Music Education Filter: "The History of Recorded Music" for Grades 3-8?

September 15, 2013 12:57 PM

I'm brainstorming a volunteer presentation to give in schools on "The History of Recorded Audio". Probably 2 or 3 45-minute sessions. Has anyone written or presented something similar?

It would go something like this:

• Sheet music
• Earliest recordings (wax cylinder, Victrola, etc.)
• Photograph
• Multi-track recording
• Introduction of stereo
• Beat matching and the birth of hip-hop (the crowd-pleaser)
• Sample-based music
• Cassette
• CD
• mp3s and portable players
• Demo of sample-based and multi-track music creation on iPad or laptop

I want to create the structure of the presentation but vary the sophistication of it so I can give it to kids in 3rd grade all the way to 8th grade.

Ideas, thoughts, resources?

posted by 4midori to Education (6 answers total)

Best answer: I'm sure you're seen this site- The History of Sound Recording.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:13 PM on September 15, 2013

I love Greg Milner's book on this: Perfecting Sound Forever. Lots of anecdotes that might be fun to work into your eventual presentation.
posted by felix grundy at 1:43 PM on September 15, 2013

It would probably be fun to do some form of sound test with them—not that you'll be able to get a live singer and a phonograph, but you could play different formats behind some kind of curtain and challenge them to tell the difference.
posted by felix grundy at 1:53 PM on September 15, 2013

It's a great idea. I would try to make it as experiential as possible - let them work the technology and look at the artifacts.
posted by Miko at 7:19 PM on September 15, 2013

I believe that those topics are (indirectly) mentioned here.

It would be neat to hear the different music playing devices. If not in person, then I'm sure youtube has some videos to help.
posted by oceano at 11:21 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Can I suggest making a phonograph player?
posted by empath at 2:44 AM on September 16, 2013