Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

Why Comics? Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) Music Lesson Plan: Romani Music

IntroductionLooking to engage your students in contemporary human rights and social issues? Based at SOAS University of London, Why Comics? Education Charity brings contemporary humanitarian and social issues into the classroom (such as racism, conflict, migration, trafficking and climate change) through interactive literary comic books based on real-life testimony.

Our free easy-to-use KS2-5 resources build empathy and enhance learning for 7-18-year-old students and teachers alike, alongside UK national-curriculum relevant lesson plans to support multiple subjects.

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

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Please email info@whycomics.org for more information. Thank you.Why Comics? Charity number - 1172791

Table of ContentsIntroduction..........................................................................................................................................2

UK National Curriculum Music requirements......................................................................................3

Suggested Why Comics? Music Lesson Plan for Daria’s Story: Romani Music....................................4

Aims..................................................................................................................................................4

Learning Objectives...........................................................................................................................4

Lesson plan 1.....................................................................................................................................4

Additional Follow on Lesson Romani Music: Composition..................................................................6

Aims..................................................................................................................................................6

Learning Objectives...........................................................................................................................7

Lesson plan 2.....................................................................................................................................7

Feedback...............................................................................................................................................7

Future Plans..........................................................................................................................................7

Who backs Why Comics? - About PositiveNegatives.......................................................................8

UK National Curriculum Music requirements:[Source: UK Gov National Curriculum for Key Stage 3]

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians

learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence

understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

Pupils should be taught to:

play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression

improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions

identify and use the inter-related dimensions of music expressively and with increasing sophistication, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices

listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians

develop a deepening understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, and its history.

Please note teaching notes are in purple.

Suggested Why Comics? Music Lesson Plan for Daria’s Story: Romani Music

Here is a suggested Music lesson plan about Romani music, inspired by Daria’s Story, and a suggested follow-up lesson plan. Both lessons are 45 minutes long, consisting of a reading in class, followed by a group activity and an assigned homework. The class can either read the comic collectively via projector, or at home via the web (www.whycomics.org).

Aims:

This session will focus on Romani music embedded in Daria’s Story. Students will:

Listen to some examples of Romani music Think about the different technical dimensions of Romani music Learn about the role music fills in Romani culture.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

Recognise Romani music Identify the defining features of Romani music Understand how music and its significance varies between different cultures.

Lesson plan 1:

1. Read through the comic as a group – Project the story in class and go through the comic panel by panel. Ask different students to read each panel aloud. If there is time, you could explore several of the additional resources in the interactive boxes dispersed throughout the comic. (20 minutes)

Teacher’s Note: The multimedia resources embedded in page 4 of the comic relate to music.

2. Classroom Discussion. Play the Romani music video or sound clips provided (see Teacher’s Notes below). Ask students to discuss which instruments they think they hear, and any dimensions such as pitch, tone, and what the music reminds them of. Ask them to consider different events where such music might be played and why. Ask them if it reminds them of any other kinds of music that they already know etc. (20 minutes)

3. Homework – Ask the students to find a Romani tune/song to listen to and think about in more detail; to make notes and be prepared to share them in the next lesson (5 minutes)

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

Teacher’s Notes

Listen to Romani music here [Source: Free Music Archive] - good for illustrating how Romani music intersects with music from elsewhere in Europe.

Watch this video for another good example of Romani folk music [Source: YouTube] Romani folk music [Source: Fishtank Ensemble]

Gypsy music is music of the Roma (Romani or Gypsy) people. It should be noted that the word ‘gypsy’ often has a negative connotation, and the Romani people would never use this term to refer to themselves. Therefore, it is preferable to refer to them as they refer to themselves, as ‘Roma’. (Please see this website, The Voice of Roma, for a much more thorough discussion of this topic)The Roma are a diverse ethnic group originating from the Indian plateau and spreading throughout the Near-East, Europe and North Africa on a journey that has lasted at least 1500 years maybe much longer. They have been known by many names in the various lands they have inhabited such as Tsigane, Zigeuner, Gitano, Bohemian, Egyptian, Gypsie, gipsy and of course, gypsy.Along their long journey, they have come to embody a certain mystique of wandering people, adept as entertainers and tradesman, but most famously trained as musicians. Along the thousands of years they have journeyed since leaving the Indian plateau, they have learned and assimilated the musical styles of every culture they have come in contact with. Because the Romani people have lived and played in such diverse lands as India, Spain, Turkey, North Africa, the Middle East and all over Europe, it is difficult to come to a singular definition of what gypsy music is.In many ways the Roma people have acted as repositories of endangered music, preserving art and traditions that would otherwise have been lost. Even more amazing is the fact that they have been extremely successful at preserving their own unique culture and legacy while absorbing the influences of those around them.Here is a list of some of the most important Roma musicians and bands:

Django ReinhardtTaraf de HaidouksCamaron de la IslaPaco de LuciaIvo PapazovGypsy KingsBoban Markovic

Yuri YunakovThe Rosenberg TrioJimmy RosenbergBirelli LagreneEsma RedzepovaFanfare Ciocarlia

Different styles in Romani music [Source: romanimusic.tumblr.com]Unless we use the circular definition of “music played by and/or attributed to Romani people,” there really is no musicological genre to encompass all of Romani or Gypsy music. The very divergent styles performed, historically shaped and constantly reshaped by Romanies include flamenco, jazz Manouche, Russian “romances,” Balkan (not to mention Middle Eastern) music, Hungarian czardas, as well as fusions with jazz, hip hop, Western art music and numerous national “folk” genres. There is no “Gypsy scale,” rhythmic pattern, or harmonic structure that unites them all, and these musical styles often have less in common with each other than they do with the music of a given geographic region (e.g., “Hungarian Romani” vs. “Spanish Gitano” music).

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

Why, then, is the term “Gypsy music” so compelling to audiences, record stores, and to Romani people themselves? One answer lies in the ways Romani musicians tend to transform even the styles whose origins they had little or nothing to do with. This may be similar to the ways in which African-American artists worked with European styles when developing jazz. Virtuosity, rhythmic interest, tempo changes, altered scale degrees and more complex harmonic structure are among the elements that Roma and Sinti (German Romanies) often add to existing music. Just as importantly, Romani performers are masters of mixing historically separate genres, for reasons that go far beyond the oft-cited “Gypsy nomadism.” One thread through a number of Romani styles that can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent is the use of percussive vocables (“nonsense syllables”). In fact, “oral bass” or “oral percussion” is a hallmark of the style that is the most undeniably unique to Roma: Hungarian Vlax Romani music (e.g., Kali Yag).

Instruments used in Romani music [Source: Rromani Connect]There are many different styles of Romani music. Romani folk songs and the Balkan-style music from Romanies in the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Greece incorporate musical instruments such as the bouzouki, a stringed instrument that sounds a bit like the Indian ‘Veena’, which is played in Hindustani music.The fiery Flamenco dance and music from Spain is Romani in origin. The earliest accounts of Flamenco stem from the beginning of the 19th century where Spanish Romanies (Kale) played and sang at social events or gatherings. The onlookers participated in the performance by clapping their hands to the rhythm of the guitars while loudly cheering on the skilful flamenco dancers. The dance gets its name from the flamingo bird, whose body, together with its long neck and raised leg, reminds one of the typical body posture of a flamenco dancer. I really enjoy the impacting sounds of trumpets, trombones, clarinets and drums of the music played by Romani bands such as ‘Fanfare Ciocarlia’ from Romania. Their raging sounds and fast rhythms depicting sorrow, pain, rage, joy, fierceness and compassion reflect the many different aspects of Romanies.

Please help us by filling out a short anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire after you have used our materials for our funders. This helps ensure that our great resources remain free.

Please email info@whycomics.org for more information. Thank you.

Additional Follow on LessonRomani Music: Composition

Aims: This session will focus on Romani music and composition. Students will:

Recap the features and instruments associated with Romani music Share the new information that they found for homework Experiment with composition influenced by Romani music.

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

Explain what Romani music is and outline its defining features Share knowledge and learn from each other Apply their understanding of Romani music in a creative way.

Lesson plan 2:

1. Summarise the previous lesson: recap on the comic and on what the class discussed, and ask volunteers to share tunes and notes that they found as per homework from last session. (15 minutes)

2. Group Activity – If you have access to instruments, ask students to get into groups and try composing music inspired by the Romani music you have listened to in class. Alternatively, if you do not have access to a range of instruments, ask students to get into groups and create informative presentations about Romani music and culture to show to the class in the last 10 minutes of the lesson. (30 minutes)

FeedbackPlease help us by filling out a short anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire for our funders. This will help keep our great resources free. We will be happy to hear about how it works in the classroom, and are keen to receive any comments or feedback.

We are particularly interested if you would like to receive more resources like this. If so please include on the SurveyMonkey questionnaire which topics you would like us to cover (e.g. Divorce, Migration, Racism/Prejudice, Cyber/Bullying, Identity, Memory, Racism, Conflict, Natural Disasters, Human Trafficking/Slavery, Asylum/Refugees, Homelessness, Climate Change, Remittances & Migrant Workers, and Drug Trafficking & Addiction).

We are also interested to have feedback from pupils so if it is possible, please pass on the SurveyMonkey questionnaire link to them as well. Many thanks again, your help is most appreciated.

Future Plans

Over the coming year, we’re intending to expand our bank of database for KS2 (age 7-11) and KS3 (age 11-14) and KS4-5 (age 14-18) and their teachers, and produce national curriculum based accompanying lesson plans for multiple subjects. You can view all our resources on our Teachers Resources page.

We will continue to design and test our resources to ensure that they are made by teachers for teachers.

If you would like any more information or would like to be involved further, please contact info@whycomics.org. Thank you.

With very best wishes,

Dr Benjamin Dix

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Why Comics? KS3 Music Lesson Plan

Director: Why Comics? Education CharitySenior Fellow: SOAS University of London

Web: http://www.whycomics.org/Email: info@whycomics.org Twitter and Instagram: @WhyComicsOrg Facebook: Why Comics? Education Charity

Why Comics? Education Charity is based at the Faber Building, SOAS University of London.Why Comics? Charity number - 1172791

Who backs Why Comics? - About PositiveNegatives

The award-winning non-profit PositiveNegatives produce literary comics, animations and podcasts about contemporary social and human rights issues. We combine ethnographic research with illustration and photography, adapting personal testimonies into art, education and advocacy materials. Since 2012, PositiveNegatives has worked extensively for an array of international organisations such as United Nations (UN), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Open Society Foundations (OSF), The Nobel Peace Centre, The Guardian, BBC, and with leading academic institutions such as; Harvard South Asia Centre, SOAS University of London and University of Sussex.

Our work endeavours to combine literature, journalism and education. Visual story-telling engages audiences of all ages, backgrounds and levels of literacy. Approaching subjects like conflict and forced migration through the prism of personal narratives emotionally engages general readers and students alike. We have developed comics from research, policy papers and first hand testimonies for organisations such as these and many more. Each comic has reached millions of viewers, and many have been translated into multiple languages reaching diverse international stakeholders.

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