Grade 8 Music
Course Description
Students will build upon skills learned in 7th grade music, particularly keyboard, guitar, and drums. Students will explore songwriting and lyrics as well as teamwork as they work collectively in a modern band setting.
Course Big Ideas
- Mastering the basic elements and skills of music builds musical literacy.
- Music is a universal language.
- Collaborative music-making fosters teamwork and encourages creativity.
- Technology has transformed how music is created, shared, and experienced.
- Music provides a powerful outlet for personal expression and emotional exploration.
- Composition is a creative and collective experience.
Course Essential Questions
- How can collaboration and teamwork enhance the process of music making?
- What goes into writing a song?
- How is a song recorded, edited, and produced?
- How do lyrics play an integral role in the songwriting process?
Course Competencies
- Students will review fundamentals of playing guitar, keyboards, and drums.
- Students will create lyrics to existing songs as well as original compositions.
- Students will work together to perform selected popular songs as an ensemble.
- Students will work together to create an original song.
Course Assessments
- Performance: Performance Assessment on Drum, Keyboard, Guitar, Group Performance.
- Composition Project: Project (Original Songwriting project).
- Written Assessment: Constructed Response (Drums, Keyboard, Guitar, Lyrics).
Course Units
Unit 1: Instrument Review
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities:
- 9.1.8.B. Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
- 9.1.8.D Demonstrate knowledge of at least two styles within each art form through performance or exhibition of unique works.
- 9.1.8.H Demonstrate and maintain materials, equipment and tools safely at work and performance spaces.
- 9.2.8.A Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
Know
- Students will know how to play basic chords on a guitar.
- Students will know how to play individual notes on a guitar.
- Students will know how to play chords on a keyboard.
- Students will know how to play basic melodic figures on a keyboard.
- Students will know how to play basic percussion accompaniments using drumset and hand drums.
- Students will know how to improvise a solo using keyboard, guitar, and drums.
- Students will know how to perform songs in a group.
- Students will know various pieces of music and groups who have made significant contributions to the pop music genre.
- Students will know various styles of music within the popular music genre.
- Students will know how to safely use and store musical instruments used in the class.
Understanding/Key Learning
Do
- Students will be able to play a basic pattern on a drumset or hand drums to accompany a recording or live performance.
- Students will be able to improvise fill-ins and patterns in a live or recorded song.
- Students will be able to play drums along with different styles of music.
- Students will play basic chords on guitar as necessary for the songs in the class.
- Students will play basic bass patterns using a bass guitar and follow the necessary chords for this unit.
- Students will utilize and play various strum patterns as necessary for songs covered in this unit.
- Students will demonstrate proper care and maintenance of guitars, basses, and necessary equipment - amplifiers, cords, etc.
- Students will play along with recording and live performances alone and with others.
- Students will play selected songs in a performance setting.
- Students will be able to identify songs and bands by time period/decade and their contribution to popular music as a genre.
- Students will be able to identify and recognize various styles of music within the pop music genre.
Unit Essential Questions
- What are the fundamental techniques and skills needed to play drums?
- How do drums function in a rock band?
- How does improvisation play a role in drumming?
- What is the significance of the guitar in various musical genres?
- How do basic guitar techniques influence overall musicianship?
- How do I play basic chords necessary for songs we will learn in this class?
- What are the benefits of exploring different playing techniques and styles?
- How can understanding chords, scales, and progressions improve a musician’s improvisation and composition?
- What foundational techniques are essential for keyboard players?
- What is the role of the keyboard in different musical genres?
- What techniques can keyboardists use to enhance their improvisation skills?
- Who are some of the most significant groups / bands over the last 70 years in the genre of popular music?
- What were some of the most influential songs in popular music over the last 70 years?
Lesson Essential Questions
- How does drumming contribute to the overall feel and structure of a piece?
- How does listening to other musicians enhance a drummer's ability to play in an ensemble?
- How do drummers communicate with other musicians during a performance?
- What are some traditional drumming styles from various cultures, and how do they reflect cultural values?
- In what context is improvisation important, and how can it be developed?
- How does the keyboard's function vary in genres such as classical, jazz, pop, and electronic music?
- Who were the Beatles and why were they important? What were some of their most influential songs and why?
- What are some different styles of music within popular music?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 2: Lyrics & Composition
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities:
- 9.1.8.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities.
- 9.1.8.B. Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
- 9.1.8.C Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the arts forms.
- 9.1.8.J Incorporate specific uses of traditional and contemporary technologies within the design for producing, performing and exhibiting works in the arts or the works of others.
- 9.3.8.C Identify and classify styles, forms, types and genre within art forms (e.g., modern dance and the ethnic dance, a ballad and a patriotic song).
- 9.3.8.F Apply the process of criticism to identify characteristics among works in the arts.
- 9.4.8.A Compare and contrast examples of group and individual philosophical meanings of works in the arts and humanities (e.g., group discussions on musical theatre versus the individual’s concept of musical theatre).
Know
- Students will know how to write song lyrics using vivid language to paint a picture and create emotional impact.
- Students will know how to use existing technologies to perform and record original compositions.
- Students will know song forms and various styles of popular music.
- Students will know how to add various chords and accompaniment to lyrics to create a song.
- Students will know basic techniques for creating memorable and singable melodies.
- Students will know popular song structures (e.g., Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus - Bridge - Chorus, etc.).
- Students will know different genres (pop, rock, folk, hip-hop, etc.) and how that influences structure, melody, and lyrics.
- Students will know how to work together to perform their original songs for an audience.
- Students will know how to evaluate and critique pieces of music within the pop music genre as well as each other’s original compositions.
- Students will know how to write, refine, and perform their own original songs, with a good grasp of both the creative and technical aspects of songwriting.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Students will understand the creative process involved in songwriting including revision and refinement.
- Students will understand the connection between storytelling and lyric writing and its relationship to the overall effect on the song and the audience.
- Students will understand how to work together to create and perform an original song.
- Students will understand how to use musical elements (harmony, melody, rhythm, form, etc.) to compose an original collaborative song.
- Students will use comprehensive vocabulary throughout the songwriting process to describe both musical and non-musical elements.
Do
- Students will use the creative process to write, revise, and refine original compositions.
- Students will collaborate to write song lyrics to both existing songs and original compositions.
- Students will use musical elements (melody, harmony, rhythm, form, etc.) to create and perform original songs utilizing their original lyrics.
- Students will use existing technology to perform, record, and edit original songs.
- Students will perform original songs for an audience.
- Students will critique and evaluate each other’s original compositions while offering constructive criticism and feedback.
- Students will use various musical forms to create and perform original songs.
- Students will be able to identify various styles (pop, hip-hop, country, folk, etc.) within the pop music genre, and choose from those styles as they compose original songs.
- Students will be able to assign tasks/roles to each member of the group based on individual strengths and weaknesses.
Unit Essential Questions
- What are the key elements of songwriting on the guitar, keyboard, & drums?
- What role do musical elements (melody, harmony, rhythm, form) play in a song's impact?
- How does a songwriter use emotion and storytelling to connect with an audience?
- What is the relationship between inspiration and creativity in songwriting?
- How can technology and production techniques enhance or change the songwriting process?
- What is the role of the listener in the creation of a song’s meaning?
Lesson Essential Questions
- How does one go about writing a “hit” song?
- Where do musicians find inspiration for songwriting?
- How do songwriters develop a theme or message in their lyrics?
- How does rhythm affect lyrics and melody?
- What are the different song structures, and how do I choose the right one for my song?
- How can personal experiences or emotions inspire us to write authentic lyrics or music?
- How do I create a catchy melody that fits with my lyrics?
- How do collaboration and feedback improve my songwriting?
- How can I use rhyme, alliteration, and other poetic devices to strengthen my lyrics?
- How do we work together to perform our original song?
- How do we delineate tasks like performer, producer, recording engineer?