e-Orch Teaching Manual: Curriculum and Resources

e-Orch

Teaching Manual:

Curriculum and Resources

This publication was supported by The Education University of Hong Kong

Copyright © 2020 Department of Cultural and Creative Arts, The Education University of Hong Kong.

ISBN 978-988-79103-1-2

P R E F A C E

Owing to the advances of technology, digital devices like computer, tablet and smartphone

have become affordable and widely available. With the increasing attention to digital

musicianship, e-learning in music takes a vital role in recent years. Students with diversified

musical backgrounds can now be involved in the process of music-making by using relevant

apps to gain authentic ensemble experiences and collaborative composing immediately.

The innovative electronic orchestra project - e-Orch makes use of iOS GarageBand on iPad

as a medium to enable collaborative music performance and composition with the use of

award-winning Grid Notation. It benefits music learning in several ways: i. shortening the

learning time of music notation; ii. providing greater control over musical materials, such as

rhythm and pitch; iii. easy accessing to an audio realisation which allows cycles of creating,

listening, reflecting and revising; and iv. increasing the portability of the ensemble by using

tablet devices.

In fostering the implementation of e-Orch at schools, we have developed an extracurricular

curriculum in collaboration with Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), aiming

to train up students’ musicianship, ensembleship and composition skills. Students will learn

to master different musical elements in performance, such as pitch, rhythm, phrasing, etc.

and vividly interpret the character and style of the music pieces. They will also learn about

various concepts in music. Beside music performance, the course also focuses on music

creation, in which students will learn various composition techniques through improvisation,

music games and activities. Students will work in groups to co-create a new composition for

e-Orch with inspiration from works by the maestros. Their compositions for e-Orch will be

performed in school or public concert.

Since 2017, we have been working with many schools to establish their e-Orch. The results

and feedbacks from schools are positive and encouraging. We publish this teaching manual

to share our experiences with the field, and provide practical teaching schemes and activities

for teachers to start up their e-Orch at schools.

CHI-HIN LEUNG

Assistant Professor

Department of Cultural and Creative Arts

The Education University of Hong Kong

C O N T E N T

1 Introduction

2 Curriculum Design

5 Teaching Strategies

12 Grid Notation Guideline

20 Equipment

21 Seating Plan

22 Teachers’ Sharing

23 Resources

24 Guideline on Difficulty Level

25 Scores

35 Biography

36 Acknowledgement

INTRODUCTION

Music is a part of our universal human birthright. This is not limited to passive

listening and appreciation, but also extends to music-making itself. New

Zealand musicologist Christopher Small introduced the idea of “musicking”

in 1998 which emphasized that “Music is not a thing at all but an activity,

something that people do”. Inspired by Small, e-Orch makes use of musiking

as its teaching philosophy: to take part in music by performing, appraising,

rehearsing, practicing, or composing. Going beyond music appreciation with

active participation in music-making is one of the keys to music teaching and

learning.

The e-Orch strategy is grounded on learner-centred approaches, which include

appraising, performing and composing to enable students to experience the

whole cycle of music-making. By embedding music technology in the project

e-Orch, it allows students to actively participate in music. The project aims

to lower the barriers of music-making, as well as to introduce a broad set of

knowledge and skills, attributes and values to all participants regardless of

their music background – to produce Music for All.

1

C U R R I C U L U M D E S I G N

The below tables is an example of e-Orch curriculum design as a co-curricular activities in primary and secondary schools.

Lesson

Timing

(mins)

Objective

Remark

1

10

20

5

35

15

5

1. Course introduction

2. To learn the basic function of GarageBand

3. To practice warmup exercise C major scale

4. To learn Piece 1 with "whole-part-whole" approach

5. To participate in the in-class performance (tutti and/or small groups)

6. Conclusion

1. Verbal presentation

2. Try out Smart Keyboard and guitar

3. Stable tempo and rhythm

4. Every student has to learn all the parts

5. Group performance + peer observation/evaluation

6. Round-up; Switch off iPads & speakers; Tidy up

2

15

25

30

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises C major scales (keyboard)

2. To rehearse and practice Piece 1



5. Conclusion

1. Practice with stable tempo and rhythm / fingering

2. Be aware of tone and rhythm accuracy




Ensemble

Performance

3

15

45

10

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises G major scales (keyboard)

2. To rehearse and practice Piece 1 and 2

3. To learn the concept repeated note through the pieces


5. Conclusion

1. Practice with regular and dotted rhythms / fingering


3. Explain the concept and give example in the Pieces



4

10

25

35

5

10

5

1. To practice warmup exercises G major scales (keyboard)



4. To learn the concept sequence through the pieces


6. Conclusion

1. Practice with regular and dotted rhythms / fingering



4. Explain the concert and give example in the Pieces



5

10

25

35

5

10

5

1. To practice warmup exercises F major scales (keyboard)



4. To learn the concept imitation through the pieces


6. Conclusion

1. Practice with regular rhythm and triplet / fingering






2

Lesson

Timing

(mins)

Objective

Remark

6

15

45

10

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises F major scales (keyboard)


3. To learn the concept major chord through the pieces


5. Conclusion


2. Aware of tone and rhythm accuracy




7

15

45

10

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises A minor scales (keyboard)


3. To learn the concept minor chord through the pieces


5. Conclusion






Ensemble

Performance

8

15

45

10

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises A minor scales (keyboard)


3. To learn the concepts passing note and auxiliary note


5. Conclusion






9

15

45

10

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises E minor scales (keyboard)


3. To learn the concept cadence through the pieces


5. Conclusion






10

15

45

10

15

5

1. To practice warmup exercises E minor scales (keyboard)

2. To rehearse and practice Piece 1, 2, 3, & 4

3. To learn the concept chord progression through the pieces


5. Conclusion






3

Collaborative

Composition

Music Video

Production

Lesson

11

12

13

14

15 - 18

19 - 20

21 - 22

15

15

15

20

20

5

20

15

25

25

5

20

15

25

25

5

20

15

25

25

5

20

40

25

5

30

15

20

5

20

20

70

Timing

(mins)

Objective

1. To rehearse the selected e-Orch works

2. To plan for the composition (e.g. idea, formal structure)

3. To create a harmonic progression in group

4. To improvise a melody with one or two notes with the progression

5. To record and present the draft work in class (small groups)

6. Conclusion


2. To revise the plan for the composition (e.g. Is it feasible?)

3. To improvise a melody with reference to the common behaviors of

tonal melody


5. Conclusion



3. To work with rhythm section (e.g. drum, keyboard, bass)


5. Conclusion



3. To work with strings section


5. Conclusion


2. Work-in-progress in group

3. To record and present the work in class (small groups)

4. Conclusion

1. To rehearse some of the pieces

2. To design a storyboard

3. To learn photo and video shooting (e.g. Pano, Time-lapse & Slo-mo)

4. To learn the app Quik

5. To create the music video in group

1. To rehearse some of the pieces

2. To work on / complete the music video production

Remark

1. Spot the problematic passages and polish

2. Provide examples to stimulate inspiration

3. Allow many cycles of creating, listening, reflecting and

revising




revising




revising




revising



revising

1. Rehearsal

2. What does the group composition depict?

3. Try various angles of video shooting in groups

4. Adjust the duration of video/picture; Insert music

1. Nil

2. Work-in-progress

Rehearsal 23 - 24

15

30

30

5

1. Rehearsal of e-Orch performance programme (2 pieces)

2. Rehearsal of 5 groups of compositions

3. Run-through of the whole programme

4. Debriefing + Conclusion

Public Performance cum Exhibition


2. Spot the problems (may need necessary changes)

3. Dress Rehearsal

4. Tidy up

4

e - O r c h

T E A C H I N G

STRATEGIES

THE PROCEDURES OF

LEARNING A NEW PIECE

Objective

Vocalize and play through each part altogether: Students sing the arranged piece in

parts, with teacher conducting and counting beats. Students will learn all music parts

through singing and playing single part together, then being assigned or chose to play a

part. In the same time they will be familiar to watch cues from conductor. This activity

will introduce the newly developed “Whole 1 -Part 2 -Whole 3 -Part 4 -Whole 5 ” approach

which can be further elaborated as:

• Whole 1 = Play the WHOLE piece from the beginning with the divided parts

(i.e. exactly the arrangement of the piece)

• Part 2 = Play each PART together (e.g. everyone plays the guitar part)

• Whole 3 = Divided into parts and play the WHOLE piece

• Part 4 = Play the whole piece starting from any PART which is not familiar with

• Whole 5 = Play the WHOLE piece from the beginning to the ending according

to the assigned parts (i.e. same as Whole1)

Materials

• iPads

• Speakers

• Printed four parts arranged piece in grid notation

• Music stands and seats in e-Orch setting

• Overhead projector

Prior Knowledge and Experiences

• Students learn to read grid score

• Students have experience singing music in solfege

Procedures

1. Have students play the whole piece in parts from the beginning to the ending

to grasp the whole idea of the piece.

2. Have students sing each single part together starting from melody line to

supporting lines. Review students’ singing. Repeat the difficult parts and

phrases.

3. Have students sing one part together while playing on the GarageBand

keyboard with sound off. Sing and play each part one by one. Extract some

phrases to practice the phrasing, rhythm and fingering as warm up exercise.

4. When students get familiar with the music, ask them to turn on the sound

of GarageBand and play a single part together, with attention to the

conductor’s indication of tempo and articulation. Ask students to listen

carefully to the sound of different instruments, with different touching.

5. Assign students to play certain part according to their ability and interest.

Ask them to practice their part in group, then have all groups play the piece

together using whole-part-whole approach. Challenge them to listen to their

part and other parts to attain accuracy in pitch, rhythm, balance and

blending. Point out the problems, give advice to students and have them

play it several times again.

6. Conduct students to play the four-part together. Remind students to follow

your cues for attacks, release, tempo variations and dynamic changes.

7. Ask students to critique their performance. Discuss with them the ways of

improvement.

Indicator of Success

• Students play the four-part music with good pitch and rhythm accuracy,

appropriate articulations, phrasing, expression, ensemble balance and

blending

• Students accurately response to conductor’s cues for entry point, tempo and

dynamics

5

WARM-UP DRILLINGS

Exercise 1: Solitaire

Objective

Students will learn to recognize different pitches in major/minor scale (Level 1)

and improvise with each other (Level 2-3)

Number of participants

4-20, preferably not 14 for Level 1-2 to prevent the students from repeating

the same notes throughout the warm-up

Seating Plan

Students sit as an inward-facing circle; instructor stands at the centre

GarageBand configuration

1. Suggested configuration: Keyboard->More Sounds->Oboe

2. Chosen by the instructor, students tune to a major key and select a

keyboard (e.g. major scale keyboard)

Procedures

1. Instructor selects a student, suitable tempo and direction (clockwise/

anti-clockwise) to begin with

2. After 4 preparation beats given by the instructor, the first student

starts by playing ‘do’, which is followed by the second student playing

‘re’, the third one plays ‘mi’ and so on - each of the students is

separated by a 1-beat rest

3. When a student reaches the higher ‘do’, the next student immediately

descends the scale by playing ‘ti’

4. After returning to the home ‘do’, the next student plays ‘re’ to start a

new cycle without stopping

5. Instructor can end the game at any ‘do’ after a few cycles

Level 1 - Simple Solfège Solitaire

t

d ,

6. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by varying the tempo (e.g.

speeding up), scale (e.g. melodic minor), keyboard (e.g. piano

keyboard) or shuffling students

etc

Starting Participant

d

etc

m

r

6

Level 2 - Stepwise Improvisation Solitaire

In this warm-up, each student occupies 4 beats - the 1st and the 4th beats

playing his/her note in scale while the 2nd and 3rd beats improvising freely

Procedures



d' t ls d'

etc

2. After 4 preparation beats given by the instructor, the first student

starts by playing ‘do’ on the 1st beat, improvising on the 2th and 3rd

beats and returning to ‘do’ on the 4th beat

3. Without stopping, the second student follows by playing ‘re’ on the

1st beat, improvising on the 2nd and 3rd beats and returning to ‘re’

on the 4th beat

t s l t

m d' s m

4. The third student follows by starting and ending on ‘mi’, and so on

5. When a student reaches the higher ‘do’, the next student immediately

descends to ‘ti’ and continues

etc

r fm f r

6. Instructor can end the game at any ‘do’ after a few cycles


speeding up), scale (e.g. melodic minor), keyboard (e.g. piano

keyboard) or shuffling students

d m r d

The expected outcome will be similar to this example:


Bar 1 2 3

d m r d r f m f r m d' s m

etc

7

Level 3 - Free Improvisation Solitaire

In this warm-up, each student occupies 4 beats - each one improvises freely

by starting with the previous student’s last note (except for the starting

student)

Procedures



2. According to the selected tempo, instructor plays the metronome on

GarageBand until the end of the warm-up

etc

Tutor

(Playing metronome)


4- beat rest

4- beat rest

3. After 4 preparation drum beats given by the instructor, the first

student starts by a 4-beat free improvisation, which is immediately

followed by a 4-beat rest (as signaled by the metronome)

4. Using the 4-beat rest to identify the previous student’s last note, the

next student immediately starts his/her 4-beat improvisation using

the same note, and so on

5. Instructor can end the game after a few cycles or when someone

identifies the wrong note

6. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by adjusting the duration of the

rests, the tempo (e.g. speeding up) and keyboard (e.g. piano ,

keyboard)

The expected outcome will be similar to this example:

Bar 1 2 3 4

d r m s - - - - s l t d' - - - -


• Students are able to respond to each others accurately in pitch and

in pulse by either scale (Level 1) or simple improvisation (Level 2 & 3)

etc

8

Exercise 2: Call and response

Objective

Students will learn to recognize, repeat (Level 1) and improvise (Level 2)

different rhythms


4-20

Seating Plan



1. Suggested configuration: Acoustic Drums->SoCal

Level 1 - Instructor-led Call and Response (for laymen)

Procedures

1. Instructor improvises a 4-beat rhythm

2. Students repeat the rhythm

3. Repeat the above steps with other improvised rhythm

Level 2 - Participants-led Call and Response (for students

capable of simple improvisation)

Procedures



2. The first student improvises a 4-beat rhythm, which is echoed by the

instructor and all other students

3. Without any pause, the next student improvises another rhythm,

which is again repeated by the instructor and other students

4. Repeat the above steps until the circle is completed

5. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by varying the tempo

(e.g. speeding up)


• Students are able to accurately and rhythmically respond to each

others in pulse

4. Instructor can end the game at anytime or when the circle is

completed

5. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by varying the tempo

(e.g. speeding up), complexity of the rhythm (e.g. triplets) and

the number of percussion instruments used

9

Exercise 3: Pulse And Pause

Objective

Students will learn to maintain a steady pulsation (Level 1) and perform

different rests accurately (Level 2)


4-20

Seating Plan



1. Suggested configuration: Acoustic Drums->SoCal

Level 1 - Steady Pulse

Procedures



2. After 4 preparation drum beats given by the instructor, the first

student starts by playing ‘B’ (bass drum) for 1 beat, which is

immediately followed by the next participant, doing the same,

and so on - there is no rest in between participants

3. Students should try to maintain the tempo as they can

4. Instructor may assist, correct or stop the students whenever the

pulse goes either too fast or slow

5. Instructor can end the exercise at anytime


speeding up)

Level 2 - Leave A Leap

Procedures

1. Depending on the rest the instructor wants to drill, design a short

rhythm

An example for drilling a quaver rest:

Bar 1 2

Drum B B B B B B B B B B



3. According to the selected tempo, instructor plays the metronome on

GarageBand until the end of the warm-up

4. Rehearse the drill until the students can perform accurately

5. Instructor intentionally blanks a note as the rest (in this example,

a quaver)

Bar 1 2

Drum B B B B B B _ B B B

6. Rehearse with the students by replacing the blanked note with

clapping

7. After they can perform accurately, replace the ‘clapping note’ with

complete silence

8. Instructor explains to students what they have done is a rest (a

quaver rest in this example)

9. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by varying the blanked note,

length of the rhythm phrase, complexity of the rhythm, number of

percussion instruments used and tempo


• Students are able to maintain a steady pulsation (Level 1) and

execute the given rest(s) accurately (Level 2)

10

COLLABORATIVE COMPOSITION

Objective

Students participate in groups to co-create a composition under a predesigned

framework with guidance from the teacher. Students will manipulate

musical elements for a co-decided artistic goal which has a self-expressive and

communicative purpose through diverse techniques and approaches such as

improvisation. It aims to provide inspiration and collaborative music creation

experiences by using "5-‘con'" approach – conceptualise, construct, connect,

contradict and continue. The product will be a recorded audio track or live

performance, or both.

Number of Participants

• 4 students per group

Materials

• iPads

• Speakers

• Overhead projector

Prior Knowledge and Experiences

• Students learn to perform in an ensemble setting with the use of Grid

Notation

• Students have experience in various music elements such as melodic

shape, scales, harmony and virtual instruments through the

participation in e-Orch

Procedures

1. Have students form in groups of four and decide an artistic goal

which is agreed by the group members. Teacher observe the

discussion and give guidance.

2. Have students create a harmonic framework such as ||: C - Am - F -

G :|| , ||: C - G - Am - Em - F - C - F - G :||. Try out the chords with

the use of virtual instruments in GarageBand and make necessary

revision until all the members endorse.

3. Each student chooses a virtual instrument regarding the belowsuggested

setting:

a. Student one: Melodic instrument (e.g. oboe)

b. Student two: Choral instrument (e.g. smart strings)

c. Student three: Bass instrument (e.g. double bass)

d. Student four: Percussion (e.g. smart drum)

4. Connect the devices through Jamming Session in GarageBand, then

decide a tempo.

5. Have student improvise under the harmonic framework and record

the music after some practices.

6. The teacher applies the "5-‘con'" to guide students throughout the

creative process.

7. Students present their final work and evaluate by peers.

Notes to "5-‘con'" approach

The "5-‘con'" approach was developed by the author in 2019. The first

step of the approach is to conceptualise the artistic goal, which includes

appraising masterpieces, creating ideas and forming the concept. Students

are stimulated by creative composition and improvisation in class and learn

from maestros through imitation and discussion. Then, students construct the

motive and gesture of their composition in which a new sound is generated.

However, sound in itself is not the same thing as music; as such, making

sense of organised sound is essential. Giving meaning and expression to the

sound connects musical knowledge, skills, life experiences to make the sound

alive. While development provides the unity of the piece as well as appealing

musical sounds, students use contrast to create musical surprise. Finally, the

art of music-making and learning is to continue. Students refine their piece

and reflect on the creative process.

Variations

The product of this activity is not limited to the recorded track but a live

ensemble performance. Students can notate the composition in Grid Notation

or traditional five-line staff notation for practice and live performance use.


• Students are able to apply suitable music elements to serve the

artistic goal.

• Students are able to assess their peers' compositions with agreed

criteria.

11

GRID NOTATION

GUIDELINE

Basic Components

Pachelbel’s Canon in D (1680)

Key: D Major

Tempo: 56

Meter: Simple Quadruple Time

Basic setting

Bar line

Subdivided beat in a bar

13 Solfege

14 15

Flute d r m f s r s f m l s f s f m r d l, l t d' t l s f m r l s l s f m

Oboe d' t d’ d t, s r m d d’ t l t m’ s’ l’ f' m’ r’ f’ m’ r’ d’ t l s f m r f m r d

Clarinet m d r t’ d' m’ s’ s l f s m d d’ d' - - t d'

Smart Strings (Sustain) D(1) A(1) Bm(1) F#m(1) G(1) D(1) G(1) A(1) D(1)

Chord symbol

12

Pitch

d r m f s l t Basic register

d, r, m, f, s, l, t, “ , ” after solfege represents an octave lower

d’ r’ m’ f’ s’ l’ t’ “ ’ ” after solfege represents an octave higher

di ri fi si li

ra me se le te

Raise a semitone from d r s l t

Lower a semitone from r m s l t

Rhythm (using simple quadruple time as an example)

d

d r

d r m

3

d r m f

- Sustain the previous note

d - - r

d r

- d

Rest

0 Rest

0 d

A whole beat rest

13

Dynamics (five sound levels)

Maximum sound level

Moderate sound level

Medium sound level

Weak sound level

Minimum sound level

Crescendo

Decrescendo

Expression

Tempo marks Prestissimo, Presto, Allegro, Moderato, Andante, Adagio, Larghetto, Largo

Tempo alternations accel., rit., fermata, rubato

Expression texts Cantabile, Dolce, Legato

Rehearsal marks E1

Articulation

Staccato

Tenuto

Accent

Fermata

Pipa tremolo

14

Ornaments

d

Trill

d

Upper mordent

d

Lower mordent

d

Turn

d

Inverted turn

Other

d

d

p

m

Play dol for one beat, in second half beat drag the pitch wheel up or down to bend

the pitch of the note

Play dol for one beat, in second half beat drag the modulation wheel up or down to

change the sound of the keyboard

Repeat

15

Chord Playing

C

C

C

Play C chord for one beat, press the top of the strip

Swipe up

Swipe down

7th strip of a chord bar




3rd strip of a chord bar

2nd strip of a chord bar

1 st strip of a chord bar

C(1)

C

6

2

Tap the 1st strip of C chord for one beat

Play C chord for one beat, swipe up from the 2nd to 6th strip of the bar

C

5

1

Play C chord for one beat, swipe down from the 5th to 1st strip of the bar

C

6

2

5

1

G

Play C chord for first half beat from 2nd to 6th strip, then play G chord for second half

beat from 5th to 1st strip

16

Smart Guitar

6 th strip of a chord bar



3 rd strip of a chord bar

2 nd strip of a chord bar


Smart Strings

3 rd strip of a chord bar

2 nd strip of a chord bar


Articulation for string instruments

C

Swipe up and down on a strip to bow

C +

Play C chord for one beat in pizzicato

+

C(1)

Play C chord for one beat in pizzicato, taping the first strip of the bar

+

6

C(1 ) 2

Play C chord in pizzicato in the first half beat, then swipes from 2nd to 6th strip in the second half beat

17

Percussion

X

Indefinite pitch

Drum

Bass Drum

Snare Drum

High Tom

Mid Tom

Low Tom

Hi-Hat

Crash Cymbal

Ride Bell

B

K

t

d

D

T

P

k

18

Chinese Kit

Cantonese Pronunciation

Da Gu 同 tung4

Pai Gu 1 冬 5 dung1





Da Luo 旁 pong4

Xiao Luo 昌 coeng1

Bang Zi 1 局 1 guk1




Bang Zi 5 的 dik1

Da Bo 查 caa4

Xiao Bo 七 cat1

19

E Q U I P M E N T

Equipment for Course/Lesson Use:

i. iPads x 20

ii. Garageband (for iPadOS) x 20

iii. iMovie (for iPadOS) x 20

iv. Speakers x 20 (e.g. JBL Charge 4)

Equipment for Exhibition Use:

i. 2 speakers with stands for amplification, 4 monitors for fold back, and 1 mixer with technician support

• 2 x front of house self-powered loud speakers with speaker stands

• 4 x fold back monitor self-powered loud speakers

• 1 x 32ch Digital Mixing Console

ii. 10 laptop/desktop computer with headphones to showcase students’ works

iii. 3-4 long tables

iv. 20 chairs for students’ performances

v. 21 music stands for conductor’s and students’ performances use

20

S E A T I N G P L A N

Part 2 Part 3

Part 1

Part 4

Conductor

21

T E A C H E R S ’ S H A R I N G

Lui Ching Esther

Music Panel of Pentecostal Yu Leung Fat Primary School

e-Orch has given my school a brand new experience, especially using

iPads with GarageBand to include more students to play in ensembles,

allowing them to have experience in playing music, enhancing their

self-confidence and musicianship. My students enjoy playing in e-Orch

as they have more chances to play various virtual instruments. I believe

this greatly helps them to choose their favourite acoustic instrument to

play in the future.

Tse Yan Wah

Music Panel of Po Leung Kuk Dr. Jimmy Wong

Chi-Ho (Tin Sum Valley) Primary School

Established for more than one year, our school’s e-Orch

has engaged students in music performance and creation

with the use of iPad apps, while providing them with ample

opportunities for performance, and creating a favorable

environment for life-long learning in music. In the training

process, students become passionate and devoted learners.

Even though some of them have little musical literacy,

students are empowered with the use of simple apps in

ensemble training, bringing immense satisfaction to them.

e-Orch aims to cultivate team spirit through collaboration,

and most importantly engage students in joyful musical

experiences.

Lau Hiu Lam Helen

e-Orch Conductor

e-Orch aims at providing students with a music learning

platform, engaging them in individual or group performance

and music creation with the use of music apps on tablet. In

this way, students share the opportunities for exploring various

sounds of real and electronic instruments, and different sound

effects incredibly generated through music apps, whether or

not they have learned or owned physical instruments. e-Orch

greatly stimulates students’ interest in music and motivates

learners to actively participate in practicing. The lessons will

take place in music ensemble and orchestra setting, in order to

cultivate students’ proficiency in musicianship and team spirit.

Leung Ching Hei Alan

e-Orch Conductor

Through practicing in ensemble and orchestra setting, e-Orch encourages

students to learn to play different kinds of virtual instruments. In the

process, students not only have fun with music, but also get familiar

with Chinese and Western classic repertoires, and acquire eye-opening

experiences in exploration of digital music.

Apart from the ensemble sessions, e-Orch provides students with a

holistic training experience with an emphasis on cultivating creativity.

During practice, students will take the role as sound engineers, creating

their own music and enjoying illuminating experience through improvised

performance. Meanwhile, students are motivated to explore the

possibilities of digital music and traditional instruments while engaging in

co-creation in music.

22

R E S O U R C E S

EdUHK Music Innovation and Design Lab (musid.lab)

https://www.musidlab.com/

Everyone Can Create Music On iPad

https://books.apple.com/us/book/everyone-can-create-music/id1434741739

GarageBand for iPad Starter Guide iOS 11 on Apple Books

https://books.apple.com/us/book/garageband-for-ipad-starter-guide-ios-11/id1319452659

How to use GarageBand on iPhone & iPad

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iosapps/garageband-iphone-ipad-3676543/

How to edit in GarageBand for iPad & iPhone

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iosapps/edit-garageband-3506877/

How to make a song in GarageBand for iPhone & iPad

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iosapps/create-song-garageband-ipad-iphone-3512555/

Create a bedtime story using GarageBand for iPad and iPhone

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iosapps/create-bedtime-story-using-garageband-for-ipad-iphone-3512569/

GarageBand for iPad Support

https://help.apple.com/garageband/ipad/

Video

Past Performance Videos of e-Orch:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb-NP2hS7cXonre5jIIubV63LMSeKxsJi

23

GUIDELINE ON DIFFICULTY LEVEL

The Difficulty Level System is developed for directors, composers, arrangers, publishers, editors, and educators who are interested in

working on pieces for e-Orch.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Meter Tempo Rhythm Tonality Techniques

4/4, C (Common Time), 3/4

and 2/4

Slow to moderate

2/2, cut time, 3/2, and

simple mixed meters of 2/4, Slow to moderate

3/4, and 4/4

6/8, 3/4 (in one pulse per

bar), 3/8, 9/8, 12/8, 6/4

Level 4 Irregular meter e.g. 5/4, 7/4

Level 5

Unlimited

More changes of tempo

within the work

Fast tempo, more changes

of tempo within a work

including abrupt shifts

Complex changes within

a work

Crotchet, dotted-minim,

semi-breve; tied notes, no

subdivision of beat

Quavers, dotted-crotchet;

dotted-rhythm,

Semiquavers, dottedquaver,

triplet; syncopation

Triplet over two beats

Unlimited

No key signature, 1 sharp/

flat key without accidentals;

No special technique

major, minor, pentatonic

scale

2-3 sharps/flats keys with

accidentals

4 sharps/flats keys with

accidentals


accidentals; whole-tone

scale


accidentals; non-tonal;

unlimited

2 different techniques with

adequate preparation time

3 or more different

techniques with adequate

preparation time

4 or more different

techniques with less

preparation time

unlimited

Notes:

1. All levels are cumulative.

2. The number of key changes and accidentals shall be considered when judging the difficulty level.

3. The texture and number of the voices of the piece shall be considered when judging the difficulty level.

4. The consideration of tonality as the criteria should be eased if the piece makes use of the scale function to present any key

signatures in white keys only (i.e. a transposing keyboard)

5. Examples of techniques include modulation, pitch bend, sustain, tremolo, arpeggiator, etc.

6. When a piece contains a four-measure (or less) phrase of technical difficulty above the specific level assigned, the piece

should not be raised to the next level of difficulty. The specific phrase should be treated as a challenging spot for learning.

7. A plus or minus may be added to any level designation when appropriate (e.g. Level 2+).

8. The criteria should be used as reference only. Instructors are recommended to be flexible when choosing pieces for the e-Orch.

24

e-Orch Scores

SCORES

Ode to Joy Level 1

Key: G Major

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

Tempo: 88

Arranger: Leung Chi-hin


25

26

e-Orch Scores

Kojo no Tsuki ( 荒城の月 ) Level 1

Key: C Major Composer: Rintaro Taki ( 滝廉太郎 )

Tempo: 56

Arranger: Wyman Wat


27

28

29

e-Orch Scores

Moment Musical No. 3 (Excerpt) Level 2

Key: A Major

Composer: Franz Schubert

Tempo: 126

Arranger: Helen Lau


30

31

32

33

34

B I O G R A P H Y

Chi-hin Leung

Principal Author

Dr. Chi-hin Leung is a Hong Kong composer and music educator who was awarded the Gold Medal (Innovative Grid Score for Electronic

Orchestra) from International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada, the Special Prize from the Romanian Inventors Forum, Bronze

Medal (The Grid and Grid Notation for Music Education) from the International Specialized Trade Show for "Ideas - Inventions - New

Products", the champion from Hong Kong Handbell Festival Composition Competition and many. Leung’s compositions are featured by

international music festivals and published by renowned publishers and labels which include Schott Music (Germany), MOECK (Germany),

Donemus (Netherlands), Edition HH (U.K.), PARMA Recordings (U.S.), From the Top Music (U.S.), Oxford University Press (China) and Hong

Kong Composers’ Guild. His works have been featured by ISCM World New Music Days, UNESCO International “Arts for Peace” Festival,

International Rostrum of Composers, International Electronic Music Week, World Choir Games, International Handbell Symposium, ISME

World Conference on Music Education, Asian Composers League Festival, Asian Recorder Festival, Asian Saxophone Congress, Singapore

Saxophone Symposium, Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival Vienna, Taipei Traditional Arts Festival, Musicarama, Hong

Kong Schools Music Festival and many.

Leung is the Assistant Professor at the Education University of Hong Kong, President of the Hong Kong Association for Music Educators,

Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, and Commissioner of the Music in School and Teacher Education Commission of the

International Society of Music Education.

35

Gloria Wai-yee Pang

Research Assistant

Gloria Wai-yee Pang is an art administrator and research

assistant. She received her BA (Hons) degree, majoring in music

from the University of Hong Kong and a MA Degree in Cultural

Management from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She

was a Research Assistant at the Education University of Hong

Kong from 2017 to 2019, engaged in the invention of grid

notation, the evaluation and promotion of e-Orch, teaching

manual publication and also worked with Dr. Leung Chi-hin on

his STEAM projects and other music education researches. Apart

from doing arts research, Gloria Pang is also experienced in arts

management with five years of solid art management experience

in local art organisations. She is currently working at the Hong

Kong Museum of Art as Project Management Officer.

Cheuk-long Leung

Research Assistant

Cheuk-long Leung is a research assistant in The Education

University of Hong Kong, where he also obtained his Bachelor

of Education (Honours) in Music, founded and chaired the

Creativity Association, as well as received various scholarships

and academic awards. As a performer, he received international

prizes in the World Choir Games and Hong Kong International

Youth Music Festival. He was also invited as a performer in the

ABRSM Diploma Awards Ceremony - Hong Kong and Macau.

As an active music educator, he holds the positions as music

director and conductor of various school music ensembles,

including e-Orch and handchime team. He is on the frontline of

the e-Orch development as the editor of The Grid user manual

and e-Orch Teaching manual, arranger of grid scores and

conductor-instructor of the e-Orch music curriculum at local

school.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

beNovelty TapTab Mr. Patrick Fan Mr. Jacky Mo Mr. Jacky Ng Mr. Alex Sze

36

e-Orch Teaching Manual: Curriculum and Resources

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