A Collaboration Game for Musicians
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TEACHER MATERIALS
Unit 7
The Video
Activity 3 - Soundtrap
Lights! Camera! Action!
Create a visualization that illustrates your band's composition.

STUDENT/PLAYER GUIDE

Your goal is to create a video (or some other visualization) that illustrates your band's composition! 

Step 1: Open Soundtrap studio and load the composition your band created in Unit 6. Listen to the entire piece of music from start to finish. Listen again and focus on the parts you created. Is there anything you would subtract? Anything you feel might be missing? Take some time now to make some adjustments to your parts.

Step 2:
Listen again to the entire piece of music from start to finish, but this time focus on the parts created by your bandmates. Consider sharing kind, specific, helpful, and honest (KSHH) feedback. Invite others to share feedback with you. Take some time to make more adjustments in response to the feedback.

Step 3:
Discuss how you might create a sequence for all the lanes and parts. How might you fill-in or remove the gaps between lanes? Nominate a player to make changes in the studio as the group makes decisions about final edits. Note: there's some risk of losing valuable work and confusing players if everyone in the band is moving tracks around, saving, and syncing all at once. This is why we suggest nominating one person to serve as the primary editor.


Step 4: Now that your group has the music prepared, it's time to think about creating the visuals. Consider how you might showcase the audio with a selfie video, original artwork, or photos you make yourself. Here are some ideas to spark your imagination:

  • Assemble a costume (based on your character, of course) and record yourself performing along with the music. Consider inviting a family member, friend, or even a pet to join you in the show. Get creative with props, lighting, and backgrounds.
  • Create a slideshow that supports the soundtrack. Take some photos and apply some fun filters to your images. Consider how you might use text, transitions, and effects between the slides. 
  • Draw or paint a picture that illustrates the sounds in your composition. Remember when we created some music based on a painting in Unit 2? This is the same activity, but in reverse. Do you know how to create animations? Create a cartoon. Never made an animation before? Give it a try!

Step 5: Record your video - and be sure to include the music. Try rehearsing a few times before you settle on a plan. You can record your video with the Soundtrap audio in the background, or you can download the digital audio file from your studio and add it to your video project later. Decide with your band how long each person's video will be. Each player's part should be at least one full measure, although you may also use one loop (or more) of the entire composition to determine the duration of your video.  
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Step 6: When each player has finished creating a video, the band will need to decide how they can complete the challenge. If a player (or friend or family member) has experience editing videos, then you might consider nominating that person to create a movie that includes clips from all the players. If your band does not have a video editor available, then players should upload their clips to the class's web folder or storage system. Be sure to give your video a clear file name.
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Step 7: Review your band's video clips - together if possible. Share another round of KSHH feedback in-person or wherever your team communicates for schoolwork. 

TEACHER/PRODUCER GUIDE

This activity has three key parts: (1) players edit and revise their parts to complete the compositions created in Unit 6; (2) players plan and create a visual project that complements the soundtracks they made; and (3) bands integrate individual players' audio and visual contributions to create a cohesive music video that represents the capstone of their work. 
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Part 1: Players edit and revise their parts to complete the compositions created in Unit 6.  

  1. Introduce the activity and confirm all players understand the steps.
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  2. Share your screen with the class as you explain this activity in the “Band X Music” studio in Soundtrap. We suggest that you invite one band to help you demonstrate each step for the rest of the class.
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  3. Demonstrate how to edit tracks. Use the Piano Roll view to remove, add, or modify notes and rhythm. Remind players how to align notes to the grid manually, or demonstrate how to use the quantize feature (and undo). Encourage players to consider using effects to create new textures.
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  4. Demonstrate how to mix a track by adjusting volume, panning, reverb, and effects.
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  5. Demonstrate how to change the sequence of tracks. Drag and drop a lane, then play back the result for quick evaluation. Pro tip: Since there's some risk of losing valuable work and confusing players if everyone in the band is moving tracks around, saving, and syncing all at once, we suggest each band nominates one person to serve as the primary editor. If the band is working asynchronously, then you might suggest players use the chat feature in Soundtrap to communicate who has the editor role.
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  6. Challenge players to think about how to transition between sections of their compositions. One way is to simply shift the tracks into the empty lanes between players' areas. Another way is to invite adjacent players to collaborate on a musical bridge between lanes (e.g., extend the rhythm loop into the otherwise empty lane).
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  7. Provide some guidance about how to prepare the audio track for visualization. If the tempo is set to a multiple of 30 (e.g. 60, 90, 120, etc), then players can use seconds as a way to sync video edits. For example, a band could create a slideshow with transitions timed at 1 second intervals.

    ‍Pro tip: Players will have an easier job syncing video edits to the music if the editor changes the ruler increment in Soundtrap from beats to time. If you match your video length to the length of your section of music, you’ll be able to sync video with music, (and you’ll make the video compiler’s job easier). First, set the Ruler to “Time,” (see image). Now move the playhead tool and look at your lane’s start/stop times. Subtract the start time from the end time and that’s how long your video should be.   

   

Part 2: Players plan and create a visual project that complements their original compositions. 

  1. It may be helpful to remind players about their discussions about movie soundtracks (see Activity 1). Consider also reminding players about the "Make Something" activity in Unit 2 - and how they created a sound sculpture inspired by an abstract painting. In a way, this visual video challenge is the same concept in reverse.
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  2. For advanced students who have access to editing tools (and perhaps the experience to use them), this activity can be completed in a day or less. 
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  3. For less experienced students who may not have access to adequate video production resources, this activity can be divided into smaller projects over several days or weeks (e.g., one discreet project for each step described above).
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  4. If video editing is too difficult for some students, then you might consider substituting a slide deck assignment in place of an edited video as your final deliverable.
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  5. Depending on confidence levels, players may need some help to brainstorm concepts and plan their projects. Bands may decide to have a cohesive theme, or to allow full creative autonomy among players. 


Part 3: Bands integrate individual players' audio and visual contributions to create a cohesive music video that represents the capstone of their work. 

  1. Ideally, bands will assemble a music video that combines video clips with the original music composed by the players. Logistics are up to you, of course, but we do have some suggestions:

    (a) the band can nominate a player who will serve as the primary video editor;
    (b) a friend or family member can help the band assemble the video with input from the players;
    (c) the band can hire a professional director (e.g., Steven Spielberg) to help them complete the project; or
    (d) students in another class or a teacher may be enlisted to contribute their video editing talents.
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  2. Encourage players to create title cards at the beginning and end of their videos, and to include band names, band member avatar names and graphics, and any other fun details that seem relevant (e.g., band logos, school names).  
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  3. Consider how you will collect video files from players. Be sure to set expectations about naming their files.
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  4. Consider how you will review the content of video submissions, and how you might respond to any work that conflicts with your code of conduct or copyright guidelines. 
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  5. In Unit 8: The Show, bands will have an opportunity to showcase their work, as well as give and receive feedback from their peers and from you.

RUBRIC

Exemplary (5)

  1. Edits/updates track(s) created in Unit 6
  2. Shares and receives KSHH feedback about edits/updates
  3. Participates in the decision-making process to select track sequence and how to address gaps between tracks
  4. Develops a concept for visuals and prepares for video recording
  5. Completes and contributes a video recording that integrates into the band's final project
  6. Produces (collaboratively) a video that combines the groups' audio and visual work
  7. Shares KSSH feedback with another student

Proficient (4): At least 5 complete

Progressing (3): At least 3 complete

Emerging (2): At least 1 complete

Beginning (1): 0 complete

TEACHER RESOURCES

Video: Soundtrap Beyond the Basics - Automation, Katherine Dinerman, YouTube.com, May 2020 

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 Video: Film Techniques for Students, Lisa’s Study Guides, YouTube.com, May 2016

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Video: How to Film Like a Pro with Your Phone, Erin on Demand, YouTube.com, February 2019

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Article: 8 Best Video Editing Apps for Kids, Educational App Store, accessed October 2020

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