Literacy & Music
In the music room, we spend a lot of time reading. We read notation and symbols, but we also study "regular" books to find musical inspiration. Several projects this spring reflect some really well written material.
"Perfect Square" - This is a book about a square that gets shredded, ripped, poked, and torn into different pieces, but it uses those pieces to create beautiful things. Second graders have been learning to write complimentary rhythms and play ostinatos, and the rhythms they have composed are now being used in an electronic composition. Their rhythms are the basis for the story, and they vary from each new situation the square finds himself in. Students are analyzing the text and finding sounds that represent the mood of specific words. Once their compositions are completed, they will be used with preschool and kindergarten classes reading the text for the first time.
"Friendshape" - This book was illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, who recently visited Westmoor School. The book is a simple text that reminds us of the value of friendship, but the simple shapes Mr. Lichtenheld illustrated became the framework for a composition. While studying melodic structures, the fourth graders chose a "home tone" to center their composition around, and then created melodies to represent each shape in the book (blue circle, green triangle, yellow square, red rectangle). As we read the book, the music changes based on how the illustrations are presented on the page. The fourth graders will also be recording their voices to tell the story, and it will be used when presenting the book to our younger readers at Westmoor.
Stories are fun, but a well-written book has many layers of inspiration. When you read at home, be sure to peel back as many layers as you can to discover the beauty in each illustration, word, plot, and character.
All our compositions will be available to hear on the Westmoor Music website as soon as they are finished. They are hosted through Soundcloud, which gives you the option to download the track as well. Just click the "classes" tab and find your child's grade level!
