Class Change Concert
Student work heard throughout the school
Students in Denise Lutter’s sixth and seventh grade Digital Music class packed up a minute or two early and sat quietly. They were waiting to hear the end of class bell with unusual interest.
Friday, January 21, was what Principal Swiatowicz dubbed an All-Day Class Change Music Concert. Each of the school’s 12 class-change bells was created by sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in Lutter's Digital Music class.
Exactly at 10:26 a.m.—end of third period—the steel drum sequence written by sixth grader Gabriel Kaye played in every classroom, office and gym throughout the school. The Digital Music class broke out in applause!
at the workstations
Complex creative process
The students composed the class change music using Finale software, selected a digital instrument to perform it, and then exported their compositions as audio files so that they could be shared on the school’s public address system.
The musical task is surprisingly complex, comments Lutter. “It requires setting a mood such as calmn, nervous energy or excitement, using a single musical gesture. This week, we are featuring examples that have the characteristics of a trumpet call heralding an important event.”
hands-on, engaging projects
Class-change bells are just one of the engaging projects in Digital Music. In December, sixth and seventh grade students created a digital orchestration of “What a Wonderful World,” accompanied by images that express gratitude for the people in their lives and opportunities that they have been afforded. Right now, eighth graders are working on public service announcements for which they are composing musical soundtracks.
Digital Music class plans to create new sets of music with different musical themes to be played at various times throughout the school year. Stay tuned!