After completing my mixed bag arrangement of Alan Silvestri’s ‘The Avengers’, I thought I’d discuss the way in which I see the arrangement being used in the classroom as well as discussing the way I see aspects of it being taught.
As mentioned in previous reflections, the concept of transfer was one that I integrated significantly in my process whilst creating this arrangement. Each of the three percussion parts are able to be taught separately and then combined together and each one is at a level of difficulty which makes transfer an easy process. By developing additional simplified versions of each of the percussion parts I have expanded the level of experience and musical knowledge required of both teachers and students to utilise this arrangement. Whilst the simplified parts won’t perfectly represent the original score, they are created in a way that most closely represents it whilst also keeping the level of expertise required minimal.
The arrangement is created in a way that enables almost any instrumental combination to perform it. Transposed parts are created for most of the parts and instrumental abilities such as breathing requirements and range restrictions have been taken into consideration. As a sidenote, I have personally tested the parts in my teaching practice (brass) and given my own students a chance at playing some of the parts. The level of the students I decided to introduce to the arrangement ranged from Beginner to Intermediate (Grade 1-4) and there was a part that every student was able to play.
If I was to integrate this arrangement into a lesson or group of lessons I would use one of the main principles of Orff and begin by getting the students to imitate a rhythm. I would personally choose either the semiquaver/quaver ostinato from the opening to the piece or the main ostinato of the first section as they are repetitive in nature and also recognisable. Following this, I would transfer the ostinato onto un-tuned classroom percussion instruments and combine the ostinato with an accompanying figure from the arrangement. This would then be transferred onto tuned instruments e.g. metallophones/glockenspiels and develop the arrangement further. If the class I was teaching had their own instruments I would distribute parts to them continue to develop the arrangement from there, focussing on one section at a time. If time was limited, I would most likely expand section A/B and give students the opportunity to improvise.
The creation of this mixed-bag arrangement has taught me many things about the intricacies of classroom arranging and I see myself re-using the skills gained from completing this task in the future.
LJS Music Education 