Multimodal meaning-making in the NRK production Sangfoni

Abstract

This article reports on an analysis of the music video A Thousand Plums (Tusen plommer), from the Norwegian children's TV series Sangfoni. Sangfoni consists of 22 episodes which all feature a classical song for children, accompanied by several multimodal resources. The cinematic expression can be understood as a type of factual prose for children, which sets out to revitalize traditional children's songs, and to provide an introduction to music theory aimed at children. The music video is analyzed from a social semiotic perspective, on the basis of the meaning potential which can be found in the lyrics, music and images. The transcription of multimodal resources is also discussed in the article. The article addresses the following research question: Which multimodal meaning-making expressions are conveyed in the video? The analysis reveals that the music video is instructional in that it helps both to understand the 7/8 beat, and to learn how to sing the song A Thousand Plums. Furthermore, it shows that Sangfoni may be an asset in music education at the primary school level. The article emphasizes the fact that no textbooks for music education, building on the latest curriculum, have been published yet, and that digital resources can be fruitful to reach the learning goals established in the curriculum.