Creating, Listening and Responding, Playing
Identifies and distinguishes between contrasts in the elements (aural thinking)(PK) [listening and responding]
Experiment with and imitate pentatonic phrases (PK, DI) [creating]

The teacher takes the ideas the students have discussed earlier in their listening experiences where they identified key features of music from a range of Asian cultures. She asks them to "listen to the tempo and listen to the types of notes and length of notes" which she plays. Students are invited to respond to her musical question/phrase by improvising their own musical answer using only the black notes of the glockenspiel as she did. The students match the teacher's five-note phrase by answering it in a similar way – using few notes, a similar rhythm, and the same tempo. The teacher affirms their responses by saying, "Well done. So, if I ask you something, then you reply in a similar way to what I'm asking."

She plays a faster, more rhythmic phrase with some repetition of one rhythmic idea. Again the students show they can improvise using the devices presented to them. The teacher's last improvisation models a slow, deliberate, less rhythmic but more melodic idea. Most students show excellent aural thinking as they respond sympathetically to each musical question posed. They are developing ideas through highly focused listening and observation in preparation for more self-directed work.

Creating, Listening and Responding, Playing
Improvises extended pentatonic phrases by combining musical elements and structural devices to make short musical conversations (PK, DI, CI, UC)

The teacher improvises an extended pentatonic phrase introducing the devices of repetition and variation. She explores more use of the instrument, using high and low ends of the instrument, as she speaks to individual students in music.

A boy responds, showing excellent understanding of the improvisation task. He plays a well-shaped melody, uses the modelled ideas of repetition and variation in his improvisation, and explores the range of the instrument.

Every idea is responded to including rhythm that he imitates in his own work. He ties the whole dialogue up by adding one last note, which his ear tells him is necessary to harmonically complete the piece. The overall creative dialogue is effective and cohesive.

The student shows skill and deep learning in his improvisation. It is, in fact, more difficult to be the responder than the initiator as the second person has to use the ideas presented by the first "speaker". This requires aural acuity and a depth of musical knowledge and performance skills.

A second musical conversation without words is established between the teacher and a female student. The music has a different feel and the student must respond by developing the ideas. She picks up rhythmic, melodic and structural ideas modelled by the teacher in her improvisation.

Two students perform an improvised conversation without any teacher input. They talk to each other in several extended musical phrases, picking up each other's ideas and creating their own to continue the discussion. These students, and others featured, display developed creative and aural thinking.

Creating, Listening and Responding, Playing
Improvises musical ideas based on simple devices and creates a group pentatonic improvisation over an ostinato (PK, DI, CI, UC)

A group improvises a conversation with an ostinato (repeating idea played throughout) as an accompaniment. This added aspect forces the students to keep in time with another instrumental part. They are now developing ensemble performance skills as they learn to keep in time together while, at the same time, responding to and creating their own music. The students listen carefully to each other and learn to respond to all three parts in this first ensemble effort.

Reading and Recording
Represents and interprets sounds and musical ideas through detailed graphic notation (PK, DI, CI)

The teacher and students develop a notation system based on numbers 1-5 to represent five notes of the pentatonic scale, and graphic symbols for the duration of these notes.

The teacher provides an example by singing six notes of different pitches and duration. A student provides the answer and the teacher writes on the board as she sings "Long, short, short, short, short, long":

Creating, Reading and Recording, Playing
Composes, notates, and performs a short pentatonic musical idea (PK, DI, CI)

Individual students read and perform their short inventions, in time to their selected pre-set rhythm. They perform the task with ease.

Creating, Reading and Recording, Playing
Composes and performs a musical piece that reflects a character in an original story (PK, DI, CI, UC)

Students have worked in groups to write a story with an Asian setting. They each have a narrator, and individuals have taken a character or theme from their story to compose original music for.

This clip shows two group members playing their work in progress. The first boy plays his musical piece which he says is to be played "when the bad guy comes into the story".

When the group eventually put their work together, he will play his music to represent this character at the appropriate times. He plays on the keyboard accompanied by a funky backing rhythm he has selected. It is in a low register to match the sinister character being portrayed. In keeping with the unit focus, he uses only the black notes of the keyboard. His music is strongly rhythmic and the idea is repeated. He varies this by changing the melody so that it is not too repetitive. The short musical composition is effective and shows that he has developed his ideas and synthesised the learning experiences.

A second student from the same group performs his work in progress, which is to be the "theme song". He reads from his rough notated score, plays in time with his selected rhythmic backing, uses repetition and variation, and includes rests for interest. The theme is rhythmically steady and clearly structured. The melody could have a better shape so that it hooks the listener. However, the student shows great potential and has combined his ideas to good effect.

The teacher gives feedback to the student as he continues to work on his composition. She asks, "Are you thinking maybe about playing a little higher ... having some of your tune low down and some up higher?" The student says he is planning to do that. She continues by suggesting that he "maybe experiment too with getting more sounds". She compliments him on the rhythm. "The rhythm is good. I like the rhythm!"