Preparation for Improvisation & Improvising Soundtracks for Folktales

Preparation for Improvisation & Improvising Soundtracks for Folktales IMPROVing: Successful and Sequential Improvisation that Develops the Musician at Every Level, ArkMEA Sessions, All-State, Hot Springs, February 18, 2011 11:15 A.M. to noon Deborah Barber, PhD Arkansas Tech University dbarber@atu.edu Thank you for making this session SO MUCH FUN!

Sequence for Developing Vocabulary for Improvisation • Rhythmic patterns • Tonal patterns (solfege) • Melodic (neutral syllables) • Harmonic *Edwin Gordon’s “Essential Preparation for Beginning Instrumental Music Education” 2010

Echo & Mirror* • Teacher sings or plays a simple tonal pattern • Student then echoes the exact pattern • OR • Student sings it backwards. T: d m S: m d T: d r m S: m r d *Edwin Gordon’s “Essential Preparation for Beginning Instrumental Music Education” 2010

Chaining* • One student improvises a rhythm pattern • The next student repeats the first then turns to neighbor and improvises a new pattern • Can also be done with tonal patterns • Later with rhythms and pitches, state names or animals or … *Edwin Gordon’s “Essential Preparation for Beginning Instrumental Music Education” 2010

Now for some fun… • Find a folktale. I like stories with a message. • Imagine a soundtrack for characters, action, and moods of the story. • Mark these places • Read the tale to the class • Have pitched and non-pitched instruments for the students to choose • Allow students to choose a section to bring to life with their music • Give a little time to experiment then perform • Teacher reads the narration, pausing and directing as needed.

Real Brotherly LoveA Traditional Korean Folktale,

Real Brotherly Love A Traditional Korean Folktale, Retold by Yun Seok Kim from Korea A long, long time ago, there lived two brothers in a village. They were both very poor. The older brother had a little more than the other one: however, he had a larger family to support than the younger brother. One autumn, they harvested their grain, but the older one worried about his younger brother, so at night he took some grain and secretly put it in the place where his brother stored his grain. The next day, even though he had done this, his own grain supply was not reduced. The next night he did the same thing, and again the next day his grain supply was not diminished. It stayed the same. He thought it was strange, so that night he hid in the field to see what happened. A few hours later, he saw a person approaching. He went out to see who it was. The stranger was his brother who was also worried about his older brother. Each night he had been taking grain to his older brother to help him! This was true brotherly love. After that, they lived happily the rest of their lives http://www.topics-mag.com/folk-tales/folk-tale-brotherly-love-korea.htm

Parts Prelude eeee Younger brother eeee Older brother eeee Harvesting grain eeee Night music eeee Magic eeee Slow mystery eeee Postlude eeee

Prelude eeee Real Brotherly LoveA Traditional Korean Folktale, Retold by Yun Seok Kim from Korea • A long, long time ago, there lived two brothers in a village. • They were both very poor. Older brother eeee Younger brother eeee

Older brother eeee • The older brother had a little more than the other one: • however, he had a larger family to support than the younger brother. • One autumn, they harvested their grain, • but the older one worried about his younger brother, Younger brother eeee Harvesting grain eeee Older brother –slowly e e e e Younger brother - slowly e e e e

Night music eeee • … so at night he took some grain and secretly put it in the place • where his brother stored his grain. • The next day, even though he had done this, • his own grain supply was not reduced. • The next night he did the same thing, • and again the next day his grain supply was not diminished. • It stayed the same. Magic eeee Night music eeee Magic eeee

Night music eeee • He thought it was strange, so that night he hid in the field to see what happened. • A few hours later, he saw a person approaching. • He went out to see who it was. Slow mystery eeee Slow mystery eeee

Younger brother eeee Older brother eeee • The stranger was his brother • who was also worried about his older brother. • Each night he had been taking grain to his older brother to help him! • This was true brotherly love. • After that, they lived happily the rest of their lives Night music eeee Magic eeee Postlude eeee

Where is Korea? CHINA North Korea South Korea Japan

Miss Julie Ann Johnson I V Chorus: Miss Julie Ann Johnson, oh ho. I Miss Julie Ann Johnson, oh ho. • Well, where is she going... She’s going to … 2. Well, how’s she going to get there… etc. 3. How long will it take her… 4. What’s she going to do there? … Let’s record our song!

Where the Wild Things Are • Improvise music for the wild rumpus • Part of the class act out the book and part play a soundtrack • Wild rumpus music is fun to improvise over an electronic keyboard drum pattern or a GarageBand loop. This one is “Jacaranda.” Use G D and F C

Where the Wild Things Are • Improvise movement for creatures… parrot - monkey - elephant – puppy kitten - prancing horse turtle - frog - fish giraffe - butterfly

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tedtalks-video/id160892972http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tedtalks-video/id160892972 #32 Charles Limb – Your Brain on Improv Broca’s area (speech/language) is active during improv.

Webpage http://faculty.atu.edu/dbarber/inservice/All-State2011-Improv.html Link to this PowerPoint and mp3 of wild rumpus music Thank you for making this session SO MUCH FUN! dbarber@atu.edu

Preparation for Improvisation & Improvising Soundtracks for Folktales