Join the deadly artists from the Digital Lab, on Ngarluma Ngurra in Western Australia’s remote Pilbara region, to learn the process of making music for a television series. The factual series Red Dirt Riders features original digital beats composed by 16 First Nations artists working with music mentor, Mark Leahy. Gain access to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage starring the young artists who made the beats, then be guided in creating an original digital music masterpiece to combine with a scene from the series.
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Teachers' notes
Suitable for Years 3-8, this co-created learning resource introduces students to digital music production as a contemporary mode of composition. The music making process for Red Dirt Riders is explored with reference to the elements of music, planning tools to meet a creative brief, and the importance of listening to our creative instincts to make the best beats.
The student-facing resource can be either set as an independent task or delivered as a sequence of class activities. The videos are designed for students to gain knowledge in music theory and process, with video tutorials to build knowledge in music theory and processes, a guided digital drawing workshop and access to downloadable audio and video files, students are empowered to create their own digital music productions.
This resource covers all four of the interrelated strands as outlined in the Music structure in the Australian Curriculum:
Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Engaging with the music composed for Red Dirt Riders is an opportunity for students to gain knowledge, understanding and celebrate creative excellence in First Nations artistic outcomes. This resource offers a way to cite examples of music created by First Nations Australians that communicate connection to and responsibility for Country/Place, as well as showcasing contemporary technologies in art creation. It also highlights the importance of collaborative art making as cultural practice.
Organising ideas
First Nations Australians’ ways of life reflect unique ways of being, knowing, thinking, and doing. (A_TSIC2)
The significant and ongoing contributions of First Nations Australians and their histories and cultures are acknowledged locally, nationally, and globally. (A_TSIP3)
Meet the Music Makers
Making digital beats for a television series is a big project that requires collaboration and determination. All the music developed for Red Dirt Riders was made on Ngarluma Ngurra (Roebourne, WA) at a dedicated art hub for new technologies: the Digital Lab.
Watch the video to meet the Digital Lab music makers and their artist mentor Mark Leahy.
What is music composition?
Music composition can mean different things to different music makers. Let’s find out what you know already before we learn more from the artists at the Digital Lab.
Activity
Map all the ideas that come to mind when you hear the words ‘music’ and ‘composition’. When brainstorming these ideas, share the types of music you can think of and how this music can be made.
Create a Venn diagram, mind map or table to aid the visualisation of this information.
Watch the video to learn about music composition in the film and television industry, and learn how music is made at the Digital Lab.
Reflection
When we watched the process of music making, we heard Mark describing the sounds to the artists as needing to be ‘chunky and big’. Write an acrostic poem or discuss in groups what these words mean to you. Focus your ideas on the digital music that the artists may make.
Tune into Red Dirt Riders
Making digital beats for Red Dirt Riders was created in a series of steps. Artists talked about the moments that require music in Red Dirt Riders, experimented with sounds and discussed the outcome to think about what could be added to make the sound successful.
Watch the behind the scenes video to learn how Jakeile makes music in the Digital Lab with artist mentor Mark Leahy.
Reflection
Think back to the from Red Dirt Riders scene without music. Discuss some goals for your music before you get to the music making workshop.
Remember to use mood, pace, space and flavour as headings to come up with a plan.
Digital Music in the mix
Make Music with RJ at the Digital Lab
Meet RJ – a music maker from the Digital Lab and star of Red Dirt Riders – to learn how to produce digital beats on the computer.
You will need:
Your ideas, goals and any planning for the music you will make for the scene of Red Dirt Riders.
A computer or device and an internet connection to log onto Song Maker.
Another screen to watch the step-by-step tutorial video to make digital music.
Reflection:
Think back to the behind the scenes footage with Jakeile and Mark, what did you notice about how they worked as a team?
Digital Music in the Mix
Mark gave Jakeile feedback and asked questions to support the process, think of a question you could ask a music maker to help them improve their music.
The music makers received scenes from Red Dirt Riders to help them develop ideas for the music.
The music makers think about:
Mood What is the feeling of the scene? Is the tone exciting and intense? Is the feeling relaxed and calm?
Pace + Space What is the pace of the scene? Think about whether things move fast or if the action is slow. Is the scene building to something big, or are there quiet moments that need gentle music? How much space is in the scene? Should music be soft to layer under dialogue (speaking), or is there lots of room in the scene for the music to be a focus? What other sounds are there in the mix? For example, does the music needs to stop or be soft when the scene includes a rumble of a motorbike?
Flavour What can we add to the music so that the sound is rich and textured?
Reflection
Think back to the Red Dirt Riders scene without music. Document your goals for the music before jump into the music making workshop.
Remember to use mood, pace, space and flavour as headings to come up with a plan.
Check out the scene
Watch a scene from Red Dirt Riders with Treinaya to deconstruct what made the music created by Layne Smith great composing for the screen.
Make Music with Treinaya from the Digital Lab
Work with Treinaya – a youth mentor from the Digital Lab – to learn how to produce digital beats on the computer.
You will need:
Your ideas, goals and any planning for the music you will make for the scene of Red Dirt Riders.
A computer or device and an internet connection to log onto Song Maker.
Once you have finished your music composition and have exported the sound file, it’s time to add this to the Red Dirt Riders clip.
Play the Red Dirt Riders clip below at the same time as your music, or download the file package to combine the song and clip in video editing software.
Have a viewing session with an informal audience to receive feedback. Ask the audience to reflect on what was successful and suggest things that could be improved. You might like to re-open your digital music file in Song Maker to make some adjustments to the composition to match the Red Dirt Riders scene.
Share your work with us
We welcome feedback from teachers who have delivered and adapted our resources. Please reach out to education@actf.com.au with questions, comments, and suggestions.
This resource is co-developed by the NEO-Learning and ACTF.
NEO-Learning was born on
Ngarluma Ngurra
NEO-Learning acknowledges Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, Banjima, Marduthunera, Guruma, Nyiyaparli, Kariyarra and all custodians nationally past, present and future.
