Michael Dennis Browne the Road Home

Michael Dennis Browne the Road Home
Text
Written By: Michael Dennis Browne
Desire for Simplicity
Achieved through noncomplex poetry
Poetry is very straight forward and easily
understood. Allow class to come to a
group understanding before speaking
More Universally relatable
Original Text
Inspiration
Coming home from a long
journey/Returning home/Prodigal
Son/Soldier
Activity: Since this concept is a familiar one
across many different cultures, open up the
class to discussion about what this song
means to them.
Personal connections
Cultural
Family
Activity: Allow students to share stories or
other texts related to subject of the song.
Verse 1
Tell me where is the road I can call my own,
That I left that I lost so long ago. All these
years I have wandered, oh when will I know.
There's a way, there's a road, that can lead
me home.
Verse 2
After wind after way when the dark is done,
as I wake from a dream in the gold of day.
Through the air there's a calling from far
away. There's a way, there's a road, that can
lead me home.
Verse 3
Rise up, Follow me, Come away is the call,
with love in your heart as the only song.
There is no such beauty as where you
belong. Rise up, Follow me, I will lead you
home.
Language: English
Exercises:
Emphasized "Wh" on each occurance in
song.
Where, Whay, Whind, Etc...
Heavy Shadow consonants
On word "ownA"
Teach different types of shadow vowels
and how to mark in music.
Exercise: When the choir isn't giving
enough shadow vowels, ask them what
type of shadow vowel they want to put on
the word. Urge them to do it each time.
No rolled "r's"
Demonstrate: Difference between two. Not
British English
English Vowels
Main Topic
Key: F Major
Ionian
Ask: "Does anyone know what makes this F
Major?"
Explain:1 Flat ; Only if nobody knows the
answer.
Harmony
Diatonic
Sing: F Major arpeggio to octave, TDR
Scale back down; Coming down hold
DLFR and resolve
Sing: "Pick a chord in this Triad",
*Play I, IV and V of F Major*
Chromatic
Only chromatic Step occurs in tenor line
Tenors only: Sing Measures 1216.
Pitch Check: Move through notes one at a
time to tune MM. 14
Sing: MM. 14 hold F major Triad; Move by
steps into A major, then ask them to
resolve. Go through chords a couple times.
Ask: What does this change in tonality
symbolize or mean to you?
Sing: While holding A Major, have
sopranos move to the G and Tune.
Move through the chord
progression out of time.
Rhythm
Meter Changes
2 meters
3/4
Most of the song is in this meter
Sing: Through one verse of the song on
sing counting to feel the motion of the
triple meter
Common meter in folk melodies
Ask: "Do you know any other songs that
have a similar rhythmic feeling? How
does it make you feel?"
4/4
Only happens for one measure at a time
Sing: Opening "Home" Motif section on
sing counting, switching from 3/4 to 4/4.
Teach:
Meter Changes
Demonstrate patterns for 3/4 and 4/4
Activity: Class conducts themselves while
singing. and looking at each other.
Creates a student interpretation of the
feeling of movement through the piece.
Activity: Watch teacher conduct different
combinations of 3/4 and 4/4 measures and
count with the beat.
Texture
Polyphonic
Occurs during:
Prelude
Interlude
Postlude
Verses
Ask: Which parts of this do you think are
polyphony? what makes it sound like that?
Teach:
Activity: Have student sing known
melody, then sing with them on
embellished rhythm
Explain that this is Polyphony
Homophonic
Teach:
Activity: Have student sing a known song,
then sing with them
Explain that that is homophony
Breathing
Unison
Teach:
"Breath together, Sing together"
Activity: Audiate parts in head and watch
conductor, breathing audibly at markings.
Ask: "What points do we breath as a choir in
the song?"
Mark and demonstrate: Breath marks
through road map, commas as breaths.
Stagger
Teach:
Demonstrate and sing: Sing through no
breath and breath marks (MM. 14, MM.
8, Etc.. *Say now sing it like that*
Ask: "Who noticed what I did there? How
did it sound when I sang it that way?"
4 Bar Phrasing
Ask: "Why might we want to stagger
our breaths?"
Melody
In the Soprano Voice
Activity: "Do you hear the melody?"
Point to the section singing the melody
Sing soprano line as class
Ask: How can you as a singer help the
melody be heard?
Sing quieter
Listen
Blend
Switches to solo during 3rd verse
Do a similar listening activity as above with
the whole choir including sopranos,
listening for soloist melody.
Based on Pentatonic Scale
Teach:
Demonstrate: Sing F major scale. Then sing
F Pentatonic
"How many notes did you hear on the
second scale?"
"Does anyone know what this scale
could be called?
Teach Solfege hand symbols
Sing: Basic warm ups while using hand
symbols.
Solfege the soprano melody while singing
it as a choir.
Structure
Strophic
Prelude
Verse 1
Interlude
Verse 2
Interlude
Verse 3
Postlude
Teach:
Ask: "How is this song laid out?" What
could that mean? How could it relate to
the text?"
Feeling of "Coming Home" come
from repetition of the interlude/intro.
Explain what strophic means in music
Activity: Ask class what other strophic
songs they know.
Repeated Material
Verse 1 repeats to Verse 2
Interludes and Prelude are identical
Teach:
Ask: Are any of these the same?
Ask: How are they the same? How are they
different?
Activity: "How could we make each verse
unique?"
Repeating the same thing 3 times in
boring
Come up with a different theme word for
each section.
Dynamics, Text stress, musical alterations,
etc...
Logistics
Publication Information
Pub #: SP 370 (SATB)
Company: Paulus Publications
Voicings
SATB (SP 370)
SSAA (SP 370 sa)
TTBB (SP 370 tb)
Instruments needed:
none
Allows for students to control feeling.
Easy for spontaneous performance. Can be
very fun for students.
If a student has a good idea for add (i.e. A
student who also plays violin doubling the
soprano solo) this can get more, different
students involved.
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