Name: _____________________

FORM, DYNAMICS, AND MOOD!!

Student Population: 6th-8th grade General Music

Project Purpose: Students will learn about the musical elements of form, dynamics, and mood, by using
Garageband to record from spaces around them and putting the recordings together to create a
composition.

Project Goals: By completing this project, students should have a better understanding of what form,
dynamics, and mood are and how they are incorporated in a song or musical piece.

Materials: A recording device, Garageband (audio editing software)

Estimated length of project: About 2 50-minute classroom periods

Assumed Prior Knowledge:

- Basic understanding of form (specifically rondo form), dynamics, and mood in music
- Experience with using Garageband

Procedure:

1. Walk around the music classroom and school hallways. Find or create 3 sounds and record them
through Garageband.
a. Can be a sound that either the students make (ex: tapping a pencil on a desk)
b. OR a sound created by the object itself (ex: elevator sound, AC clicking)
2. Create an outline of the song on attached worksheet
a. To describe form: label A, B, and C with what the sound is (ex: A: shaking set of keys)
b. To describe dynamics: use traditional dynamic symbols (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff)
c. To describe mood: Write 3-5 sentences on what the overall mood is, and explain how
each recording relates to the mood.
3. Compose in rondo form (ABACA).
4. Use varied dynamics. Try to use at least 3 different dynamics.
5. Make sure the mood stays the same throughout the whole piece.
6. Composition should be 30-60 seconds long.
7. On the third day, students will sit in a circle and present their projects! Woohoo!
Rubric

CRITERIA 3 2 1
FORM Composition is in Composition is in Composition is not in
rondo form (ABACA) rondo form (ABACA), rondo form
written portion labels written portion does
sounds in each section not label sounds in
accurately each section
accurately
DYNAMICS 3 different dynamics 3 different dynamics Student does not use
are used, labeled are used, not labeled 3 different dynamics
correctly in written correctly in written
portion portion
MOOD Student uses one Student uses one Student changes
mood throughout the mood throughout the moods throughout
composition, solid composition, not the composition
explanation of mood explained well in
in written portion written portion
DURATION Composition is 30-60 N/A Composition is not 30-
seconds long 60 seconds long
 FORM, DYNAMICS, AND MOOD Worksheet!

FORM: What sound is being DYNAMICS

used?
A

What is the overall mood of the piece? How does each recording/section relate to the mood?

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