Exploring Layers in Early European Music

http://www.op.org/domcentral/life/salve.htm
One accomplishment of European music from as early as the 1400s was the exploration of layering musical parts harmonically. Visit this site to hear an example of a solo voice singing an early
Gregorian chant.

http://www.gmm.co.uk/ai/band.htm
Visit this site and click on the audio file for Troubadours. You will hear an example of a song that features multiple musical parts playing on different pitches, thereby creating harmonies and countermelody. Try to distinguish the different melodies and harmonies in this piece.

Now compare the texture of a single voice in the first example to the many textures of the second example. What are the pros and cons of each? Compare these examples to the different styles of music you hear in the music of today and evaluate how musical layers are used in the modern styles.

Visual Connections: Exploring Visual Layers

http://www.katenelson.com
http://metalab.unc.edu/wm/paint/auth/pollock/
http://www.artsednet.getty.edu/ArtsEdNet/Resources/Moroles
/Images/work.html
As you look through the sites above showing examples of visual art, determine how the images might complement the song you created in this project. Consider how the artworks show depth by using layers of colors, lines, shapes, or forms. If possible, play the audio file for your song while you view the images. How do the artworks and music complement each other?

You can now choose another Performance Activity.