Homecoming 2014: Great Scots
Evelyn Glennie > Expressive Arts > Third level
Key theme: Music
Introduction
This learner journey is inspired by the work of a great Scottish musician, Dame Evelyn Glennie. Her achievements
in the world of music and beyond are truly astounding and testament to her great determination and self-belief.
Evelyn Glennie became deaf as a young child, but this has proved to be no barrier to this Great Scot. Glennie was
born and raised in Aberdeenshire.
Her father was Herbert Glennie, an accordionist in a Scottish country dance band, and the strong, indigenous
musical traditions of north-east Scotland were important in the development of the young musician, whose first
instruments were the mouth organ, piano and the clarinet. She performs with a wide variety of orchestras and
contemporary musicians all over the globe, giving over 100 concerts a year as well as master classes and "music
in schools" performances; she frequently commissions percussion works from composers and performs them in
her concert repertoire.
This learner journey will focus on developing skills in music, learning about Evelyn Glennie and her life and work,
and extends the learning into an interdisciplinary learning journey. Start by listening to Evelyn Glennie talking
v work, the Olympic spirit and her thoughts about Glasgow 2014.
about her life,
Prior learning
Interdisciplinary opportunities
Learners may already be familiar with percussion and its place in the
orchestra, other musicians and composers of Scottish descent and
performing music to an audience.
Social Subjects - Business (elements of the music business/competitive
creative industries/building careers)
Learners may already have some knowledge of Scotland and its
landscape, and know about the city of Aberdeen, its economic wealth and
impact on the wider Scottish community
History – The orchestra/history of percussion instruments and
players/Aberdeen city/ History of traditional music.
Geography and Modern studies – The city of Aberdeen and its
surrounding communities/economic impact of the oil industry/weather and
its impact on the landscape.
RME – Personal perspectives/ Disability rights
Technology- (percussion instruments, online composition) and
performance using technology
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
1
Homecoming 2014: Great Scots
Evelyn Glennie > Expressive Arts > Third level
Expressive Arts experiences and outcomes
Capabilities
Performance and Presentation EXA 1-01a -
Successful Learners – thinking creatively and independently to produce
their own music.
Art and Design
EXA 1-02a-/ EXA 1-03a// EXA 1-04a/ EXA 1-05a / EXA 1-06a/ EXA 1-07a
Confident Individuals – achieving success in creative and inspiring activities
around the creation of music
Dance
EXA 1-08a / / EXA 1-09a/ EXA 1-10a / EXA 1-11a/
Responsible Citizens – making informed decisions around the materials
and artefacts used to create music
Drama
EXA 1-12a/ EXA 1-13a/ EXA 1-14a/ EXA 1-15a-
Effective Contributors – communicating in different ways and in different
situations.
Music
EXA 1-16a/ EXA 1-17a/ EXA 1-18a/ EXA 1-19a-
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
2
Homecoming 2014: Great Scots
Evelyn Glennie > Expressive Arts > Third level
Learning experience A: Making Music Fun
Introduction
Possible learning opportunities /tasks
This learner experience will encourage
and inspire young people to make music
using a variety of stimuli and a variety of
instruments.
Leaners could:
 Using the body as percussion to create
interesting sounds and rhythms
 Make and play simple percussion
instruments made from household items
 Use classroom percussion instruments to
compose simple pieces for performance
Stimulus
Fun Percussion instruments
Evelyn Glennie performances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVw5Ka
wqUIg
Learners can:
Perform their music to an audience of their peers or
from the wider community
Record their music as audio or video files
Show evidence of their knowledge of percussion
instruments by listening to, and recognising a range of
instruments
Reflecting on learning
Learners will watch, listen to and comment on the
work of others and reflect on their own performances
Key Learning
Learners can:
 perform music from other styles and
cultures demonstrating sound,
rhythm, pitch and dynamics
 follow performance directions and/or
musical notation
 create musical ideas using sounds,
rhythm, pitch, dynamics and music
technology.
 show evidence of listening to music
from other styles and cultures linked
to performing and creating.
 describe and reflect on the
development of their own and others’
work and identify strengths and areas
for improvement.
Possible evidence
Useful resources
Body percussion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqnNu3u-Apw
Making simple percussion instruments to use in
class
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-PercussionInstruments-With-Household-Items
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
3
Taking it further
Learners may develop skills in more formal
percussion instruments, or incorporate percussion into
other areas of expressive arts performances
Homecoming 2014: Great Scots
Evelyn Glennie > Expressive Arts > Third level
Learning experience B: Art and Design
Introduction
Possible learning opportunities /tasks
Possible evidence
In this learner experience, the learners
will be encouraged to create artwork
inspired by music and inspired by their
own environments.
Leaners could:
Develop an understanding of the use of stimuli to
create a piece of artwork
Use a range of media to create art which is
imaginative, creative and dynamic
Stimulus
“Caliban’s dream” from the Olympic
games opening ceremony
Key Learning
Learners can:
 represent objects with reference to
their characteristics, using
imagination and observation.
 explore and understand the
potential of a range of media and
techniques to create some detail
and effect.
 understand visual elements and
technical concepts, including
measurement, shape, scale,
symmetry.
 follow a set out process, including
a response to stimuli, to develop
and communicate imaginative
ideas.



Watch/listen to the music and video and,
after discussion ask learners to draw/paint
something which touched/moved or
inspired them
Create a collage from the learners ideas
Use the idea of “isles of wonder” to inspire
artwork about our country/environment
Useful resources
Reflecting on learning
Caliban’s dream and montage of the Olympic games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiQaU9oIHjs
Learners will reflect on their own work and that of
others through observation and comment
Environment and art
http://artinspired.pbworks.com/w/page/13819572/En
vironment%20Lesson%20Ideas
Inspiration
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/earlyyears/contents_
art.htm
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
4
Taking it further
Learners may exhibit their work as part of a larger
“Great Scots” project, to be shared with their peers or
the wider community
Homecoming 2014: Great Scots
Evelyn Glennie > Expressive Arts > Third level
Learning experience C: Drama
Introduction
This learner experience will encourage
young people to develop their drama
skills by using movement and voice to
devise, rehearse and perform a short
performance piece.
Possible learning opportunities /tasks
Possible evidence
Leaners could:
Perform a drama to an audience
Record the drama work
Script a short part of the drama using a variety of
media
Create a character card for the character they
portrayed in the drama


Stimulus
The themes in Evelyn Glennie’s own
life story

Key Learning:
Learners can:
 create and develop drama in a
range of real and imagined
situations, using improvisation and
scripts.
 use voice, movement and
expression to create characters.
 present stories and ideas using
more than one dramatic
technique.
 present their drama confidently in
pairs, small groups or whole class
dramas.
 portray characters in the drama
and incorporate props and
costume to indicate location or
time.
Use the theme of breaking down barriers to
inspire a short movement piece
Believing in yourself is key to Evelyn
Glennies philosophy. Use this as a starting
point to create a simple script in groups or
as a class
Improvise a scene based on something
you have learned about Evelyn’s life eg.
being placed at the back of the orchestra to
perform a solo or getting the news she had
been accepted into Music college.
Useful resources
Reflecting on learning
Learners will watch and evaluate their own work and
that of others using a blog or other contemporary
media.
Find out about Evelyn Glennie
www.evelyn.co.uk
Drama resources to inspire
http://dramaresource.com/lessons/primary-drama
More ideas and techniques
http://www.swanseagfl.gov.uk/literacy/res/Oracy/S_L_
Drama_leaflets_DFES.pdf
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
5
Taking it further
Learners may wish to develop their drama further.
They may also wish to perform their drama as part of
a wider celebration of “Homecoming 2014.
Homecoming 2014: Great Scots
Evelyn Glennie > Expressive Arts > Third level
Learning experience D: Dance
Introduction:
This learner journey uses the music
of Evelyn Glennie to inspire learners
to create short choreographed
dance sequences.
Stimulus:
The music of Evelyn Glennie:

Caliban’s Dream

Jungle Drums
Key Learning:
Learners can:

create and perform a range of dance
actions

combine actions safely to create and
present a short dance sequence with a
clear beginning, middle and end.

describe and reflect on the development
of their own work and others’ dance work
and identify strengths and areas for
improvement.
Possible learning opportunities /tasks
Learners may use the music directly to produce a
series of short choreographed dance sequences
Learners may produce short choreographed dance
sequences to accompany composed percussion
pieces developed in class
Leaners may use the theme of “self-belief” as
described by Evelyn Glennie in her podcast to
inspire a piece of choreographed dance
Possible evidence
Learners can:
WRITE – Their ideas for the choreographed dance
ideas/stimulus development and what they want the
audience to think/feel
SAY – Discuss and share ideas with others
DO– Use a large practical space and music to inspire
the choreography, supported by the practitioner
Reflecting on learning
Useful resources
Jungle drums
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiZTYdlVQxw
Learners should evaluate their own work and the
work of others using a variety of media
Flight of the bumble bee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGfcAi9Lfso
Libertango
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSKpgAV2420
Caliban’s dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3_aBTZq3nE
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
6
Taking it further
Share the ideas in a celebration of homecoming as a
performance
Perform to the wider community