Ep 16 – Question & Answer Composition

Question and Answer phrases in musical composition – Maranoa

A short PD video supporting effective teaching practice

Creative solutions for your Primary Music Classroom. The First Nation’s Australian song Maranoa offers provides an opportunity for aural analysis, singing and instrumental performance, composition and music literacy. It also offers an opportunity to engage with a First Nation Australian elder in your region.

Video Transcription

Hi music colleagues. Thanks for dropping in.

In the Australian curriculum, we’re asked to explore a local area of indigenous culture and as an example, Take Note Music Writing Book 5 has a song that is attributed to the southern Queensland area of Gunggari. Pages 22 and 23 have Maranoa, it’s a lullaby in 3 meters. It has 6 segments for the students to work through, which is perfect for remote learning. The first is where they explore and derive the actual melody. So playing it on an instrument or a virtual instrument, a virtual keyboard or xylophone can be really enjoyable and a way of feeling the three-meter flow. The second activity is to write that down in stick notation as a conversation. The question is given and the students to write the answer in each of the two phrases.

The third activity is to write that out into the state, and in the fourth is another performance opportunity, this time with the students creating. They are going to improvise and explore an answer for each of the given questions. With the notes that’s provided, the students then feel more comfortable as they explore and work out an answer for each phrase that feels right for them and that they are happy with. They then write it in stick notation and then in the stave for the final step. It’s a fabulous unit for remote learning, and you might be able to live stream or have a live interview with a local elder.

So, we look forward to getting your feedback and let us know who you have engaged with in your area and how the students responded. If you have any questions, remember that there are no silly questions. Questioning is a sign of being curious, being a lifelong learner with a reflective practice.

​Happy teaching!

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