Class Description
Ever wondered why you can’t stop nodding your head to certain songs? In this class, you’ll dig into the heartbeat of all music: rhythm. From hand drums and shakers to MIDI control and sampling, you’ll explore percussion traditions from around the world: African, Latin, Celtic, polyrhythms and more, and discover how they all connect to the music you already love. Along the way, you’ll learn to read basic rhythm notation, count in complex time signatures, and listen and respond like a real ensemble musician. You’ll leave with original compositions you built from scratch, a solid foundation in digital music production, and the rhythmic instincts to back it up.
Learning Objectives: in this class, students will learn about
- Read and interpret rhythm notation, including note values, time signatures, and drum charts, and connect written notation to MIDI sequences in GarageBand;
- Play and lead rhythms by hand in a group setting, developing the ability to hold a steady beat, follow a leader, and respond musically to other players in an ensemble;
- Explore rhythmic traditions from around the world – including African percussion, Latin clave, odd meters, and polyrhythm – and recognize these patterns in recorded music;
- Use GarageBand’s sampler and MIDI tools to program original rhythm-based compositions, applying concepts like layering, quantization, and tempo control;
- Listen critically to recorded music, identifying time signatures, percussion instruments, and rhythmic feel across a variety of genres and styles;
- Create and refine original compositions of 30 seconds or more, making intentional production choices about rhythm, texture, and arrangement;
- Collaborate as musician-producers, contributing to group rhythm recordings, giving constructive peer feedback, and building the listening skills needed to play well with others;
- The art of the peer critique and give peer critiques on the progress of student work;
- Opportunities and potential resources on career pathways;
- How to distribute, exhibit, and promote artwork for a variety of audiences.
Equipment
- iMacs
- Mixers
- Recording audio interfaces
- Focusrite interfaces
- Microphones
- Cloudlifter Mic Activator
- Microphone Stands
- Dynamic Microphones
- Condenser Microphone
- Headphones
- MIDI keyboards
- Hand Drums
- Shakers
- Percussion Instruments
- Portable Audio Recorders
- Cables
Software
- GarageBand
Deliverables: Students and Class Projects
- Short Rhythm Recordings- Quick group captures from each week’s class experiments; documenting how the ensemble sounds as your skills grow
- Original Compositions (30 sec+)- Individually crafted tracks built in GarageBand using samplers, MIDI, and recorded percussion
- Final Portfolio of Files- A collection of your best work from the session, exported and ready to share and keep
