Expected prior achievements of students
Complete competence in the work of the MINIDORO I project, i.e. ability to improvise short melodic phrases within a basic rhythmic and harmonic framework and also to be aware of their individual roles within a guided improvisational framework.
Goals and aims of the project
In the MINIDORO Project 2, which builds on the MINIDORO I project, the aims are to: (a) develop aural and technical awareness, such that “white note” improvisations can be copied, imitated, inverted and even reversed; (b) develop the improvised material into a free composition utilizing riffs and ostinati; (c) understand and apply some of the techniques frequently employed by minimalist composers; (d) experiment with a variety of modes.
Project materials in text form
Teacher preparatory notes
Minidoro 2 Lesson notes
As this project is largely improvisational there are no worksheets for students, only background information sheets on Minimalism (html format; or pdf format: MINIMALISM) and the Modes (html format with sound; or pdf format: MEDIEVAL MODES). Html files are editable -simplify them, if you wish! Some teachers may want to adapt the lesson notes for teachers into worksheet form. Students working this project by themselves should follow the lesson notes, too.
Project materials in Music (performance) form
The MINIDORO MIDI-file (simple) provides the basis of the whole project. As you or your students improvise new ideas you can add them as extra or substitute tracks to this file to achieve more variety if you so wish. The Technical Information page will help you if you are not sure how to do this. The MINIDORO MIDI-file (repeats) illustrates how the simple file would sound when you apply cycles and loops.
Project materials in music (notation) form
In the unlikely event of you needing a notated version of the music of this project, print out the parts or score from the MIDI file (simple) once it you have imported it to your sequencer. Details above.
Suggestions for working with the materials (including essential preparation)
See Preparatory notes and the lesson notes for the teacher.
Further materials
Information sheets on:
1. Minimalism (editable html format; non-editable pdf format: MINIMALISM)
2. Modes (editable html format with sound; non-editable pdf format: MEDIEVAL MODES)
Suggestions for following up the project including links to related music, books, sites etc.
See MINIDORO I, also:
Further recordings of useful follow-up music:
S. Reich – Piano Phase, Clapping Music – Nonesuch 9 79169-2
S.Reich – Six Marimbas – Nonesuch 9 79138-2
S.Reich – Different Trains – Nonesuch 9 79176-2
Further books useful for follow-up:
U.Urban, Different Trains, Hidegard-Junker-Verlag: Lueneburg, 1997 ISBN 3-928783-69-6
Video material:
K. Voswinckel, Steve Reich – Musik in den Worten available through Bayerische Rundfunk, Rundfunkplatz 1, 80300 Muenchen, Germany
Author
Project author and MIDI file compiler: John Mason
Source and composer: Valentin Schmitt, Minimal Model, Gustav Bosse Verlag, Regensburg, 1984