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Bridging Music Production, Modern Band, and Orff

Sandra Sanchez Adorno & Daniela Ramirez Calicchia

Florida International University

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Arrange the ostinati to match the recording

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1 2 3

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How does that translate into music production ?

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Bridging Music Production, Modern Band, and Orff

Sandra Sanchez Adorno & Daniela Ramirez Calicchia

Florida International University

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Music Production

The process by which music is created, captured, manipulated, and preserved so that it can be distributed and enjoyed

(Berklee College of Music, 2023)

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Composition

Recording

Arrangement

Instrument

Recognition

Study of Sound

Ear Training

Music Theory

Mixing

Mastering

Songwriting

Form

What does it encompass

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The Orff Approach

Not a prescriptive method - up to the “care and ingenuity” of the teacher “to devise methods that will, in the daily wear-and-tear of teaching, not crush but bring to flower the capabilities that can so deeply enrich the lives of young people” (Frazee, 1987, p. 9).

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Elements of the Orff Approach

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1

Orff Media

Tools/activities incorporated to acknowledge individual differences/encourage maximum musical potential

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Orff Pedagogy

Inductive process of teaching music via stages of imitation, exploration, literacy, and improvisation

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Orff Theory

Incorporation of an “elemental style” of music teaching and analysis

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Orff Media

  • Speech (rhymes, word-games, riddles, sayings, poems)
  • Movement (exploratory, creative, choreographed)
  • Song (various genres)
  • Instruments (Voice, body percussion, unpitched percussion, bar instruments, recorders and other instruments)
  • Listening (in action, music not created by the children/recorded)

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Music Production “Media” & Methods

  • Digital Audio Interfaces (DAW’s) (Ableton, Logic, Garage Band, Pro Tools)
    • Sampling
    • Audio
    • MIDI
    • SFX
    • Loops
    • Synths
    • Sequencing

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Orff Pedagogy

  • Imitation (simultaneous, remembered, overlapping)
  • Exploration (experimenting with musical changes, altering music)
  • Literacy (sound before symbol -> symbols can represent sound)

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Improvisation - inventing new musical ideas, musical independence

  • Preceding steps necessary to draw from
  • Based on musical elements, form, certain Orff media, visual/dramatic imagery

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Production Process/Pedagogy

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Composition

Instrumentation

Mixing

Mastering

Arrangement

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Types of Composition Projects

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  • Modeling
  • Emulation
  • Cover
  • Song
  • Cue
  • Film music
  • 80/20
  • Game music

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Compositional Modeling

Compose by imitating the parameters of a single reference

  1. Form
  2. Harmonic rhythm
  3. Instrumentation
  4. Chord qualities
  5. Mood/purpose

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Orff Theory & Elemental Style

  • Ostinati (movement, speech, sung, instrumental)
  • Melody (begins with C, F, G, a, d, e pentatonic scales for simple accompaniments, singing, and improvisation; progresses to hex- and diatonic scales and modes)
  • Drone/Bordun
    • Simple (provides tonal stability, w/non-functional harmonics I-V)
    • Moving (less strong, use of adjacent pitches on weak beats)
    • Other Accompaniments (triads, functional harmony)

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Orff Arrangements

  • Melody
  • Melodic Ostinati
  • Harmonic Ostinati
  • Rhythmic Ostinati
  • Drone
  • Color Part

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Production Arrangements

  • Drums/Percussion
  • Melodic element
  • Bass
  • Harmonic element
  • Sound FXs
  • Voices

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“Essence”

Wizkid ft. Tems

Attentive/Directed Listening:

  • What instruments/repeated patterns do you hear?
  • Can you clap/sing one?

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“Essence”

Wizkid ft. Tems

  1. Melodic Ostinato/Element
  2. Harmonic Ostinato/Element
  3. Rhythmic Ostinato/Drums
  4. Drone/Bass
  5. Color Parts or Sound FXs

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Rhythmic Ostinati/Drum Parts

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Melodic Elements

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F-F

E-E

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1.

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Bass Guitar/Keys

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Legato:

B- B-

A- A-

(F) (F)

E- E- E- E (E)

D- D- D- D

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Color Parts

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Jam Break

Instrumental

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Improvising Q&As

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Putting it all together

Decide how we will layer/arrange parts and create a graphic score

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Exploring New Musical Possibilities

  • Simple Drones
    • Simple
    • Simple Walking/Broken
    • Simple Level
    • Simple Crossover/Arpeggiated
  • Moving Drones
    • Use of 6th or 4th scale degrees

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Exploring New Musical Possibilities

  • Drums/Rhythmic Ostinati
    • In action
    • https://drumbit.app/
    • Manipulatives

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Exploring New Musical Possibilities

  • Melodic Ostinati/Harmonic Elements
    • Use of pentatonic scales
    • Could be a fragment/variation of the melody or a completely different but complementary part

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Exploring New Musical Possibilities

  • Color Part/Sound FX
    • Listen for rests/spaces to add complimentary color parts
    • Consider sound sources that catch listener’s attention

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Group “Loop” Compositions

Parameters:

  • Tonality/key/chord progression-(16 measures; 2m of Dm, 2 of Em)
  • Compose at least 5 parts
    • 1 drums/rhythm
    • 1 bass/drone
    • 2 melodic ostinati
    • 1 color part

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Directions:

  • Decide how to layer parts
  • Notate track using graphic notation/icons
  • Share

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

  1. Organize your tracks (color coding,order, grouping, standards)

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

2. Rough Fader Mix

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

3. Pan Knobs (will influence all other effects)

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

4. Equalizing (EQ)

Balancing frequencies/Shaping sound

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4. Equalizing (EQ)

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

5. Compression/Limiters

(Modifies Dynamic Range)

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

6. Effects

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  • Reverb*
  • Delay*
  • Saturation
  • Chorus

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Mixing and Mastering Basics

Mastering Essentials

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  • EQ
  • Compression
  • Limiter

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Orff Schulwerk in Music Production

  • Mimic and replicate existing works in various ways

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  • Exercise listening, singing, playing, moving

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  • Springboard for creativity
  • Explore various DAW features

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  • Experiment altering melodies, rhythms, sounds, forms, etc.

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  • Incorporate classroom instruments/

found sound sources

  • Connect sounds to symbols

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  • Utilize iconic and/or traditional notation,

graphic scores, waveforms, etc.

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  • Use past explorations/

experiences to inspire creativity

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  • Consider parameters for student success (music rules, mood, imagery/

prompts)

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IMITATION

EXPLORATION

LITERACY

IMPROV/COMP

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Resources

Mixing

https://www.landr.com/how-to-mix/

https://www.waves.com/fundamental-mixing-tools-you-need-in-every-song

Using a DAW

  • Linkedin Learning

Instruments VST/ Samples/ Sounds

Books

  • Adler S. (2016). The study of orchestration (Fourth). W.W. Norton and Company.
  • Blume J. (2008). 6 Steps to songwriting success: The comprehensive guide to writing and marketing

hit songs. Billboard Books.

  • Frazee J. & Kreuter K. (1987). Discovering Orff: A curriculum for music teachers. Schott.
  • McCandless G. & McIntyre D. (2018). The craft of contemporary commercial music. Routledge.
  • Randles, C. (2022). Music teacher as music producer: How to turn your classroom into a center for

musical creativities. Oxford University Press.

General

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Thank you!

Sandra Sanchez Adorno

sadorno@fiu.edu

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Daniela Ramirez Calicchia

drami157@fiu.edu