Making Music from Found Sounds

Music concrète to hip hop, electronic to pop, artists have been sampling the sounds around them for decades. In this project, students get hands-on experience in recording, sound design and composition using the sounds of their everyday lives.

Project overview

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Learning: Listening | Sound design | Collaboration | Recording | Composition 
  • What’s needed: Live 10 Intro or higher | Recording device | File Sharing 
  • What’s included: Lesson Plan | Video | Live Set | Student Guides | Rubric | Questions | Checklist
  • Prerequisite knowledge: Session View | Simpler | Drum Racks | MIDI Recording | MIDI Editing

Lesson 1: Creating Field Recordings (50-90min)

In this lesson, students are introduced to the topic of turning everyday sounds into music. They work collaboratively to discover, record, evaluate and share the sounds of their environment.

Lesson 2: Creating Sample Instruments (50-90min)

In Lesson 2, students learn how to use Live’s Simpler device to edit, manipulate and shape the tone and timbre of found sounds. Students explore sound design and create a found sound Drum Rack. 

Lesson 3: Create and Perform Musical Works (50-90min)

Throughout Lesson 3, students use their found sounds to create original compositions and share them with their class. 

How to get access

Before making the projects available to everyone, we’d first like to invite you to be part of a smaller group of educators to try our Classroom Projects with your students and tell us how you got on. We’ll then use this feedback to continue improving the projects as we expand the collection.

  • All Ableton Classroom Projects are free to use.

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