What is MUSIC?

DISCUSS what music is

1. Discuss in class: what is music?

2. The composer John Cage said that music is simply “organization of sound.”

3. All of these objects make sound. Could they all make music? Why, or why not?

   • Bucket

   • French horn

   • Bell

   • Cannon

4. What about this: do you think this is an instrument? (Show picture of a washing machine.)

5. A band named Matmos decided to create an album using only sounds recorded from a washing machine. You can listen to a little bit of it here. Remember—every sound you hear was originally created by a washing machine.

LISTEN to examples of sound/music

1. Create a journal or log entry template for students. See a sample template here.

2. Ask students to listen to all or a selection of the following examples:

   • A baby music box

   • A hyena laughing

   • A meadowlark singing

   • This drum loop

   • This performance of 4’33’’ by John Cage

   • Include some student ideas

3. After listening to some examples, ask students to create their own list of criteria for music, or write a definition.

4. Share your findings in class. Ask each student to choose one entry to tell a partner or begin or end class with one student reporting to the whole group.

5. For older students, compare and contrast two separate listening entries. What elements do they have in common? What is different? Do those differences make a difference when it comes to deciding about whether something is music or not?