The Music Teachers' Association and RVW150 - an introduction

by Liz Dunbar

In March 2022, five music professionals were commissioned by the MTA, to write primary and secondary school teaching materials as part of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society's celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the composer. I was commissioned to write the materials for Key Stage 3.

My brief was to devise a series of six lessons which would result in the creation of an original electro-acoustic composition, using music technology. The approach I have taken, centres around the exploration of a range of compositional devices found in many of Vaughan Williams' best loved works.

This is a hands-on course that combines elements of listening, analysing and performing alongside improvising, composing and arranging. Resources include samples of bird song for students to import into their recording projects, reflecting both the spirit of The Lark Ascending and the mixed media possibilities that working with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) can bring to students' creative work.

At the end of each lesson there are homework tasks featuring wider listening and research to provide musical context.

This is an open ended project designed to encourage students to continue exploring the world of musical fusions, and enable them to be able to recognise and apply the compositional devices they have discovered in these lessons.

Like all of the resources we post on our website, the RVW150 materials are free to access. Everything you see here can be done using a free DAW.

Here's an overview for teachers: