1 of 22

Sequencing Your Elementary Modern Band with Music Learning Theory

Julia Turner

2 of 22

Welcome!

  • Sing along, dance along, make friends with the people next to you, and get ready to jam!

2

3 of 22

A little about my students and I…

  • Catholic Elementary School to A. C. Moore Elementary
  • Masters program at the University of South Carolina
  • “Fourth-grade and Fifth-grade Cover-Band Classes: An Action-Research Project Inspired by Popular Music Education and Music Learning Theory”
  • GIML Elementary Level 1 and Modern Band 101

​

3

4 of 22

What are we integrating with Modern Band?

  • Music Learning Theory (Gordon, 2012)
    • Audiation (music thinking)
    • Variety of tonalities and meters
    • Learning sequences/patterns
    • Tonal solfege and rhythm syllables (La-based minor, Du’s and Du de’s)
    • Whole-part-whole classroom activities
    • Creativity and improvisation
  • Green’s (2008) Informal Music Learning:
    • Students choose their own music
    • Students [aurally] copy recordings by ear
    • Students can learn alone and with friends
    • Students engage in personal, often [seemingly] haphazard learning without structured guidance
    • Students incorporate listening, performing, composing and improvising throughout the process

4

5 of 22

Considerations for Elementary Bands

  • Optimized keys (ukulele play-along videos work great!)
  • Using classroom instruments
  • Accommodations for younger students
    • Ukulele chord stickers
    • Jam cards
    • Labeling keyboard keys with dry-erase markers
  • Time to choose!

​

​

5

6 of 22

  • Beat It - Michael Jackson

​

​

​

  • Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

​

​

​

  • Sunroof - Nicky Youre

​

​

​

  • Dandelions - Ruth B

6

7 of 22

Preparation Activities Inspired by MLT

  • Resting tone
    • First on a neutral syllable, then adding solfege
  • Whole-part-whole activities with tonal patterns or rhythm patterns
    • First on a neutral syllable, then adding solfege
  • Improvisation in different tonalities and meters

7

8 of 22

Beat It – La-based minor

  • Verses: la, la, la, la, sol, sol, la, la, la, la, sol, sol, fa, fa, fa, fa, sol, sol

​

  • Chorus: la, la, sol, sol

8

9 of 22

Never Gonna Give You Up – C Major Solfege

  • Verses: fa, fa, sol, sol
    • IV, V

​

  • Chorus: fa, sol, mi, la
    • IV, V, iii, vi

9

10 of 22

Sunroof

  • Fa, do, sol, la
    • IV, I, V, vi

​

10

11 of 22

Dandelions

  • Fa, la, do, sol
    • IV, vi, I, V

11

12 of 22

Cover Band Requirements

  • AT LEAST ONE vocal line
  • AT LEAST ONE percussion part
  • The bass line of your song
  • EVERYONE needs to play a role in your band
  • Choose which instrument and role best fits you!

​

12

13 of 22

  • Beat It - Michael Jackson

​

​

​

  • Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

​

​

​

  • Sunroof - Nicky Youre

​

​

​

  • Dandelions - Ruth B

13

14 of 22

Rehearse with your cover bands!��(Most importantly, choose your band name)

14

15 of 22

THE BIG REVEAL

  • How can we be good audience members?
  • Be prepared to identify one thing you appreciated about each group’s performance and one thing you think they could improve the next time they perform!

15

16 of 22

Reflection

  • How do you feel?
  • What did you notice?
  • Questions about the process?

16

17 of 22

Emergent Themes

  • As music facilitator, I engaged in a cycle of planning, facilitating, reflecting, and goal-setting.
  • Students used connections to a) family, b) extramusical experiences, and c) popular culture and media to choose songs.
  • Students and I communicated with each other similarly and differently using varieties of music notation, tonal solfege and rhythm solfege, and the song recordings.
  • Students expressed their musical identities through agency and music creativity.

17

18 of 22

Student Notations

18

19 of 22

19

20 of 22

Takeaways

  • Include student song suggestions in your classroom! (Don’t just guess what you think they will like)
  • Teach music vocabulary and concepts THROUGH the music your students care about
  • Give your students a choice in how they want to learn music
  • Work towards a student-centered classroom environment

20

21 of 22

Thank you for coming!!��Julia Turner��Julia.turner725@gmail.com

21

If you would like to check out my thesis scan here!

22 of 22

References

Gordon, E, E. (2012). Learning sequences in music: A contemporary music learning theory (2012 ed.). GIA Publications, Inc.

​

Green, L. (2008). Music, informal learning and the school : A new classroom pedagogy. Taylor & Francis Group.

​

Hale, S. (2022, April 11). Dandelions (Ruth. B) EASY ukulele chord/lyric play-along. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HXe6o-TBKIs

​

Ramos, A. (2018, March 27). Beat it (ukulele play-along). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/JnRulag2_4E 

​

Ukeplayalongs. (2018, April 21). Never gonna give you up ukulele play along. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jlbLYsO4XjU 

​

Ukeplayalongs. (2023, January 24). Sunroof ukulele play along. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/gABqmXkvzoE

​

​​Vasil, M. (2020). The Modern Band Movement: Accessible, Relevant, and Student-Centered Education. College Music Symposium, 60(1), 1–4.  https://doi.org/10.18177/sym.2020.60.fr.11473 

​

Wish, D. (2023). Music Will. Music will. https://musicwill.org/ 

​

�

�

�

22