The Light of Dawn

By

James Swearingen

C.L Barnhouse Publishers

Grade 2.5

Teacher Handbook

Created

By

Courtney Lambert

Instructional Objectives

1. After explanation and reading, the student will know biographical information about James Swearingen and The Light of Dawn. This will be demonstrated through an activity and the final test.

This objective addresses National Standard #9: Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

2. After explanation and reading the student will understand the connection between The Light of Dawn and Thomas Cole paintings. This will be demonstrated through a written activity, in class discussion and the final test.

This objective addresses National Standard #8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

3. The student will create and notate an eight bar rhythmic composition that includes two of the dotted or syncopated rhythms from The Light of Dawn to show their understanding of these rhythms.

This objective addresses National Standard #4: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines and also National Standard #5: Reading and notating music.

4. The student will understand and be able to perform meter changes between 6/8 and 2/4 meter. This will be demonstrated in class and through recordings of student performance.

This objective addresses National Standard #5: Reading and notating music.

5. The student will learn to improvise melodies using the notes of the B-flat scale. This skill be shown in class and assessed through student recordings.

This objective addresses National Standard #3: Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments and also National Standard #2: Performing on instruments, alone and with others.

6. The student will learn how to construct I and V chords and show their understanding through a written activity and the final test.

This objective addresses National Standard #5: Reading and notating music.

7. The student will learn to identify and describe the musical form ABA through music listenings. The student will demonstrate this ability through a written activity and the final test.

This objective addresses National Standard #6: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.

8. The student will learn how rhythm, melody, harmony, and form relate to the paintings of Thomas Cole. Their understanding will be demonstrated through class discussion, one written assignment, and the final test.

This objective addresses National Standard #8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

Activities and Handouts in Student Handbook

1. What Have You Learned? Worksheet

Students should be assigned to read the information about James Swearingen, The Light of Dawn and Thomas Cole. This assignment would be good to do when you are just starting to work on the piece. The worksheet contains follow-up questions about this reading. The last two questions are more abstract and require student analysis of both art and music. It might be helpful to either guide students through these two questions or have a brief discussion of student ideas in class.

A simple way to assess the worksheet is to grade it using a point system. Each question should be worth 2 points, making the assignment worth a total of 12 points.

2. Rhythmic Composition

This assignment is well laid out on the student worksheet. Students will be creating and notating an 8 bar rhythmic composition that uses at least two of the given rhythms from The Light of Dawn. As listed on the handout the grading criteria are as follows:

1. The length of your composition (it should be 8 measures).

2. The correct number of beats in the measure (there should be 4).

3. Using at least two of the rhythms listed above from The Light of Dawn.

4. Filling in the other beats with the appropriate note values as listed above.

5. Playability of your composition.

A good way to grade this would again be to use the point system. Each criterion can be worth two points, making the assignment worth a total of 10 points. As long as the student meets the given expectation, s/he will receive the full points.

One really great thing about this activity is that the students’ compositions can be used throughout the unit. Take for example the improvisation activity that occurs later in the unit. Students have the option of using four measures (or possible 8 even) from their rhythmic composition when improvising melodies. Another great way to incorporate these compositions is through daily warm-ups. Students love having their compositions played, plus it gives everyone a chance to sight read rhythms.

1. Print out a copy of a student’s rhythmic composition for everyone.

2. Have the students sight read the rhythm together on concert B-flat.

3. Incorporate the rhythmic exercise with the B-flat scale.

-Switch notes moving up and down the scale each time you go through the pattern, every four measure, every two measure, or every measure. Feel free to be creative and invent new ways to use student rhythmic compositions.

3. Mixed Meter Information

Included in the student handbook is a method for practicing the meter changes in The Light of Dawn. It is very important that students are given appropriate instruction and explanation in class before they are given this handout. Here is a step-by-step process for teaching students how to perform the mixed meter in this piece.

1. Lead the students in the vocal activity described in the student handbook.

-Use the 3-syllable word “hamburger” to represent the pulse and subdivision in 6/8.

-Use the 2-syllable word “pizza” to represent the pulse and subdivision in 2/4.

-A representation of this vocal pattern/rhythm would look like this:

Ham---bur—ger Ham--bur--ger Piz--za Piz--za

-Have the students imitate you and clap along to the rhythm of the syllables.

-After this is comfortable, add a slight emphasis on the first syllable of each word (to imitate the accents in the music). Have the students also place emphasis on the corresponding clap.

-Once this is comfortable, eliminate the clap on the syllable “za,” but continue saying the full word.

-Show the students what rhythm they have been clapping looks like:

Ham---bur--ger Ham--bur---ger Piz--za Piz---za

2. Briefly explain the difference between compound and simple meter.

-6/8 is a compound meter, the beat is subdivided into groups of three

-2/4 is a simple meter, the beat is subdivided into groups of two

3. Tell students that the eighth note, represented by the syllables in the words “hamburger” and “pizza,” continues through the meter change as the steady pulse.

I have included a copy of the student worksheet in the teacher manual. It would be beneficial to go over the steps on the worksheet with the students before asking them to practice the activity on their own. This will hopefully avoid as much confusion as possible.

Assessment: To assess students’ understanding and ability to perform mixed meter, they will need to be assessed. One way this can be done is by recording student performance. For example, during class students can record themselves in practice rooms playing m.29-38 to show their skills. Students should be given a set tempo for playing the section, such as eighth note=200. It would be helpful to provide a metronome in the practice room so that students can hear the tempo before they play the excerpt. This should be pass or fail testing, similar to the legato/marcato style testing. Students can be given multiple opportunities to show their skill level.

4. Rhythm and Its Relationship to Thomas Cole Paintings

This activity would work well as a brief in-class discussion. It is included as a student handout so that students will have it for later reference. Some students may want to look at the painting in further detail or use the handout to study for the test.

For the in-class discussion, introduce the painting and activity by reading the brief information at the top of the handout. You could supplement this information with additional ideas if you desire.

Rhythm is often considered to be the core of music. It creates a strong musical structure. Melody and harmony fill in the outline created by rhythm.

Lines and shapes are what provide the structure for visual arts. Similar to rhythm, they create a foundation that the rest of the artwork can be built upon. In this painting The Course of the Empire: Desolation, what two shapes does Cole use throughout the piece to create structure and form?

Then project an image of Thomas Cole’s painting The Course of the Empire: Desolation in front of the class or have them look at their manual/handout. This should spur some student response. The two shapes most prominent are a cylinder and arch/semi-circle.

5. Melodic Improvisation Activity

This activity worksheet is really a guide for student practice at home or during other practice time. The activity should be introduced first in the classroom. Here is a step-by-step process for getting students to improvise on the B-flat scale, based on the student handout.

1. Have students play the B-flat concert scale, then explain that these are the notes James Swearingen uses in The Light of Dawn to create his melodies.

2. Have the ensemble play a concert B-flat on the following four bar rhythmic pattern:

3. Have the ensemble play the same rhythmic pattern, but have them use two different notes from the B-flat scale. Let them know that they can change pitches at any time.

4. After students have practiced their two note improvisation within the ensemble have them play individually. A simple way to do this would be to have all other students keep a steady beat by clapping or patting and then have soloists play on top of this tempo. You can have every student solo by going in order around the room, or at first you may want to just take volunteers.

5. Continue doing this improvisation activity once a week or so and each time have the students use more notes until eventually they can use any note from the B-flat scale.

6. Feel free to have students try improvising on different rhythmic patterns, including those they composed during their rhythmic composition activity.

7. At the end of the unit the students improvisation skills should be assessed. A simple way to do this would be to go around the room and have every student improvise four measures on top of a quiet pulse kept by the other students. Later the instructor can then listen to and grade the improvisations. A quick instructor could possibly grade them along the way. The activity should be worth 10 points and they can be graded on the following criterion:

10 - Student uses all notes from the B-flat scale, performs correct rhythms and solos for the full 4 measures. Student adds some artistic elements such as phrasing and dynamics.

8 – Student uses mostly notes from the B-flat scale, performs mostly correct rhythms and solos for the full 4 measures. Student attempts to add artistic elements like phrasing and dynamics.

6 – Student uses only some notes from the B-flat scale, performs only some correct rhythms and does not solo for the full 4 measures. Student makes little attempt at artistic elements like phrasing and dynamics.

0 – Student makes no attempt at improvisation.

6. Harmony Information: Creating I and V Chords

The handout about harmony would be excellent to use for an in-class activity. The teacher could walk through the handout with the students while writing examples on the board and providing additional explanation. It would also be beneficial to play a I and V chord on the piano and compare the two. Discuss how the V chord leads and resolves to I. The accompanying worksheet would be good for a homework assignment or possibly as a partner exercise. It would help students to go through the first exercise as a group and then allow them to finish the rest. Be sure to address any questions that may arise.

Assessing the Worksheet: The worksheet will be worth 8 pts, each chord being worth 1pt. That allows the student to get partial credit on the questions.

7. Melody and Harmony in Relationship to Thomas Cole’s Painting

As with the activity relating rhythm and Thomas Cole’s work, this exercise would be good for a brief class discussion. It is included as a student handout so that students will have it for later reference. Some students may want to look at the painting in further detail or use the handout to study for the test.

For the in-class discussion, introduce the painting and activity by reading the brief information at the top of the handout. You could supplement this information with additional ideas if you desire.

The melody of a piece is often considered to be the main subject of the work. In The Light of Dawn the main melody of the A section starts at m.9 and is played by the clarinets. Throughout the piece, whatever instrument has the melody line should be heard above all others. The other parts or the harmony, is supposed to play a supporting role. That is why the supporting instruments often play quieter. This does not mean that they are less important. What would the music sound like with only one instrument section playing the melody? Harmony is a really important part of what makes the music complete.

Art is constructed in a similar way. In many of Thomas Cole’s pieces there is one main subject, but he does not leave all the other space blank. Instead, he uses other objects and pieces of the landscape to fill in the painting. In this work entitled The Present by Thomas Cole, what is the main subject? What kinds of landscape features, objects and colors does Cole use to fill out the painting in order to create a complete scene?

Then project an image of Thomas Cole’s painting The Present in front of the class or have them look at their manual/handout. This should spur some student response and discussion.

8. Musical Form Handout

This handout is included in the student manual so students may refer to it later or for studying purposes. It should be discussed in class. The teacher can simply walk to the students through the explanation of ABA form offering further information and discussion opportunities. For example, after introducing “Twinkle Twinkle” as a song in ABA form, discuss how the A and B sections contrast one another. How do you know that the B line is different?

Do a listening activity in class. Listen to several pieces in ABA form and a couple in binary form. Have students discuss and identify the form of the pieces. Really talk about the elements that contrast and let the listener know that a new section has begun. This will really help students learn to identify form.

Examples of possible listenings:

Ternary Form:

“A Childhood Hymn” by David Holsinger

“Down a Country Lane” by Aaron Copland

“Ancient Voices” by Michael Sweeney

Binary Form:

“Blessed Are They” by Johannes Brahms

“Pagenat” by Vincent Persichetti

9. Form Assignment

For this assignment students are asked to bring in a recording of a popular song they have fount that is in ABA form. When explaining the assignment it might be good to use an example of popular music in ABA form, such as “Yesterday” by the Beatles. As stated in the student handbook, any song chosen must not contain any inappropriate language (no obscenities, drug references, lude comments). Make sure to constantly remind them of this. As a general rule, they should not bring in anything that their grandmother would not approve. If they have doubts about the song, it would probably be best to chose another. Along with their selection the students are to turn in a 150 word paragraph detailing why the piece is in ABA form. This paragraph can be worth 10 points and be graded on the following scale:

10 – The paragraph contains complete sentences and few grammatical errors. The student has met the word requirement and has made logical arguments for identifying the piece as ABA form.

8 – The paragraph contains mostly complete sentences and few grammatical errors. The student has met the word requirement and has made somewhat logical arguments for identifying the piece as ABA form.

6 – The paragraph contains some complete sentences and several grammatical errors. The student has not met the word requirement and has made illogical arguments for identifying the piece as ABA form.

0 – The student has not turned in the assignment.

10. Form and Its Relationship to Thomas Cole Painting

This assignment is fairly self-explanatory. It would help to introduce the assignment and the paintings in class. Talk a little bit about Thomas Coles’ work The Voyage of Life and then address the idea of contrast. Use musical ideas of contrast based on the previous discussion of form. For example, in The Light of Dawn the A section contrasts the B section through several musical elements: tempo, dynamics, style, etc. Be sure to answer any questions about the assignment.

The paragraph can be worth 10 points and be graded on the following criteria.

10 – The paragraph contains complete sentences and few grammatical errors. The student has met the word requirement and has included many ways that the paintings are different and similar.

8 - The paragraph contains mostly complete sentences and few grammatical errors. The student has met the word requirement and has include a several ways that the paintings are different and similar.

6 - The paragraph contains some complete sentences and several grammatical errors. The student has not met the word requirement and includes only a few ways that the paintings are different and similar.

0 – The student has not turned in the assignment.

11. Legato and Marcato Style

Included in the student practice page are exercises dealing with the difference between the marcato and legato style. The two style should be demonstrated vocally or modeled on an instrument by the teacher. This should be done early on in the unit. Included in the teacher handbook are warm-ups for practicing these two styles. Students should be assessed on their ability to perform these two styles.

Assessing student skill:

Toward the middle of the unit students should understand and be able to execute these two styles. They should be assessed in small groups of two or three. This assessment can occur during class. Have the small group of students play the B-flat major scale in one style and then the other. It will be possible to tell which students have the skill within the group. This way students will become accustomed to playing in front of others, but not feel alone. This assessment should be pass or fail. Either the students can differentiate between the styles or not. Each student should be required to pass the test and should be given multiple opportunities throughout the unit to do so. Some students may need individual attention outside of class. By the end of the unit each student should have earned the 10 points for this task.

Webquest

The student webquest is an interactive way to get the students involved in using the internet as a resource. The assignment is visible online at:

http://www.bsu.edu/web/celambert2/portfolio/frameset.html

This page explains the task, makes resource suggestions, and gives students a step-by-step process for completing the assignment. The idea of the webquest is for students to find other composers or artists (like James Swearingen and Thomas Cole) that have been inspired by nature. Some of the suggestions provided on the website include the following:

Claude Monet

Georgia O’Keeffe

Ansel Adams

Antonia Vivaldi (The Four Seasons)

Smetana (The Moldau)

Thomas Duffy (Snakes)

Gustav Holst (The Planets)

The students will work in pairs. After searching through some of the suggested cites they should be ready to choose a topic. Since the partners are doing class presentations, it is important that not all students are doing the same topic. Try and have at least one group covering every artist/composer. If none of these artists/composer spark the students’ interest, they are free to find something else. They must be prepared to show you how nature as influenced the artist before being allowed to continue with the topic.

Assessing the Webquest:

Students will be turning in a written version of their presentation along with a bibliography. The assignment will be worth 15 points. If at all possible the teacher should examine the websites and sources on the bibliography. Any kind of plagiarism is not acceptable. Students will be graded on the thoroughness of their biographical information and their information on one specific work. It is very important that they answer the main question: How is the artist/composer inspired by nature? How is nature evident in their work?

Final Test/Quiz

1. List two facts about James Swearingen.

a.

b.

2. What is the piece The Light of Dawn meant to depict?

3. List two facts about Thomas Cole.

a.

b.

4. In class we had a discussion about how Thomas Cole’s painting related to rhythm. What two shapes does Cole use in The Course of the Empire: Desolation to create form and structure?

5. In class we had a discussion about how Thomas Cole’s painting The Present relates to the musical concepts of melody and harmony. Melody represents the main subject of the painting and harmony represents the features, objects, and colors Cole uses to fill in the picture. What is the main subject of this painting? Also list two ways that Cole fills in the rest of the picture.

6. Construct a I and V chord in the key of F Major.

7. Listen to the recording. Is this piece in ABA form? Why or why not?

Explanation and Answers to Final Test/Quiz

1. Worth 2 pts.

Any fact from the following two paragraphs would be acceptable.

James Swearingen is a well-known composer of music for the young band. He began his career as a band director in the Ohio public school system soon after graduating from Bowling Green State University. He later earned a degree from The Ohio State University.   Swearingen is now a Professor of Music and the Department Chair of Music Education at Capital University in Ohio. Throughout his teaching career he has spent a lot of time composing pieces.  He serves as the staff arranger of the Ohio State University marching band and has worked with several other college marching bands. Swearingen finds time to guest conduct and serve as a clinician.  This has allowed him to travel throughout the U.S., Japan, Canada, Europe, Australia, and the Republic of China.
Over 400 of Swearingen’s compositions have been published.  He has written music for many kinds of ensembles including concert band, marching band, and jazz ensemble. He has composed pieces at varying levels of difficulty, but most are considered to be medium/medium easy. Swearingen has won multiple awards for his work as a composer and as a music educator.

2. Worth 1pt.

It is meant to depict the sun rise, the start of a new day.

3. Worth 2 pt.

Any fact from the following information would be acceptable.

Thomas Cole was born in England in 1801. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1818. During his first years in the country he worked as a portrait artist in Philadelphia, Ohio and Pittsburg. Cole worked with members of the Philadelphia Conservatory but he was generally a self-taught painter.

Thomas Cole is often considered the “Father of the Hudson River School of Art,” through is work as a landscape artist. He helped to found the National Academy of Design in New York City in 1826. He spent the rest of his life making nature sketches the Catskills, White Mountains, Adirondacks, and the coast of Maine. His goal was to capture the unexplored American wilderness. These sketches later served as the inspiration and basis for his paintings. His landscape paintings are considered to be romantic, based on his dedication to depicting the beauty of nature.

As the “Father of the Hudson River School of Art,” Thomas Cole served as an inspiration for later artists. His dramatic use of light and contrast served as a basis for a nineteenth century movement called luminism. The style of this artistic movement can be defined by the realistic rendering of light and atmosphere.

4. Worth 2pts.

Cylinder and arch/semi-circle

5. Worth 3 pts.

The castle is the main subject of the painting. There are a variety of acceptable answers for the second question including but not limited to the following: trees, bushes, person, animals, water/pond, sky, clouds, distant river, mountain and shadows.

6. Worth 2 pts.-one for each chord

Correct answers

I chord: FAC

V chord: CEG

7. Worth 2 pts.

For this question it would be a good idea to use a listening previously used in class, either in ternary or binary form. The listening could be from the suggested list or it could be a personal choice. In any case, the students should have been exposed to the piece at some point, or the piece should be at least similar to another piece already discussed. This question is worth 2 pts.-one for the correct identification and one for a correct explanation.

Resources

Websites:

http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/cole.html

http://www.dia.org/exhibitions/thomascole/

http://www.nsula.edu/campaniafelix/ColeCampania.html

http://www.butlerart.com/pc_book/pages/thomas.htm

http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/art.asp?aid=704

http://www.catskillarchive.com/cole/cole.htm

http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/Course_of_Empire_Teacher_Guide.pdf#search='Thomas%20Cole%20and%20Light'

http://www.abcgallery.com/C/cole/colebio.html

Books:

Miles, R. et al (1996). Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Chicago, IL: GIA Publishing.

Noble, Louis Legrand and Vesell, Elliot S (1997). The Life and Works of Thomas Cole. Black Dome Press

Articles:

Tengowski, Richard. “Helping Student Instrumentalists to Compose in Just a Few Minutes.” WMEA Fall Conference (2002).

Hickey, M (1997). “Teaching Ensembles to Compose and Improvise,” Music Educators Journal, 83 (6), 17-21.

Recordings:

CD The Light of Dawn: The Young Band Music of James Swearingen (2002). Artist: The Washington Winds. Walking Frog Records.

Warm-Up Exercise Ideas

All of the practice exercises found in the student handbook would also be great for full ensemble warm-ups. Some of these include:

1. Play the B-flat scale above using a variety of dynamics. For example, play through it once at a mezzo piano dynamic and then the next time play with a forte dynamic. Concentrate on the dynamic levels that your students often have difficulty with. It is always good to stop and have students evaluate their performance. Were we really playing at a piano volume? Try having students come up with different dynamic levels to play.

2. Play the same B-flat scale using different articulations. For example, have students perform the scale with marcato articulations. The next time they can try staccato or legato articulations. Eventually the students can combine two styles by playing in one style on the way up the scale and another on the way down.

3. Try having students warm-up their counting skills by practicing rhythm through the B-flat scale. You can play a rhythmic pattern on one note before progressing to the next note of the scale. An example would look like this:

The exercise would continue in this fashion up to the top of the scale and then back down to the tonic. This exercise could also be varied similarly to the regular B-flat scale. It can be used to work on both dynamics and articulation.

4. Another great way to vary the rhythmic warm-up on the B-flat scale would be to use the students’ rhythmic compositions. Each day the ensemble could sight read another student rhythmic composition. Not only does this allow students to feel a sense of accomplishment through composing, it also allows the ensemble to practice sight reading rhythms on a daily basis. Since the compositions are eight measures long, you could simply have students play through the entire thing on B-flat once, and then the next time have the move up the scale to the next pitch every two measures.