Lesson:

The Sound Era

Materials:
Foundations of American Film Keynote
Sound Era Handout
Lord of the Rings Youtube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7BkmF8CJpQ
Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Identify functions of music
Identify instruments used in underscoring
Identify examples/ make connections from previous films shown in class
Identify leitmotifs in video shown
Identify thematic transformations in video shown
Procedure:
Handout the Sound Era sheet for students to fill out during the discussion
Go through each slide making sure to…
Engage students
Ask them questions
Create a mix of teacher reading slide/ students reading slide
Significant Films
Ask students which movies they recognize
Significant Composers
Ask students if they recognize names
Review Complications
Ask for examples of the complications from Singing in the Rain
Musicals
Ask if the students have heard of the musicals
Early Sound Cartoons
Ask students about cartoons they are familiar with
Talk about how cartoons are still famous and popular today/ the impact of early
cartoons
Skeleton Dance
What function is displayed?
What instruments do we hear?
Show and ask the question of what came first? The music or the animation?
No one knows!
Animated Film Feature
Disney created the animated film
Disney’s impact on the film industry
How many films do the students know?
Major Studios
Who has seen these studios/ knows the studios?
Which ones have you not seen?
 Classical Film Score
Before there was 25-30% score in the movies, now it is 50-55% of the film
All the instruments of the orchestra were used to get as much effect into the
music as possible, all of the ranges and timbres
Ask definition of range as a review for students
Focus on having a tune that people could leave the theatre humming
More focus on the notes, pitches
Main characters of movies had themes
Themes would be established during the beginning credits
Use example: hero and villain themes would be played during the credits
Foreshadowing
Functions
Reference the green sheet of functions

Leitmotifs- theme for a noun

Ask what a noun is?
People, place, or thing
Thematic transformation-
When the music changes with the character
Ex. When a character has a change of heart/ when the setting changes
Show Lord of the Rings: How Music Elevates Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7BkmF8CJpQ
Discuss with students after video
Ask for examples of leitmotifs shown
Ask for examples of thematic transformation shown
Ask for examples of meter shown
Ask for examples of instruments shown
Assessment:

Proficient Moderate Developing Needs Work

Functions Students were Students were Students were Students were
consistently able able to identify able to identify unable to
to identify functions of functions of identify
functions of music most of music some of functions of
music the time the time music
Instruments Students were Students were Students were Students were
consistently able able to identify able to identify unable to
to identify instruments instruments identify
instruments most of the time some of the instruments
time
Examples/ Students were Students were Students were Students were
Making consistently able able to make able to make unable to make
Connections to make connections/ connections/ connections/
connections/ give examples give examples give examples
 give examples from previous from previous from previous
from previous films/ film clips films/ film clips films/ film clips
films/ film clips most of the time some of the
time
Leitmotifs Students were Students were Students were Students were
consistently able able to give able to give unable to give
to give examples examples of examples of examples of
of leitmotifs leitmotifs from leitmotifs from leitmotifs from
from the video the video most the video some the video
of the time of the time
Thematic Students were Students were Students were Students were
Transformation consistently able able to give able to give unable to give
to give examples examples of examples of examples of
of thematic thematic thematic thematic
transformations transformations transformations transformations
from the video from the video from the video from the video
most of the time some of the
time

Evaluation:
Were students able to…
Identify functions
Identify instruments
Identify examples/ make connections from previous films shown in class
Identify leitmotifs in video shown
Identify thematic transformations in video show
National Core Arts Standards Addressed:
MU:Cr1.1.C.IIa Describe and demonstrate how sounds and musical ideas can be
used to represent sonic events, memories, visual images, concepts, texts, or
storylines.
MU:Re7.1.C.Ia Apply teacher-provided criteria to select music that expresses a
personal experience, mood, visual image, or storyline in simple forms (such as
one-part, cyclical, binary), and describe the choices as models for composition.