Lesson 3: Compose, Perform and Record a Soundtrack

From Creating a Soundtrack 

Jump to:

• Lesson overview
• Introduction: Creating a soundtrack arrangement
• Practical Task: Collaborative composition
• Classroom Tip: Setting up multiple MIDI devices on a single workstation
• Classroom Tip: Strategies for collecting student work
• Where to next?

Lesson overview 

In this lesson, students collaborate* to develop musical arrangements in response to film or imagery. Using the provided Cinematic Performance Live Set which combines all instruments used in previous lessons, they compose, perform and record their musical compositions.

Learning intentions

• Critical listening – identify and describe musical conventions
• Technology literacy – effective use of MIDI editing and arrangement tools
• Creativity – imagine musical responses to imagery or video content
• Collaboration – working together to create and perform musical arrangements

Preparation (10-15 mins)

• Consider appropriate and viable options for the extended composition task
• Print the blank Graphic Score Blank Template, or make a digital copy available^
• Ensure the included Compose, Perform and Record a Soundtrack - Live Set is accessible to students
• Consider multiple MIDI controllers and headphone splitters for group work
• Consider using any of these optional resources to support teachable moments in this lesson
• Check video content is suitable for your learners

In the classroom (90-120 mins)

• Step 1: Introduction – decide which source of inspiration will be used for the collaborative composition task (10-15 mins)
• Step 2: Practical task – students collaborate to compose a soundtrack using the Cinematic Performance Live Set (15- 30 mins)
• Step 3: Practical task – students use the graphic score to develop and map out their musical arrangement (15-30 mins)
• Step 4: Recording musical arrangements – students record, overdub, export and share their compositions (15-30 mins)

Activity Option:

* Ideally, students will work in pairs or small groups, but if in-class collaboration is not an option, this task can be done individually.

^ Consider developing the graphic score artistically as an additional piece of student work.

Introduction: Creating a soundtrack arrangement

Included below are several options through which you may frame and inspire students to create the final composition in this project. Additionally, using a graphic score may support or extend this task.

“Providing students with multiple options in an extended task allows for student agency and greater engagement with learning.” — Matt Ridgway

Film trailers with the music removed

Several YouTube channels host film trailers with the music removed. Students may use these as a backdrop to a real-time live score performance!

Rescore a film trailer

Map out the musical movement and form of one of the trailers from Lesson 1, then hit mute and re-score the work using the supplied sounds.

Use photographic imagery

Develop the compositions started in Lesson 2. Write a ‘musical story’ that accompanies the image, and create an arrangement that develops with this story.

Source original film or video game footage

Score to original video footage such as skateboarding tricks or screen-captured video gameplay. A 2-minute edit with movement, action and tight cuts may provide exciting footage to compose to.

Practical Task: Collaborative composition

In the practical activity, students use the Cinematic Performance Live Set to collaboratively compose and record a short musical soundtrack.

“The process of composition with music production software often lends itself to being an individual experience… but, music is very much about collaboration and listening. The performative possibilities of Ableton Live allow for a collaborative composition workflow.” — Matt Ridgway

Task Steps:

1. The teacher introduces the collaborative composition task and decides which source of inspiration students will use
2. The teacher explains how a graphic score (either hand-drawn or using the included template) will be used to visually map the musical form, volume, tone and texture
3. The teacher explains how MIDI devices control instruments within Live
4. Student groups use the Compose, Perform and Record a Soundtrack - Live Set to develop, rehearse and refine their composition, mapping the musical form to a graphic score
5. Students multitrack record their MIDI performance into Arrangement View
6. Students export, share or perform their work to peers

Graphic Score Examples

These resources can be used as examples to give students inspiration for their own graphic scores. 

This website provides several samples of graphic scores and their use in performance.

1. Opens in Arrangement view to record along the timeline
2. Four cinematic-styled instrument racks and a Drum Rack loaded with 64 orchestral one-shot samples and cinematic loops.
3. Overview of what is included within the Live Set

Tip:

• The collaborative composition task is to have 2-3 players simultaneously working within the same Live Set. 
• Connecting more than one MIDI device allows control of multiple instruments at the same time.

Classroom Tip: Setting up multiple MIDI devices on a single workstation 

With Ableton Live a group of players can perform together on just one workstation with everyone playing a different instrument via connected MIDI controllers.

Here's how you set it up:

Selecting MIDI source from the I/O

Open I/O by clicking on the icon

Assign different input controls to each MIDI device you have available

TIP: Connect a computer keyboard alongside Push, pad or keyboard MIDI devices.