MMEA Conference: Integrating Film and Video Game Projects into The Music Classroom

This clinic was with Sean Hagon of The New England Conservatory. Focusing on creating music for film and videogames, this clinic brought lesson plan ideas that could be used in any music classroom.

In order to create quality music, we talked about the value of listening to quality music. The way we used to teach music was here is the composer, here is his biography, here are five of his songs, memorize this! Sean's technique is to ask the students critical listening questions to music, however it is not just the same old same old. He will have multiple pieces for students to listen to from many different genres including the classical era, movie soundtracks, and videogame soundtracks. By slipping in new music with the old, students will be able to draw connections between them and thus appreciate them more.

I currently use a Bugs Bunny cartoon as part of our film soundtrack project in Music Technology I. I learned about archive.org in this clinic which offers public domain videos, pictures and music royalty free. I will be using this to create new film projects in my course.

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Band Room: A New Design

Just in case we ever get a new or renovated high school (I might be dreaming), I wanted to be prepared for helping input the best design possible for a new band and chorus room. I ended up attending a clinic by the Wenger group. Wenger is the company that made the acoustic shells on our high school auditorium stage along with the two "soundproof" practice rooms that were installed back in the 1960's. The company is now the standard company used in the United States for music room design. I learned many things at this clinic. Firstly, I learned that most bands and choruses have their own rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, and offices. We spent a long time focusing on where sound goes after it leaves the instrument. Our music room has a ceiling that needs to be at least four feet higher. Additionally all the equipment in the room cuts down on reverberation. It is suggested that any closets or storage areas in a band room have open grilled doors so that air and sound c...

Learning Theory through Pop Music by Matthew F. Finnegan

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