Creative ResponseMusical Composition

Task

• Create a musical composition which seeks to reflect ideas and/or themes within the play, or as a soundtrack or score to the play. (You will also be graded on musical techniques)

Getting Started

• You need to clearly identify a major theme/issue from the play that you are going to respond to via the medium of music.

• Don’t try to respond to a combination of themes/issues

• Be clear and decisive about the theme/issue you are responding to. It will allow for a more focussed response.

Some considerations…

• The task only requires you to produce a musical composition to the play. However, you may want to consider combining imagery with your music to enhance your response. If there is a film version of your play, you may want to include scenes/images from the film to accompany your musical piece. For example…

Example removed due to file size restriction

Making music

• If you have chosen this option, there is the assumption that you can compose and play music.

• Regardless of the instrument(s) that you will use to create your musical piece, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have access to the instrument(s) and recording equipment.

Putting it all together

• Regardless of how you record and produce your piece of music, you need to be able to present it, along with your rationale, in a format that your teacher can access and assess. Most students who have chosen this option in the past have presented their musical piece as an mp3 file, as it is readily accessible for assessment.

Be aware…

• …that your creative response is likely to be moderated by other teachers. As the option on the assignment sheet indicates that you will be graded on musical techniques, feedback on the response will likely be sought from a music teacher. Due to this, you need to be clear, specific and precise in your rationale as to exactly what you have tried to achieve via your musical composition.

Rationale

• Be clear and direct. Make specific connections with the play you are responding to.

• Specifically indicate what your piece is in response to (e.g. a theme/issue, character’s development etc.)

• Quote from the play to ‘prove’ that the theme/issue etc. that you have responded to exists in the play.

Rationale (cont.)

• Analyse your composition. Explain and justify your choices (e.g. why did you use minor chords rather than major chords?)

• Show that your music piece was created as a direct response to a theme/issue/character from the play rather than a separate piece made to ‘fit’ with the themes/issues/characters of the play

Questions?