What was your driving question?
How can music represent nature?
Grades Involved
9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th
What PBE principles were highlighted in this project?
Learner-Centered, Community as Classroom
Project Description
Students in a music composition class were asked to create a piece of music that represents the beauty of where we live in the upper valley of Vermont. We were at the tail end of the glorious fall foliage. The goal was to get students inspired by something outdoors in nature (the trees, the weather, the dirt, the plants, a farm, etc.) and then have them create a piece of music that represented their inspiration. Another aspect of the project was that each piece of music would tell a story. One student’s final project is included here for your listening pleasure!
How did this project connect to your local or regional community?
Students picked a place in the town of Hartford, VT that inspired them and created a soundscape based on that inspiration.
Reflection: What was the biggest challenge? What was the most rewarding aspect of this project?
It was challenging to support remote learners new to using the composition software, and helping students translate something very abstract (like the timbre of snow) into a concrete sound.
Any advice for a teacher or student that is implementing a PBE project for the first time?
“There’s no wrong answer when it comes to nature soundscapes.”
