Educational resources

The following educational resources explore music from Canada's past and gives students the opportunity to use sound recordings from Library and Archives Canada's Virtual Gramophone website.

Ideas for the classroom--teacher handout

Ideas for the classroom--teacher handout [PDF 284 KB]

Themes in music

Students listen to three or four different songs or music pieces on a specific theme from the Virtual Gramophone site. Some suggestions:

  • War/pacifism
  • Patriotism
  • Role of women
  • Racial tolerance/intolerance
  • Family
  • Politics
  • Love and relationships
  • Remembrance

Students compare the songs: how are they the same? They should consider:

  • Treatment of theme (for or against? happy or sad? etc.)
  • Style of music (waltz, foxtrot, ragtime, etc.)
  • Lyrics
  • Musical elements (beat, rhythms, pitch, etc.)
  • Instruments used
  • Performers (how many, gender, etc.)

They should also compare and contrast this music with modern music on the same theme.

A timeline of 20th-century music

Using music from the Virtual Gramophone and other sources, conduct a decade-by-decade study of 20th-century music. How did music change over the century? Consider:

  • Themes
  • Musical styles
  • Instruments used
  • Technological changes in recording and broadcasting

Students could also track major historical events in each decade. They could create a timeline of historical events, and mark the major musical movements and events of the century.

Year-by-year survey of songs

Students could search recordings by year to compare and contrast the types of songs released in each year. They could track them on a table by categories and graph the results:

  • War/pacifism
  • Patriotism
  • Role of women
  • Racial tolerance/intolerance
  • Family
  • Politics
  • Love and relationships
  • Remembrance

Students could also track musical styles (waltz, foxtrot, ragtime, etc.) and observe when new styles were introduced.

Technical difficulties

Recordings that have survived from the early twentieth century are often damaged and the sound, distorted. Students could visit the Virtual Gramophone Technical notes page and write a short report on the causes of these problems, and how they can be corrected.

As an extension activity, students could conduct research into what problems may arise in preserving music created today.

Creative writing

After listening to an historical piece of music, and discussing the theme and history behind it, students could write a poem or short story dramatizing the events of the song. Images taken from Images Canada could be used to help create mental imagery.

Interpretive drama or dance

Students could choose a song or piece of music from the Virtual Gramophone database and develop a piece of drama or an interpretive dance relating to the theme.

Students could also choose two songs, one modern, one from the Virtual Gramophone database, and create a dance that uses both pieces of music. This could highlight changes in the Canadian society and culture in the past 100 years.

Music and movement

This is an activity for drama students (or others) to be able to use music to heighten a dramatic pantomime. Students learn to adapt the action and activity of their pantomime to changes in the tempo, feeling and mood of the music.

Part 1
Students listen to a short piece of music from the Virtual Gramophone site and try to pick out the musical instruments used.

Part 2
Students listen a second time to get an overall feeling for the mood of the music, and try to think of a "plot" for a pantomime that will go with the music.

Part 3
After the second listening, students get into groups of 4-5 and share ideas of what "storyline" the music brought to their minds as they listened to it.

Part 4
Each group picks a favorite "storyline" out of those presented by others in the group and begins to outline a pantomime, assigning a part to each group member.

Part 5
The music is played repeatedly as students brainstorm, then write down, the sequence of actions for their pantomime.

Part 6
Once actions are written down, each group practices its pantomime to the music for approximately 15-20 minutes (play the music about 10 times). Their goal is to have the pantomime not only enhanced by the music being played, but to end the pantomime story when the music ends.

Part 7
Each group presents its pantomime, and other groups critique the performances.

This initial activity could be followed up with each group receiving a different piece of music so each group will be planning a pantomime scene to different pieces of music.

Costumes and props could be added.

Musical art--teacher handout

Subject and ages

Visual arts; 12-14

Summary

Students will learn about and use all stages of the design process (specifications, research, experimentation, roughs, prototypes, revision, presentation and reflection) to create, in the role of commercial artist, CD cover art for an early twentieth-century Canadian song. They will select the materials, artistic media, style and techniques that they judge best reflect the song's theme and artists, as well as its historical and technological context.

Materials or resources required

  • Student handout for musical art
  • Thorgerson, Storm, and Roger Dean. The Album Cover Album. New York, N.Y.: Collins Design, 2008.
  • Computers with access to the Internet
    • Virtual Gramophone
    • Sheet Music from Canada's Past
    • Images Canada
    • Library of Congress sheet music resources:
      • African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
      • America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets
      • Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
      • Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, ca. 1820-1860
      • Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, ca. 1870-1885

Instructional procedures

Students will need to be familiar with the elements and principles of design (line, colour, shape, space, texture, form)

Large-group work

Have students view and comment on a various samples of record album and CD cover artwork. Students could bring CD covers of their favourite artists to class as a starting point for discussion. Resources can include hard-copy texts such as The Album Cover Album, as well as any internet site related to album and CD cover artwork.

Questions to promote critical viewing of record album and CD cover art

1. Initial response

  • What catches your eye?
  • What words first come to mind?
  • How does this work make you feel?
  • Where might you exhibit this work?
  • Do you see anything in this work with which you are familiar?
  • Are you attracted or repelled by anything in this work?
  • What "temperature", "volume" and "taste" do you associate with this work?

2. Analysis

  • Where is your eye drawn? Why?
  • What is it about the work that makes you feel the way you do?
  • What technique did the artist use in order to achieve a particular effect?
  • What purpose does text have within this work?
  • How does the style of lettering differ from work to work? (Similarities?)
  • Are any symbolic shapes or forms included in the work? What do they signify?
  • What changes would you bring to the work to make it more interesting or effective?
  • Does the work have a central focus point? What is it? Why do you feel this is the centre of importance in the work?
  • Which is most important, the work's symbols or its words?
  • Describe how the elements of design (line, colour, shape, space, texture and form) are used.
  • Is there a shape (colour, texture, line) that is predominant?

3. Information acquisition

  • What evidence do you see of the artist's time and world?
  • Why do you think the artist created this work?
  • Are there any of these CD covers that wouldn't have been understood a few years ago?
  • How do the images relate to the product being sold?
  • Why do some designs need/not need words or letters?
  • How has this form of art changed over time?

4. Interpretation

  • Does the artwork express anything about the artist's world or time?
  • Do you agree with the opinions expressed?
  • Select one work. What "personality" does it have?
  • How do you think certain artworks influence you to buy the product?
  • Does the artwork have a particular theme or message?

Small-group work

Students are asked to assume the role of commercial artists who will work in small teams (2-3 members) to design the CD cover artwork for a particular song. Introduce the students to the design process (see below) that they must use in order to achieve their product.

The design process

1. Specifications: A clear statement describing the expected outcome of the design process

Library and Archives Canada has hired you to create the CD cover artwork for an early twentieth-century Canadian song from their Virtual Gramophone website.

2. Research: Searching for, and obtaining the essential information needed for a successful design

  • What important subject or issue does this song explore? What insight, opinion, or point of view does the song express about this issue?
  • What do we know about the performing artist, composer or lyricist that might explain the perspective expressed in the song's music and lyrics?
  • How might major world events of the time have affected the music and song?
  • Investigate the different sound qualities of the old recordings. Students could visit the Technical notes page and research or brainstorm reasons for these characteristics.
  • How and why might sound be distorted on an old recording?

3. Experimentation: Bringing innovation to previously existing designs. Students will rework an existing sample of CD cover artwork by substituting, exaggerating, combining, altering or reversing one or several of its elements of design (colour, line, shape, space, texture, form). Students should solicit feedback from other groups of their peers.

4. Roughs: Initial representations: sketches, models (the "first draft" of ideas). Students will produce as many sketches as possible.

5. Prototypes: Refinements brought to the selected rough(s), based on critical response to drafts.

6. Revision: Consultation/feedback from outside the classroom.

7. Presentation: Communicating to an extended community. Students collaborate with other artists (classmates) to prepare a formal exhibit of various cover artwork designs.

8. Reflection: Evaluating both process and product.

Student handout for musical art

  • Student handout for musical art [PDF 256 KB]
  • Summary

    • You will learn about and use all stages of the design process to create, in the role of commercial artist, CD cover art for an early twentieth-century Canadian song.
    • You will be able to select the materials, media, style and techniques that you judge best reflect the song's theme and artists, as well as its historical and technological context.

    The design process

    1. Specifications: A clear statement describing the expected outcome of the design process.

    Library and Archives Canada has hired you to create the CD cover artwork for an early twentieth-century Canadian song from their Virtual Gramophone website.

    2. Research: Searching for, and obtaining the essential information needed for a successful design

    You will research and document:

    • The song's theme
      What important subject or issue does this song explore? What insight, opinion or point of view does the song express about this issue?

    • Biographical information regarding the performing artist(s), lyricist(s) or composer(s)
      What do we know about the above contributors that might explain the perspective expressed in the song's music and lyrics?

    • The song's historical context
      How might major world events of the time have affected the music and song? See the History section on the Virtual Gramophone website for help.

    • Technology
      Investigate the different sound qualities of the old recordings. Visit the Technical notes page of the Virtual Gramophone website and research or brainstorm reasons for these characteristics. How and why might sound be distorted on an old recording?

    3. Experimentation: Bringing innovation to previously existing designs

    You will rework an existing sample of CD cover artwork of your choice by substituting, exaggerating, combining, altering or reversing one or several of its elements of design (colour, line, shape, space, texture, form). Present and explain your explorations to the other groups. Invite their responses to this creative "warm-up."

    4. Roughs: Initial representations: sketches, models (the "first draft" of ideas)

    Based on the information you obtained during your research (Step 2), you will produce as many different "thumbnail" sketches as possible of your initial ideas for the song's cover art.

    5. Prototypes: Refinements brought to the selected rough(s)

    Using the questions from the initial class discussion of CD cover art, ask your classmates for a critical review of your "roughs". Use their responses to prepare and present a more refined product, which incorporates suggestions related to the artwork's images, materials, techniques, media, etc.

    6. Revision: Consultation/feedback

    You will seek feedback from someone outside your classroom and consider this input as you finalize the production of the artwork.

    7. Presentation: Communicating to an extended community

    You will collaborate with the other artists (classmates) who have been involved in this project in order to prepare a formal exhibit of the various cover artwork designs.

    8. Reflection: Evaluating both process and product

    In a teacher-student conference, you will provide a reflective commentary on the challenges you encountered and the solutions you arrived at in working through the design process.

    The power of music--teacher handout

    Subject and ages

    Music and language arts; 12-14

    Summary

    In Part 1, students will analyze and compare two songs from different periods using the "Music analysis guide for students". In Part 2, students will examine historical and technological context using the "Student handout for power of music".

    Materials or resources required

    • Computers with headphones and access to the Internet or pre-recorded music
    • If available, old record players and gramophones
    • Music analysis guide for students
    • Student handout for power of music

    Instructional procedures

    To gain full benefit from this project, students should be aware of instrument families and the elements of music.

    Part 1: Analyzing and comparing songs

    Large-group work

    Facilitate a whole-class brainstorm to identify the topics, issues and themes that are the focus of the students' current popular songs:

    • War/pacifism
    • Patriotism
    • Role of women
    • Racial tolerance/intolerance
    • Family
    • Politics
    • Love and relationships
    • Remembrance

    Introduce students to the RSS Feeds page on the Virtual Gramophone site. Have them listen to several songs about different subjects. Some suggestions:

    • "The Maple Leaf Forever" (anthems and patriotic songs)
    • "Ô Canada, mon pays, mes amours" (anthems and patriotic songs)
    • "Carmen Fantasy" (instrumental by Kathleen Parlow)     
      • This is an appealing piece of instrumental music that students can easily identify with. It exemplifies timbre by contrasting the sound of a violin with that of a piano, and by its use of harmonics. Pitch range is very noticeable as the violin has great range in this work. The violin also demonstrates the idea of chords and harmony. The music is very programmatic so it would be easy for a student to think of a story or visualize colours or ideas.

    Briefly discuss the differences between music from the past and music today. Students should be prepared to bring a piece of recently produced music to class for the next lesson to begin the work of the unit.

    Song 1

    Choose a recently produced song that the students will enjoy. After listening to it carefully, the class should complete the song analysis on "Music analysis guide for students" together. A class note-taker could record the various student responses.

    Small-group work

    Song 2

    Students should choose a song from the Virtual Gramophone website that has the same theme as their first song (love, heartbreak, happiness). After listening to it carefully they should complete the analysis as for song 1.

    Students should then complete a chart of similarities and differences between the two songs. For each similarity or difference, they should think of reasons these elements have remained the same or changed.

    Part 2: Historical and technical context

    History: Students should consider the following questions:

    • How does the world around us affect the music we make?
    • How do you think historical and cultural conditions affected tastes at the time the students' chosen pieces were recorded?

    Students should research and make a chart of major events around the time of the two songs they have chosen.

    See the History section on the Virtual Gramophone for help.

    Technology: Students probably noticed the different sound qualities of the old and new recordings. They should compare the recording qualities of three songs:

    • One song from around 1900
    • One song from around 1925
    • One song from modern times

    Following this, they should visit the Technical notes page of the Virtual Gramophone website and research or brainstorm reasons for these differences. Consider:

    • How the sound might be distorted on an old recording
    • How the recording artist's proximity to the recording device might affect the sound quality. (The electrical microphone was not invented until the 1920s so early artists had to stand close to the recording equipment.)

    Possible extension

    Students could create cover art for the songs they have chosen (see the Musical Art--teacher handout).

    Music analysis guide for students

    Summary

    You will analyze and compare two songs from different periods, examining theme, style, and historical and technological context.

    The lyrics (Language)

    • What did you like about the song's words? What were your favourite parts? Why? (Critical thinking)
    • Are the song's words like the words to any other song that you know? How are they similar or different? (Connections)
    • Is there anything in the song that reminds you of something in your own life? (Personalization)
    • Do you find any of the words or sentences interesting? Confusing? Unusual? (Style)
    • Did the songwriter include images that you find funny? Scary? Old-fashioned? Embarrassing? (Evaluation)
    • What senses does the songwriter use in this song? Sight? Smell? Hearing? Taste? Touch? (Style)
    • Why do you think the songwriter wrote this song? (Inference)
    • What is this song about? (Theme)

    The elements of music

    Rhythm
    Rhythm is the repeated movement of sounds through time. In songs, the words usually match the rhythm. Everything we sing or say has a rhythm. For example, try singing or saying a lullaby, nursery rhyme, skipping song or rap. Beat, accent and tempo are all part of rhythm.
    Beat
    Beat is the regular pulse (the ticking of a clock, the sound of a car's windshield wipers).
    Accent
    Accent is where the strongest emphasis is placed as in one, two, three, one, two, three.
    Tempo
    Tempo is the speed: how fast or slow the music is.
    Can you find the beat through clapping? Can you find the accent? What happens when you change the tempo?
    Melody
    Melody is the tune. The tune is made up of musical notes or pitches that make up a pattern. When you add words to a melody, it becomes a song.
    Notes can be high, low or in-between. Their height is called the pitch.
    Pitch
    Pitch determines the height of a note in relation to the others around it, which may be higher or lower.
    What words would you use to describe the melody or tune of this music?
    Timbre
    Timbre is what makes one instrument or voice sound different from another.
    What instruments do you recognize in this music? Why do you think these instruments were selected?
    Dynamics
    Dynamics refers to how loud or quiet the music is. It can help to tell you about the mood of the music.
    Words to describe dynamics are: pianissimo (very quiet), piano (quiet), mezzo piano (medium quiet), mezzo forte (medium loud), forte (loud), fortissimo (very loud). Which of these words would you assign to the song?
    Texture
    Texture is the layering of instruments and/or voices to create a light or fuller sound. Melodies, rhythms, and timbres can be combined to create different textures. Music made by an orchestra is an example of a full texture.
    What words come to mind regarding this song’s texture (how melody, rhythm, timbre are combined)?
    Harmony
    Harmony is when you play two or more notes at the same time.
    Is harmony used in this music? Why do you think the composer chose to use harmony in this music?
    Genres/Styles
    Genre is the kind of music (jazz, rock, rap, classical, marches, lullabies, opera, pop, folk, etc.)
    How is each kind of music different? Can you give an example for each kind of music? What type does this music fit into?
    Ostinato
    Ostinato is a recurring theme with melodic variations.
    Can you identify and reproduce (sing, clap, hum) an ostinato in this song?

    Complete a chart of similarities and differences between the two songs. For each similarity or difference, try to think of reasons these elements have remained the same or changed.

    Student handout for power of music

  • Student handout for power of music [PDF 276 KB]
  • Summary

    You will choose two songs from the early 1900s using sound recordings from Library and Archives Canada's Virtual Gramophone website. You will research and make a chart of major events around the time of the two songs.

    History

    How does the world around us affect the music we make? How do you think historical and cultural conditions affected tastes at the time your selected pieces were recorded? Research and make a chart of major events around the time of the two songs you have chosen.

    • Title of song 1
    • Events occurring in the year song 1 was written
    • Title of song 2
    • Events occurring in the year song 2 was written

    See the History section on the Virtual Gramophone website for help.

    Technology

    You probably noticed the different sound qualities between older and newer recordings. Find and compare the recording qualities of three songs:

    • Song 1 from around 1900
    • Song 2 from around 1925
    • Song 3 from modern times

    Title of song:

    Year:

    Playback speed:

    Noise (clicks, crackling, hissing):

    Other elements:

    Next, visit the Technical notes page of the Virtual Gramophone website and research or brainstorm reasons for these differences. Consider:

    • How the sound might be distorted on an old recording
    • How the recording artist's proximity to the recording device might affect the sound quality. (The electrical microphone was not invented until the 1920s so early artists had to stand close to the recording equipment.)

    Use this information to help you complete a chart about the differences in the sound of the two recordings:

    • Type of difference
    • Possible causes
    • Technical solution

    Related websites

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