Youth create a group project with a visual representation of music.
This can also be a music or visual arts experience as youth listen for different rhythms and use various art supplies to represent what they are hearing.
Step 1
- Say, “When we listen to music, we are listening to rhythm. Today we’re going to create a group art piece that shows visual images of the rhythm we hear.”
- Say, “There are art supplies set up around the table. Find a spot around the table and select a color to start with.”
- Give youth a moment to do this.
- Say, “I’m going to play some music and as you listen, pick out a rhythm you hear in the song. It might be the beat of a drum, the guitar riff or a vocalist. As you listen, draw what you hear. For example, if you are listening to a steady drumbeat, you might draw a steady chain of dots or lines together in a pattern. Maybe you hear a vocalist and draw big curly squiggles. There is no right or wrong way to do this! As we listen, we will keep moving around the table and our job is to cover all the paper with color for our visual rhythm.”
- Play the first song.
- Encourage youth to continuously move around the table clockwise and cover as much of the paper with color as possible, not getting stuck at one spot.
- Prompt youth to switch colors as often as they’d like.
- Remind youth to add on to the art they already see, adding more color, continuing lines, etc.
- You can play different songs using the same paper until it is covered with color.
Optional Extension
- Youth can share clean versions of their favorite song to a master playlist that plays during the experience.
- Encourage youth to guess whose favorite song is playing.
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