Music With A Purpose – Understanding Musical Choices Through Film Scores

Procedure

1) Bell Ringer: "Think about a happy, fun scene in a movie. Now imagine if the composer used sad, tragic sounding music with that scene. How would that feel?" (Allow for a few student responses, emphasizing the feeling of inappropriateness.)

2) Introduction: Explain that composers are musical storytellers who use specific tools (elements of music) to make music appropriate for the context.
Key Terms Review: Briefly review expressive musical elements that create mood, such as Tempo, Instrumentation, Dynamics, Tonality, or Texture and ask students to give examples of how these might be used to represent different settings, moods, actions, or characters in a movie.

3) Show students a picture or a 30-second silent video clip of a tense, suspenseful moment (e.g., someone sneaking through a dark hallway, or a slow build-up before a sports penalty kick).

- Play Example 1 (The Appropriate Choice): Play a 30-45 second piece of music clearly designed for suspense (e.g., the opening of John Williams' Jaws theme, or a suspense cue from a movie).
- Model Analysis: Using expressive elements, model how to analyze and cite evidence:

Context: Suspense/Tension.

Evidence (Tempo): "The tempo is slow and the rhythm is steady and repetitive."

Evidence (Dynamics): "It starts very soft (pianissimo) and gets louder (crescendo)."

Evidence (Instrumentation): "It uses low strings/low brass which sound heavy and dark."

Conclusion: "The slow, quiet, low-pitched, repetitive rhythm builds tension and anxiety and is therefore appropriate for the suspenseful context."

Play Example 2 (The Inappropriate Choice): Play a 30-45 second piece of music that is clearly inappropriate for the same context (e.g., a fast polka or a cheerful nursery rhyme). Ask students to quickly explain why it doesn't fit.

4) Distribute a worksheet with a table for analysis. Task: Play 2-3 new musical excerpts, each with a different context. After each clip, have students analyze the music and determine its appropriateness.

Clip A: Context: A fast-paced chase/action scene. (e.g., a segment of a classical overture like Rossini's William Tell or a typical action movie cue).

Clip B: Context: A tranquil, nature scene or lullaby. (e.g., Debussy's Clair de Lune or an ambient track).

Clip C: Context: A celebratory event or victory. (e.g., a march by Sousa or an upbeat pop song used at a championship).

Structure the Response: For each clip, students must fill out the following on their worksheet:

Context Appropriate? (Yes/No) Element Used (Tempo/Dynamics/Etc.) Evidence (What did you hear?) Explanation of Appropriateness (e.g., Action)

Share and Discuss: After each clip, briefly discuss student answers, making sure they are citing specific musical evidence (e.g., "The music is appropriate because the tempo is fast, and I heard loud, driving percussion.")

Exit Ticket: Provide a final, short musical example and a specific context (e.g., a piece of music and the context: "Music for a sad, final goodbye.").

Prompt: On a slip of paper, students must answer the question: "Is this music appropriate for a sad, final goodbye? Cite two pieces of musical evidence (elements) to support your explanation."

Collection: Collect the exit tickets to assess students' ability to analyze, cite evidence, and explain the context, directly matching the state standard.

Wrap-up: Briefly summarize that musical choices are never random; they are intentional tools used by composers to achieve a specific effect appropriate for the story or setting.

Standards Code

MU:Re9.1.6

Suggested Assessment

Provide students with a selection of silent film clips similar to those used in the lesson activity. Ask to students to choose one film clip and determine the musical characteristics they believe are appropriate based on the elements described above. Students then must provide their own musical accompaniment for the scene (either pre-existing or original) that demonstrates these characteristics.

Enduring Understanding

The personal evaluation of musical work(s) and performance(s) is informed by analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.

Essential Question

How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?

Include my name & district in the List of Contributors

1