This August I created and taught a two day workshop on Silent Film accompaniment for children aged 7-11.
Over the two-day course we explored how music relates to mood, movement and character through a variety of practical games and composition and improvisation activities, working towards creating a soundtrack to perform live with the film.
You can watch the film with the final performance of the soundtrack below. It features cello harmonics for gold, double stops for tangled weeds, a specially composed 'lobster' theme on violin, and a splash on the piano as the frog jumps in the water. On day two we composed a grand 'octopus' theme to accompany the Frog’s battle with the Octopus. The children also recorded a water-inspired soundscape using a variety of percussion instruments, which accompanies the live elements of the performance.