Teaching Performance through Composition

Approachable - Engaging - Flexible

Bring creativity into your classroom, regardless of your students’ experience, ability or your ensemble’s instrumentation. It’s easy! I provide the musical building blocks whilst you and your students compose with form, texture, timbre and expressive techniques. Add performance elements to create a unique piece for your next concert - each one a world premiére!

START WITH RHYTHM

In Book One you are given 6 rhythmic chants. Apply the rhythms created by these spoken chants to body percussion, bucket drumming, or drumsticks on chairs. Now you have the ability to teach students how to compose with FORM, TEXTURE, TIMBRE and EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES before you add PITCH!

Here is an example from my own teaching experience. This chant was written by Australian music educator Sue Lane (not included in the book, but is used here to show what is possible):

Here is a small chamber group performing their own rhythm-based composition using this chant:

And HERE is an example of what is possible using only rhythm with a WHOLE class/large ensemble:

ADD PITCH

In Book Two, pitch is added to the rhythms taught in Book One. The first piece in Book One, entitled ‘Ewww Yuck!’ uses the first three notes of Concert Bb, so you can start Teaching Performance Through Composition from the very beginning!

Buy the whole books or start with individual ‘Rhythm & Pitch’ packs. These packs are singular pieces taken from Books One and Two combined (you get BOTH the rhythm and pitched material PLUS teaching resources). For example:

BECOMING MORE COMPLEX

In Books Three and Four the material becomes more complex. Students begin to compose more material themselves culminating in the final work of Book Four being one that is almost completely original written. PLUS, some works in these books are specifically written for ceremonial purposes (there is one fanfare, two processionals and an excellent chorale that is perfect for quieter events/church services).

Check out this SUPER FUN example from Book Four #one: ‘Nhasi Pano Pamakuwerere’ as composed/performed by the University of North Florida Concert Winds, Director Dr. Erin Bodnar. Just WAIT for the drum line!!! (TPTC for marching band anyone?)

Jodie Blackshaw · Nhasi Pano Pamakuwerere

MORE SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

These resources are so new I am yet to collate other sample performances (maybe your composition will feature here in the future?). But don’t despair! Listen to these awe-inspiring examples from ‘13 Moons’, the first piece in the Teaching Performance through Composition series:

GO TO 13 MOONS