So, I've decided I'm making a change.
For those of you who don't know, I play music for my students whenever they are given time to work on assignments in class. I have a random assortment of CDs in my classroom that are mostly classical and some blues and jazz/be-bop songs. I'll play them for the kids, and I love the fact that they get a chance to hear some music that they MIGHT not otherwise be able to.
However, I was feeling this week like it wasn't enough. That, while it's great that they hear Mozart and that I've told them that studies have shown that listening to Mozart while working on math can improve standardized math scores, it still isn't enough...there is SO much great music out there.
So, here's my plan.
I have scheduled out one song per week from here on out for the rest of the year. At the end of the day, after all other work has been done, students will be given a chance to listen to, take in, and learn about one song that I have deemed "culturally significant." This week (and next, because I started out on Thursday) is Pachelbel's Canon in D. So, each day we listen to the song, the students are able to draw what the song reminds them of, they're able to journal on it, or just enjoy it. We're going to discuss voice and how music--whether it has words or not--can clearly and quite effectively express the author/composer's feelings and thoughts.
So, what does "culturally significant" mean? Well, just a few of the songs that I have selected are: Moonlight Sonata, All You Need is Love, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Rhapsody in Blue, New York New York, This Land is Your Land (the original, complete version, so that my class can see that it's really a protest song),
Now, for this year I believe I have all the songs picked out. But, I'm willing to reassess my choices and selections as I go. So, here's your job....
what songs, dear readers, do you think are culturally significant?
Discuss.
Tommy
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5 comments:
I would like to suggest Bach Cello Suites, in particular suite No. 1 in G Major.
As an undergrad music major at Illinois State, our music history professor played Tom Sawyer by RUSH as an example of rock at its finest. I'm not sure I agree with that though....
rebecca
The Moldau by Bedrich Smetana...It's the only piece of classical music that's brought me to tears. There's a lot of emotion in this piece, though it's about the Moldau River that ran through former Checkoslovakia.
Yeah.
May I suggest Billy Joel, "We didn't start the fire"? A teacher at Wash, Mr. Ray, did it freshman year. First, he played it where we had to listen to the song to see how many historical events we could pick out, then he gave us the lyrics and played it again. Kinda cool. I would also recommend, if you're looking at protest songs, to maybe consider something like John Mayer, "Waiting on the world to change" Kinda gives them a modern protest song.
Movie music - think of the feelings that the "Darth Vader" themeevokes whenever you hear it - whether you're watching the movie ornot. Bum bum bum dum de dum dum de dum! CHILLS - even if you're nota Star Wars geek! Or the music from Cars when Lightning McQueen goesinto a skid in the final race, but pulls out of it using advice fromDoc and then stops before winning the race to go back and push theKing across the finish line after his bad crash - GOOSEBUMPS.
Or Aaron Copeland's stuff. Then again there's a gospel song, sowith it being a public school I don't know, It Is Well With MY Soul. The composer wrote it even though he'd just gotten word that his wifeand children had died in an accident, he had NOTHING but still couldwrite this amazing song about his faith - I wish I could have faiththat powerful! Then again, some ragtime - Scott Joplin (from Missouri . . . ).
How about Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi".
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