INSPIRING CREATIVITY

Using O-Generator is very rewarding when students have the opportunity to think creatively about their music. The reward is then further fulfilled when music created in O-Generator is exported to other applications or CD’s.

We have outlined here a few simple and effective ways in which students can do this. The Lesson and Video references are taken from The Teacher On Screen Guide CD-Rom that comes with your O-Generator Pack.

1. Creating a drum beat
2. Exploring rhythm
3. Composing a dance track
4. Triads
5. Pentatonic Scale
6. Arranging your music
7. Music for film
8. Music styles – Guitar
9. Writing lyrics to a song
10. Rap to a track

1. Introduction video
2. Using O-Instructor
3. Copy and Paste Bars
4. Copy and Paste individual instruments
5. Practising sing to O-Generator
6. Creating a riff
7. Rap to a track
8. Saving your work
9. Analysing arranging music

It is very easy – honest!

Watch Videos 1 & 2 the Introduction video and How to use O-Instructor, the step by step audio lesson guide, which will give you a basic understanding of what O-Generator is. It will also show you how to use the Virtual Music Instructor which you will be using when you do your lessons.

O-Generator support materials to use: Lesson 1 & 9. Videos 5 & 7

It is important that the students do lesson 1 before they start song writing since this shows them easy steps to create a drum pattern. Lesson 9 shows students how to go about writing their lyrics.

It is important to get your students to first watch videos 5 & 7. These two videos will teach your students about putting their lyrics along to a piece of music, and also to rap to a piece of music.

If you already have some lyrics written go to video 5: Practising singing to O-Generator
-or-
if you have already written your music and your lyrics, then why not learn how to ‘rap' to it. Go to video 7 – Rap to a track.

After you have watched these videos do lesson 9 – Writing Lyrics to a Tune – this will put into practice what they have just watched. You will have the class buzzing as they start to realise they can express themselves by writing their own music.

O-Generator support materials to use: Lesson 3 & Lesson 9 (Watch Videos 5 & 7)

Nothing could be simpler - compose your piece of music (over as many bars as you would like). Watch Video 3 – How2 Copy & Paste. You may want your students to perform a ‘rap' or perhaps just have a choreographed ‘dance routine' you'd like to practice.

Students can create a ‘backing track' composition using whichever instruments they wish select from the Create a Tune section and it will act as a great accompaniment that they can sing or play along with or practice their dance routine. If you want to write a dance track do Lesson 3 – Creating a Dance Track and / or you can add some lyrics using Lesson 9 – Writing Lyrics to a Song.

O-Generator support materials to use: Lesson 3 & 6. Then Watch Video 9 - Arranging your Music.

Students should learn to create a Dance beat on one bar. Then they should arrange their music over a suggested number of bars.

O-Generator support materials to use: Perform a routine after writing a song using Lesson 9.

This is simple, really!

Once you have your O-Generator composition ready (you have written lyrics using Lesson 9) then it is time to arrange some dance moves to go with it.

Create a dance to match your music and song and now it is time to perform it!

All you need to is link it up to an overhead projector or interactive whiteboard and some ‘big speakers' for maximum sound when it is being video recorded.

Once everything is ready simply perform your routine in front of the camera. You may even choose to play the ‘air guitar' along to O-Generator and pretend you are the next KT Tunstall!

Burn it to DVD and create a cover and you are there!