SONGWRITING CURRICULUM
The concept of songwriting to the uninitiated can be daunting. Do you write the lyrics first or do we create the beats, establish the melody and harmonies before anything else? While no two songs might go through the same exact course, the process of songwriting and the result of a finished song can be incredibly powerful.
When we encourage our students to song-write, we are asking them to pull from their stream of consciousness a series of thoughts, details and experiences of past events along with hopes, dreams, aspirations and even worries about the future. In putting these emotions and thoughts into words and being accompanied by carefully selected auditory layers, specific frequencies and vibrations, the placement of such expression into a sequential manner turns jumbled thoughts and emotions into a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Imagine emboldening your students to write their own stories by equipping them with the support, knowledge and tools. Together, we can help our students achieve meaningful social emotional learning by empowering them to develop their own narratives and inspiring them to share with the world.
When we encourage our students to song-write, we are asking them to pull from their stream of consciousness a series of thoughts, details and experiences of past events along with hopes, dreams, aspirations and even worries about the future. In putting these emotions and thoughts into words and being accompanied by carefully selected auditory layers, specific frequencies and vibrations, the placement of such expression into a sequential manner turns jumbled thoughts and emotions into a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Imagine emboldening your students to write their own stories by equipping them with the support, knowledge and tools. Together, we can help our students achieve meaningful social emotional learning by empowering them to develop their own narratives and inspiring them to share with the world.
CALIFORNIA CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION ANCHOR STANDARDS
- Leadership & Teamwork 9.6 | Respect individual and cultural differences and recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace
- Technical Knowledge & Skills 10.1 | Interpret and explain terminology and practices specific to the Arts, Media, and Entertainment sector
- Technical Knowledge & Skills 10.3 | Construct projects and products specific to the Arts, Media, and Entertainment sector requirements and expectations
- Technical Knowledge & Skills 10.4 | Collaborate with industry experts for specific technical knowledge and skills
- Demonstration & Application 11.5 | Create a portfolio, or similar collection of work, that offers evidence through assessment and evaluation of skills and knowledge competency as contained in the anchor standards, pathway standards, and performance indicators
CALIFORNIA CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAY STANDARDS: DESIGN, VISUAL & MEDIA ARTS
A1 - Demonstrate ability to reorganize and integrate visual art elements across digital media and design applications
- A1.1 View and respond to a variety of industry-related artistic products integrating industry appropriate vocabulary
- A1.3 Describe the use of the elements of art to express mood in digital or traditional art work found in the commercial environment
- A1.4 Select industry-specific works and analyze the intent of the work and the appropriate use of media
- A1.9 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work
- A2.1 Demonstrate skill in the manipulation of digital imagery (either still or video) in an industry-relevant application
- A2.2 Demonstrate personal style and advanced proficiency in communicating an idea, theme, or emotion in an industry-relevant artistic product
- A2.7 Create original works of art of increasing complexity and skill in a variety of media that reflect their feelings and points of view
- A3.1 Identify and describe the role and influence of new technologies on contemporary arts industry
- A3.2 Describe how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence and are reflected in a variety of artistic products
- A3.3 Identify contemporary styles and discuss the diverse social, economic, and political developments reflected in art work in an industry setting
- A3.4 Identify art in international industry and discuss ways in which the work reflects cultural perspective
- A3.5 Analyze similarities and differences of purpose in art created in culturally diverse industry applications
- A4.2 Deconstruct how beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence commercial media (traditional and electronic)
- A4.4 Analyze the relationship between the artist, artistic product and audience in both an existing and self-generated project
- A4.5 Analyze and articulate how society influences the interpretation and effectiveness of an artistic product
- A4.6 Create an artistic product for a specific industry and modify that product to accommodate a different aesthetic perspective
- A5.1 Compare and contrast the ways in which different artistic media (television, newspapers, magazines, and electronic media) cover the same commercial content
- A5.2 Explore the role of art and design across various industry sectors and content areas
- A5.3 Deconstruct works of art, identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images and their relationship to industry and society
- A5.4 Predict how changes in technology might change the role and function of the visual arts in the workplace
- A5.6 Prepare portfolios of original art created for a variety of purposes and commercial applications
- A6.1 Evaluate the ways in which irony, tone, mood, the author’s style, and the “sound” of language achieve specific rhetorical or aesthetic purposes or both
- A6.2 Analyze the way in which authors through the centuries have used archetypes drawn from myth and tradition in literature, film, political speeches, and religious writings
- A7.2 Use language in natural, fresh, and vivid ways to establish a specific tone
- A8.1 Understand the component steps and skills required to design, edit, and produce a production for audio, video, electronic, or printed presentation
- A8.2 Use technology to create a variety of audio, visual, written, and electronic products and presentations
- A8.3 Know the features and uses of current and emerging technology related to computing
- A8.5 Differentiate writing processes, formats, and conventions used for various media
CALIFORNIA CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAY STANDARDS: PERFORMING ARTS
B1 - Explore and formulate responses to peer and professional work using the fundamental elements of Theater, Dance, and Music
- B1.7 Deconstruct formal and informal (improvisational) performances of theater, dance, and music, both live and electronic, and evaluate using appropriate artistic vocabulary
- B2.2 Describe how the elements of music are used
- B2.5 Analyze and describe significant musical events perceived and remembered in a given industry generated example
- B2.6 Analyze and describe the use of musical elements in a given professional work that makes it unique, interesting, and expressive
- B3.2 Describe how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence and are reflected in a variety of artistic products
- B4.3 Apply basic music elements (rhythm, meter, tempo, timbre) to construct and perform dances for a variety of professional settings
- B5.1 Sing or play a repertoire of musical literature representing various genres, styles, and cultures with expression and technical accuracy
- B5.2 Sing or play music written in multiple parts, individually or with a group
- B5.4 Employ a variety of music technology to record, integrate, or modify a live or recorded performance to produce a new artistic product
- B5.5 Compose music in distinct styles
- B5.6 Compose and arrange music for various combinations of voice and acoustic and digital/electronic instruments using appropriate ranges and traditional and nontraditional sound sources
- B5.7 Create melodic and rhythmic improvisations in a style or genre within a musical culture (gamelan, jazz, and mariachi)
- B7.1 Identify and compare how film, theater, television, and electronic media productions influence values and behaviors
- B7.3 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of the musician in the professional setting
- B7.5 Create a product comparing and contrasting universal themes and sociopolitical issues in a variety of music, dance, or theatrical products
- B8.1 Critique discipline-specific professional works using the language and terminology specific to the discipline
- B8.2 Use selected criteria to compare, contrast, and assess various professional performance forms
- B8.3 Analyze the aesthetic principles that apply in a professional work designed for live performance, film, video, or live broadcast
- B8.4 Use complex evaluation criteria and terminology to compare and contrast a variety of genres of professional performance products
- B9.1 Examine the training, education, and experience needed to pursue discipline-specific performance options
- B9.2 Demonstrate effective knowledge and skills with the audiovisual equipment and technology used in professional performance
- B9.3 Demonstrate entry-level competencies for a career in an artistic or technical field in the theatrical arts
- B9.5 Contrast differing roles in professional skill sets of creators, performers, and others involved in the production and presentation of the performing arts
- B9.6 Create a career plan leading to professional performance in one of the performance disciplines
CALIFORNIA CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAY STANDARDS: PRODUCTION & MANAGERIAL ARTS
C1 - Demonstrate knowledge of industry safety standards and practices in all areas of technical production
- C1.4 Apply safety related decision making and problem-solving techniques to live, recorded, or multimedia generated production
- C2.1 Analyze the production sequence involved in creating a media based or live performance production
- C3.1 Identify the skills and competencies of the various members of a production team including producer, production manager, director, assistant director, stage manager, production designer(s), post production, etc
- C4.1 Know the main elements and functional responsibilities involved in the production and presentation of the performing, visual, and media arts
- C4.2 Know how artistic processes, organizational structure, and business principles, including funding and budgeting, are interrelated in both live and media production
- C4.3 Identify the responsibilities and activities associated with the preproduction, production, and post-production of a creative project
- C4.4 Demonstrate understanding of the appropriate use of technology in each phase of the production planning
- C4.5 Create a call sheet for equipment, crew, technical support, and cast requirements for an arts, media, and entertainment production
- C5.1 Identify essential qualifications and technological competencies for each team member, including artists, designers, performers, composers, writers, and technicians
- C5.2 Plan the general coordination of various elements in a project or production
- C6.1 Design a production flow chart identifying chain of responsibility for a specific type of arts, media, and entertainment production
- C6.2 Create a budget for an aspect of an arts, media, and entertainment production of the arts, media, and entertainment industry
- C6.3 Design a promotional packet demonstrating knowledge of promotional
- C6.4 Create a promotional example using electronic media
- C6.5 Create a public service announcement using two or more production methods materials, such as standard public service announcements
- C7.1 Identify and describe licensing management for live and media based productions and intellectual properties
- C7.2 Identify successful business models and analyze various facets of those models, such as market analysis, marketing strategy, and product value
- C7.3 Discuss the relationships between publishers, developers, distributors, marketers, and retailers
- C7.4 Understand the role of audience and market research in promotional planning
- C7.5 Understand the components of marketing campaigns for live and media based productions, including advertising in both traditional and social media
- C7.6 Demonstrate understanding of the distribution component of both live and media based production including Web, print, radio, television, and communication based options
CALIFORNIA VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS STANDARDS
CREATING
PERFORMING
CONNNECTING
- 2.0 - Plan and Make | Musician's creative choices are influenced by their expertise, context, and expressive intent
- 3.1 - Evaluate and Refine | Musicians evaluate, and refine their work through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria
- 3.2 - Present | Musicians' presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of creation and communication
PERFORMING
- 4.1 - Select | Performers’ interest in and knowledge of musical works, understanding of their own technical skill, and the context for a performance influence the selection of repertoire
- 4.2 -Analyze | Analyzing creators’ context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their intent and informs performance
- 4.3 - Interpret | Performers make interpretive decisions based on their understanding of context and expressive intent
- 5.0 - Rehearse, Evaluate and Refine | To express their musical ideas, musicians analyze, evaluate, and refine their performance over time through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria
CONNNECTING
- Connecting 11.0 - Relate | Musicians connect societal, cultural, and historical contexts when creating, performing, and responding