help us with what music can do to help us as members of that group as members of that group (examples: our families, our (examples: our families, our school, Lakota culture, American school, Lakota culture, American culture).culture).

The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music

““Music helps [my Music helps [my family] when we family] when we are sad because we are sad because we just put on happy just put on happy music.music.”” – –M.M.

““The drum song The drum song helps you learn to helps you learn to talk Lakota and talk Lakota and learn about how learn about how you sing it and the you sing it and the story it tells you.story it tells you.”” – –R.R.

The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music To add some historical To add some historical

context, we discussed the role context, we discussed the role played by the Nazi takeover of played by the Nazi takeover of Austria in the lives of the Von Austria in the lives of the Von Trapp family and what it would Trapp family and what it would have meant if the family had have meant if the family had not been able to use not been able to use performing as a means to performing as a means to escape the country.escape the country.

Fittingly, we ended our after-Fittingly, we ended our after-school program on December school program on December 7, so we were able to tie our 7, so we were able to tie our discussion into our knowledge discussion into our knowledge about how and why the United about how and why the United States decided to enter World States decided to enter World War II. Comparing Pearl Harbor War II. Comparing Pearl Harbor Day and September 11 to the Day and September 11 to the Austrian Anschluss helped us Austrian Anschluss helped us connect on a more meaningful connect on a more meaningful level to how the citizens of level to how the citizens of Austria must have felt.Austria must have felt.

Music at the MoviesMusic at the Movies This after-school program meets the following national standards This after-school program meets the following national standards

for music:for music: Students demonstrate perceptual skills by moving, by answering Students demonstrate perceptual skills by moving, by answering

questions about, and by describing aural examples of music of various questions about, and by describing aural examples of music of various styles representing diverse cultures.styles representing diverse cultures.

Students use appropriate terminology in explaining music, music Students use appropriate terminology in explaining music, music notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances.notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances.

Students devise criteria for evaluating performances and compositions.Students devise criteria for evaluating performances and compositions. Students explain, using appropriate music terminology, their personal Students explain, using appropriate music terminology, their personal

preferences for specific musical works and styles.preferences for specific musical works and styles. Students identify similarities and differences in the meanings of Students identify similarities and differences in the meanings of

common terms used in the various arts.common terms used in the various arts. Students identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of Students identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of

other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.music.

Students identify by genre or style aural examples of music from Students identify by genre or style aural examples of music from various historical periods and cultures.various historical periods and cultures.

Students identify various uses of music in their daily experiences and Students identify various uses of music in their daily experiences and describe characteristics that make certain music suitable for each use.describe characteristics that make certain music suitable for each use.

Students identify and describe roles of musicians in various music Students identify and describe roles of musicians in various music settings and cultures.settings and cultures.

Music at the MoviesMusic at the Movies This after-school program also incorporates the following Common Core This after-school program also incorporates the following Common Core

standards:standards: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including

visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on

specific details in the text (e.g., a characterspecific details in the text (e.g., a character’’s thoughts, words, or actions).s thoughts, words, or actions). Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or

beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).myth, poem).

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on otherscollaborations with diverse partners, building on others’’ ideas and expressing their ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.own clearly and persuasively.

Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.presented orally or through other media.

Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.additional detail.

Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level.and career readiness level.

Decompose numbers in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and Decompose numbers in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2+3 and 5 = 4+1).record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2+3 and 5 = 4+1).