Written by Boba Lee

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Overview

Unit Performance Style Genres Gear Important Figures Essential Questions
1 DJ Techno, House, Hip Hop, Turntablism. 2 Turntables, Mixer. Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Jazzy Jeff, Flapjack, Richie Hawtin, Jon Hopkins. 100 Gecs (example) 1. How do DJ’s seamlessly mix between music?
  1. How do DJ’s “scratch” records?
  2. How do DJ’s choose music to play?
  3. How do performers combine DJ-ing with other performance tools? | | 2 | Live Dub | Dub, Ragga | Mixer, APC40 | King Tubby, The Scientist, Lee “Scratch Perry”, Nils Frahm, Sumac Dub | 1. How do dub performers use the mixer as an instrument?
  4. Who pioneered these performance styles?
  5. What effects do dub performers use to achieve their signature sounds?
  6. How do musicians use dub performance techniques in other genres? | | 3 | Vocal Synthesis | Vocal Music | Vocoder, Pitch Correction, Pitch Shifting, Formant Shifting, MIDI Control | Stockhausen, Laurie Anderson - O Superman, Imogen Heap, Infected Mushrooms, Alexander Panos(?), Daft Punk, Porter Robinson, Kraftwerk, Wendy Carlos | 1. What tools do vocalists use to transform their vocals?
  7. How do vocalists layer harmonies generated by their vocals?
  8. How do vocalists sing with good technique? | | 4 | Generative | Ambient, Modular | Modular, Analog Synths, Tape | Suzanne Ciani, Brian Eno, Richard Devine, Destiny71z | 1. How do synthesists create evolving atmospheres?
  9. How do synthesists make endless music?
  10. How do synthesists get inspiration for creating sounds? | | 5 | Finger Drumming | Hip Hop | MPC, SP-404, SampleStitch | Erykah Badu, J Dilla, David “Fingers” Haynes, Nular, Datsunn | 1. How do musicians chop up samples to make a new song?
  11. How are sounds laid out on the pads?
  12. How do musicians perform with good hand technique and groove? | | 6 | Groovebox | Techno, Hip Hop | Drum Machine, Elektron Grooveboxes | Jeff Mills, Autechre, Dataline, Baseck, Sophie, Isabella Koen | 1. How do musicians compose drum machine patterns?
  13. How do musicians make one sound into many different sounds?
  14. How do musicians add variation to a pattern? | | 7 | DIY Instruments | Any | Any (Hardware), Max For Live (Max For Live) | Leafcutter John, Stretta/Matthew Davidson, Beardyman, Daedelus, Kiasmos, Jon Hopkins. | 1. What tools do designers use to create their instruments?
  15. How do designers plan what they’d like to create?
  16. How do artists practice on the instrument they created |

Capstone Performance 1:

Unit 2: Live Dub

Essential Questions

How do dub performers use the mixer as an instrument?

Who pioneered these performance styles?

What effects do dub performers use to achieve their signature sounds?

How do musicians use dub performance techniques in other genres?

Lessons (2 hours each)

Lesson 1: The Dub Approach

Lesson 2: Effects! (Effects, Effects, Effects…)

Lesson 3: From Jamaica to Germany

Lesson 4: Play or Present!