Musical Puzzle Pieces

Overview:
Our project is inspired by National Core Music Anchor Standard 9: the goal
to have our participants evaluate their own artistic work. (To learn more about
National Core Arts Standards, please visit www.nationalartsstandards.org.). We
have put multiple pieces of songs that participants might know for them to find
how these pieces might fit and put them back together into songs. Participants
will not only be able to fit the “puzzle” together by knowing the song, but also by
anticipating melodic and harmonic changes. This not only gives participants the
freedom to experiment with rearranging the song in whatever ways they choose,
but also gives them the opportunities to develop their skills anticipating and
predicting how music works in ways others than relying on lyrics.
Technologies Used:
● MaKey-MaKey: Used to connect user, interface, and program so that the
machine can be enjoyed by user. (https://makeymakey.com/)
● Scratch: Coding program used to create seamless functionality while
operating machine and allowing multiple samples to be played at once.
(https://scratch.mit.edu/)
● Sibelius: Used in creating the audio samples heard while operating
instrument. (https://www.noteflight.com/)
Learning Goals:
● Participant will be able to piece together a song by hearing the direction of
melody and patterns.
● Participant will gain a basic understanding of harmonic functions by ear of
hearing a recognizable song’s harmonic structure.
TRY THESE AT HOME

Singing the song with your child

● Keep their memory fresh! The music doesn’t have to stop

just because the event is over! Sing this classic song with
your child when you get home!
Acapella App
● Download the acapella app from iTunes or Play Store! It
will allow your child to easily create multi-track recordings
so that they can make their own harmonies!
● Whether it be the song we sang today, or other songs your
child loves, the acapella app makes it easy for your child to
listen and sing! It makes it almost like a game!
Drumming Melodies
● Start with melodies your child is familiar with, and do hand
percussion rhythmic games with them! You will be
surprised at how quickly they pick it up!
● Find a surface, and have your child play the beat to songs
they are familiar with (e.g., Row Your Boat, Frosty the
Snowman)
● After you have done easier patterns, move on to harder
songs! Maybe teach them one from your generation, or a
song from another country that you aren’t familiar with
yourself!
Ben Pryse (prysebe@dukes.jmu.edu)
Don Gatz (gatzdj@dukes.jmu.edu)