No Fear,Just Fun!: Meaningful,Memorable Musicking in Secondary General Music

Abstract

Secondary general music is hard to define. For some, this denotes an accelerated version of elementary general music or a decelerated version of a college music appreciation course. Others view this as any nontraditional ensemble geared for middle or high school students, such as guitar, keyboard, or steel pans. Still, for others, secondary general music is not so much a stand-alone course as it is any time devoted to teaching fundamental skills to students in band, orchestra, and choir so they may more successfully perform the repertoire. The authors acknowledge each of the above-listed views as valid; thus, rather than debate what is secondary general music, we will highlight each viewpoint in a three-part series. The first of this series will focus on a class structure where students experience various activities all while learning music fundamentals, studying music history, and developing music literacy skills.

Keywords

composition creativity listening movement music education secondary general music singing technology

In the first of three in this series, we explore secondary general music as a stand-alone class in which students learn music fundamentals, history, and literacy skills. This version of the course has the most historical roots (Abeles, Hoffer, & Klotman, 1994); yet, since its inception, there has been much debate on the structure of the class as well as the concepts that should be included within the curriculum (Abeles et al., 1994; Mark & Madura, 2014). For example, the amount of time devoted to this course differs dramatically from school to school, so the number of concepts taught within the curriculum also varies (Davis, 2011). Additionally, most music educators never experienced this class as a secondary student and received little instruction on how to structure a course of this type in their undergraduate degree programs (Giebelhausen, 2015), which results in unique, and often disparate, approaches.

Due to these differences, it is understandable that a secondary general music curriculum could be structured anywhere from a musical smorgasbord, such as teaching a multitude of concepts through a variety of activities, to an in-depth examination of just one topic, like the history of rock-n-roll. Regardless of how the curriculum is structured, it is likely that attention will focus on the elements of music to some degree. These elements (i.e., articulation, duration, dynamics, form, genre, meter, mood, pitch, tempo, texture, and timbre) and the corresponding concepts (see Supplemental Materials, available online) will serve as a foundation for the age-appropriate, student-centered activities and ideas discussed throughout the article.

Listening

Listening activities are often a staple within secondary general music classes as these can quickly highlight the concept(s) taught, require few additional resources, and are relatively easy to incorporate in any classroom space. However, important aspects of music listening must be considered for these activities to be the most successful for students. A primary consideration includes making sure the concept(s) can be heard very clearly within the music, as some can be difficult for students to discern (i.e., duration and dynamics) depending on the tempo of the piece, stereo system, and so on. Focus of attention is also a concern: Researchers have found that 81% of adolescents listen to music every day (Common Sense Media, 2015), but much of this listening happens while they are doing other tasks (Hamlen & Shuell, 2006; VanWeelden, 2012). Therefore, teachers may want to consider incorporating a multitasking or active component when designing listening activities to reflect the students’ natural habits. Finally, researchers have found that students can have little interest in or even negative attitudes about classical music (Geringer & Guerra, 2002; North, Hargreaves, & O’Neill, 2000) unless it is familiar to them (Hamlen & Shuell, 2006; VanWeelden, 2012). Choosing music of many genres heard in popular culture may help bridge the gap between students’ perceptions and attitudes and the secondary general music curriculum (Odena, 2018).

Activity 1: Listening Versus Hearing

Students hear music everywhere but rarely are they asked to truly listen. Begin this shift in mind-set by asking students to describe pieces of music through journaling. Start simply, by as asking students to list things they hear using nonmusic terms (see “Starting Points” in Elements: Supplemental Materials, available online), then as more concepts and music terms are learned, require students to use these in their journal entries.

Activity 2: Maxims and Myths

Many pieces of classical music are used as background music for television commercials, movie scenes, and video games or to denote events such as Halloween (J. S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor) or a circus (Julius Fučík’s Entry of the Gladiators). Because students often do not have another point of reference that tells them the music is anything but a piece composed for that media or event, providing information to help them understand the original context is essential. Creating 3- to 5-minute listening activities, such as a PowerPoint presentation that includes pictures and audio to demonstrate (e.g., images of Halloween moving to St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany) or having the students watch the television commercial or movie scene, before providing other factual information will go a long way to helping students understand the myth versus the maxim of the classical music they hear in popular culture. It is also a time to gently remind students they probably do not hate classic music since they have heard it before in those popular contexts and did not mind it!

Activity 3: Outside to Inside

Because secondary students often have strong popular music preferences that develop outside the school setting, using this music inside the classroom can help teachers learn more about their students as well as acknowledging the value of their choices (Odena, 2018). For example, in the activity 25 Songs, 25 Days, students are asked a different question each day that makes them think about the music they have heard and experienced outside of the school setting (e.g., a song they remember from before they started kindergarten, a song that reminds them of one or both of their parents, a song that calms them down, a song to which they know most or all of the lyrics, a song that no one would expect them to like). Music That Defines You is another activity example, which asks students to choose four to six pieces of music that are extremely special to them or they cannot live without and write a few sentences of why this is so for each. Both of these activities can be used as homework assignments and/or to provide unique discussion points or journal entries throughout the course.

Activity 4: Did You Hear That?

Any activity that requires students to listen for a specific concept in the music falls under this category. Although this type of listening is quite standard in the secondary general music classroom, the amount of music available from which to choose is often overwhelming. Using the three Cs—clear, concise, and contemporary—when making these choices may help. Isolating examples in short clips through use of software (e.g., Audacity® for audio clips, QuickTime-Apple Inc. for video clips) can help students focus on the specific music concept. Finally, using music and/or media that is familiar to the students will help ensure not only they are more engaged but also there is less new information to process so students can focus on the task at hand (see Supplemental Materials—Item 1, available online, for examples of specific music selections that can be used to teach concepts). Beyond using the three Cs to choose music, creating a way to accurately determine whether the students did, in fact, hear the concept is vital. There are many simple ways teachers can evaluate the students’ aural recognition that range from overt (e.g., asking them to raise their hand) to subtle (e.g., asking them to touch a small square of paper on their desks).

Games

Games are a fun and enjoyable activity for students to solidify the concepts learned, as well as provide a discreet way for teachers to evaluate their students’ understanding and knowledge (de Freitas, 2006). Since nearly all nonmusical games are adaptable to work within a secondary general music curriculum, choose those that are age-appropriate, keep all students engaged, fit the available technology within the classroom, and will inspire friendly competition rather than serious rivalry. It is also useful to choose games that have a neutral setup (i.e., games in which the teacher controls all questions and answers so it is usable for many concepts rather than just one). See Supplemental Materials—Item 2, available online, for examples of games.

Instrument Playing

Playing instruments is not only highly favored by secondary students (Boswell, 1991; Davis, 2011) but also a useful activity for students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of concepts while providing an opportunity to make music in a group. This type of instrument playing is different than guitar or piano class in which the objective is to learn how to play; instead, the purpose in a secondary general music class is to provide another medium through which students can experience the concept. Instruments that are suitable for this include rhythm sticks, auxiliary percussion instruments (e.g., triangles, tambourines), drums, desk bells, Boomwhackers®, tone chimes, metallophones, and xylophones. Although this activity is influenced to some degree by the available instruments, budget, and classroom space, there are several no-cost or low-cost options and resources that work well in any setting.

Activity 1: Body Percussion

Using the human body as an instrument has been around since ancient times and continues today with contemporary music education approaches like Orff Schulwerk. Primarily consisting of four basic sound levels (i.e., snapping fingers, clapping, slapping thighs, and stomping feet) and performed through ostinati of varying lengths, body percussion can meet age-appropriateness for secondary students by using two or more sound levels within an ostinato, adding syncopated rhythms, and/or having longer combined patterns or phrases. Body percussion works well when layered in multiple parts, used to accompany speech or singing, and can be taught through modeling so students do not need rhythm reading skills. “We Will Rock You” by Queen (1977) combined with a body percussion ostinato (see Figure 1) is an example of an activity where the included ostinato can be used in a variety of situations.

Figure 1.

Body percussion ostinato.

Activity 2: Drums

If you can stand the volume and have enough storage space, drumming activities are another great addition to the curriculum. Available in multiple sizes and prices, classroom drums (e.g., hand drums, buckets, Tubanos®) work well as a substitute for rhythm sticks in the activities discussed previously and for students to experience playing music from different cultures. Teachers also have the option of presenting material either by note or by rote, as both are appropriate depending on the lesson context and student ability. Although this activity is often a classroom favorite, teachers do need a certain level of percussion skills to help students be successful. Thankfully, there are many excellent resources available to help, including The Bucket Book: A Junkyard Percussion Manual by David Birrow and Bucket Drumming 101 With Coach K (see https://www.bucketdrumming101.com/).

Activity 3: Boomwhackers®

These brightly colored tubes are one of the most inexpensive melodic instruments on the market, have a chromatic range from C2 to G5 when used with octavator caps, and are virtually indestructible. While much of the music published for this instrument is geared toward elementary-aged students, creating arrangements that will appeal to secondary students as well as fit their knowledge and abilities is entirely possible through music notation software (e.g., Finale® or Noteflight®). Examples of this are “A New Hope” and the “Imperial March” from Star Wars by John Williams and “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg (see arrangements at http://kvanweelden.wixsite.com/secondary-general/playing).

Singing

Singing in secondary general music is one of the most challenging activities to include within the curriculum, not because it is impossible to reinforce concepts through this type of activity but because there are so many issues that surround asking students this age to use their voice as an instrument. Students often have negative attitudes about singing in school settings (Abrahams, 2012; Green, 1997; Hanley, 1998), experience voice changes that may make singing difficult (Skadsem, 2007), and typically become more self-conscious about participating in activities that might embarrass them (Sweet, 2016). Despite these challenges, singing is an excellent way for students to experience concepts. Teachers, therefore, must carefully sequence their approach when including this valuable activity so students do not feel threatened or embarrassed.

Since a major challenge is to get students to sing in class, even marginally, then make participation the first goal. Playing music the students enjoy as they enter the classroom and casually singing along will model that it is okay to sing just for fun and/or because you like the song. It works even better when teachers include some over-the-top antics, such as using an “air microphone” or choreography/exaggerated motions (e.g., “YMCA” by the Village People or “Gangnam Style” by Psy), or choose songs that have limited lyrics that students can easily sing along with (e.g., “We Will Rock You” by Queen or “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake). Singing the verse then motioning for the students to sing during specific phrases and/or the chorus—like a rock star asking the crowd to sing along—is a humorous way to take the seriousness out of singing in school. Furthermore, making comments about the students’ participation, such as “I saw a lot more people singing along today. Good for you!” instead of about their ability, will also lessen the students’ anxiety about singing in the music classroom.

Once the stigma of singing in school has worn off a bit, it is time to start using this activity to help solidify concepts. Particular attention should be given to initially choosing songs that everyone knows (e.g., “Happy Birthday”), are nonthreatening (e.g., “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” “Are You Sleeping,” “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain”), and are in comfortable keys that work well for uncertain singers who are going through voice changes. Teachers should also avoid spending a great deal of time talking about correct singing posture, tone, and so on. While there is nothing wrong with talking about the technical aspects of singing, spending too much time on these particulars will move the activity beyond just another medium to experience the concept. Finally, using the same small group of songs throughout the course will desensitize the music and activity, which may help students to feel less threatened or embarrassed over time.

Composing/Creating

Music composition involves invention, performance skills, music listening, music theory, and aesthetic considerations (Bolden, 2009; Kennedy, 2004) and can be one of the most enjoyable activities to use in the secondary general music class. However, teachers often choose not to include this valuable experience because they feel less qualified to facilitate composition activities compared to other activity choices (Hamman, 2016), find student composing too time-consuming or chaotic (McAnally, 2016), and/or assume that students must be thoroughly versed in music theory and notation or that composition requires expensive computer equipment and software (Kaschub & Smith, 2012). While these are concerns, most of the challenges can be minimized if approached within a sequential framework that allows students time to be creative, problem solve, revise, and share their work, with assignments including detailed teacher demonstration and small, specific tasks to accomplish over many days or weeks rather than over a day or two.

Activity 1: A Dark and Stormy Night

The premise of this small-group activity is to create background music for a short, descriptive story (see example in Figure 2). Used as an activity to solidify the concept of drone, preparation can include listening to drones in classical, popular, and world music examples; experiencing the use of drone in horror film music; and watching video examples of how the use of drones in background music can change the mood of a movie scene (e.g., Frozen trailer original—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc versus horror version—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErdM_xi1b0M). The directions for this activity are simple: One student in each group must choose a low-toned melodic instrument (e.g., Boomwhackers®, bass bars, tone chimes) to play a drone throughout the story; three to four students must choose and play found sounds, body percussion, auxiliary percussion, and/or other sound effects that add to the story and create tension; and one student must read the story aloud as the rest of the group plays the background music. Ask groups to denote within the story handout how and when members of their group will play during the reading (e.g., written words, icons, or other symbolic markings). The activity culminates in a final performance by each group followed by a written assignment to reflect on aspects of the compositional process.

Figure 2.

A dark and stormy night.

Activity 2: Another Stomp

Derived from performances by the percussion group Stomp™, this small-group activity uses found sounds to create a multilayer ostinati composition that is periodically revised when new concepts are learned. The initial iteration of this activity includes splitting students into four- to six-person groups then asking them to decide on a theme (e.g., sports, food, animals, holidays) and create 10 to 12 phrases and/or short sentences they associate with that theme. Once those steps are completed, groups are prompted first to chant then clap each phrase or sentence together to practice how these will sound rhythmically. Next, each group member must choose one of the phrases or sentences as their part of the composition (there will be some phrases and sentences left over) then explore found sounds to play the rhythm of their part. After all group members have chosen their found sound, prompt them to determine three different orders in which the parts could be layered. The next steps are practicing each ostinati order, which also includes changing found sound sources if desired, choosing the order they want to use as their final composition, and performing it for the class. This activity is appropriate for students who have limited or no skills in music theory and notation but also works well when expanded to include additional concepts as they acquire more knowledge.

Activity 3: Rapper’s Delight

Writing a rap song, with the primary focus on composing lyrics, is the basis for this activity and it works best if first completed as a class. Students’ prior knowledge and experience should include lecture and discussion on basic rap song structure. Topics can include differences between verse and chorus, use of four lines/sentences per verse in couplet format, basing each line of a verse around four beats, ending each couplet with rhyming words (i.e., end rhymes or slant rhymes), the use of internal rhymes on beats two and four, pick-up words, varying the rhythms of how words are said, and listening to popular music examples while seeing the lyrics. Students start by completing a word web diagram (see Supplemental Materials—Item 3, available online) that includes a main topic and subtopics to serve as a basis for the lyrics. Next, students use one subtopic and the corresponding related words to create a verse. Reinforce students’ prior knowledge during this step so attention is drawn to the couplets, rhyming words, and varying the rhythms of the words. Students then continue this process for the other three subtopics before creating the chorus, which should use fewer words and catchier phrases. The next step is to split the class into four groups and assign a verse to each. Groups then practice rapping their verse adding vocal inflection, and so on, before putting the song back together as a full class, where everyone raps the chorus. The final steps include choosing a drum beat loop from three to four predetermined examples found on YouTube® or created through GarageBand®, giving the groups time to practice their verses with the drum beat, and then performing the song. This version of composing a rap song can be used as a stand-alone activity, as part of a curricular unit on Hip Hop, or a unit on songwriting in general. It is also an excellent way to incorporate cross-curricular language arts goals and transfers.

Activity 4: Computer-Based Experiences

Using computers or tablets is another way students can experience composing/creating to solidify concepts. While there are many software choices available that can facilitate this type of activity (e.g., GarageBand®, Finale®, Noteflight®), we will highlight two that focus on mixing and electronic music. The first is Virtual DJ® by Atomix Productions, which is a downloadable, cross-platform, open-source (free) audio mix program. Designed with a classic side-by-side two-turntable look, features include adjusting two songs’ relative speed so tempos match, applying effects such as loops and scratching, crossfading from one turntable to the other, and setting and recalling cues. This software works well as a secondary general music activity since teachers can create and monitor the playlists and the program allows recording the students’ work. BeepBox by John Nesky is another option that creates electronic chiptune melodies like those found in vintage video games. Available for free in both online and off-line versions, the software features three channels with 16 notes each, one channel of drums, multiple settings and effects that can be adjusted throughout, and the ability to save and share work. BeepBox works well when used to create background music for a short clip of a video game. Tutorials and product examples for both software programs are available via YouTube (see Supplemental Materials—Item 4 for links, available online).

Dancing/Moving

Dance activities are an excellent way for students to experience the natural relationship between music and movement (i.e., ballet, musicals, cultures around the world) as well as a myriad of other music-specific concepts. However, researchers have found that most adolescents are initially wary of activities that require them to dance or move beyond the norm, especially in nonsocial settings (Connolly, Quin, & Redding, 2011), and cause even the most confident of students to sometimes experience feelings of inadequacy about their bodies and/or dance abilities if the activity is not approached conscientiously (Schwender, Spengler, Oedl, & Mess, 2018). While these results are probably not surprising to anyone who has taught secondary general music, it is good to remember that being mindful of the students’ emotional, social, and physical needs is essential so they feel as comfortable as possible when participating in this type of activity.

Some aspects of dance/movement must be given special consideration in the secondary general music classroom. Careful thought on how the dance or movement instruction is sequenced is crucial since it may take time for students to feel comfortable physically moving their bodies as needed for the specific dance activity. This attention can also be useful when sequencing dance and movement activities throughout the course; teachers can start the year with activities that require small, subtle movements before progressing toward those that need something larger and more observable to others. Another consideration is how students must physically and socially interact with one another while doing the dance or movement. For example, toprock, which is a category of breakdancing steps that use foot movements in a standing position and is a nonpartnered dance, will be perceived much differently than salsa or even square dancing, which requires physically and socially interacting with a partner in varying degrees. Peer dynamics within this age-group are incredibly complex (and sometimes tumultuous) and only become amplified when students feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened; thus, even seemingly innocuous partner dances must be approached carefully to minimize negative interactions. Allowing students to choose their partner, regardless of whether choices fit traditional expectations, will help them feel more comfortable and in control of this aspect. Furthermore, it is often possible to modify dance or movement activities so that physical interactions between students are lessened or removed altogether yet still allow them to experience the concepts, which makes participating much less threatening.

Conclusion

The title of Elizabeth Ann McAnally’s (2016) book, Middle School General Music: The Best Part of Your Day, really is true. While there is no denying it takes a lot of time and work to plan, prepare, and execute secondary general music lessons, all those efforts become worth it when you see how engaged students can be in learning music. When you consider this class may be the students’ last experience in school music before adulthood (Davis, 2011), then making every activity meaningful, memorable, and, dare we say, fun is a wonderful way to capstone their music education.

Supplemental Material

GMT_Supplementary_Items_Final – Supplemental material for No Fear, Just Fun!: Meaningful, Memorable Musicking in Secondary General Music

Supplemental material, GMT_Supplementary_Items_Final for No Fear, Just Fun!: Meaningful, Memorable Musicking in Secondary General Music by Kimberly VanWeelden, Virginia Wayman Davis and Laura Singletary in General Music Today

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental material for this article is available online.

Author Biographies

Kimberly VanWeelden, professor of Music Education at Florida State University, is a choral and secondary general music specialist emphasizing in working with children with disabilities and older adults.

Virginia Wayman Davis is professor of Music Education at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her interests include secondary general music, popular music education, and meaningful music education practices.

Laura Singletary is assistant professor of Music Education at Texas Christian University. Her interests include beginning band instruction and time use and methods in the secondary ensemble setting.

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