The unit is presented below as a series of five activities, all of which are whole class and/or group activities. All the activities are introduced and demonstrated during whole class teaching, after which the class works in groups. The specifics of lesson organisation will vary according to the resources available and the nature of the class, but it is intended that groups would have rotating access to the ICT resources. For example, during any one session two groups might be working with just their instruments (activity 2), two groups with electronic keyboards (activity 4), one group with a computer/CD-ROM (activity 1), one group with a computer, sequencer and midi keyboard (activity 3), and one group with recording equipment.

Where only one computer is available, each group would have access for one session of the unit and the teacher will need to decide which of the activities and learning objectives below it will support.

Some teachers may prefer to plan activity 1 as a whole class session in an ICT suite.

The unit assumes that there is a variety of pitched instruments available, enough for one for each pupil.

For the activity 1 source material would include reference CD-ROMs e.g. Encarta, Microsoft Musical Instruments, audio CDs of recordings of post-war American Jazz, music reference books and web sites. See Links and bibliography for full references.

‘Bag’s Groove’ can be found on the audio CD ‘Bag’s Groove Miles Davis’ Prestige 7109.

The unit does not rely on the availability of specific ICT resources (all the activities can be undertaken with traditional resources such as books, instruments and recordings), but demonstrates how those resources that are available can support learning in a typical unit.

Activity 1 is supported by a computer with CD-ROMs and/or online access.

Activity 2 is supported by a computer, sequencer (e.g. Cubasis AV) and MIDI keyboard.

Activity 3 is supported by a computer, sequencer, and MIDI keyboard.

Activity 4 is supported by electronic keyboard(s).

Activity 5 is supported by a computer, digital recording software (e.g. Cool Edit or other recording equipment e.g. Portastudio) and microphone.

Pending the publication of the Revised National Curriculum, these objectives are based on the PoS in the ‘Consultation National Curriculum Materials, May - July 1999’, KS3 Music (p165-167) paragraph references in parenthesis

• Awareness of the places, times, important artists, social context of post war American Jazz. [4b (iii)]
• Awareness of some of the musical conventions used in Jazz: 12 bar, ‘standard’, solo, improvisation, blue notes. [4b (i)]
• Perform within a small and large group ‘Bag’s Groove’ (Miles Davis), take part in group or solo improvising during a performance. [1c.]
• Use ICT to manipulate sounds. [5d]

Pending the publication of the Revised National Curriculum, these objectives are based on the PoS in the ‘Consultation National Curriculum Materials, May - July 1999’ KS3 ICT (p189-190), paragraph references in parenthesis

• Explore and evaluate an ICT model (a MIDI sequence) as a musical tool. [2c]
• Interpret, reorganise and display information about post war American Jazz. [ 3a]
• Discuss and evaluate their use of ICT. [4a, 4b]

• Digital recordings of class and group performances.
• Informative display about American Jazz. (This could be a classroom display, or web page, according to the skills available.)

Activity 1:

Research

(whole class and/or groups

Teacher introduces unit, pupils listen to relevant recordings including ‘Bag’s Groove’, use books, audio, online or CD-ROM resources to collect information about post war Jazz in the USA. Pupils are given keywords or specific questions as the focus of the activity, for example:

• Performers and composers: C Parker, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald
• Towns and cities: Chicago, New York, New Orleans
• Typical instruments and groupings: quartet, rhythm section, big band, piano, tenor saxophone, trumpet
• Musical conventions: ‘Standards’, 12 bar blues, improvisation, solo

Pupils’ work could include text, pictures, graphics.

Activity 2:

Classroom and/or other instruments

(whole class and/or groups)

• Teacher demonstrates the theme, bass and chord parts to ‘Bag’s Groove’ (Miles Davis), using the computer sequencer/keyboard as an aid, at the same time explaining basic sequencer functions: e.g. transport controls, mute, solo, tempo. All pupils learn the theme: ‘Bag’s Groove’ using a variety of strategies (whole class teacher led, playing by ear, in small groups using simple notation, or by ear, teaching one another). The tune will need to be learned at a slower tempo than that on the recording, and in a key suitable for all instruments being used including pitched percussion e.g. D.
• Some pupils learn to play a simple 12 bar bass part (e.g. on keyboard, bass guitar or bass xylophone).
• A few pupils learn to play a simple 12 bar chord sequence on keyboard or guitar.

Activity 3:

Using computer sequencer connected to MIDI keyboard

(whole class and/or group activity)

• Sequencer plays a downloaded MIDI file of a suitable percussion groove to which has been added the melody, chord and bass parts for ‘Bag’s Groove’, and set in a simple arrangement (e.g. introduction, tune ´ 2, rhythm section 12 bar ´ 4, tune ´ 2, end). Teacher demonstrates simple strategies for improvising in the middle section, e.g. repeating riff; using a restricted note row; blues scale.
• Pupils are responsible for starting, stopping and muting tracks according to the needs of the group.
• Pupils play the ‘Bag’s Groove’ melody on their own instruments and take turns either individually or in groups, to improvise at appropriate intervals in the performance. The arrangement can be devised either by teacher or pupils as appropriate.

Activity 4:

Using an electronic keyboard as an aid to performing and improvising

(whole class and/or group activity)

• Pupils play the ‘Bag’s Groove’ melody on their own instruments, using an appropriate rhythm accompaniment and tempo provided by the keyboard. Pupils adjust tempo to their needs.
• Pupils take turns either individually or in groups, to improvise at appropriate intervals in the performance.

Activity 5:

Using recording equipment

(whole class and/or group activity)

• Teacher demonstrates how to use recording equipment. (Where pupils have experience of recording, demonstration may not be necessary.)
• pupils make digital recordings (e.g. using Cool Edit), setting up microphone, setting recording level, monitoring, editing recordings and saving to hard disc.
• pupils record performances by groups or the whole class as they occur, storing them for later evaluation and presentation (e.g. in RealAudio format for a web site).