MUSIC VIDEO PROJECT
Overview
During the “Music Video Project”, students in fourth and fifth grade create a music video. In order to create the music video, students participate in a variety of learning activities including audio recording a performance of their selected song, analyzing the selected song in order to understand what the song is expressing, and video recording storylines and video scenes that align with the message of the song. Through participating in this project, students gain a better understanding of three big musical ideas: 1) music videos are a tool for expression 2) music videos need to be interesting and creative in order to engage the audience 3) music videos need to be performed well (quality singing and instrument performances, quality choreography, quality videography)
Essential Questions
· What makes a good music video?
· What emotion(s) and ideas does the selected song express?
· How can we express the emotion of the selected song with storylines and visual scenes?
· What makes a good musical performance?
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings
· music videos are a tool for expression
· music videos need to be interesting and creative in order to engage the viewer
· music videos need to be performed well (quality singing and instrument performances, quality choreography, quality videography)
Knowledge and Skills
· singing skills
· instrument performance skills
· describing and analyzing music videos
· creating storylines, choreography and visual ideas for music video
· collaborating
· evaluating performances
National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
Assessment
Students self-assess their finished product at the end of the project. The self-assessment is in the form of a writing activity and asked students to answer the following questions:
1) How well did we do with creating a music video that expresses an emotion? Support your opinion with examples.
2) How good was our music performance? Support your opinion with examples.
3) How good was our visual performance? Support your opinion with examples.
4) How interesting and creative is our music video? Support your opinion with examples.
5) What would you have done differently?
Instruction Plan
Phase 1
-First, Mr. Kniffen described the project to students. After students understood they would be making a music video of a favorite pop song, the class began talking about the question "What makes a good music video." Mr. Kniffen documented student contributions to the discussion in the electronic journal.
-In order to better understand what makes a good music video, students began to watch music videos and analyze them. Students watched the music vid to "Fireflies" by Owl City among a few others. Students thought about what the video is expressing, how the video is interesting and creative, and how the video is technically put together (how fast are the scenes changing, etc)
-After analyzing and discussing, the students and Mr. Kniffen decided that good music videos must meet the following criteria: 1) They must be innovative, creative and interesting. 2) They must be expressive (expressing emotions, messages, etc). 3) They must have good craftsmanship (good technique, etc).
Phase 2
-Students then chose a song to learn and record for the project.
-Students practiced singing the song.
-Once the song was performance ready, Mr. Kniffen recorded it on garageband.
Phase 3
-During this phase, students brainstormed visuals that would align with the song they recorded. Students discussed what the message of the song is. Students discussed what the song was expressing and how they could express those ideas and emotions through video scenes. Mr. Kniffen documented all of the students' ideas in the electronic journal.
-After students brainstormed the visuals, Mr. Kniffen and the students decided on which ones they would use for the music video.
-Students then went to various locations (outside and inside) and Mr. Kniffen used a greenscreen effect (by putting up a bright green table clothe and filming students in front of it) to put students in various settings.
-After filming, Mr. Kniffen edited the movie footage, imported the garageband track of the musical performance, and put together a youtube video of the music video.
-The music videos are showcased at the Winter Concert and at the Friday morning school gathering.
During the “Music Video Project”, students in fourth and fifth grade create a music video. In order to create the music video, students participate in a variety of learning activities including audio recording a performance of their selected song, analyzing the selected song in order to understand what the song is expressing, and video recording storylines and video scenes that align with the message of the song. Through participating in this project, students gain a better understanding of three big musical ideas: 1) music videos are a tool for expression 2) music videos need to be interesting and creative in order to engage the audience 3) music videos need to be performed well (quality singing and instrument performances, quality choreography, quality videography)
Essential Questions
· What makes a good music video?
· What emotion(s) and ideas does the selected song express?
· How can we express the emotion of the selected song with storylines and visual scenes?
· What makes a good musical performance?
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings
· music videos are a tool for expression
· music videos need to be interesting and creative in order to engage the viewer
· music videos need to be performed well (quality singing and instrument performances, quality choreography, quality videography)
Knowledge and Skills
· singing skills
· instrument performance skills
· describing and analyzing music videos
· creating storylines, choreography and visual ideas for music video
· collaborating
· evaluating performances
National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
Assessment
Students self-assess their finished product at the end of the project. The self-assessment is in the form of a writing activity and asked students to answer the following questions:
1) How well did we do with creating a music video that expresses an emotion? Support your opinion with examples.
2) How good was our music performance? Support your opinion with examples.
3) How good was our visual performance? Support your opinion with examples.
4) How interesting and creative is our music video? Support your opinion with examples.
5) What would you have done differently?
Instruction Plan
Phase 1
-First, Mr. Kniffen described the project to students. After students understood they would be making a music video of a favorite pop song, the class began talking about the question "What makes a good music video." Mr. Kniffen documented student contributions to the discussion in the electronic journal.
-In order to better understand what makes a good music video, students began to watch music videos and analyze them. Students watched the music vid to "Fireflies" by Owl City among a few others. Students thought about what the video is expressing, how the video is interesting and creative, and how the video is technically put together (how fast are the scenes changing, etc)
-After analyzing and discussing, the students and Mr. Kniffen decided that good music videos must meet the following criteria: 1) They must be innovative, creative and interesting. 2) They must be expressive (expressing emotions, messages, etc). 3) They must have good craftsmanship (good technique, etc).
Phase 2
-Students then chose a song to learn and record for the project.
-Students practiced singing the song.
-Once the song was performance ready, Mr. Kniffen recorded it on garageband.
Phase 3
-During this phase, students brainstormed visuals that would align with the song they recorded. Students discussed what the message of the song is. Students discussed what the song was expressing and how they could express those ideas and emotions through video scenes. Mr. Kniffen documented all of the students' ideas in the electronic journal.
-After students brainstormed the visuals, Mr. Kniffen and the students decided on which ones they would use for the music video.
-Students then went to various locations (outside and inside) and Mr. Kniffen used a greenscreen effect (by putting up a bright green table clothe and filming students in front of it) to put students in various settings.
-After filming, Mr. Kniffen edited the movie footage, imported the garageband track of the musical performance, and put together a youtube video of the music video.
-The music videos are showcased at the Winter Concert and at the Friday morning school gathering.
