Post your activities for analyzing popular music here

Music to pair with the book The Outsiders  (Laura A)

Music as a way of life by Nathan

Music has become an everyday part of life. We hear music on T.V., the radio, in stores, in our cars, walking down the street. Music can be almost anywhere. I would like students to become aware of the music around them and begin to recognize how it influences them. To help guide students in this endeavor, they will track all the music that they hear for a week. If they are shopping at the mall they will note the different types of music playing in the different stores. How does this music make them feel? Does it affect their habits and actions?

At the end of the week students will write a short paper about all the music they heard. Was there music that they were unaware they were hearing? Was this music supposed to be unintentionally heard? What is the purpose of music in life? What are they many roles that it serves.

__Music as Memoir, CD Chainletters, & Analyzing Lyrics Activities - Genevieve__

I would likely use music as an autobiographical/memoir tool in my English classroom. I would strongly encourage students to create Mix CDs that could be soundtracks for a day, a month, or a year in their lives. I also really liked Sara L.’s idea to have students create a music timeline with song or album titles. A Mix CD Chain Letter – Mix of the Month Project could be fun for extra credit—twelve students sign up for each Chain Letter project. Each student is assigned a month.

The rules follow:

1. Each month, one person will be in charge of a mix.
2. Said mix is not to exceed 12 tracks.
3. Person-of-the-month will send/distribute their mix to the other 11 people on the Chain Letter list.
4. Each student will receive 11 mixes for participating in this exchange.
5. Each mix must include a track listing, a case, and a cover. Be creative.

• A personalized note detailing why you selected the songs you did or describing what is going on in your life this year could be included but is not mandatory.

An in class activity:

Students will locate and write down the lyrics to their favorite song. Students will complete a journal assignment addressing the following questions:

• Who performs this song?
• Who wrote the song?
• What does this song mean to you?
• Why do you like it?
• What do the lyrics mean?
• Do they make sense? Do they rhyme?
• Would this song be the same if it had no lyrics?

Students will use their journal entries to design a presentation highlighting the song, the performing artist, the writer of the song, the lyrics, and what the lyrics represent or mean. Presentations can be presented in the form of a blog entry, a Power Point presentation, a web site, or a poster board presentation.

LitTunes: lesson plans for incorporating music into English classes

Music is the Weapon of the Future by Angela

If it were possible, I'd put 100% of my effort into getting my class to an open mic event that showcases young talent - poetry, spokenword, singer-songwriter, bands, etc. I want them to see in person the power of words and music when put in the hands of youth. I feel strongly that music serves a protective function for a lot of young adults, as well as is a catalyst for emotional and social growth. After attending the event, I would have students write a reflection about what makes this kind of thing powerful - a type of reader-response, if youw ill. What is it that resonated most with you? Why? The questions can be tweaked in order to meet the individual teacher's goals for this activity.

Elizabeth and Steve M's PPT about Mash-Ups

Mashup.mov

Eve and Annie's PowerPoint: Britney and Her Music Through the Years

Brtiney Spears PP.ppt

Poetry and Lyrics PowerPoint: Katie B.

Poetry_and_Lyrics_Presentation.ppt

Movies Rock: flim music: Friday, December 7 at 8:00 on CBS

Learing From Lyrics: sponsored by Musicians in the Classroom: great site

Liveplasma: a visual search engine that portrays links between different musicians/bands: type in your favorite musician/band to see other related musician/bands

The Declaration of Independence- Sara

Analyzing Popular Music by Crystal Bieter

In my eighth grade English class we use music when we are studying poetry. I like to have students analyze a poem and then write a poem based around themes. One themme that I have students look at is war. One song that I have used in the past is Masters of War by Bob Dylan as well as One by U2. I have them analyze the songs by looking at the speaker's overall message, use of imagery, and whether or not it evoked any type of emotion. This song can also be used while studying the Holocaust later in the year. There is a great video with the song One that was made that looks at the genocide in Sudan using that song. Students can then compare the song to that of the plight of the Sudanese people, compare it to the issue in Iraq, or even past wars like the Vietnam War which Bob Dylan's song Masters of War was addressing.

I have also thought that the Christmas song by John Lennon would be great to use in analyzing genocide around the world. Have students listen to the song and watch the video. Have students look for irony between the two.

Integrating Music while Teaching Literature

by Abbey Weis and Karen Keller

Who listens to what?

by Dan Richardson and Nate Schultz

People's stereotypes about who listens to what are interesting. Have your students tell you what they think people who listen to certain types of music look like, dress like--even how they imagine these listers might think. It might be best to have students record their thoughts privately (so as not to make other students angry). Have them record their thoughts about people who listen to: rap, metal, country, rock, classical, etc. These lists of "stereotypes" can be collected and stored away for a later lesson. Then have students each share with the class their favorite type of music and why they like them. I think students will be surprised to hear who listens to what--real listeners don't match their stereotypes. It might even be more interesting to have students who like a particular type of music, say country, begin their sharing with a statement like, "I know many people think people who listen to country are like x, but..."

Copyright and Music downloads

The Recording Industry Association of America is making available information on copyright laws and the sharing of online music files to elementary, middle and high school teachers nationwide, according to an announcement made last week.

The "Music Rules!" program is aimed at students in grades three through eight. In addition to classroom materials, it includes booklets for parents. A second recording industry program for schools "Whose Music Is It?" addresses the growth of online activity, copyright laws and the impact of

music piracy, among other topics.

According to the RIAA, these items are being distributed in response to requests from educators for classroom materials.

The RIAA which certifies gold, platinum, multi-platinum and diamond records in recognition of sale is a trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. As of May, the RIAA had sued more than 18,200 individuals for the illegal downloading of music.

Downloadable teaching materials

Understanding Music

Jennifer Sellers and Theresa Haider

Each student chooses a song that they enjoy that is appropriate for school. Then the students research the songwriter or musician's life and see how much of the material is autobiographical. They watch the music video and analyze how the writer's life has impacted the images, as well as how the images impact the meaning and understanding of the song. They write a quick essay on what they learned from this and share in class.

Music and Stereotypes

Mary Voigt, Alma Mendez, and Patricia McGurk

Have students write down some of their own ideas about who listens to what kinds of music (who listens to country, rap, pop, jazz, etc.) Then look at Armitron ratings (radio ratings) compared with certain population densities to see if that is in fact correct. Could be interesting to ask students if they think any one group "owns" any particular type of music.

Analyzing Music

Ligia Hernandez and Andi Larson

Students could work with partners or individually on Power Point presentations. They should start by identifying a couple of their favorite songs and artists. They should do research on this genre and include specific characteristics in the Power Points. Students should then have links to the songs and possibly music videos embedded in the Power Point. Students should research the history of these songs. Where did they come from? Did the artist write the song or borrow it? Students who are interested in music might include technical musical elements that the songs contain and that are specific to a these artists. Students who are interested in history could focus on the impact of the social context in which these songs were written. Students could also include in the Power Point any autobiographical associations they have with these songs or artists. After creating this Power Point and exploring a variety of questions and issues surrounding their favorite music genres, artists, and songs, students will be more familiar with and in tune with their personal preferences of musical style.

Challenges of creating focused online discussion regarding popular media - David Gower

As a high school student, I became interested in the internet as a resource for connecting with people outside of my very small hometown of Lewisburg, Kentucky. Access to a variety of cultural artifacts is fairly limited in scope back home, to say the least. Like many rural areas throughout the country, there is a certain amount risk afforded to young people who have very little to do in their free time. Outside of playing on the football team, and making short order of homework (oh, how things have changed), I devoted a great deal of attention to popular music. As Classic Rock and Oldies radio stations rarely veered from their rigid standard playlists (a nationwide phenomenon that I thought was restricted to my rural home), I felt compelled to reach out to other outlets, especially music journalism publications, for insights into "other" music not played on the radio. I sought out the word of music critics, and gradually built up an enormous music collection unrivalled by my peers. I was a sponge for musical ideas.

After years of scouring various forums or music critic websites (e.g., All Music Guide, Insound), the skies parted in 2001, while I taught English in Japan. My brother had recommended a website run by either an obsessive compulsive harbinger of great taste, or a team of music critics with similar tastes. The website was www.fastnbulbous.com, and over the years I've come to trust only one music critic, A.S. Van Dorston, formerly Uncle Fester -- the dj and host of his own radio show "Uncle Festers Bucket of Nasties". The show, sadly, has fallen by the wayside, but his music criticism is impeccable. He compiles annual lists of great albums from 1947 onward; posts blog analyses of various audiophile interests; highlights relatively unknown, but highly creative, musicians "under the radar"; and responds to the community of people interested in his ideas via personal communications.

I speak of Van Dorston because the online communities that facilitate discussions about music too often devolve into opinions without argument, hipster chauvinism, and childish name-dropping and name-calling (see any discussion at Rate Your Music). Although it's rare to see any extended thread of ideas on popular music criticism in any one forum, his ideas are consistently succinct, fair, and sound. In the brief conversation that emerged on his MOG page -- a forum for blogging about music -- Van Dorston praises MOG for the positive environment of like-minded folks. He expresses his frustration as follows:

It's really disheartening. This is supposed to be my community. Music geeks should be my people, right? But if you look at the snide responses, you'd think all music obsessives also have personality disorders. Or maybe they're just asshole wannabe hipsters too cowardly to give their real opinions for fear of ridicule from the rest of the jackals.

While MOG is at least a friendlier, warmer forum largely free of personal attacks, the problem is that most posts sink into oblivion before a real discussion ever occurs.

I cannot help but feel somewhat affirmed by his frustrations. Too often I've chosen not to get involved in online discussions because a.) they lack structure and focus and b.) too many hostile voices seem determined to ridicule ideas without developing sound arguments. Another "mogger" chimes in:

The sheer number of posts made everyday make some of the more interesting threads seem to fade away.

Too many ideas seem to mar even the best online communities. I would argue that this is a fundamental limitation of any democratic forum/community -- as the community increases in population there is an inevitable disruption in the relative productivity and participation of each group member. I'm personally fascinated with the potential that small communities have achieved through group communication and cohesion. Extending this argument into the classroom, teachers recognize the need for promoting small group interactions and challenges that facilitate openness, unity, and teamwork.

Our Need for Songs as a Central Shared Experience (Lisa Holton)

I have long marked my own life in terms of a soundtrack and have a wide range of music in my personal library. Few songs are on my ‘dislike’ list because I know that the nature of music is a deeply individual experience. This assignment is an interesting exercise in finding words for an experience that both defines us as individuals while uniting us in a shared emotion.

As my high school is preparing for graduation and the seniors are making plans for the ceremony, the first song that came to mind was Vitamin C’s “Graduation (Friends Forever).” I have clear moments of rolling my eyes when this song is played or anytime I think about it, but it’s so DARN catchy!  I have never really picked it apart or stopped to appreciate it because it came out after I graduated from high school. I’ve always just labeled it a ‘teen’ song, and have never really listened to it. I have not had a personal connection to this song, and wanted to consider this through a ‘shared experience’ lens.

I would love to say that music could be a realistic part of my classroom, but since I work with deaf and hard of hearing students, music is relative. I have some hard of hearing students who listen to and appreciate music while I have others who only prefer bass-laden music that they can FEEL as opposed to HEAR.  We do look at lyrics when we study poetry, but music as an art form does not have a place in my classroom. The part of music that DOES have a place in my classroom is understanding the draw of music and why it is so powerful as a source of media.

The way I would approach music in my classroom would be both a media and cultural study. There are many differences between the deaf and hearing cultures, and many times my students ask me questions like, “why do hearing people do that?” or “how come this is so interesting to hearing people?”  I use these questions not to point out a dichotomy but rather to give background for my lesson/concepts. By studying this song (Graduation (Friends Forever)) and considering its place in the culture of teen life, my students might begin to better understand music as a media form and as an experience that is driven by a need to process and mark important events.

In her article “Bread and Butter Songs: Unoriginality in Pop,” Ann Powers brings up a lot of thought provoking ideas. I agree with her conclusion that there are underlying themes that pop songs draw upon. This song follows those guidelines when it draws upon our prior knowledge of songs and the experiences that go along with them, as Powers suggests. The chord structure of Pomp and Circumstance is the basis for the track. Pomp and Circumstance is the song that the vast majority of us walk down the graduation aisle to.  They have taken a concept in the lyrics of graduating and made it a complete experience by taking advantage of our preformed notions by layering it on the chord structure of a song that is ‘ceremonial’ in nature. In doing this, they do not have to identify the context of the lyrics. They never say “graduation” or anything of the like. They talk about moving on and how lives will change, but because of the underlying structure, we know that this song is all about transitioning.

Beach talked about shared experiences and how media creates opportunities to learn and understand by providing experiences. We become a culture of consumers who take what is given and make sense of it. That is what happens when we listen to this song. We identify the intended audience by listening to the pop-beat that is layered over the Pomp and Circumstance chord structure along with the repetitive nature, we know that this song is intended for teenagers; specifically those graduating or transitioning from one part of life to another. No one has to explain the lyrics or its message. We take the media and recognize who it belongs to.

Along those same lines, the people who find themselves graining comfort from this song are in need of something that unifies their experience. Big steps in life are usually deeply individual experiences, but we cannot often find the words or emotions to express or process them. This song does both of those things for its listeners. It starts out with ceremony, tells a story, gives a ‘lyric free’ chord refrain which allows reflection and then moves on to a repetitive chorus which builds in intensity before resolving (chord-wise) at the end in long and fading note. The song takes people on a journey, but it leaves room for people to bring their own journey with them. This is the glory of songs like this. We might listen to them and chalk them up to trite ways to capture an event, but for the people who listen to songs like this, it provides shape to an overwhelming experience. It allows us to capture thoughts, connect them to this song and appreciate them again and again as we listen and process the song. In doing this, we create our own understanding of the media by being part of the community of consumers.

Finally, I would probably use the psychoanalytic approach to analyze this song with my students in an effort to consider how the media can be appreciated, or not, depending on what we bring to the table. In that approach, Beach suggests that the audiences’ subconscious forces influence the meaning of the media. This is very true with music. When we listen to a song, especially one that we are less inclined to like because it feels ‘cheap and cheesy,’ we tend to do one of two things: we either discount the song entirely, or we listen to it, gain some insight privately and then discount it publicly. For our students to understand what drives the popular canon of music, we need to understand how our personal values and experiences shape the way we appreciate and understand music. It is much more than taste. By following the psychoanalytical approach, we can see that listeners in need of a vehicle to share an experience or capture a concept will find a greater connection to a specific piece. The discourse in this discussion would lead us to conclude that what a person brings to the table and our expectations greatly influence the way we accept and listen to music.  It can bring us together and capture a moment or emotion even when we do not mean for that to happen. When this happens to a large degree, the song will probably find itself on the lips of Casey Kasem and the word platinum not far behind. This commercial success may have less to do with the technical aspects of the song as it does with our NEED for the song at the time as well as our desire to fit our lives into a three minute package.

By considering the different forces, I would hope to help my students understand that music fills various purposes, but the richness of the experience and the popularity of a song are driven by our experiences and our needs at the time.

Vitamin C filled a huge need in 2000 when they released this song. Students all over the world found an anthem for their feelings and rallied behind it. It followed the pop forumula, but it held more depth and emotion than that. It may be ‘simple’ on the surface, but it united many classes in that final “group hug” sensation. That feeling is forever captured in this song for them, and they can ‘recapture’ that feeling each time they hear the song. Songs have long memories!

Digging so deeply into such a ‘surface level’ pop song hurt my head! I think I need to go find something with substance to listen to! (it’s all relative, right?)