Scenario no. 5: Self composition

Suitable for: primary schools and music schools

Short Description:
Viewpoint of the child
The keyboard produces a phrase that seems to imitate child’s one by proposing several variations. The child can play, select or transform these variations through gestural control. The system then proposes various harmonisations of this phrase by playing chords. When the child likes a chord he/she can tell it to the system by a specific drawing or gesture.

Viewpoint of teacher
The types of pieces/musical material targeted are chosen by the teacher among: 1) monophonic melodies, 2) monophonic melodies satisfying a given harmonic structure, 3) harmonized melodies, i.e. melodies with a backing accompaniment, 4) chord sequences, 5) fully-constructed songs with a given song structure.

Pedagogical Implementation
Children have the possibility to re-listen to their phrases, to backtrack. To organize the musical material children can tag (annotate), the various elements produced.
The MIROR-Composition allows children to:
– “manipulate” musical materials they have produced by playing the keyboard and by body gestures;
– develop critical thinking.