ACTIVITY 1: Creative Careers

Objectives:

• Raise awareness of how life experiences influence choices.
• Raise awareness of how our natural tendencies give cues to appropriate career choices.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

One 60-minute session

Notes:

This will be a fun and humorous activity for the students. Putting a time limit on the brainstorming sessions will help to keep the groups focused. Each class has its own personality and makeup. If you feel the brainstorm activity is better suited with students working individually or in pairs, do so.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

Ask your students if there are hobbies, interests, or activities rooted in their cultural experience that could lead to areas of focus for a career.

Materials Needed for this Activity:

• Paper and pencil for brainstorming.

Additional Resources:

• Cal Scott is a member of the Oregon Trail band. To look at the group’s selection of CDs, go to their website: http://www.trailband.com/
• Jeffrey Stolet is another artist who, as a young music student, liked to "improve" upon classical composers. His artistic journey took him to a different style of musical composition. This artist has also been featured on this website. To learn more about this artist, please go to the lesson plan with the featured video: Jeffrey Stolet.

Procedure:

1. Begin your discussion by asking your students if they know the names of any composers who have written for film?
2. Do the students personally know any professional musicians?
3. What do they do? (There is probably more than one activity).
4. View the video.
5. Discuss the tools of the trade:
• What are some of the non-musical tools and skills he requires for his film scoring? (Math, technology)
6. Discuss the life and career path of Mr. Scott:
• What was his original career goal? Why?
• What life experiences led him to his current occupation(s).
• What elements of his original career goal is he using in his current work?
• What musical quirks or "experiments" gave a hint that he might like to compose someday?
7. People with careers in the arts often are involved in several activities, either concurrently or alternately.
8. Is film scoring Mr. Scott's only activity?
9. Does anyone know a person who has a job which was prompted by interests or hobbies they had as teenagers, or as adults?
10. Do they know anyone who has changed careers as adults (as opposed to jobs within a career area)?
11. What were the reasons for the change?
12. Group activity: Divide into groups of 3-4 students each.
13. Have each person list his/her hobbies and interests (sports? academics? visual art? music or dance? computers?), and habits. Don't forget the quirky parts of your personality: Are you a neat-nik? Do you like to doodle? Organize things? Are you constantly singing? Quick with the puns? Do you like kids? Animals? Do you like to fix things? Improve how something works? Are you the one who organizes when friends get together? Do details excite you or bore you? List as many as you like, but at least five.
14. Share your list with the group. Let others add to the list, if they know you well.
15. As a group, brainstorm both obvious and not-so-obvious career possibilities. For instance, someone who likes history could be an historian or history teacher; add hiking and Spanish studies to the equation, and he/she might lead treks on the Aztec Trail to the ancient city of Machu Picchu! A person who likes solving puzzles and construction could be a stonecutter or install tile. Someone who likes to debate and wants to study law could end up as a trial lawyer. List at least eight career possibilities, being as specific as possible and listing traits (at least two) that complement that career. Allow 25-30 minutes.
16. As an alternative, students might wish to do this activity individually rather than in a group.

Assessment

• Use the Group Collaboration Scoring Guide to assess this activity.

Extensions and Adaptations

• See Breedlove Guitar Lesson #1 for a research project on careers
  relating to music.

ACTIVITY 2: Film Scoring Overview

Objectives:

• Raise awareness of how music influences and enhances visual perceptions.
• Raise awareness of how music is used in film and advertising to influence us or advance the story line.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

15 minutes of class time, plus homework assignment.
If desired, an additional 15-20 minutes of class time may be used for students to share their findings with each other in a small group, or as a class.
An additional 60-90 minutes of class time would be used if the class viewed and discussed movie segments as a group .

Notes:

You may wish to show a movie in class rather than assign viewing outside the classroom. Choose 15 minute segments from several genres, for example: animation, drama, comedy, science fiction, or historical fiction.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

Ask if anyone has viewed foreign films. How is the use of music in the films similar or different?

Materials Needed for this Activity:

• Access to movies (video or DVD) or television in students' homes or in the classroom.
• Chart or black/white board if movie segments discussed in class.

Additional Resources:

Jeffrey Stolet is another artist who, as a young music student, liked to "improve" upon classical composers. His artistic journey took him on a different style of musical composition. Learn more about Jeffrey Stolet through Featured Videos on this website.

Procedure:

1. Begin your discussion by asking your students if they notice soundtracks on T.V. and movies? Do any students know the names of any well-known composers who have written for film? How does music influence your movie viewing experience?
2. Watch video if not already viewed.
3. Talk about the philosophy of film scoring.
   
4. Ask the following questions:
• What is Cal Scott's philosophy of incorporating music with film?
• Is he successful in its implementation?
• Do you notice when music is used in films?
• What function does music play in the telling of the story?
5. Assignment: Watch 30 minutes of television, including show and advertising, or 30 minutes of a movie.
6. Document changes in the music:
• Movies:
• Was music throughout? Only at certain times? When did it tend to occur?
• Did music help predict what was to come? Did it enhance the storyline? How?
• Are there changes to the film score that you would have made? If so,what are they?
• Television: include all of the above (a through c), plus:
• Some TV shows have theme music at the beginning and ending of the show, but not during the drama. What is the function of the theme music?
• What was advertised during the breaks? Was music used? What kind of music was it?
  
• Why do you think this style was picked? Who was the advertiser trying to reach (ages, gender)?
• Do you think the advertiser's choice of music was effective in reaching the projected audience?
• Some advertisers use well-known pieces of music. Why do you think this music is chosen? Can you think of an example?
  
• Has the ad changed your reaction when you now hear the music as originally composed or recorded?

Assessment

• Use the Writing Scoring Guide to assess this activity.

Extensions and Adaptations

Watch advertisements on television in three different time periods during the day, for example, Saturday morning, weekday afternoon, evening. Or listen to three different radio stations (for example, classic rock, top 40, alternative or classical). Document the product being advertised, describe actors (age, gender, clothing if appropriate), speech (mainstream, slang) and music used. What audience is being addressed?

ACTIVITY 3: Scoring for Film, Slides, or Poetry

Objectives:

• Students will use music to enhance a film clip, slide show, or poem (original or not original).

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

Work occurs outside class time.

Notes:

Please respect copyrights. Purchase sheet music (if student(s) are recording or presenting the music live), incorporate music from a purchased recording, or download music from a legitimate website such as iTunes (http://www.apple.com/itunes/). Remember to properly credit any music used. Project must be for educational, non-commercial use only.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

Ask students to explore foreign films that depict different cultures. Encourage using visual skills to choose the appropriate music even when a student cannot understand the language being spoken. How does that music speak to the culture and flavor of that movie?

Materials Needed for this Activity:

• For films: Access to digital cameras and iMovie, or other movie editing software.
• For slide show: Access to Power Point or similar software; CD or audio tape player.
• For poetry: Access to CD player, audio tape player, or student musician to play live music.

Additional Resources:

• Copyright protected music may be downloaded for a nominal fee from websites such as iTunes: http://www.apple.com/itunes/.

Procedure:

1. Utilizing this website: http://www.apple.com/itunes/:
2. Let your students choose an original poem, film or slide presentation.
   
3. This can work as an extension to an earlier assignment. OR a non-original poem.
4. For example, students may have filmed scenes from a play of Shakespeare, created a PowerPoint presentation for social studies, or written poetry for a poetry or creative writing assignment.
5. Students choose music that complements the theme of the film, slide show, or poem.
6. For example, Shakespeare scenes from Romeo and Juliet might use music of the time period, or choose a more contemporary song (Going to the Chapel, Hey Juliet) that complements the story, humorously or otherwise.
7. Note: Please respect copyrights. Purchase sheet music (if student(s) are recording or presenting the music live), incorporate music from a purchased recording, or download music from a legitimate website such as iTunes.
8. Remember to properly credit any music used. Project must be for personal, non-commercial use only.
9. Present final product for the class.
   
10. Presentation should include a brief, oral description of what the project is, what music was chosen, and why, and documentation of how the music was legally obtained.

Assessment

• Use the Presentation Scoring Guide to assess this activity.

Extensions and Adaptations

For an original poetry or songwriting activity, see Life Reflections in Songwriting and Poetry, Lesson #3, and a companion Reflective Journal activity, Lesson #2