Move to the music

Whether by tapping into popular culture or reaching back through history, songs and their lyrics offer an excellent example of how humans use language to tell about their lived experiences and share their thoughts and feelings about the world.

You are going to share and discuss a song of your choice that contain a social, political or cultural message.  The song must relate to a social injustice issue.  (Civil rights movement, Vietnam protests, Occupy Wall Street movement, poverty, homelessness, human trafficking, etc.)

1.      You will be teaching a mini-lesson on a socially relevant song of your choice. You must submit the lyrics to me and to the class. 

2.      You will begin your presentation by sharing a brief background about the song. Include the year it was released, who wrote it and/or performed it, and any relevant social or historical context you have discovered in your research

3.      Word Work: Before playing the song for others,  identity and define any new vocabulary words within the lyrics.  Have a visual aid prepared to guide the class through the words.

4.      Writing assignment: In addition to leading peers through a close reading and discussion of the song’s lyrics, you should also create a written analysis of the song, its lyrics, and its message. Use the questions below to guide you.

1. Textual Purposes

What is this song about? How do we know?

Who would be most likely to listen to this song and why?

What does the performer of this song want us to know?

2. Textual Structures and Features

What are the structures and features of this song?

What do the song’s images suggest?

What kind of language is used in the song?

3. Construction of Characters

How are children, teenagers, young adults, and/or adults constructed in this song?

Why has the songwriter constructed the characters in this way?

4. Power and Interest

Who benefits from listening to this song?

What knowledge does the listener need to understand this song?

How does the song depict age, gender, cultural groups?

Whose views are excluded or privileged in the song? Who is allowed to speak? Who is quoted?

5. Gaps and Silences

Are there gaps (something left out of this song) for the listener to fill in?

Are there silences in this song that leave out certain viewpoints or voices?

What questions does the song not raise?

6. Whose View? Whose Reality?

What view(s) of the world is the song presenting?

What kind(s) of social realities does the song portray?

How would the song be different if it were told in another time, place, or culture?

7. Interrogating the Author

What kind of person wrote the song? What are his or her interests and values?

What view of the world and values does the songwriter/performer assume the listener holds? How do we

know?

8. Multiple Meanings

What different interpretations of the song are possible?

How do contextual factors influence how the song is interpreted?

How else could the song have been written?

Is Music a Socializing Agent?

Your Assignment:

·       Select a common song theme you would like to explore (example: Breakups)

·       Select two songs that contain the same theme.  The songs must come from two different Historical periods   (Ex.  Early 90’s and 50’s music)

·       Complete a Music analysis worksheet for each song.

·       Use the worksheets to prepare a 1-2 page written summary in which you compare and contrast the two music selections.  Your summary must give us insight on what these songs tell us about American history, society and culture. Conclude the summary by discussing whether or not you think Music is a socializing agent? (remember a socializing agent influences self-concepts, emotions, attitudes and behavior.  

·       Make sure you select appropriate music and lyrics for the classroom.  Bring IPODS and CDs to class for discussion we will be sharing your findings!

Name:______________________________________

MUSIC ANALYSIS WORKSHEET:

Name of song/ music? _______________________________________________
Singer/Songwriter: __________________________________________________

Year the song was written/Performed: _________________________________

Theme of Song: ____________________________________________________

Music Genre:_______________________________________________________

·        What type of audience do you think the song was written for?

·        Which lines of the songs attract you and why?

·        Read/listen to lyrics write one paragraph describing what the performer is trying to tell the audience.

·        List three things the song tells you about each of the following topics:

1)   American History

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2)  Society

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3)  Culture:

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