Memphis Symphony Orchestra Percussionist Visits RMS Music Department

Memphis Symphony Orchestra principal timpanist and percussionist Frank Shaffer visited RMS music students on Wednesday, September 23rd, for two 45-minute presentations. Mr. Shaffer introduced and demonstrated different percussion instruments such as the snare drum, timpani, cymbals, and xylophones. He also discussed the many musical decisions he and other percussionists make during performances. RMS band, orchestra, and general music students participated in a percussion ensemble jam on a Latin samba groove. General music students are currently studying syncopated rhythms in reggae (Bob Marley) and jazz (Miles Davis and Billie Holiday), and will be introduced to Brazilian Jazz next week (Bossa Nova music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Giberto).

Mr. Shaffer demonstrated the connection between music and physics, explaining how friction is used to create a thumb roll on a tambourine. Vibration was also discussed in terms of sound production and sustain.

Frank Shaffer also discussed and performed percussion excerpts from the upcoming MSO Young People's Concert at the Cannon Center. Several RMS students will be attending the concert on October 14th and studying the selections they hear thanks to the partnership between the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Memphis City School. Watch the video clip below of Frank Shaffer's September 23rd visit.

World Drum Squad Performs at the 2008 Cooper Young Festival

Members of the RMS World Drum Squad performed with professional percussionist Maria Estes in front of the Memphis Drum Shop on Saturday, September 13th at the 2008 Cooper Young Festival. Maria Estes, founder and director of the SANKOFA Drum and Dance Ensemble, visited us in February of this year for a private drum clinic in the RMS auditorium.

Visit the World Drum Squad section of our Music & Media Network for pictures from the Cooper Young Festival, Maria Estes' visit, and other WDS performances. Check out the video below!

Fifth Period 6th Grade Class Composes 7-Part Rondo

Click the play button to hear the composition.

Inspired by the 6th period general music class, 5th period students composed their own rondo piece - a 7-part instrumental work (ABACADA). Students applied concepts and vocabulary learned over the first six weeks, including form, polyrhythm, improvisation, ostinato, and timbre.

Sixth grade students Erin Beal, Diamond Hodges, Keannyi Wilson composed and performed the 3-part keyboard piece for the A-section. Other students used percussion instruments and non-traditional instruments such as chairs to compose and improvise music for their sections.

A "music video" is being produced to support the piece and will be posted next week. Until then, enjoy this 7-part original group composition.

Sixth Grade Composes, Performs, Sings, Raps, Dances in Rondo Project

The 6th period, sixth grade general music students composed a 5-part rondo piece and video to illustrate the connection between music and visual art forms. Continuing with their study of musical form, students explored 5- and 7-part rondo. They composed and performed short polyrhythmic pieces to experience the forms, then began work on a larger musical work with a supporting video.

Sixth grade student Quanisha Dandridge contributed original lyrics sung on an improvised melody, while Maurice Banyon and DeShawn Westbrooks rapped their original rhymes. The music was composed by the students, built on a rhythmic ostinato, and performed on drums and percussion.

The composition originally started as a 5-part rondo with Quanisha's singing representing the "A section." On the final day of the project, Don-Angelo Woodard presented us with a verse he had composed for the piece. We decided to add Don-Angelo's verse as an extended introduction to the piece. The final form was a 5-part rondo with extended introduction (that was the class consensus, anyway). The video was developed by the students to support the music and the form. The form is mapped out below the video player.

• Introduction - Don-Angelo singing, dancing
• A-section - Quanisha singing, girls dancing
• B- section - Maurice rapping, solo dancers
• A-section - Quanisha singing, girls dancing
• C - section - DeShawn rapping, solo dancers
• A-section - Quanisha singing, girls dancing

Vocabulary Report

Click on the play button to hear 5th period, sixth grade General Music students review our vocabulary list from the first six weeks. A few examples are provided, illustrating connections to classroom activities.

• Tempo
• Beat
• Polyrhythm
• Rhythm
• Articulation
• Notate/Notation
• Dynamics
• Improvise
• Timbre
• Form
• Ostinato
• Adagio
• Syncopation

7th and 8th Grade Commercials Illustrate Connection Between Musical and Visual Form

7th and 8th grade general music students developed TV and radio commercials for their unique products. The project emphasized the connection between musical and visual form (vocabulary word referring to the organization of all the individual sections in a piece of music). Students were given the opportunity to get creative with their products, their jingles, and their presentations. Jingles were original compositions that included at least one ostinato (vocabulary word referring to a repeating musical pattern). All products had to be original creations. Students chose either video (for TV) or audio (for radio) presentations, which were all delivered in ABA form. Listen and watch! Can you identify the form?

- Space Jams - New Shoes 4U: 8th grade group pictured above

- MJT - Earings that Transform Into Bracelets: 8th grade

Choir Preparing for October Concerts

Listen to a rehearsal clip of "Sahara Sunrise" from 9/5/08

The RMS Choir is preparing for this season's performances which include October concerts at RMS and the Memphis Farmers Market. The RMS World Drum Squad is scheduled to perform with the choir at both events.

Daily rehearsal activities focus on good tone production, correct vowel placement, rules of dynamics and phrasing. Choir students are learning songs in different languages from countries such as Kenya and Indonesia, as well as spirituals, folk songs, R&B and soul classics. Site reading skills are also being reinforced during rehearsals.

Information on our upcoming performances will be posted here on our blog and sent home in a newsletter as soon at it becomes available.

8th Graders Present Miles Davis Biography

Eighth grade general music students Marissa Butler, Juanita Byrd, and Tashua Jenkins prepared this report on jazz musician Miles Davis. The three students researched biographical information online at MilesDavis.com, the musician's official web site. Miles Davis is the most recent musician/composer added to our Composer Series. The picture on the left was created by Marrisa Butler in recognition of Miles Davis' contributions as a visual artist. More composer and musician biographies will be written and recorded for upcoming posts.

7th and 8th Grade Students Make Their Own Instruments

The first project of the semester has been completed and the instruments look great! The unique student instruments are part of our unit on timbre, a vocabulary word referring to the distinctive tone quality of an instrument. Students followed the guidelines found in their project worksheet. Take a look at the project presentation videos below, then visit our INSTRUMENT GALLERY for more student projects.






Lesson material for this project can be found in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra Integrated Unit, Culutral Kaleidoscope on pages 24 through 31. Mr. Greene was one of the curriculum writers for the integrated unit.

6th Grade Explores Musical Form - Watch Our Sample Video!

Sixth grade students are developing a music video to demonstrate musical form through a visual medium. Form, one of our vocabulary words from last week, refers to the organization of all the individual sections of a piece of music (like the verse, refrain, solo, etc.).

We recorded and produced this rehearsal video to experiment with different visual possibilities. The video features the students creating their own dance moves for specific small ensemble and solo "sections", and a freestyle rap (improvisation) performed by sixth-grader DonAngelo Woodard. The music was composed during class using computer software.