These fifth grade compositions were composed over an 8 week period in our regular music class. During this time our work was really an exploration of the creative process. As you read through the program notes you’ll get a sense of how students grappled with making harmony and melody work togethe…
I named my piece Winter Winds because some parts sound delicate, and some parts sound rough and strong. When I started my fall composition the only instrument was the clarinet and there were only four measures per instrument, now there are nineteen measures per instrument. I began my piece with the main character being played by the clarinet and back round parts by the violin and the cello. Then I play the main piece by the flute and back round parts played by the clarinet, the bassoon, the violin, the cello, and the french horn.
I started out with my main melody. I wanted my main melody to stick out so I repeated my melody several times. I added many different textures such as monophony, homophony and polyphony. I didn't want my piece to be too long so I made my second part slightly shorter than my main melody. My piece is basically about the weather. Parts of my piece are like thunderstorms and other parts sound like soft winds. I named my piece "Summer Winds" because I really enjoy listening to the wind when I'm hiking in the country. I didn't make my piece have too many clashes but I did add a few clashes which made my piece more interesting. I used all six instruments that were available to me so that the piece could have many different ranges and sounds.
I started my piece with the clarinet and then added on. I added on by putting notes down and making them make a song. Sometimes I had to change my notes. My main idea is played by the clarinet. My piece goes A B B A so I repeat the clarinet part again. I learned that you have to make the notes sound good with the other notes. My main instruments are the flute and the clarinet but I started with the clarinet first. All of my instruments are the Flute, Clarinet, Cello and the French Horn.
My piece is about a stop and go notion. With my other pieces, I didn't do much stop and go. I started with a melody and then I added a "b" section and then I did a sequence and then I added an introduction. My form has a flowing structure. I learned that you need to keep a main idea throughout your piece.
My piece is a joyful but sad piece. There's one minor note in it but other than that it’s a joyful piece. My piece is about some one who is running away. I made this by accident. I wanted something sad. The form is A B A. The instrument that plays the main is the violin and the flute. I dedicate this to my family for making me not want to run away.
My piece is about a kid being lonely. He is trying to find friends and there are up and downs. I began my piece by having an A section which is the first section of any piece. I started with just a melody and not dynamics like you see in my piece now. I added on my piece by adding a B section and adding more instruments. The form of my piece Is that i started with the chorus and then I had verses.
My piece is about a melody that has a very memorable main character but you have to listen close. I began my composition by having 4 measures and then I stuck with those notes and repeated them so I could have a memorable piece. The way I added to my piece was by adding a very simple back round. A texture I use in my piece is polyphony. The instruments i used were flute, clarinet, bassoon, cello, violin and the french horn. My piece is dedicated to my family.
My piece was never about a subject or a thing. It was sounds that were completely serene to my ear, then I did things that sounded fun but did not have the same quality. The way I added to my piece is that I would add a background character if I was adding another instrument. If I was making it longer I would add twists or use variations. The form of my piece is ABCDE. In the beginning the violin played my main idea but now almost every instrument except the flute have a main role at some point. While composing it I learned how interesting 5 instruments playing at once can sound. This is dedicated to anyone who enjoys it.
My piece is about thinking about flying. I think it does sound like flying. I began my composition by making a little main part and then adding onto it with other parts. I added the cello, french horn, flute and violin. The form of my piece I think is really simple. The melody does not have huge leaps. It mostly has skips or steps. The first section is section A then it goes to B then back to A then to C. The main instrument is the Clarinet. I learned how to put harmonies together and I learned about skips steps and leaps.
My piece was originally based on wind. I picked one of the measures that I liked from one of the test pieces I had made in the past. I started my piece with just my main idea on the flute. I chose the flute as my main instrument because I like the sound of the high notes playing the loudest. I like the sound of the flute, I think it makes my piece the best it can be. I enjoyed looking through my different pieces to get ideas for my A, B, and C sections. I picked Windy, Windy, Windy, Windy, Stringy, String as my title because I have four wind instruments and two string instruments.
My piece is about powerful winds. I think Powerful Winds is a good name because my piece is powerful but at the same time has a spooky feel to it. I began my composition with mostly consonance. I started with more of a adding melody with ups and downs. My piece kept on going and got to a point where I added a long half note in different sections. Then I repeated my spot in the begging a little and jumped to the end with a resolving note that all my instruments played. The instruments that play my main idea are probably the clarinet and the violin. What i learned while in the process of composing my piece was that you want to have some notes that resolve in a melody.
My piece is about a neon unicorn. I think that is a good name because it is a happy piece with mostly consonances. Neon unicorns are aIso happy and if they were a song they would have mostly consonances. I began my composition with a simple memorable melody. I added different sections after my main idea that were different from it. After, I repeated my main idea. I used mostly consonant notes and I had a mix of polyphony,monophony,and homophony. My main idea is played by the violin because I tried a few instruments and it sounded best with violin. I learned about textures and consonance and dissonance.
My piece is called Voyage. My piece is about going on a Voyage because it sounds like you are moving around a lot. I began by putting notes together because I didn't know what to do and when I finished I really liked it. My main instrument is the clarinet. I added to my piece by finding another melody I liked and fitting it into my main melody. My form is A B A C. My instruments are Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Bassoon. Sometimes other people think two notes go together and they think I should put those in my piece but I think they really don't go together. My piece is dedicated to EVERYONE!!!!!!
I called my piece rainy day because there are a lot of quarter notes. It isn't slow and elegant, it has more of an upbeat tempo. I began my composition with one simple melody. I put a bunch of notes together, and hoped that they sounded good. I added to my piece by building on more and more instruments which was a challenge to me. I would get very stuck on the idea that I had, and I would like to think that I was done. I made myself add more instruments and during the process that was very hard. I didn't like the way that my instruments played together. But I made them fit. I think the two instruments that are my main idea are the clarinet and the violin. The violin was the first instrument that I used and I think that it plays a big part in the harmony of my piece. Clarinet plays a similar part to the violin, but I feel that the clarinet blends in to the crowd a little more than the violin. I have a pretty melodic melody, except for certain times when I jump some notes.
My piece is about how it's like nothing fancy just plain and normal. I began my composition by messing around with the notes until I found a melody i liked. I added to my piece by finding notes that fit well with my melody and adding them into my piece. The range of my piece is kind of high because I wanted it to have a cheery feel. The flute plays my main idea because I thought it sounded really nice with the flute playing the high cheery part in my piece. My piece is dedicated to my dog Maddie who is SUPER crazy and cheerful! While composing I learned about how some notes sound terrible together and some notes sound amazing together
For my piece I just put notes that sound good together and then repeated it and and added notes in the back round, and then added parts that are different than the first things I did. The clarinet plays the main idea in my piece. I chose to name my piece popcorn because something about my piece just yelled POPCORN!!!!
I have written many pieces in my life. This one was the first one that had something other than one piano. This showed me how I can put different instruments together to create beautiful harmonies with my piece. I also learned much because I had to experiment with time signatures, keys, and plenty of different rhythms and harmonies. The reason that I named this piece Pinball is because I feel like the notes change and go up and down sort of like a pinball in a pinball machine going ding ding ring ding.
My piece is called Misty Morning because it sounds like the early morning. I started with a main melody that I liked so I kept it. I liked the sound of the flute so I made it my main character. It is accompanied by the clarinet, cello, violin and bassoon. I started with my main melody[A], then added the B section, repeated A and then added a C section. C is a variation on the A section's ending, at different notes making it higher, lower and faster. My piece has a good amount of clashes that make it sound exciting, and they all get resolved.
My piece is about being lucky! The reason i named my piece LUCKY is because I thought the melody just went with the feeling of being lucky! I began my composition by thinking of an easy melody to work with. Then once I found my melody I just decided to work from there. Once I listened to my piece I really wanted to add to it so I took out some stuff and I added other stuff. I fixed my piece as I went along and it started to sound really good! The form of my piece is kind of jumpy! When you listen to it it sounds like a happy piece. So thats why I named it LUCKY because the form of my piece sounded lucky! My main idea is played by the flute. The reason I wanted my main idea to be played by the flute is because I liked the high sound of it and I thought that it also went well with the title LUCKY! Well my piece is dedicated to everyone so everyone can feel lucky like I do with my piece!
I started with a main melody which I picked out by picking random notes and it turned out really good. I added on with high notes at first and then went down to lower notes. The form of my piece is high notes for the first part and for the second part is lower notes and then back up to the high notes and then it was a mixture of notes. The main instrument is clarinet. It mostly plays for the whole song. I learned that there’s a lot of things you could do with notes.
In the beginning I remember trying to come up with a main melody. I tried so many different notes and finally I found a main melody. I added notes that were consonant so they would blend together better. My melody is in the middle range for most of the composition. The violin plays my main idea. I like how the violin sounds with all of my background instruments. I had a lot of fun making my first composition!
My piece is about my little brother Ross. My piece is about him because I think my piece is curious and he is curious. I named my piece after my brother Ross because he does not always say words correctly and speak in full sentences. I began my composition by playing a melody I liked on the piano and then I put it on the the computer and changed it to my liking. I added on to my piece by using the three musical textures, monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic. The rhythm of my piece is like a kid jumping in to a mud puddle because their are lots of notes that bounce. The instruments in my piece are the Violin, Bassoon, French Horn, cello, and Piano. I learned to have the melody to my liking because it was me who made the piece. I dedicated my piece to my family but mostly my brother Ross.
My piece is about a person who is going to work and the person is joined by others. After a long day of work the person goes home with the others. How I began my piece was just coming up with a main sound that I liked and repeating the sound and then coming up with other parts that led to to the main sound. How I added to my piece was that I came up with small sounds that sounded cool and then added them to my piece. The form of my piece was based on my favorite sounds and what I wanted it to end with. The form of my piece does not have a pattern. The instruments that I think play my main idea is the flute and the bass clarinet. My piece is dedicated to my brother because he listened to it and helped me with the melody. I also want to thank my mom for listening to me rant on and on about my piece. What I think I learned while composing my piece is that if you spend a lot of time on your work you will come out successful.
My piece is called "Curiosity in the Forest" because the wind instruments remind me of wonder and peacefulness. In the beginning of making this song, I made an awesome melody with the bassoon. After the bassoon, I added the clarinet. And then all the other instruments. And then I added other sections like the beginning and sections between sections. And at the end, I repeat the 2nd section.
My piece is called Dancing Stars because it feels like a a bumpy but smooth melody and very happy. I began my composition by starting in piano. It wasn't always as fast. In piano it was more smooth. As I added more instruments it became more bumpy and exciting. I added to my piece a lot. All six instruments that were available are in my piece. Every time I go on there is an edit I decide to make. When I get my best notes and measures, I get them from experimenting. My piece can never be too perfect. The form of Dancing Stars is something like A,B,A,C,D with parts of A squeezed in. I repeat part of my main melody multiple times, but keep something different to keep it exciting. The violin plays the main part of Dancing Stars. I love the way all of the instruments sound, but violin sounded best for this particular part. While I was composing there was so much I learned about different ways to change my music. For example, I learned about pizzicato, when you pluck the strings on violin or cello. This I added in parts of my piece. I also learned about sequencing. My piece does sound better when I return to my main melody!
Well I began my composition by messing around a little on Noteflight before finding my main melody. My first instrument was the clarinet, and then I added on the Bassoon, French Horn, Cello and Violin. My first run through of my piece was a little tough but with some help I either resolved or changed those dissonances. To add to my piece I started with a main melody and then added on what sounded right.
My piece is about being happy that's why I named it Feliz that means happy in Spanish. I began my composition thinking it needed to be fast but it ended up a little slow. I started with a fast beginning and added a slow middle and end. The form of my piece is ABAC. I made it ABA form because I liked the A part a-lot. My main instrument was the violin because it sounds good with my piece. I dedicate this to my grandpa because he loves music.
I started with a little melody that was about four measures. Soon after that we added more to our piece. We added all different kinds of textures. The textures we used were polyphonic, monophonic and homophonic. After that we added different instruments. First I added the flute, clarinet and cello. All of them had different melodies. The flute had my original melody. My piece is called Calm Winds because my piece wasn't that fast and it sounded like winds. I have a lot of parts in my piece. There is an A section, B, then A again and then there are so many more. I learned that you shouldn't make your piece all the same texture because it is much more interesting when it isn't all the same. I dedicate Calm Winds to my best friend Regan.
I began on my piece with a main melody. My main melody is in the french horn. After that I added to my piece by first adding a new instrument. Then I needed to make a form so I used many different melodies at the same time. I dedicate my piece to Belle Fraser.
My piece is called Cherry Blossom and I named it that because to me it sounds like a bright springy day, and one thing that I love about spring is the cherry blossom trees. They are so beautiful and cheerful, and that is what I think my piece sounds like. I began my piece by thinking of a melody to begin with, and I found this one, and that became my main melody. After that I started playing around a bit, and I thought that I should continue using the same melody over and over and it was, in the end, a nice tune. The form of my piece is where there is one part, then another, the first part again, and then a new part in the end. the instrument that plays the most is the clarinet, and the flute also does a bunch of parts. While I was composing my piece, I learned that sometimes there are parts in the music that sound better than others, but overall, it sounds good together.
My piece is about how seasons change. In many ways it sounds like the song is changing season from spring to fall. I began by having a mix of sound and many main characters. I added by finding what I liked and added it again and I took out notes by hearing what sounds strange. I don't really have a main character. I think it flips on and off. My piece is dedicated to people in need.
This is the first piece I have composed. The title means "Early morning breeze" in French. I chose the title because my piece is like an early morning breeze and I thought that since my background is the french beaches. I dedicate my piece to my family.
My piece is about being free, having fun and doing what you want and when I made this piece I felt free and had fun, and I hope you like it. I began this piece with the saxophone because I play the saxophone and wanted to be in it, but I made it to complicated and Matt suggested to change the sax to a different instrument so I listened to the different instruments that I could chose from and chose the bassoon. I added to my piece by putting notes together and listening if they sound good together. My piece is dedicated to my mom and dad because they help me all the way.
My piece is about a spring day because it has a soft but fast melody. The form of my piece is intro then A then B then C then A. I have 2 main instruments and they are clarinet, violin and they both get played to be like two birds in union.
I think my piece is very peppy, and more into the higher notes. I go into a lot of different sections and thats why I call my piece "A Change Of Directions." My piece has some hills, but they all fit. I like 8th notes a lot, because they're very happy and peppy, and they just fit my personality. Also I hope you enjoy the piece.