What a wonderful experience to substitute teach Kindergarten through 6th grade music this past May 2022–student composers at EVERY level!
Kindergarten Composers
The kindergartners were my last to try Hyperscore–they wrote steady beat and alternating steady beat compositions in the rhythm sketch window. These pieces made perfect accompaniments for “The Ants Go Marching”. We enjoyed playing one student composition for each verse as we did the movements!! Who would have thought a 5-6 year old could:
- turn on a computer
- log in with their Clever badge
- click a link to the software
- drop a rhythm sketch window in the workspace
- fill in quarter notes and then make them alternate the next day
- use their piece for their peer’s movement activity
Can 5 year-olds compose? YES!! Look for future blog posts about my two 5 year olds that submitted pieces and check all the pieces out after I finish loading them onto our YouTube Channel!
1st Through 6th Grade Composers
My 4th graders willingly composed for 13 class periods! They received 4 lessons on how to use the tools as their only instruction and had time to create without rules in between the lessons. 5th and 6th did guided lessons and at least one piece was a shining example of creativity, but sadly was not submitted. 1st and 2nd graders had to write quarter and eighth note rhythm patterns that stood for creatures in the ocean with 2nd adding the half note they’d learned from their year-long teacher. Completing that task earned creative composition time–lots of submissions from this group. My 3rd graders wrote songs using the notes B A and G which I had hoped to have them play on their recorders to end the year but they wanted to compose instead! Permission forms went home for anyone who wanted to post their piece on our YouTube channel and I am loading them now: https://tinyurl.com/3vw5a6a3
What next?
Student composers? You bet! Now to get all that experience written into National Core Arts Standards lessons for YOU to achieve success with your student composers! Watch our Resources for Educators page on this website as I write Summer 2022…