Educational Videos — Matt Dufresne

These are the introductory videos to many of the units that I teach. Each unit has up to twelve lessons. Each video lesson corresponds to an assignment I give my students in edu.bandlab.com. Each lesson has clear objectives, a study guide, and Essential Question assignments. Each unit has at least one unit test. These lessons have been created and completed by the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade General Music students at Holly Academy, but they could be adapted for older students, as well. A couple of these units have been simplified and used with my 2nd Grade classes, as well.

©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Non-Syntactic Elements of Music Assignment 1 - This is the first lesson of the Non-Syntactic Music Elements Unit. The students get an overview of the non-syntactic music elements. The students learn about the concept of main idea and Leonard Bernstein's 1, 2, 3 Method of Composing. The students focus on the non-syntactic music element tessitura (high vs. low) while creating four tracks that outline the 1, 2, 3 Method in various high and low ranges. The students are introduced to the ideas of strong beats and weak beats before adding a drum track. My students use edu.bandlab.com to demonstrate their understanding.

©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Non Syntactic Music Elements Assignment 1 Tessitura 1

Diatonic Harmony Assignment #1 C Major Scale Intervals and Triads - This is the first lesson of the Diatonic Harmony Unit. The students learn the C Major Scale. They learn that each note in the scale can be a root for a chord. The students learn to first use the interval of a 3rd. They then compose using each of the seven triads to correspond with the root. .

©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Diatonic Harmony Assignment #1 C Major Scale Intervals and Triads

1, 2 3 Method - Assignment #1 Intro to the 1, 2, 3 Method - In this lesson the students receive an introduction to Leonard Bernstein's "1, 2, 3 Method," Using edu.bandlab.com, the students create a piece consisting of the main idea, the main idea repeated with a slight change, and the main idea repeated again with a change. This comprises the first 3 tracks. Track 4 is an improvised ostinato/riff. Track 5 is a drum groove. ©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

1, 2 3 Method - Assignment #1 Intro to the 1, 2, 3 Method

Texture Assignment #1 - This is an overview of the Texture unit. The first assignment is to compose a bass line using edu.BandLab.com. This is an introduction to texture focusing on a monophonic texture with following lessons and assignments in multitracking to explore all three types of texture, monophonic, polyphonic, and homophonic. ©MattDufresne2020 matt@mattdufresne.com

Texture Assignment #1

Blues Unit Assignment #1 12 Bar Blues Intro - This is an introduction to the 12-Bar Blues. In this unit, I focus on teaching the Simple Version of the C Blues. In the previous unit, the students learned about the Diatonic triads of the C major scale. In this unit, we will use our knowledge of the C major, F major, and G major triads to learn how to play the Blues. The students will create a bass line comprised of roots before adding a comping instrument that focuses on the changes between the I chord and the IV chord. The student adds a simple drum groove and improvises over the blues form using the C major 5-note scale. Student understanding is demonstrated in edu.bandlab.com ©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Blues Unit Assignment #1 12 Bar Blues Intro

Form Unit Assignment #1 Binary 1 - In this lesson, the students get an overview of the concept of form. The students are composing with the Binary form as the catalyst for their composition. Using Leonard Bernstein's "1, 2, 3 Method" of composing, the students create an A section and a contrasting B section. This is a 3-track composition. The first two tracks are the A and B sections I just discussed, while the 3rd track being a drum groove. Student understanding is demonstrated in edu.bandlab.com.

©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Form Unit Assignment #1 Binary 1

Melodic Contour Assignment #1 Steps Ascending and Descending - In the first lesson of the Melodic Contour Unit, the students get an overview of what is to come in this unit. They learn that music has shape. They learn how to go up and down using the keyboard. The students learn what a step is. In tracks 1 and 2 the students are improvising/composing a five-note musical lines that go up and down, respectively. In track 3, the student is allowed more freedom to compose using steps as they see fit. Track 4 is a drum kit track where the student can create a groove for their song.

©MattDufresne2020

Melodic Contour Assignment #1 Steps Ascending and Descending

Groove Unit Assignment # 1 - 4 on the Floor - In this video, I discuss the concepts of groove, time feel, steady beat, and four on the floor. I then lead my students through an introduction to Bandlab, which they will use to compose a piece of music demonstrating their understanding of the concept" 4 on the floor." The student's task is to play four measures of the bass drum on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4. Then, the student has the option to add a synth bass sound supporting the bass drum on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4, but this is not mandatory.

©MattDufresne2020

Groove Unit Assignment 1 - 4 on the Floor Assignment

The following are the concluding videos to many of the units that I teach. Each unit has up to twelve lessons. Each video lesson corresponds to an assignment I give my students in edu.bandlab.com. Each lesson has clear objectives, a study guide, and Essential Question assignments. Each unit has at least one unit test. These lessons have been created and completed by the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade General Music students at Holly Academy, but they could be adapted for older students, as well. A couple of these units have been simplified and used with my 2nd Grade classes, as well.

Non-Syntactic Music Elements Assignment #10 Timbre, Silence, Dynamics, and Tempo - In this lesson, the students are using timbre, silence, dynamics, and tempo as parameters to focus the compositional process. As with the other lessons in this unit, the students are using Leonard Bernstein's "1, 2, 3 Method" of composing as a way to focus on creating main ideas and using variation.’

©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Diatonic Harmony Assignment #10 Major, Minor, and Diminished with Inversions - In this lesson, the students are studying chord quality and the difference between root position triads and 1st and 2nd inversion triads. The students use one root position triad, one 1st inversion triad, and one 2nd inversion triad as the basis for melodic ideas. The student must use one major triad, one minor triad, the diminished triad. All understanding is demonstrated using edu.bandlab.com.

1, 2, 3 Method Assignment #7 Putting It All Together 2 - Student understanding is demonstrated in edu.bandlab.com. This is the final lesson in the Unit on Leonard Bernstein's 1, 2, 3 Method. This will take two class periods to complete. It allows the student to create an original piece that demonstrates their understanding of the material from this unit. When the student is done composing this assignment there will be ten tracks. The student will go through the 1, 2, 3 Method twice. In this unit, the students learned four ways to vary (change) the main idea; changing the octave, adding notes, subtracting or replacing notes, and changing the rhythm (length of the notes). They are to use all four of these during this piece. The student will create a groove by improvising an ostinato/riff and creating a drum track. ©Matt Dufresne 2021 matt@mattdufresne.com

Texture Assignment #12 Contrapuntal Motion - In this lesson, the students review everything we have learned so far in the Texture Unit. Using edu.bandlab.com, the students demonstrate their understanding of the four types of contrapuntal motion; similar motion, parallel motion, contrary motion, and oblique motion. Creating a 10-track composition, every two tracks are interrelated as far as contrapuntal motion, as well as being a specific type of texture; homophonic, polyphonic, or monophonic.

Blues Unit Assignment #7 Putting It All Together - Student understanding is demonstrated in edu.bandlab.com. This is the final lesson in the Blues Unit. It allows the student to create an original piece that demonstrates their understanding of the material from this unit. In track 1, the student composes a bass line. They may use the simple blues form or add substitutions, as well as a turnaround. The student then composes a 2nd track that contains the chords to accompany the bass line. Tracks 3-5 create a drum groove. Using the C major blues scale the student composes a 12-bar melody in track 6. Lastly, the student is to improvise a one-chorus solo.

Form Unit Assignment #7 Putting It All Together - Student understanding is demonstrated in edu.bandlab.com. This is the final lesson of the Form Unit. This will take two class periods. It allows the student to create an original piece that demonstrates their understanding of the material from this unit. Depending on which form the student chooses, this composition will be either 7 or 8 tracks long. The student first learns to compose an introduction. Following the intro, the student chooses to compose the body of the piece using either Popular Song form or Rondo form. Each section utilizes Leonard Bernstein's 1, 2, 3 Method. The body of the piece is followed by a coda (outro). The student then composes a drum groove to accompany the first 6 or 7 tracks.

Melodic Contour Assignment #12 A Good Melody (Putting It All Together) - In this lesson, the students learn the characteristics of what I think a good melody is. The students are expected to use all the tools that they have learned in this unit to create this "good melody." This lesson also explores what a countermelody is, as well as reviewing ostinatos/riffs, scales, peaks and valleys, steps, skips, leaps, repeated notes, and silence. The students demonstrate their understanding of the concepts under study using edu.bandlab.com.

Groove Assignment #12 The Drum Solo and Drum Fill - This is the last lesson in the Groove Unit. The students learn to create a multi-track drum solo., as well as the function of a drum fill. They learn to tell the difference between a fill and a drum solo. Using edu.bandlab.com, the students create a simple 5-track rock groove with The Charleston rhythm on the cowbell. They then create a track with a drum fill followed by three solo drum tracks. The students also learn about the differences between improvisation and composition.