Steps for Learning - Activity One: Your Place and Space
The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to the geographic concepts of physical and human characteristics of place and how this relates to music.
1. It is important to help students understand that who we are is often related to where we are. Mozart’s “place” was Austria, and it shaped who he was and the music he wrote. A good way to help students gain a sense of the physical and human characteristics of place is to begin with where they live. Lead a class discussion using the following questions:
- What is the name of your community?
- What is the name of your state?
- Who lives in your neighborhood?
- Is your neighborhood urban, suburban, or rural?
- What do you see when you look out your window?
- Are there mountains, hills, city views, beaches, streams, ponds, or oceans near you?
- What languages do you hear in your neighborhood?
- What kind of climate do you live in?
- Can you travel by bus, train, bicycle, car or subway in your community?
- When you describe your community, what are you most proud of?
- What are the landmarks or areas of historical significance in your community?
- What makes your community unique?
- What kinds of music do you hear in your community?
Tell the students that each place has a distinct set of characteristics that make it unique and that the music that is created in different places is also unique. Share the idea that it is important to understand why places are the way they are because it can help us to appreciate the similarities and differences in places around our community, state, country, and planet.
As a homework assignment, ask your students to complete the “Sound Journal” handout. Tell them that they are going to observe the sounds around them at three different times, and share the results with their classmates.
When the students have finished sharing their “Sound Journals,” brainstorm answers to the questions below.
- What kinds of sounds might a composer who lives in a city use in his or her music?
- What kinds of sounds might a composer who lives in a rainforest use in his or her music?
- What kind of sounds might a composer who lives near a river use in his or her music?
- What kinds of sounds might a composer who lives in your community include in his or her music?
2. As a class, visit the Smithsonian Global Sound website at http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/countries.aspx. On this website, you can explore music samples from countries around the world. Choose “Austria” from the drop down menu, and then scroll down the page to the section entitled “Track Result.” Click on “Play Sample” to listen to three or four selections with your students. Invite students to share their reactions and responses to what they hear. Have your students choose music from three or four additional countries, and ask them to share their thoughts about what they hear. Focus on making connections between place and music.
3. Listen to Mozart’s aria “Ein Maedchen oder Weibchen“ from the opera “The Magic Flute“ K. 620. Discuss similarities and differences in the music you heard from the Smithsonian website and Mozart’s music. Use the following questions to guide the discussion.
- How did the music make you feel?
- What kinds of sounds did you hear?
- What kind of images did the music bring to your mind?
- What kind of places did the music bring to your mind?
- What kind of actions did the music bring to your mind?
