Our assignment is to choose a song that we believe a student at our engagement placement would enjoy and reasonably be able to learn on the ukulele. Brief Description: The Creative Co-Op is a co-operative homeschool group that meets in Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, VA. They “support the education of [their] children by providing instruction in art, music, physical education, practical skills and academically enriching classes by utilizing the many talents brought by our teaching mothers and fathers”. I chose the song, “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers; this song is was written by Withers because he wanted to express the sentiment of neighbors helping each other out that he grew up with living in a West VA coal mining town. I believe that the learners at the Creative Co-Op would enjoy this song because it is relatively simple, has a catchy tune, and there are motions and phrases you can shout out between lines of the song that are fun. It may not be an explicitly Christian song, but it has Christian values of loving one another embedded into it. I think it would bring them out of their traditional hymns and contemporary Christian music a little bit and would expose them to a slightly different kind of music and culture. Copyright Information:
Ukulele Tabs What Could You Learn Through This Song?Here are some items that students can learn through playing “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. These standards are from the Virginia Music Standards of Learning. Performance-Based 6.2 The student will perform a varied repertoire of music, including 1. demonstrating acceptable performance behaviors; 3. singing or playing music in unison and simple harmony For this standard, I would assess students progress by seeing if they could sing the chorus of the song while playing, then the first verse, and then the whole entire piece. While they are learning the lyrics, I would see if they slowly increase their tempo to play it at the same speed as the recording. Students would develop deeper musical skills on how to replicate a recording they have heard by singing and playing it on the ukulele. MG.8 The student will demonstrate preparatory instrumental basics and playing procedures, including 1. identification of the parts of the instrument; 2. procedures for care of the instrument; 3. proper playing posture and instrument position; 4. proper left-hand and right-hand positions; and 5. tuning of the instrument, with and without an electronic tuner. As students interact with their ukuleles, they will eventually learn how to hold it and what is comfortable and correct hand positions through self-discovery, feedback of teacher and peers, and watching others who have had experience. They will also learn the string names and understand tuning in order to play the correct chords to sing the song. Students will develop deeper knowledge on intonation through experimentation with tuning and understanding the importance of hand position in relation to physical care of self when playing. Music Theory/Literacy MG.1 The student will echo, read, and notate music, including 2. using chord charts; 3. using guitar (ukulele) tablature; and 4. singing lines selected from music being studied I could make specific and assessable progress towards this standard by having students learn the different chords in “Lean on Me” using chord charts, as well as having them play the melody using tablature. I would teach students how to read chord charts and tablature through an example, and then let them figure out how to play the rest of the piece based on that experience. I could engage a learner in developing deeper musical skills by having them play in groups and allowing them to explore where the different chord changes are located, rather than just giving it to them. Music History and Cultural Context MG.17 The student will explore historical and cultural aspects of music by 1. identifying the cultures, musical styles, composers, and historical periods associated with the music literature being studied; 2. describing ways in which culture and technology influence the development of instruments, instrumental music, and instrumental music styles; 3. describing the relationship of instrumental music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge; 5. describing ethical standards as applied to the use of social media and copyrighted materials; and 6. demonstrating concert etiquette as an active listener. I could have students research the background of the songwriter and his thoughts while he wrote the piece (based off of one of his interviews), and then the students could have a group discussion of how this related to the time period and the culture. I would help facilitate discussion and see if students pursue thinking about more difficult questions and conversations. I could engage the learners in deeper musical knowledge about African American culture and the biases around the time that Bill Withers wrote this piece and ask them questions that are analogous to events going on today. Analysis, Evaluation, and Critique MG.18 The student will analyze and evaluate music by 1. describing the importance of cultural influences and historical context for the interpretation of works of music; 2. describing and interpreting works of music, using inquiry skills and music terminology; 3. describing accepted criteria used for evaluating works of music; 4. describing performances of music, using music terminology; and 5. describing accepted criteria used for critiquing musical performances of self and others I could have students practice giving feedback on the different performances they hear of “Lean on Me” and ask them for reasons why they critiqued the piece the way they did. Then I could have them discuss how reviewers back then and reviewers today would critique the song and why they believe so. This would help prepare them to give feedback to each other on their own performances of “Lean on Me”. Through lots of discussion, I could engage a learner in developing critical thinking skills and thinking through what the songwriter wanted to express and convey when he wrote the song. Aesthetics MG.19 The student will investigate aesthetic concepts related to music by 2. describing aesthetic criteria used for determining the quality of a work of music or importance of a musical style; 3. identifying reasons for preferences among works of music, using music terminology; and 4. identifying ways in which music evokes sensory, emotional, and intellectual responses, including ways in which music can be persuasive. I would have students respond to “Lean on Me” in different ways, such as through choreography, a video reflection, or a drawing, to help identify how the music evokes different responses. They could write their own opinion short answers on the quality of the music based on what they have heard and discussed. I would want to see growth and depth in their responses as time continued when learning this piece. I could help engage a learner in developing deeper knowledge by having them write their own song after learning “Lean on Me” based on the ideas that the songwriter had in mind for conveying. This would help them develop the skill of creating responses in listeners through music; they would be able to understand how Withers does that with his song, and also they could then learn how to do so by themselves with their own music. Song SlidesComments are closed.
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Davina MiawOn this page, I will present examples of my leadership through videos, lesson plans, and reflections. Archives
December 2019
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