Unit 2 Sample Lesson - Creating Lyrics

What type of singer do you think you are? Soloist or ensemble? Soprano, alto, tenor or bass?

Why is it important to identify the type of singer you are?

How does singing make you feel?

Why is it important to warm up before you sing?

How do your vocal skills assist you when performing a song for an audience?  What other elements need to be taken into consideration e.g. acting skills, movement skills, etc.?

ADB 3M

A3.1 use a variety of techniques to increase interaction with or participation by the audience
B1.1 use the critical analysis process before and during drama projects to assign roles within the group, monitor the group process, and modify the roles and process as needed
C3.1 identify and follow safe and ethical practices in all drama activities

ATU3M

C3.1 demonstrate responsible, constructive behaviour in interactions with others during the creation and production processes

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the importance of daily warm ups for proper vocal care and why it is a crucial part of safe and ethical practices in drama
• Identify the different voice types and become confident with their vocal type (soprano, bass etc)
• Use the critical analysis process to assess their progress while developing their vocal techniques
• Sing as an ensemble and potentially as a duet or soloist for a variety of audiences and purposes

Readiness

Student prior knowledge may include, but is not limited to:

• Singing in ensembles – school choirs etc
• Performing in local community musical theatre productions
• Performing in high school musical theatre productions
• Independent vocal lessons
• Instrumental music experience
• Music theory
• Dramatic arts training in vocal production

It is important to identify students' wide variety of vocal experiences, as this will help decide how to organize small and large group activities.  It will be important to ensure that experienced and non-experienced students are working together in order to get through the basic required elements of this unit as quickly as possible.

Students’ preparedness and experiences will be established through discussions and/or getting to know you activities that will have taken place in the previous units of this course. 

Students will have already had a chance to become comfortable with their classmates as this lesson will be taking place a month or so into their course. This will be important as trust can be an issue for first time singers.

Previous lessons may have introduced other song structures and experience singing in their appropriate registers. Students will already be aware of the register they sing in.

For further lesson support, refer to the music glossary in the music curriculum documents 

Terminology

Alto
Bass
Diaphragm
Forte
Harmony
Legato
Piano
Pitch
Rest
Soprano
Tempo
Tenor
Tone
Vibrato
Vocal folds

Materials

Warm up materials (musical text)
Keyboard or similar instrument
CD player, IPOD
Various musical selections of sheet music and/or CD’s
DVD player
DVD’s
Cue cards for exit slips
BLM#5 Warm Ups
Appendix #2 Learning a Song

Whole Class > Finding the Meaning 

Choose a solo from a musical (refer to BLM #4) and provide the students with a handout of the lyrics to this song. Have students read silently through the lyrics as if they are reading a poem.

As a class, discuss the story in the song and the possible characteristics of the individual singing the song. Explain to the students that interpreting the lyrics is key to understanding how to express the song. This is why it is important to first read the song like a story. Remind the students that inexperienced singers can present a song effectively if they believe in what they are singing and present it with confidence.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Use knowledge gained about students in earlier lessons to determine in advance who sings with confidence and who is apprehensive.  

Discuss and create appropriate support strategies with less confident singers before beginning this unit. 

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Daily Personal Journal Reflection -
These journals could take place in blog form or through the teacher designed web site.  This will also allow for students to communicate with each other as well as with the teacher. 

As students begin to sing during the creation process, document the individual progress and vocal interpretations. Use this documentation when responding to the students journal/blog reflections.

Differentiation (DI)

Individuals may use audio or video recording of their performance and not present live for their peers. 

Students may choose to add movement or dramatic interpretations of their songs. Refer to Appendix #2 for a variety of ways to help students learn their songs.

The teacher may provide a simple melody such as 'twinkle twinkle little star' or another well known melody to serve as the tune that will accompany the original lyrics that the students create.

Quick Tip

Standing in a circle for warm ups allows everyone to feel like they are part of the group, and also allows for a stronger sound when students are worried about singing out loud.

Students may also be more comfortable doing their warms ups while walking around the space so that no one person is watching them.  This may allow them to have more freedom of expression.  It also helps them relax their muscles so they do not stand too stiffly and then tighten their neck and vocal folds, making it difficult to produce a pure tone.

Have students with vocal experience stand side by side with the less experienced singers so that they can assist with pitch control and other aspects of ensemble singing.

Students with piano skills may assist when teaching the lyrics and melodies of songs. To help students get started, have them explore one word stories; or watch excerpts from Who's Line Is It Anyways? (see Hyperlinks)

Link and Layer

While students are focusing on their vocal production, they should also be given feedback on how their understanding of dramatic presentation will assist them in their performance. Students need to understand that acting, singing and movement go hand in hand.

Students should be referencing the style of music they are performing by watching videos and listening to other versions of the songs they have chosen or have been asked to perform.    

Hyperlinks in the Lesson 

Depending on the musical selections that have been chosen, YouTube will offer a wide variety of visual and audio examples of various companies presenting the musicals
www.youtube.com

Who's Line Is It Anyway? has great examples of how you can create a song about anything
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ybCvgxMlrk

Lyrics to Musicals
https://www.allmusicals.com/index.htm
http://musicappreciation.suite101.com

Whole Class > Warm-up

Discuss the importance of warming up your voice and body, and how every rehearsal should begin with a warm-up. Have students stand in a circle or find a space on their own. Run students through a vocal warm up using BLM #5 Warm Ups as a guide.

Small Groups > Creating Lyrics

Divide students into small groups made up of students who sing in a similar register to their own tone (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). Instruct students that they will be creating original lyrics to fit an instrumental piece you have chosen. Play the selection of instrumental music (pre-recorded or played live) so that the students can hear the music before they begin the exercise.

Instruct one student from each group to choose a topic from a prepared box of topics. Potential topics could be:

• What to do about all the garbage?
• Living in a colourful world
• Struggles of being a teenager
• Technology - The Spice of Life

Tell the students that the topic they have chosen is the starting point for creating their song.

Encourage groups to brainstorm their topic with the goal of creating a basic story line for their song. Advise students to have someone record ideas as the story forms. Tell students that these stories are to be adapted into a lyric/poetic form that will suit the instrumental music that was introduced at the beginning of the lesson.

Small Groups > Sing Out Loud

Give students time to rehearse the song once their lyrical creations are complete. Encourage call and response, rounds, solo/duet, and other variations that can be added to make the song more effective when preparing for the presentation. Refer to Appendix #2 Learning a Song to provide simple and effective ways for students to learn a song quickly and efficiently. 

Whole Class > Reflection

Have the students reassemble to share some of the challenges and successes they encountered while working in the small groups.

Encourage them to use vocal terminology when describing their experiences.  Give them an exit slip on which to summarize one success and one challenge faced by their group.

Collect exit slips as students leave the class and use these in future lesson planning.