Music by the Sea Unit
Have you ever imagined you could hear the sounds in a painting or picture? In this unit, we will examine seascapes in the Farnsworth Art Museum collection and consider our senses as we create music using our voices and objects that create sound. Through careful noticing strategies of various waterways, students will connect descriptive writing to sensory poetry and develop their own lyrics. Participants will explore through movement and measurements as they record their observations of sound. Together with Farnsworth Teaching Artist Scot Cannon, we will learn one of the oldest known sea shanties, Haul on the Bowline.
N.C. Wyeth, Maine Headland, Blackhead, Monhegan Island, 1936-38, 97.3.59
Vocabulary:
Seascape
Composition
Foreground / Middleground / Background
Contrast
Color and Shape
Texture
Size / Scale
Curricular Connections:
Careful Noticing and Observations
Sensory and Descriptive Writing
Marine History and Waterways
Mathematical Measurements
Poetry and Lyrics
Interactive Lesson:
Join us for an exploration of sound, music, movement, math, and marine history. Additional resources and works of art can be found below.
Facilitator(s): Andrea L. Curtis, Farnsworth Education Program Manager and Scot Cannon, Farnsworth Teaching Artist
Lesson: 20 minutes
Activity: Careful noticing and sound
Notice this painting by artist George Bellows. Carefully observe the foreground, middleground, and background. What do you see? What sounds might you imagine you hear? Use your voice and body to create a sound effect for each layer of the painting.
George Bellows, Beating Out to Sea, 1913 45.567
Activity: Compare and Contrast
Notice this work of art by artist Carroll Thayer Berry. How is it similar to Beating Out to Sea (1913) by George Bellows? How is it different? What sounds might you hear in this painting?
Carroll Thayer Berry, Bath Iron Works, World War II, 1941, 72.1847
Activity: Music, Movement, and Math
Notice the work of art by artist Fitz Henry Lane. What sounds do you hear? Use various objects you find (such as recycled materials, objects in jars, old containers, etc.) to create sounds that match what you notice in the painting. How does changing the quantity of your object alter the sound you hear? How does your choice of material or container change your sound? How does your movement impact your sound? Record your measurements and movements as you document each sound. Moving from foreground to background, create a “sensory song” using your objects.
Fitz Henry Lane, Owl’s Head Light, Rockland, Maine, 1856, 97.3.31
Activity: Sensory Writing, Poetry, and Lyrics
Select a seascape to notice. Consider your senses (smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound) to descriptively write what you notice. Using your observations, create a poem or lyrics for your very own sea shanty!
Developed by:
Andrea L. Curtis, Education Program Manager
Farnsworth Art Museum
Scot Cannon, Teaching Artist
Farnsworth Art Museum
Contributor(s):
Claire Horne, Arts in Education Project Assistant
Farnsworth Art Museum
Developed by Andrea L. Curtis, Farnsworth Art Museum, Arts in Education Program, 2020