Objective

Audrey will learn to use commonly understood symbols to represent her own musical compositions.

Materials and Prep

Materials needed: paper, pencils, crayons/markers. No prior knowledge required.

Activities

1. Create a musical symbol key: Draw simple symbols to represent different musical elements (e.g., notes, rests, dynamics).

2. Compose a short piece of music: Use the symbols created to write a short musical composition on paper.

3. Perform the composition: Play or sing the composition for yourself or others, using your symbols as a guide.

Talking Points

• Music symbols help us write down music so we can remember how to play or sing it. You can create your symbols too!
• Think about how you want your music to sound. Do you want it to be fast, slow, loud, or soft?
• Use different symbols for notes and rests. Notes are for sounds, and rests are for silences in music.
• Try to be creative with your symbols. Maybe a squiggle can represent a fast note, or a big dot can be a loud sound.
• Once you have your symbols, put them together on paper to create your own musical piece. It's like writing a story with music!