James Bond – 007 (Preparation notes)
You must have one computer able to play the MIDIfile for this project. If further computers are available this could be advantageous for exercise 5 , if the students are sufficiently familiar with sequencing techniques themselves.
The worksheet assumes students work at least in groups of two on the project. In Ex.5 it may be desirable to work in larger groups. Because there are many small exercises in the project, it is advisable to set the class deadlines for intermediate assessment.
For Ex. 1 you can simply allow the performance file to play an appropriate number of times to make the exercise worthwhile.
In Exx. 2 & 3 it could be very advantageous to set a cycle of two bars to help students to coordinate rhythmically their various riffs both with each other and with a fuller version of the James Bond music. (To set a cycle see cycle on the Sequencer Tips and Tricks page.) Good bars to cycle would be bars 9 &10.
The bass riff (Ex 2b) requires considerable perfomance skill because of the fast repeated notes. Be prepared to reduce the tempo when playing back to accommodate this. (To adjust the tempo see tempo on the Sequencer Tips and Tricks page.)
In the small group work of Exx. 4 & 5 it may help to link pairs working at one keyboard alone to pairs working with one keyboard + computer. This way you might also develop sequencing skills as the group work compositions evolve. Good ideas can be recorded and bad ideas discarded with ease and the end result may transcend the humble skills of young students.
With a particularly ambitious class you might try to get a variety of scenes in Ex.5 and link them together into something even more exciting. If you are part of a performing arts or integrated arts team, there are obvious inter-disciplinary stimuli here.