Animusic

This week I just discovered "Animusic!" More examples can be found at animusic.com or on youtube. DVDs of full creations can be purchased from animusic.com. Animusic is music that has been aligned with a completely digitally created animation. At animusic.com they describe the creations as, "Animusic is computer animated music where virtual instruments perform music on their own, precisely playing each note."The animation illustrates the composer or designer's vision of what the instruments could look like in one's imagination. I think these Animusic videos demonstrate how one can put their vision and emotions into a stimulating auditory and visual creation.

Gotta Keep Reading!

One of the best examples that I have found that makes an excellent connection between music and education is the rendition of the Black Eyed Peas song, “I’ve Got a Feeling,” to “Gotta Keep Reading.” When one listens to the rendition “Gotta Keep Reading,” it evokes a number of emotions including excitement as well as ties to our social and cultural life.
I played this video for my upper elementary students and they were entranced and of course wanted to watch it over and over. I ended up adding a link to it on my webpage so they could show their parents the video at home. I knew when I watched it that something about the song made it compelling. I could tell that the students were moved in an emotional way. But what was it that created this feeling?

First of all there is a catchy rhythm that hooks the listener and makes one want to dance. How simple yet creative it was, to incorporate a book as a prop into the video that the students danced with. Is it the words or the music that make this song compelling? In this case I believe it is a combination. I do not think the words to the song alone would be as compelling as they are to the rythm of this particular song. The creativity of writing a innovation of this song about reading makes it interesting to listen to the words. However it is the pattern and rhythm of the music that the listener enjoys. Although the words, “This book’s gonna be a good book,” are repetitive throughout the song, the notes increase going higher with the repetition, and then as the anticipation grows, then the words and rhythm change.

The social and cultural aspect of the video also draws in the students. When they view their peers performing a song of this type I think that it gives them a new respect for reading, which was the topic of the video.

Music Connections

When I listen to a song and decide that I like it, I don’t usually think about what the elements were that made me like it. Somehow I just know I like it. Was it the words, the story within the song, the sound of the music, the rhythm, or the combination of notes? After reading about the “hook” in music and listening to Robert Kapilow’s podcast interview, I realize that there is a lot more to creating a compelling piece of music than I originally thought.

I would like to think of the “hook” in music as the lead sentence in a written story. It is the “hook” that is used to catch the ear of the listener. As one reads a story the beginning is the part in which the author draws the reader in. In music the hook will determine if the listener shuts off the radio or keeps listening just as the lead in a story will determine if the reader will continue. Interestingly though in music, it is not always the words that catch the listener's ear. Robert Kapilow discusses many techniques that are used to make a song profound, and what causes a “sticky idea”. It could be a repeating rhythm that increasingly gets higher causing anticipation. It could be a variety in the musical rhythm but a repetition in words. It could be the cultural and social ties that the song has to us giving us a sense of belonging.

Teaching students to be aware of the elements that draws one into the song will allow students to think critically and make connections between their literature studies and music.

Aesthetic Elements in the Educational Setting

Now I am perplexed in thinking about in what ways can schools effectively provide experiences that evoke emotions, feelings, and cause the students to connect with the subject matter on a different level? I do believe that if a teacher is truly interested and compelled by the subject matter that they teach, then they will be able to create more lessons with aesthetic connections.
In the article “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing,” it states, “Are students aware of the aesthetic aspects of mathematic, and if not, what can we do about it?” There are a number of thoughts that come to my mind about how to integrate the arts in to math at the elementary level. Photography could be used to teach students about various mathematical concepts such as shapes, lines, symmetry, congruence, and patterns. Students could either take photos of these concepts or analyze photos taken by others. Students could create films to explain their understanding about various methods in which one math problem was solved. Many times students are encouraged to draw a picture to solve a problem, but what if they went a step further and created something from their drawing such as a poster or a video?

Connecting “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing” to Education

“The aesthetic becomes a casualty in American education.” This line from “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing,” illustrates that American education lacks the appreciation for aesthetic learning. It is questioned, “How do we help students experience the aesthetic aspects of language?” Especially in a society in which it is required that each teacher covers numerous Grade Level Content Standards, do we neglect the arts and integration of aesthetic appreciation. The arts seem to be considered luxuries.

If educators begin to integrate lessons that evoke emotion and feeling, then students will be able to make connections and “see how each piece is a part of a larger whole.” Bringing attention to the aesthetics in school curriculum also allows students to develop sensibilities about our world. It is necessary for schools to provide students with experiences that move students to feel compelled about what they study. Passing state mandated tests does not always demonstrate a student’s understanding of a subject as well as an emotional connection to a feeling that was created through a student’s learning.

Connection to GLCEs

The following fourth Grade Level Content Expectations, taken from the Michigan Department of Education, illustrate that students are required to write an informational comparative piece, be able to connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding, and explain relationships by categorizing, classifying, and comparing.

W.GN.04.03 write an informational comparative piece that demonstrates
understanding of central and supporting ideas using an effective organizational
pattern (e.g., compare/contrast) and informational text features.

R.CM.04.01 connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses.

R.CM.04.03 explain relationships among themes, ideas, and characters within and across texts to create a deeper understanding by categorizing and classifying, comparing and contrasting, or drawing parallels across time and culture.

Students could demonstrate their understanding of these GLCEs through taking part in an assignment similar to the Module 3 assignment, “A Tale of Two Retail Spaces,” in which our class analyzed the interior design elements of two similar retail spaces. I think students would benefit from this assignment because they could relate their learning experience to a real world situation. Students could be given an option for how to present their findings either through a written report, PowerPoint, or movie.

Below is an example video I created analyzing the interior design of two craft stores:

Classroom Architect

At http://classroom.4teachers.org/ there is a free application available called “Classroom Architect. This online application allows you to create a classroom floor plan by choosing your classroom dimensions and then dragging various pieces of classroom furniture onto the floor plan.

I think that Classroom Architect could be used in the classroom as a learning tool. Students, either individually or in small groups, could each create their vision of a functional classroom. They could present their floor plans, and students could vote on which plan to put into real use. This activity could help students to investigate elements of architecture and interior design. They would need to create a space that doesn’t seem crowded and in which students can learn. By designing a room they would need to analyze the space and materials available. They would be working collaboratively to discuss what plans are functional and what elements contribute to this. They would also discuss plans that didn’t work and the interior design elements that caused the plan not to work.

Here is an example picuture of a floor plan created with Classroom Architect: