Soundscapes Unit: Percussion
How can a work of art inspire a story using sound?
Join teaching artist Scot Cannon in art and sound activities and notice works of art in the Farnsworth collection to help create your own soundscape.
This unit focuses on percussion sounds as students explore different ways of creating music using objects and movement.
Curricular Connections:
Movement
Observation
Storytelling
Beginning / Middle / End
Mood / Tone
Vocabulary:
Composition
Subject
Foreground / Middle-ground / Background
Soundscape
Percussion
ACtivity: soundscapes
Notice + Create: Join teaching artist Scot Cannon in creating a soundscape inspired by works of art in the Farnsworth collection.
Notice: Notice works of art in the Farnsworth collection. Select a subject, theme, or object to act out through sound.
Create: Collect objects from your home or classroom to create a soundscape for your painting. Can your classmates guess what inspired your music?
Fitz Henry Lane, The Residence of Dr. Joseph L. Stevens, Castine, Maine, n.d., 2012.6.1
Carl Sprinchorn, Loggers’ Cabin by the Stream, ca.1948, 94.5
ACtivity: create your own soundscape
To create your own soundscape with alternative works of art, visit the museum collection and “search object” for artworks by topic or theme. Explore with students what they notice in the works of art. What objects stand out in the work? If a work of art has multiple themes (i.e. Boats, Water, Islands, etc.) collaborate together to select which object works best for the activity.
Education Galleries curated by museum educators are also available to browse by unit theme.
Developed by:
Andrea L. Curtis, Education Program Manager
Farnsworth Art Museum
Scot Cannon, Teaching Artist
Farnsworth Art Museum
Tyler Southard, Media Producer
Curtis-Southard Productions
Contributor(s):
Claire Horne, Arts in Education Project Assistant
Farnsworth Art Museum
Developed by Andrea L. Curtis, Farnsworth Art Museum, Arts in Education Program, 2021