I like Saturdays at work! No, really I do! Generally it is fairly quiet - although as I type this a Drama lesson is going on in the theatre and it sounds as though they may all fall into the music store room! - but there are no instrumental lessons, and I only teach two lessons! Both Year 4 classes. This morning, my resource for their lessons were...copies of the London tube map! An obvious choice for a music lesson I am sure that you will agree! The children are working on compositions involving OSTINATOS - today we were composing an unpitched ostinato involving the names of stations!
What is an ostinato? An ostinato is either a repeating rhythm or a repeating melody or, in the case of the opening to Ravel's infamous piece, Bolero both! Think of the opening to Bolero...snare drum playing the repeating rhythm, whilst the lower strings play the same three note motif all of the way through for 15 minutes!!!! I know, because I have played it! Today Year 4 were composing train pieces, involving the names of stations, an ostinato using the only station (on our map!) with a one syllable name ....can you name it? - and incorporating both a crescendo and a diminuendo!
Can you see why I love my Saturdays at work?!
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