Found Sound Challenge: Creative Music Composition with Digital Tools
Creating Rhythms with a Twist: An Innovative Educational Approach to Composing Beats Using Bandlab, Soundtrap, and GarageBand
In the pursuit of innovative ways to engage students in music education, music teachers may find the Found Sound Challenge to be a captivating and interactive project. This lesson aims to introduce students to the realm of found sounds and how to use them to create music in Bandlab, Soundtrap, and GarageBand.
Building Creativity with Everyday Sounds
Music educators who wish to instill a sense of creativity and exploration in their students can benefit from implementing the Found Sound Challenge. This project is designed to captivate students by encouraging them to collect and manipulate sounds from everyday items they can access readily.
Exploring the Challenge
Students will begin by selecting an object from their surroundings and recording at least eight different found sounds using that object. They should experiment with recording various manipulations of the object, such as tapping different areas or even breaking it, to generate an array of intriguing noises.
Once they have compiled their recorded sounds, students will delve into Bandlab, Soundtrap, or GarageBand to combine their captured sounds and design original beats.
Accessing the Project
To participate in this activity, educators can enroll in the Midnight Music Community, which offers a comprehensive suite of resources, including software guides, teacher videos, student videos, worksheets, and a dedicated forum for interaction among music educators. The platform also provides hundreds of digital lessons, handouts, and digital activities, in addition to expert tech advice and project feedback.
What Are Found Sounds?
To initiate the project, it is crucial to educate students on the concept of found sounds. Found sounds can be any audible elements that can be recorded and integrated into music composition. These sounds can come from a myriad of sources, including common household objects, nature elements, and the human voice, among others.
Encourage students to contemplate various found sounds they could use for the project and consider the ways in which sounds can vary based on the area tapped or the manipulations applied to the object. The range of possibilities is boundless!
Embracing Steady Beat and "Beats"
To help students better understand the context, explain the difference between steady beat and "beats" in the digital music context. In music theory, beat refers to the pulse that sustains a piece of music. In this particular project, "beats" represent repeating patterns of sounds that students will create by layering their recorded sounds and editing them to create unique textures and rhythms.
Educational Benefits
The Found Sound Challenge provides a wealth of opportunities for students to learn about various sound types, analyze non-musical sounds, discover music made from found sounds, and challenge themselves to record a series of unique sounds from a single object. Furthermore, students will develop essential music tech skills such as field recording, organizing tracks and regions, editing and processing sound samples, and arranging sounds to create a piece of music.
Past Examples
The Midnight Music Community has seen numerous music teachers submit projects inspired by the Found Sound Challenge, showcasing a wide range of innovative ideas. For example, Julie Froude used an Old Japanese Chest (Tansu) with Iron Drawer Pulls, while Brian Rizzi experimented with sounds from a wooden chair, creating both a basic "Chair Beats" and an enhanced "Chair Beats PLUS" version using additional library loops. Claudia Sousa ventured into using sounds from Keys on a keyring, integrating a synthetic voice for added depth.
Join the Midnight Music Community
To obtain this complete project, teachers can register in the Midnight Music Community, where they'll find ready-to-play student videos, student worksheets, expert guidance, detailed teacher instructions with videos, and much more. To explore the community and learn more, visit the provided link for a quick overview of the course.
Closing Thoughts
We hope you have found this lesson overview enlightening and are eager to embark on this innovative project with your students. If you have any questions about the Found Sound Challenge or the Midnight Music Community in general, feel free to express your curiosity below. What digital music platform do you use with your students? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section!
Seize Your Copy Today
Are you ready to download this comprehensive lesson on the Found Sound Challenge and unlock a world of creative possibilities for your students? Simply click the button provided and enjoy learning and growing as a music educator with the Midnight Music Community by your side.
Sources
[1] Goodwin, J. (2022). Presenting: Midnight Music Resources for Music Educators. The Music Classroom Blog. https://www.themusicclassroomblog.com/midnight-music-resources-for-music-educators/
[2] Saucedo, N. (2022). Exploring Found Sound in Music Education | Niles Saucedo. Niles Saucedo. https://nilesaucedo.com/exploring-found-sound-in-music-education/
[3] Johnson, J. (n.d.). Soundtrap Resources for Music Educators. The Music Classroom Blog. https://www.themusicclassroomblog.com/soundtrap-resources-for-music-educators/
[4] Ahrens, M. (n.d.). MixItUp: Using GarageBand to Create Found Sound Compositions. The Music Classroom Blog. https://www.themusicclassroomblog.com/mixitup-using-garageband-to-createfound-sound-compositions/
- The Found Sound Challenge is a fascinating and interactive music education project designed to engage students in creative composition using digital tools such as Bandlab, Soundtrap, and GarageBand.
- Music educators seeking to foster creativity and exploration in their students can benefit from implementing the Found Sound Challenge, which encourages students to collect and manipulate everyday sounds for music composition.
- In this project, students will record found sounds from items in their surroundings, experiment with different manipulations, and use the recorded sounds in Bandlab, Soundtrap, or GarageBand to design unique beats.
- To participate in the activity, educators can enroll in the Midnight Music Community, a platform offering resources, software guides, teacher videos, student videos, worksheets, and a dedicated forum for music educator interaction.
- Found sounds can be any audible elements that can be recorded and integrated into music, sourced from household objects, nature, the human voice, and more.
- Educators should explain the difference between steady beat and "beats" in the digital music context, where "beats" refer to repeating patterns of sounds created by layering and editing recorded sounds.
- The Found Sound Challenge offers educational benefits, including learning about sound types, analyzing non-musical sounds, and developing essential tech skills such as field recording, sound editing, and arrangement.
- The Midnight Music Community showcases innovative projects by music teachers inspired by the Found Sound Challenge, using found sounds from items like old Japanese chests, wooden chairs, and keys on a keyring.
- Teachers can access this complete project and additional resources through the Midnight Music Community, offering ready-to-play student videos, worksheets, expert guidance, and detailed teacher instructions.
- By utilizing the Found Sound Challenge and the Midnight Music Community, music educators can unlock a wealth of creative possibilities for students in music education, education and self-development, fashion-and-beauty, entertainment, and podcasting, all while experimenting with technology, audio, notation, and recording.
