Soundscapes

My concert is this week!

The theme is “Landscapes.” We’ve taken a creative approach, shaping the music to reflect the ideas and sounds of different landscapes, making our performance into a bit of an immersive musical journey.

Our process started with a simple question: What landscapes exist around the world? They listed mountains, deserts, coral reefs, jungles, and more. I challenged them to listen with their imaginations. What does a canyon sound like? What about a forest at dusk? How does an island feel musically?

Soon, we weren’t just discussing landscapes; we were creating their soundtracks. Kinda like movie music!

Well, one thing led to another, and soon, we were creating iMovies of various video clips and playing music to them, like movie music and soundtracks. They experimented with matching melodies to visuals, just like composers do for movie scores. This hands-on activity gave them a new appreciation for how sound shapes our perception of a scene.

It also introduced them to an essential element of music-making: intentionality. How does a piece of music make us feel? What story does it tell?

A thunder drum for a rumbling volcano. An ocean drum creates the rolling waves of a coral reef. Fingernails scratching a hand drum to mimic the sound of falling rain. These elements weren’t just about realism; they added depth and atmosphere, enhancing our musical storytelling.

Soundscapes (not to be confused with our concert theme of landscapes) are sounds that evoke a particular mood, character, or setting. Unlike structured rhythms or melodies, soundscapes are more loosely organized, often layering different sounds on top of one another to create a more relatable, almost concrete, experience.

Creating soundscapes allows students and the audience to connect emotionally with the music they make. When students realize that a simple rustling sound can transport an audience to a windswept prairie, they start to see music as more than just notes. There is SO MUCH to say about how imagination is at play when we create soundscapes.

We are about to begin rehearsing on stage this week, and the combination of the visuals and soundscapes has made the soundscapes the icing on the cake, enriching our pieces and bringing them all to life. Whether it’s the angry waves of an ocean or the starry night sky in the forest, we’re hoping this concert is more than a performance—it’s a journey across the world through music.

Check out these must-have soundscape instruments!

Vibraslap: The sound is created when the ball end is struck against the palm of the hand. I’ve used it to represent kangaroos to mystery music!

Thunder Tubes: These are awesome! Everyone loves using a storm scene as a soundscape for music. Put one over a microphone, and the whole auditorium will vibrate with thunder! I suggest the big one…the smaller ones just don’t seem to have the same effect.

Rain Stick: If you’re going to have thunder, why not also have rain? These rainsticks imitate the sound of rain. It’s also light in weight, perfect for young hands, and extremely durable.

Flex-a Tone: Bend the spring steel with thumb pressure as the wooden ball strikes the surface. These totally remind me of the Vincent Price movies from the 1960s I’d watch in my grandmother’s living room!

Ocean Drum: This is an absolute favorite in my classroom. It really does sound like ocean waves! Playing it does take a steady hand. These come in different sizes. Like the thunder drum, I would also choose the 16’’ or 22’’ for its quality of sound.