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Brushstrokes and Beats

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Mikaela Secore

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Brushstrokes & Beats Unit Plan

Students will deepen their understanding of how music and visual art inform each other by painting emotional responses to sound and composing original soundscapes for peer artworks, fostering creativity, critical listening, and multimedia expression.

Integrating visual arts with music cultivates cross-disciplinary skills, encourages self-expression, heightens auditory and visual literacy, and engages learners through hands-on, creative exploration.

Audience

7th Grade Class

Time

3 sessions (120 minutes each)

Approach

Guided listening, artistic creation, and reflective composition.

Materials

  • Connecting Sound & Sight, - Sound Sketch Warm-Up, - Canvas Composition, - Music Memoirs, - Soundtrack Gallery, - Blank canvases or heavyweight paper, - Acrylic paints, brushes, palettes, water cups, - Speakers or headphones with a diverse music playlist, - Journals or sketchbooks, and - Tablets or computers with audio-editing software

Prep

Teacher Preparation

30 minutes

  • Review the unit plan and slide deck (Connecting Sound & Sight).
  • Curate 4–6 diverse music tracks (various genres, tempos, moods).
  • Arrange art supplies: canvases, paints, brushes, palettes, and water cups.
  • Test audio equipment (speakers/headphones) and ensure access to devices with editing software.
  • Prepare journals or sketchbooks for each student.
  • Familiarize yourself with digital sound-editing basics to support students.

Step 1

Session 1: Introduction & Sound Sketch Warm-Up

120 minutes

  • Present unit goals and key concepts using Connecting Sound & Sight.
  • Facilitate the Sound Sketch Warm-Up: listen to 3 short tracks, sketch shapes/colors/emotions.
  • Group share: discuss how different sounds influenced imagery.
  • Introduce the Canvas Composition activity: students select one track to guide a full-canvas painting.
  • Students plan their painting in journals.

Step 2

Session 2: Canvas Composition & Music Memoirs

120 minutes

  • Students continue their paintings from Session 1, applying color theory and expressive techniques.
  • Midpoint critique: pair-share to give constructive feedback on emotional conveyance.
  • Prompt reflective journaling with Music Memoirs: describe how sound choices shaped artistic decisions.
  • Facilitate discussion: how might the artwork inspire new musical ideas?

Step 3

Session 3: Soundscape Composition & Soundtrack Gallery

120 minutes

  • Display finished paintings for inspiration.
  • Teach basics of soundscape composition on devices; demonstrate with a sample artwork.
  • Students compose a 1–2 minute soundscape for a peer’s painting using audio-editing tools.
  • Host a Soundtrack Gallery: each student presents their painting alongside its soundscape.
  • Whole-class reflection: discuss the dialogue between image and sound, and self-assess learning outcomes.
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Slide Deck

Connecting Sound & Sight

Exploring the interplay between music and visual art. In this unit, we'll discover how sound can shape shape, color, and composition—and how images can influence music.

Welcome students and introduce the unit: how music can inspire visual art and vice versa. Briefly explain the idea of cross-modal connections.

Unit Objectives

• Understand how auditory and visual modalities inform each other
• Create quick sketches in response to musical excerpts
• Produce a full-scale painting guided by a chosen track
• Compose a short soundscape for a peer’s artwork
• Reflect on creative choices and cross-modal dialogue

Review the objectives so students know what skills they will develop and what deliverables are expected.

What Are Cross­-Modal Connections?

Cross-modal connections occur when stimulation in one sense evokes experiences in another. For example, a fast drumbeat might feel sharp and jagged, or a soft melody might appear as gentle curves and pastel hues.

Define cross-modal perception in simple terms and provide everyday examples (e.g., associating a song with a memory or color).

Synesthesia in Art & Music

Synesthesia is a neurological condition where senses overlap.\n• Kandinsky saw colors when he heard music.\n• Composer Olivier Messiaen associated chords with specific hues.\nThese artists used their cross­-sensory experiences in groundbreaking work.

Introduce synesthesia as a natural example of cross­-modal experience. Mention famous synesthetes and show one or two artworks if possible.

Music–Art Pairing Examples

• Debussy’s "Clair de Lune" → soft, silvery blue washes
• A driving rock riff → angular shapes and bold, contrasting colors
• Smooth jazz saxophone → warm curves and earth tones
• Electronic ambient track → abstract patterns and neon accents

Share concrete pairings so students get inspired. Encourage them to think about mood, tempo, texture.

Project Instructions

  1. Sound Sketch Warm-Up: Quick visual responses to short music clips.\n2. Canvas Composition: Select one track and paint a full-canvas interpretation.\n3. Music Memoirs: Journal reflections on artistic choices.\n4. Soundscape Composition: Create audio scores for peer artworks.\n5. Soundtrack Gallery: Present and discuss.

Walk students through the big-picture steps of the unit and clarify expectations.

Session 1 Agenda

  1. Review unit goals using this slide deck.\n2. Sound Sketch Warm-Up: Listen to three short tracks and sketch shapes, colors, emotions.\n3. Group Share: Discuss how different sounds influenced imagery.\n4. Canvas Composition Intro: Choose one track and plan your full-canvas painting.\n5. Journaling: Sketch and jot down ideas in your journals.

Detail the plan for Session 1 so students know how to use their 120 minutes effectively.

Materials & Setup

• Blank canvases or heavyweight paper
• Acrylic paints, brushes, palettes, water cups
• Speakers or headphones with a curated playlist
• Journals or sketchbooks
• Devices with audio-editing software

Confirm all materials are ready and explain where to find them in the room.

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Warm Up

Sound Sketch Warm-Up

Objective: Activate students’ cross-modal thinking by translating musical excerpts into quick visual sketches focused on shapes, colors, and emotions.

Time: 15 minutes

Materials:

  • Speakers or headphones
  • A prepared playlist of 3 diverse music clips (30–60 seconds each)
  • Blank paper or sketchbook pages
  • Pencils, crayons, or markers

Instructions:

  1. Track Listening & Sketch (approx. 4 minutes per track)

    • Play the first music clip (30–60 seconds).
    • Students spend 2 minutes sketching their immediate visual response—consider shapes, lines, colors, and the emotion the track evokes.
    • Repeat for the second and third tracks.

  2. Gallery Walk & Share (5 minutes)

    • Students display their three sketches around the room.
    • In pairs, students walk around, observe peers’ sketches, and discuss: What shapes or colors stood out? How did each sound influence the imagery?

  3. Whole-Class Debrief (2 minutes)

    • Invite volunteers to share one of their sketches and explain the connection between the sound and their visual choices.




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Activity

Canvas Composition

Objective: Translate a chosen music track into a full-scale painting, applying principles of composition, color theory, and emotional expression.

Time: 90 minutes

Materials:

  • Blank canvas or heavyweight paper
  • Acrylic paints, brushes, palettes, and water cups
  • Selected music tracks (from Session 1 sketches)
  • Journals or sketchbooks for planning
  • Pencils and erasers
  • Speakers or headphones

Instructions:

  1. Select Your Track & Review Sketches (10 minutes)

    • Revisit your three sound sketches and journal notes.
    • Choose the one musical track that inspired the strongest imagery and emotion.
    • In your journal, answer:
      • Which shapes and colors best capture this track’s mood?
      • How will you arrange these elements on a canvas?



  2. Plan Your Composition (10 minutes)

    • On a sketch in your journal, draw a simple layout showing key shapes, focal points, and color zones.
    • Label areas for highlights, shadows, and textural effects.
    • Note any symbolic or emotional details you want to emphasize.






  3. Transfer & Block In (20 minutes)

    • Lightly sketch your main shapes onto the canvas with pencil.
    • Begin painting large areas of color (background, major forms) to establish mood and balance.
    • Work from back to front: lay down background washes, then midground shapes, then foreground details.






  4. Refine & Add Details (30 minutes)

    • Build layers of color and texture to reflect the music’s dynamic shifts (e.g., soft vs. loud passages).
    • Use brushstrokes that echo the rhythm: staccato beats might become sharp lines, legato melodies as smooth curves.
    • Incorporate contrast—light/dark or warm/cool—to highlight emotional peaks.






  5. Reflect & Journal (20 minutes)

    • Stand back and observe your painting while listening to the track again.
    • In your journal, respond:
      1. How did your visual choices change or deepen after hearing the full track?
      2. What challenges did you face in translating sound to image?
      3. If you had more time, what would you add or alter?











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Journal

Music Memoirs

Objective: Reflect on your creative journey from sound to image, and deepen your understanding of how musical elements shaped your painting.

  1. Describe how your initial sound sketches informed the planning of your full-canvas painting. What aspects of the music stood out first, and how did you translate them visually?






  2. Think about a specific moment or passage in the track that influenced a major decision in your painting (color choice, brushstroke style, composition). Explain the connection between that musical moment and your visual choice.






  3. If your painting could produce sound, what audio elements (rhythm, melody, texture, tempo) would correspond to each major area of color or form? Sketch or describe a mini-soundscape for one section of your artwork.






  4. Imagine reinterpreting your painting with a different musical genre or instrument. Which new style would you choose and why? How might this shift alter your colors, shapes, or emotional tone?






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Cool Down

Soundtrack Gallery Cool-Down

Objective: Showcase the dialogue between visual art and sound by presenting paintings alongside their original soundscapes, gathering peer feedback, and reflecting on creative choices.

Time: 15–20 minutes

Materials:

  • Finished paintings from Session 2
  • Corresponding 1–2 minute soundscapes created in Session 3
  • Speakers or headphones and playback devices
  • Sticky notes or index cards for feedback
  • Journals or sketchbooks for reflection

Instructions:

  1. Arrange the Gallery (2 minutes)

    • Display each student’s painting on a wall or table with a playback device nearby.
    • Ensure headphones or speakers are set up so viewers can hear each soundscape clearly.

  2. Gallery Walk & Listening Stations (6–8 minutes)

    • Students circulate in small groups.
    • At each station, view the painting for 30 seconds, then listen to its soundscape.
    • Use sticky notes or index cards to jot one strength and one question about how the audio complements the visual.

  3. Presentation Round (4–5 minutes)

    • Invite 3–4 volunteers to share their artwork and soundscape with the whole class.
    • Presenters explain their creative process:
      • What inspired your color and compositional choices?
      • How do musical elements (rhythm, melody, texture) map onto your visual design?

  4. Peer Feedback & Reflection (3–4 minutes)

    • Return to seats and review the feedback you received.
    • In your journal, respond:
      1. What piece of feedback resonated most, and why?
      2. How would you refine your artwork or soundscape based on this input?






  5. Whole-Class Debrief (Optional Wrap-Up)

    • Discuss: How did listening to your peers’ soundscapes deepen your understanding of cross-modal creativity?
    • Encourage students to continue exploring art and music connections beyond the classroom.
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