To discover, increase awareness, and understand natural rhythms and musical rhythms.
Research longer rhythms (yearly, seasonally, etc. ); monthly (lunar, body clock, etc.); daily (tidal, day/night, etc.); human speech rhythms; musical rhythms / patterns / repetitions by reading the documents on the media page.
Now, make a digital or artistic collage of how our life revolves around rhythm, and how that applies to the music we enjoy.
Also, investigate tribal / societal / individual musical creations and responses to musical rhythms, then present your work in an artistic way.
Describe how our world is shaped by various rhythmic repetitions and how that shapes and influences our lives.
Create a 5-minute talk or 5-minute Power Point slide show to demonstrate macro and micro rhythmic patterns in nature and society. Compare natural and musical rhythm patterns that occur musically in shorter (measures), medium length (phrases), and longer (entire song, orchestral or choral) forms. You may include / extrapolate from topics such as:
Click to download document:
Demonstrate how natural and musical rhythms influence how we live our lives and how we adapt, respond, and internalize their ebb and flow.
Explain how humans and animals respond to natural rhythms in their environment and how musical rhythms (found in all societies) can or do influence our lives: write a 4-paragraph essay describing what you have discovered or of what you have become more aware. Share also how you respond to musical rhythms and how / if they shape your life or memories.
Recognizing /understanding what in the natural world appears to be in or out of rhythm. Understanding the importance of rhythmic patterns in music.
Natural rhythms occur / are regulated by solar, lunar, hormonal, warm/cold, geological cycles. Musical rhythm is marked by the regulated succession of opposite elements, the dynamics of the strong and weak beat, the played beat and the inaudible but implied rest beat, the long and short note. As well as perceiving rhythm we must be able to anticipate it. This depends upon repetition of a pattern we are able to recognize and memorize.
Read the “What is Circadian Rhythm” document on the media page.
Dr. Ralph Johnson, the drummer / vocalist and percussionist of Earth, Wind and Fire, for the past 40 years, and consummate teacher and mentor, understands and communicates this through his music. Get acquainted briefly with him by watching the video “Unite the Vision” on the media page.
Then and then meet the band by watching the extended “In the Stone” video.
Now, listen to other “In the Stone” video and notice how he crafted the percussion section by:
Establishing a regular “pulse” or beat. What percussion instrument(s) does he use (snare, cymbals, claves/hard sticks)? This then sets a “groove” for the song
“Layering” other percussion instruments on top of it: what do you hear? (here is a list from which to draw: cowbell, conga, hi-hat / cymbal, cabasa (sounds like sand blocks), toms, snare drum, wood block)
“Punching” the rhythm by accenting certain beats / parts of the phrase to keep the music interesting and move the song forward
Click to download document:
Unite the Vision
In the Stone
In the Stone extended
Compare and contrast regular cycles and rhythms occurring in nature and music with unnatural or out-of-synch / harmful events.
Deliverable:.
From our study thus far, choose 3 topics in nature that “fit” natural rhythmic occurrences and 3 that do not. Compare and contrast them in a one page, single-spaced comparison of important / noticeable rhythms.
Also, please review the exercises Dr. Johnson wrote in his book “Drum Exercises – for the Pop, Punk and R&B player” included on the media page that will give you an idea / feel for what a percussionist must master – so that they can TRULY be in the moment and helping the band / artist sound their best. They must start with rhythm basics.
Assess and present observations of the nexus between natural / unnaturally occurring rhythms and the importance of steady, rhythmic pulse in music.