Song writing DE Module
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Song Writing DE Module
Ryan Hicks
University of Regina
EC & I 833
November 14, 2012
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Abstract
This paper will look at a distance education module for a Music 30 class. The module will focus
on creating lyrics in a song , but as part of a larger unit on song writing that will include how to
compose a melody, add harmony, find inspiration and analyze songs. From my experience, most
people have a hard time creating original lyrics or poetry. Finding ways to foster creativity is the
focus of my master’s program as I am hoping to do my final project on this topic. Through my
research, I have begun to understand why adults have issues with learning to be creative and why
kids don’t have any issues. Author Ken Robinson, through his writing and TED talks, suggests
that schools kills creativity (Robinson, 2012). Historically, most classes have not recognized the
value of making mistakes as a part of the creative process and thus students may become terrified
of creating anything original because they might make a mistake. In order for my DE module to
be successful, I need to first address this head-on with my learners in order for them to feel
comfortable and achieve success in the module. This module would come after comfort has been
established not only for the creative process, but the technology (iPads) that will be used.
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Song writing DE Module
The module will focus on creating lyrics for a song. This module would be a part of a
distance education delivered Music 30 class and delivered via iPad, as iPads not only will allow
the learner to access the class via the internet, but the iPad has some built in applications that
allow a student to compose and perform music. These applications include Garageband, a
keyboard, drums, midi instruments, and built-in mic to record vocals (in addition to the built in
video and audio capabilities allowing for greater function from one device). I am focusing on the
iPad instead of designing the module for other devices as the iPad is a single device solution.
There is no other tablet that offers the same quality of software specific for music creation.
According to Education Alberta, the top three reasons for using iPads are:
1.
To support students with unique learning needs;
2.
To meet the needs of every student every day in keeping with Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) principals; and
3.
To increase student engagement (Education Alberta, 2012).
One of the foundational objectives for a Music class is creative/productive. A module in
the songwriting process with a final product is a perfect opportunity for learners to be creative. In
this case, a learner might be taking a music class either for credit towards graduation, for his or
her own pleasure, or because the area where they reside does not offer music (e.g. no qualified
instructor with music skills in a small school division).
This class could be interesting to different learners. Primarily, it would be intended for
grade 12 high school students where, for one reason or another, their school does not offer music
classes. This could be for a variety of reasons including lack of a trained staff member, lack of
student involvement (thus not having enough members to offer as a regular class) or lack of
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facilities or music equipment. It would give the student an opportunity to study with a teacher
using both technology & music skills. In Saskatchewan, the University of Saskatchewan offers
some DE music classes, but they are mostly music appreciation (University of Saskatchewan,
2012). This module will focus on a group of learners where, currently, no music classes are
being offered on-line at a high school level. What makes this module different is rather than a
passive, music appreciation DE class, this module and class would be experiential and creative.
The use of iPads will allow the learners to create, compose, author, and perform their
own musical works. A criticism of DE courses is that they can lack a personal quality, as there is
little “eye to eye” interaction between the learners, the other students, and the instructor (Moore,
Kearsely, 2011). This would be especially challenging in a music class to try and create a
stimulating, creative environment using a DE model. The use of the iPad is critical in the design
of this course. While the class will be delivered through DE, it will be designed to be highly
interactive, foster creativity, allow for collaboration between learners, and allow students to play
music together via the internet.
In order for the module to be successful, several challenges should be expected and need
to be addressed. As noted, the biggest challenge would likely be to create an interactive class
while the teacher and the learners are physically apart. So much of music is listening,
responding, and interacting with other musicians in the same room. Some other hurdles could
include: technological literacy, internet connection in remote areas, different musical ability
levels, and languages spoken. In order for the class to be delivered seamlessly, the learner would
need a good working understanding of the technology, such as how to post video, share and edit
files, navigate through programs such as Garageband easily and have basic musical skills (i.e.
keyboard skills and the ability to ready sheet music). Once the students are comfortable with
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iPads, the students can start to interact in the class. With respect to iPads, the New Media
Consortium notes that, “with significantly larger screens and richer gesture-based interfaces than
their smartphone predecessors, they are ideal tools for sharing content, videos, images, and
presentations because they are easy for anyone to use, visually compelling, and highly portable.
(NMC, 2012)”.
It is essential the device and applications be simple enough to allow students time to
create rather than search through an instruction manual. Since there is no instructor in the room
with the student, the technology must be intuitive so the learner feels comfortable with it. This
comfort will allow them the ability to freely express themselves either through their music, video
conferencing, or any other means. High comfort will lead to more participation and ideally a
better experience and quality of work. If there are English as a second language (ESL) students,
the simple interface should be easy to learn without a great deal of instruction, but Apple does
have numerous instructional videos on both iPad and Garageband in multiple languages (Apple,
2012).
The time commitments could be flexible to allow learners to take the class through DE. A
credit class in Saskatchewan is about 100 hours of class time. While part of the class would be
on the student’s own time, I would design sections that were synchronous to allow for real time
discussion, sharing and performance. There could be one hour per week where the class is live,
while the rest of the time would be made up based on their own schedule. As the class would be
delivered via iPad, the student’s location would not really matter, as long as they had wifi
internet access. The small, portable size of the iPad allows for learners to travel and not be tied
down by a desktop computer, and allows them to bring the device to a dedicated music space
where there may be instruments. This is not necessary as the iPad has built in keyboard and other
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instrument applications, however external mics, keyboards, guitars and other instruments may be
connected via an adapter.
Description of Learner Supports
As the course will be delivered via iPad and using courseware such as Garageband
(which is an application that comes with the iPad and would not cost money to purchase the
license), both the learners and the instructor would have access to Apple’s resources, both
contributed by Apple, but also from users (Apple, 2012). This support gives the module and
course a considerable advantage by using Apple’s vast infrastructure for support in addition to
teacher delivered support. Apple’s infrastructure includes email, phone, and face to face support
at an Apple Store. Teacher support could be done via email, message board, phone, or live chat
(e.g. Skype). Assessment would be done via assignments, projects and participation. If students
had questions or needed support, the teacher would be available through a variety of means.
The role of the instructor is to not just deliver the course, but to take an active role in
reaching out to students. According to Moore, “the best distance teachers are empathetic, with an
ability to sense their students’ personalities, even when filtered through technologically
transmitted communications. Students are generally more defensive when taking a course from
an unseen instructor than they would be in a conventional class, but most are unlikely to express
this anxiety” (Moore, Kearsely, 2011, p.127). To add to this, this is a class where students
present their own original material where they might be especially anxious. It would be a major
challenge to build a trust and rapport with a class when you might not ever meet face to face.
Situate the module within the Course
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The course would be a part of Music 30 from the Saskatchewan Curriculum. The
foundational objectives for a Music 30 class are creative/productive, cultural/historical, and
critical/responsive. The process of learning how to create an original song would meet all three
foundational objectives. The module of writing lyrics in the song writing process is a perfect
opportunity for learners to be creative, do some research on a social issue (cultural/ historical),
and analyze some exemplars in song lyrics (critical/responsive). The unit on song writing would
begin with analysis of song lyrics and well-known melodies, finding your inspiration, examining
lyrics about social issues, creating your own lyrics, creating a melody, the process of recording,
and finally recording and performing an original composition. I would also add some basic iPad,
iBooks, and Garageband tutorials at the very beginning to ensure all learners were comfortable
with the delivery methods of the class. This module would focus on the process of creating lyrics
and, while this is a music class, much of the material would be considered a Language Arts
lesson (through poetry, syllable structure, form).
While I have taught a similar unit in a regular classroom setting, this unit and module are
geared towards DE learners who are looking for challenging material in a music class. The
learner might wish to take a music class at a 30 level, but it might not be offered where they live,
they might not have room in their timetable for when it is offered at their home school, or they
might not fit into a mainstream school environment for some reason. As previously noted, many
schools either might not have a staff member who can teach Music 30 or enough interest from
students to offer it. There might be students out there who would want to take the class and
taking through DE might be the best option for them.
I feel it is important to create a class that is highly interactive and where students can
share their work, thoughts, and ideas with not only the teacher, but the entire class. There would
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even be the option of going beyond the class and sharing their music via the internet through
Soundcloud or a Youtube video.
One of the reasons someone might take the class is to allow flexible time to participate
when convenient. By only asking for one hour a week where the entire class is synchronous this
allows for the rest of the time to be flexible but allowing for a dedicated time for the class to
interact live with one another and the teacher. Other postings of class material could be done
either through podcast, video, or other means. I would choose my delivery method to be
primarily iBook through iTunes U. An iBook is highly interactive and could include audio,
video, and interactive material. I feel this tactile delivery method would ease student
apprehension and motivate them to participate compared to posting page after page of text for
them to read on a screen.
I have selected the learning activities and the order they would follow as a natural
progression of the creative process. If I started the unit with writing original lyrics before I
address topics such as creative apprehension or a step by step process of how to create, the
quality of work would be low as most students likely have little experience writing lyrics and
would not feel comfortable doing so (especially if the class is delivered through DE where
building trust with the teacher may be more difficult). Establishing comfort with the technology,
the instructor, the material, the class, and the task are all very important to allow the learner to
succeed. Author Elizabeth Gilbert asks in terms of writing , “is it logical anybody is expected to
be afraid of the work that they feel they were put on this Earth to do?” (Gilbert, 2012). Why
would being expressive through words be such an area of concern or cause anxiety? Author Ken
Robinson, who has done a great deal of research on creativity, feels that it is schools, or the
school system, that causes students to be afraid of making a mistake (Robinson, 2007). The
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pressure of competition to be top in the class and obtaining the best grades to get into the best
universities is great for many students. Traditionally, schools do not foster the value of making a
mistake or experimentation through the creative process. In order to be creative, Robinson feels
one must be comfortable with making mistakes (Robinson, 2007).
As this would be an academic class for credit there would need to be clear evaluation. It
seems a contradiction to try to make students comfortable with mistakes, yet grading the students
on their work. One of our classmates in her posting on the class forum for module 5 expressed a
concern about trying to assess an arts class (drama in her case) through distance education, where
evaluating the process is equally important to the final product. In a traditional learning
environment you would be able to observe, record, and evaluate a student’s growth, yet it would
be more challenging to evaluate the same type of things through DE. Included in the appendix
section of this paper are some sample evaluations I have developed for the module.
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References
Apple. (2012). IBooks author. Retrieved October/21, 2012, from http://www.apple.com/ibooksauthor/
Apple. (2012). ITunes U resources. Retrieved October/21, 2012, from
http://www.apple.com/education/resources/
Apple Computers. (2012). ITunes U-,learn anything, anywhere,anytime. Retrieved October/21,
2012, from http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/
Callaway, E. (2009). i tunes unniversity better than the real thing. New Scientist, (February),
October 21, 2012.
Education Alberta. (2011). iPads: What are we learning?. Edmonton, Alberta: Education Alberta.
Kearsley, G., & Moore, M. G. (2011). Distance education: A systems view of online learning. In
M. Kerr (Ed.), (third ed., pp. 126). USA: Wadsworth cengage learning.
National Arts Education Association. (2010). No child left behind: A study on its impact to arts
education. Retrieved April, 11, 2012, from
http://www.arteducators.org/research/NCLB_Press_Release_2-10.pdf
New media consortium. (2012). New media consortium 2012 k-12 horizon preview. Austin,
Texas:
New media consortium. (2012). Nmc hozizon project shor list 2012 k-12 editionNew media
consortium.
Robinson, K. (2009). The element: How finding your passion changes everything (1st ed.). USA:
Penquin.
Robinson, K. (January 6, 2007). Sir ken robinson: Do schools kill creativity? Retrieved April, 10,
2012, April 10, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. (1996). Saskatchewan arts education curriculum. Retrieved
November/13, 2012, from
https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Arts_Ed
ucation_10_20_30_1996.pdf
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. (1997). Choral 10,20,30 curriculum. Retrieved October/
14, 2012, from
https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Choral_
10_20_30_1997.pdf
Saskatchewan. Ministry of Education. Curriculum and E-Learning. Humanities Unit. (2009).
Arts education 7. Retrieved April/11,2012, 2012, from
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https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Arts_Ed
ucation_7_2009.pdf
University of saskatchewan. (2012). U of S music department online learning. Retrieved
November/ 13, 2012, from http://www.usask.ca/music/onlinelearning/onlinelearning.htm
Appendix
Song Writing Journal
Name:____________________
Everyone has a favourite song or songs. Think about your favourite song and answer the
following questions:
1. What is your favourite song (pick one)?
2. Why, specifically, is this song your favourite song (ex. particular lyric, singer, beautiful
melody, great riff, etc.)?
3. Quote your favourite line/lyric from the song. Why is this line your favourite?
4. Why do you think the songwriter wrote this song? What was their purpose?
5. Do you know any background on the song (ex. when it was written, circumstances under when
it was written, what was happening in the artists life)?
6. It is said that art is like holding a mirror up to society. For example, in the late 1960’s John
Lennon wrote the song, “Give Peace A Chance” as a statement for peace during the Vietnam
War. Pick a current song that you think reflects today’s world for you and has a statement/
message. It could reflect you, your age group, or society.
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7. For the song you picked, whom is the song writer speaking for (ex. John Lennon was speaking
on behalf of the youth of the day)? Who is the songwriter speaking to (John Lennon was
speaking to the people in political power that had the power to stop the war)?
Module activity
Teaching Song Writing With A Language Arts Approach
Step One
Brainstorm a topic
- what do you want to write about? What do you want to say? How can you say it in a way that
has not been told before (original)?
Step two
Brainstorm related words
If the song is going to have lyrics, start thinking of related words to your topic
Ex. Winter
related words- cold, snow, freeze, thaw, etc…
step three
Group related words
- it is up to you how you want to do this. A good place to start is to find words that rhyme
ex. cold-fold snow-blow
thaw-law
Start putting the words together. The words should be organized with the same number of beats
(meter) or syllables in each verse, although you don’t want to limit yourself or become cliché.
The winter morning is bitter and cold
The trees are nature’s blanket that is being fold
Over my body it begins to thaw
?
(stumped? Don’t worry. Move on and come back to it later)
Choose words carefully. Don’t try to be too “wordy”. However, try and say something in a more
poetic way than “everyday speech”. For example instead of saying, “I woke up because it is
cold” it could become, “Morning’s cold grip shook me awake” (onomatopoeia)