On your own computers, you will be watching the Blue Man Group perform.  This is an individual assignment -- you will not be working together.  As you watch, take note of how many different ways they incorporate percussion into their performance.  Answer the following questions in the forum "BMG Video Questions:"

1.  What kinds of percussion did they use percussion in their performance?
2.  What media did they also use with percussion?  Sound, lighting, electronics, etc...
3.  Is the BMG creative with their use of percussion?  Why?

* When you are done watching the video and answering the questions, you may work independently on your Individual Learning Projects in class. *

Hands - Clap Hands, Snapped, Slapped Hands on Legs / Chest
Feet - stomped, skidded, tapped
Legs - pat
Mouth - hit with hand

Check out these links:

The Percussion Show

"Take Ten" - a short body percussion film

Body Percussion

Beatbox Meets Hamebone 

What is Percussion?
 Definition:  musical instruments; tapping or striking the surface of the body or other surface; struck, scraped or rubbed by hand against another instrument
 
** More importantly **
Percussion instruments are most commonly divided into two classes: 
1.  Pitched percussion instruments, which produce notes with an identifiable pitch
2.  Unpitched percussion instruments, which produce notes without an identifiable pitch.

What is the difference between sound and percussion?
How the sound is made.
Percussive sounds have rhythmic patterns.

Types of Percussive Sound:

• Electronic Percussion
• Experimental 
• Cup Percussion (Per-cup-ssion!)
• Body Percussion 
• Bucket Percussiont

At this time, you should be writing the final draft of your sound composition.  The final draft should include the following:

1.   Each sound in order.  You should have three columns of sound.

2.   Each column should have a main idea at the top, the details listed underneath, follow by the sounds in order.

3.   Number of times each sound is happening   
Ex. 1  Boom (3 times)
Ex. 2  boommm booOOOMMM BOOOOOMMM
*personally I think Ex. 2 is more exciting : )

4.   Dynamics

5.  A Title

6.  All Composers Names 
Ex.  By Martin Jones, Lucca Picasso, and Marx Tchaikovsky

** Your final drafts should resemble the layout of either Example 1 or Example 2 **

Begin exploring how you can make sounds out of objects (that are not actual instruments).  There are random objects on and around the piano ... how can you make sound with them.  How can you create sounds and rhythms with them?

Today You Will...
1.  Think how the sounds you are creating could be the sounds of your detail sentences?

2.  Think about how you would recreate the sounds you have described in your sentences.  Get ideas from things around you or other objects you could bring to class to make those sounds.  Maybe your voices or your bodies can recreate the sounds you need.

3.  Write out exactly what words describe the sounds in your detail sentences. 
Check out these examples:
Example 1

Example 2

1.  Elaborate on your topic.  What are some main ideas of this topic?  The topic is what you're going to compose about.  The main ideas are what you want to say about the topic.
For example:
Topic:  On a Farm
Main Idea:  Today was pretty unpredictable.

Come up with 3 main ideas for your topic.

2.  Now, what are some details about the topic or main idea that might spark a musical idea?
For example:
My sister left a wheelbarrow sitting in the front lawn.  When I ran outside in the dark to shoot a opossum, I fell over the wheelbarrow.
I climbed up a tree and discovered a hornet's nest.

Come up with 4 details about your main idea.

Salt: http://vimeo.com/9986699

Plants:  http://vimeo.com/10198497

Solar Panels : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=988tCKKKc_8&feature=player_embedded