Make it mean something!

7 Nation Army is a great song to teach to middle school beginners because it is a great song, period. 

Todays group was focused on developing our sound so we can record next class for our concert music video. 

We worked on all the parts together until we knew them all and could do some transitions between sections. I asked a question about the arrangement "how loud should the chorus be? Louder than the verse, softer or the same" there were different opinions and then someone had a question about what goes where.

This always happens in class and its where I say " well lets listen to the original." Pop on the white stripes and we listen for differences. Everyone gets a pencil and paper and we "take notes" (make a song map) to help our performance. 

Students almost immediately notice that the beginning of the song has no drums and is just low guitar sounds. 

Thats different!

They usually notice that the build up to the chorus gets louder because they bring in the guitar right there and that brings us into the chorus (which is loud) 

It ends with another buildup except after it builds it gets really quiet and goes back to just the bass again. 

We listen through and look at our maps. 

Talk them out and then we start trying different things in our arrangement. 

We usually realize that when people are coming in at different times it might be better for there to be someone in charge of letting them know. So I conduct them for the first time. They know what to play and in what order so they are able to watch for cues and respond to dynamics.

We start the way they did, with just the low sounds, adding drums in later then adding guitars at the build up, busting it out really loud on the chorus before breaking it way back down just to the bass. 

Today the students spontaneously gave themselves a big hand afterward. 

We talk it out, Do we like playing it this way? Does it feel different? Why? Why might a band need someone to direct them? Do you think that might be what being in a concert band or orchestra or choir is like? What other things can we do to our arrangement? Should we keep it like this or go back to what we were doing before? 

I'm writing all this out because in this lesson we hit on crescendos, diminuendos, sFzp, cues, group dynamics, arrangement ideas, conducting technique and every bit of it comes from the students asking questions about the thing they are doing. If the skills are scaffolded they will reach for the next thing when they need it and there isn't any reason to stand in front of the white board and point at a crescendo, define it, do it in isolation and then move on. 

Kids love to learn if the learning means something! Make it mean something!

Continuing Questions:

What does it mean to “mean something”?
In what ways were we able to engage in traditional exercises (like song mapping) while imparting them a utility and relevance? Why might this be important in developing these musical skills?
Is there a difference between musical thinking and musical skill?
Which is more important in a general music setting?
Are there ways to access musical thinking without getting bogged down in musical skill?
Does development of skill always lead to greater expression of musical intent?