Beat and Tempo

Over the course of our classroom discussions it has been interesting in uncovering the multitude of ways to teach students about beat and tempo in a fun, challenging way.  Our classroom discussion focused heavily on the development and manipulation of a melodic tempo and beat.  Beat and tempo become integral in developing a piece of music therefore it is important that students gain a strong comprehension on these compositional components. For many students this concept may present great complexity and/or difficulties therefore it is essential that educators develop activities which aim to satisfy the learning needs of a multitude of academics. An example of this was when our instructor taught us her rendition to a “Valentines Song”. We began by singing the song aloud then engaged in an activity which allowed students to visually and physically watch the beat progress. For me, this was an excellent strategy as I was better able to mentally visualize how the composition was constructed.  As a future educator I  have come to the realization that my classroom will be comprised of a multitude of learners ranging with various academic needs therefore I must be willing to accommodate my own practises to best satisfy the needs of all. Another great activity presented was the continuation of the name game introduced during our first week of class. In my opinion, ice breakers are  fundamental components to the development of a safe, welcoming environment for learners. When academics gain a sense of inclusion their likelihood to participate and retain information may heighten leading to greater opportunities for academic  success.  Last week our focus was more geared towards the verbally component of the activity, gaging how to vocalize our names to various melodic tempos. This week however we were challenged to once again partake in the practise of verbalizing our names in a melodic practise but doing so with a group of individuals.  We had the opportunity to create various compositions and manipulation them in numerous ways to create a multitude of different melodic pieces. The implementation of such an activity heightens not only student interest but their overall understanding of various musical components. As a future educator I definitely force myself incorporating these activities into a lesson plan for I feel student interest and involvement will increase.

Over my course of studies as an academic I have come to the realization that the twenty first century classroom is comprised of a multitude of individuals ranging with various emotional, physical and mental needs. As a result it becomes the classroom instructors responsibility to ensure their needs are satisfied so they can succeed.