The Four Seasons Project

Now that my students have spent some time reviewing rhythms and listening to each other when playing as an ensemble, we are now ready for my favorite class project of the year…..The Four Seasons Project! Although my fifth graders are just starting on their projects this year, I will try to add some of examples that I recorded from other years once I figure out how to get mp3 files on here. Please check back.

After listening to excerpts of each season, they eventually create their own version of a season of their choice. Each week, they add another layer to their composition. After about six weeks, each group performs their piece for the class. Everyone has to guess which season they think it is and why.  The performing group explains what they did to create the mood of their season.

Lesson 1:  Two short excerpts of instrumental (karaoke) versions of very current songs are played for the students. Usually I choose something that has a very repetitive instrumental part. I ask the students what songs they heard and how they recognized the songs. We discuss what the songs are about or if they can describe the mood of the songs. Although a few students might actually know the lyrics, most of the students may determine that the song is happy because one of the examples may be upbeat, but we also agree that we really do not know what the song is about  Then we listen to short excerpts of the same songs with the lyrics. We talk about the meaning of the songs and discuss that the lyrics are necessary to determine the real meaning of the song since the background music is very repetitive.

(When choosing the songs, I spend a lot of time looking up songs that have lyrics that are appropriate for school. I use Audacity (you can download this for free) to edit the music to create short excerpts of the songs, and then they are embedded into a PowerPoint slide show. )

I explain to the students that we will listen to instrumental pieces that have so much detail, they will tell a story without using lyrics. In this lesson, I am not trying to say anything negative about the popular music, the students should be aware of how they are different and to try to appreciate each style for different reasons.  (My opinion of the popular music today is a whole other blog post. My goal for the students is to be open-minded when they hear various musical styles of music.)

I then give a short introduction to Antonio Vivaldi and the Four Seasons. We talk about how life was different during Vivaldi’s lifetime. When I play each except from one of the seasons, I ask them to pay attention to how much detail was put into the music. They should draw a picture or write down what comes to mind when they hear each piece. After listening to all of the seasons, the students discuss their reasons for choosing each season. Before revealing the title of the piece, I remind them that music tells a different story to each person. Even if Vivaldi may have had a particular season in mind, I do not want the students to mark their answers wrong.  I want them to be able to try to see things from point of view of the other students as well as the composer’s point of view.  For example, summers in Italy in Vivaldi’s lifetime would not involve the same kinds of activities the students may think  of. (ex. summer camp, going in the pool, and going inside in the air conditioning when it gets too hot)

Lesson 2: We review what an ostinato is by demonstrating many examples. The class is divided into 4 groups (usually 5 or 6 students per group).  Each group is given one Orff instrument to work with since they are encouraged to take turns and listen to each other. Their goal is to come up with one or two ostinato. They are given a worksheet where they write down the season they have chosen and a description of the season. (sound effects they may include)  Before cleaning up, I may ask the students to share their progress by performing their ostinato for the class or by discussing the progress they made. We sometimes use this time to talk about positive ways they problem solved with their group.  As often as possible, I try to have  the students share or discuss their progress.

Lesson 3:  We review the definition of “melody” and many examples are given. The melody should have phrases and a variety of pitches but have some direction or pattern.  A melody should be about 4 or more measures long. I choose a student to play a simple ostinato while I improvise a melody on a pentatonic scale. This helps the students distinguish between the melody and ostinato accompaniment.

Each group is now given two Orff instruments. They work on this during the rest of the class. I rotate between the groups to make sure the group members are listening to each other and not just doing something off on their own.

Lesson 4: We spend the beginning of class reviewing A B and ABA form.   I give the students various examples from songs they have sung over the years. I also show the students how to create an introduction and coda.  The students may want to add one instrument at a time or have one group of instruments play before everyone joins in. The students continue working on their melody and ostinato and then start exploring other ideas.

Lesson 5: We review the names of various classroom instruments. When I look at their notes, I want to see the real names of the instruments and not something like the “the shaky thing.”  This week, the students should continue finalizing their main ostinato and add to their melody. The students often need help to make their melody stand out of from the ostinato.  They make add another ostinato or add harmony.  This is the point where they can start exploring the sounds of other instruments around the room to create a rhythmic ostinato or sound effects that will help create the mood of their season. 

The room tends to get very noisy during this lesson. One of the rules I have is that I should not see students walking around the room playing their instrument. I don’t mind if they quietly test out the sound before bringing back to their group, but I often see students walking around on their own playing an instrument very loudly. Although much of this time is spent exploring the sounds of the instruments, it is also important that the students continue talking about what will work with their composition and help each other create rhythms. During this time, students have started to assign each other parts.  Some of the students need help finding an instrument they’d like to play. Students may bring in their band and orchestra instruments in or use the piano in my classroom. Some of the students will notate their part on staff paper while others just memorize their parts.  The pieces are almost ready to perform. Many of the last minute decisions are made during this class, especially when there is a group of students that are still indecisive. I usually suggest that simple is better.  The mini class performances to share progress are usually helpful at this point.

Lesson 6:  Final practice and performance:  The students set up their instruments to practice. Each group takes turns performing. The other students describe what they heard. I may ask them to names which students played an ostinato or melody. We also discuss the form of the piece. Then the students discuss which season they thought it was and why. The performing group then briefly talks about their piece by describing the role of each person and what they did to create the mood of a particular season.  I haven’t done this before, but I think it would also be helpful to have the students write down some of the things we discuss.

There is a wide variety between the level of musicianship between each of the groups.  In the end, all of the students feel that they have contributed to the project. They usually enjoy the experience and feel proud. The students also enjoy listening to the other performances.  Aside from the occasion class where have difficulty working together, this project is usually a very positive experience for the students.