Turning Points

As I was preparing for this final assignment I reviewed the suggested Wikipedia page with all the different musical themes. As I was scrolling down, the graduation theme caught my eye, which sparked an idea for me. I have several cousins who graduated this year and their parties are approaching. I've been trying to think of creative gifts to give them, I think I've found the perfect one!

Throughout the past few weeks we've been discussing the influence and place pop music has in our lives and especially in the lives of young people today. I thought, what greater than to create a graduation CD with songs about growing up, moving on and beginning new journeys.

This is where my journey began, I started searching songs. Oh boy, were there a lot of songs or what! This project was a little bit more difficult that I thought it would be due to the amount of songs and the audience I was creating the Cds for. Everyone has different musical preferences, so I needed to keep that in mind; at the same time I thought it would be good to use familiar as well as unfamiliar songs to expand their horizons as well.

While I was searching our conversations regarding music and image as well as meaning and interpretation came to my mind. As I was feeding through the different songs, listening to them and viewing the lyrics I had personal reflections of my own graduation experiences as well. It again showed the power music has in our lives.

It was fun to sift through all of the songs, new and old. This activity reinforced for me how music has the ability to transform between space and time. As I listen to some of the older songs I recall the meaning those had for me when I was a young adult, I was curious as to if it would be the same for the young adults graduating today. This also reminded me that my interpretation of songs may not be the true intended meaning of the song by the artist. (For example, Green Day's Time of your Life, many people misinterpret this song to be about reflecting on a good time or experience but it was actually written about one of the band member's relationship with his girlfriend ending.) There were many songs on lists of graduation songs that may not have been directly related to graduating however could symbolize the events and/or emotions people go through during that turning point in their life.

I tried to be purposeful in my song selection, keeping in mind their personalities and musical preferences. There are different themes I wove throughout: traditional songs that people automatically link to graduations, songs about growing up, moving on, reminiscing on the past/their youth-hood and high school years, and messages of hope I have for them on their next journey, among others.

After spending much time researching, here is the final play list I decided on:

Vitamin C - Graduation Song

ACDC - Schools out for summer

Jordan Hill - Remember me this way

Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

Rascal Flatts - My Wish

Green Day - Time of your life

Trace Adkins - You're gonna miss this

Ryan Cabrera - I will remember you

Brad Paisley - Letter to me

The Ataris - In this diary

Kenny Chesney - Young

Eve 6 - Here's to tonight

Lee Ann Womack - I hope you dance

John Mayor - No such thing

Carrie Underwood - Don't forget to remember me

10,000 Maniacs - These are the days

Corey Smith - I'm not going to cry

Michelle Branch - Good bye to you

Ryan Shupe - Dream Big

Sarah McLachlan - I will remember you

As I worked on this final assignment I constructively and creatively examined music, it's meaning and the impact it has on people of all ages today. It gave me an opportunity to create a gift for graduates, something they can take with them and keep for years to come. In some ways it's a musical time capsule. The capsule has captured music of past and present as well as memories of this turning point in their life. While the songs may change as time goes on, I plan on using this gift for years to come!

Lessons Learned

As I reflect on our conversations throughout this course a lot of what has been discussed is pop culture/music in relation to the middle school and high school population. Although this is where we have focused, that is not to say there isn't activities that are possible to do with elementary aged kids. The first lesson I propose is one which educators can use with this younger population.


Activity 1 ~ What Can One Little Person Do?

Rationale: The purpose of using this song is to get kids to think about what actions people take to make their worlds/communities a better place; and also to recognize what they do or can do to contribute (i.e. they have an important place/role in their worlds.) There are several different lessons that can be done using this song. I will give two examples, one a self reflection and one a historical reflection.

Have kids listen to the following song:
(c) Sally Rogers (2002) What Can One Little Person Do?
In Teaching Tolerance, Southern Poverty Law Center (2003): I Will Be Your Friend.



Note: Song Clip is the Chorus only.
Verse 1:
Harriet Tubman was alone
On the darkened road to freedom,
But she couldn't leave her people far behind.
Moses stretched out his hand,
She led them to the promised land
'Cause she knew she had justice on her side.
Verse 2:
When Sojourner Truth was free
She got down on her knees
Prayed to God to help her on her way
With her voice and with her might
She fought for what was right
'Cause she knew she had justice on her side.
Verse 3:
Rosa Parks sat on the bus
And the driver said you must
Move to the back of the bus
Or else be thrown in jail
But she stayed and stood her ground
She brought that old law down
'Cause she knew she had justice on her side
Verse 4:
Brother Martin Luther King
He told the world, "I have a dream"
He led this country's fight for human rights
We must fight for liberty
Until all of us are free
To know we have justice on our side.


Option1: After listening to the song first have a conversation about what people do (or can do) in their community to make the community a better place. You can take it a step farther then by exploring what the kids feel they can do to contribute to their community (school, neighborhood, park, etc.) Create a class song or poem by having each student write a line describing what they "do to help the world". Assemble the song by inserting the children's lines between the chorus. After the class version is created, give each student a copy of the song and sing together as a group.

Option 2: After listening to the song have a discussion about the people in the song (Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King.) Divide the class into four different groups and assign each group a person from the song. Have each group research and create a presentation on their person. In addition to their life story, encourage the students to think critically about the contributions their person has made.

For the second lesson I have decided to step outside of the box a bit and create an activity for a parent group. So often parents think that their children's music today is just loud noise garbage. It's important to education parents on pop culture/music for this gives opportunities to break through barriers to create greater understanding of their children and their music choice.


Activity 2 ~ Pop Appreciation

Rationale: The goal of this activity is to broaden parents' knowledge and experience in regards to their children's music preference in hopes to create a greater understanding or even an appreciation of the music selections.

Discussion: Have an initial discussion with parents regarding their opinions about pop music and/or their children's music. Discuss the pro and cons, biases parents/adults have, and identify any stereotypes that may be tagged to certain genres.

Assignment: As a group identify different music genres (e.g. rock, pop, country, hip hop, jazz, R&B, etc.) Have each parent select a genre to research and familiarize their self with (this can be done in a group, but try to get as many genres covered as possible.) In their research they should identify stigmas that are attached to the genres, as well as, evidence that supports and resists those stigmas. In addition to the research, they should select a song/video to share with the group from their genre which supports their research.

Share: Have each parent bring their information back to the group. After they share their research, play the song they brought and have a discussion about the information presented.

Musical Dissection & Generational Interviews

It's a challenge for some teachers today to capture their student's interest and create an environment of desired learning. It takes a creative teacher to step outside the box by developing engaging lessons. When working with youth and parents my goal as an educator is to have an environment which is inclusive and where the participants are active; as well as to have content that is applicable to my audience. The following are two activities I propose which have potential to reach those goals.


Activity 1: Musical Dissection

Rationale - So often people (young and old) listen to songs but really don't pay attention to the lyrics or the message. The goal of this activity is to call youth's attention to the music they are listening to by creating a greater understanding of the lyrics. Additionally, through group presentations, participants may be exposed to various songs and genres that they may not be familiar with which will broaden their musical experience.

Set Up - Have each participant choose a song of their choice. First, have them write a short description about why they selected the song and what it means to them.


Activity - Once they select their song they should find the lyrics to the song. From here, the dissection begins! They should carefully critique the song's lyrics by documenting in their own words the messages that are being conveyed to listeners. After describing the song in their own words, participants should reflect on their feelings/attitudes in a before and after dynamic. Each participant will present to their group mates their interpretation of their chosen song. In addition to their lyric dissection, their presentation should also include visuals which represent their song; this may include photographs or drawings.

Presentation - Each participant's chosen song should be played for the group prior to the presentations. Presenters should share their interpretation of the song, how their visual arts represent their song, and wrap up with their before and after experience.



Activity 2: Generational Interview

Rationale - This activity requires participation from both the student and a parent or grandparent. The purpose of this activity is to bridge generational gaps in music preference and understanding. The goal is to create a cross generational appreciation of music.

Activity Preparation - Have youth identify a parent or grandparent that would be willing to be interviewed about the music of their time. Questions should be developed prior to the interview meeting. (Sample questions: What where some of the artist during your time? What type of music did you listen to? Do you recall any controversial music? Were their mostly solo artists, or groups; male/female? etc.)

Activity - Complete interview, taking extensive notes. Summarize information learned during interview. Do research on at least one thing learned (a specific genre, artist, instrument, etc.) If needed, complete a follow-up second interview. Write a short compare and contrast paper on any similarities and/or differences of today.

Extended/Alternative Options -

• Have youth interview both a parent and a grandparent. After completing the interviews they should evaluate their own musical preferences. They then can create a musical family tree by mapping the musical preferences of the different generations.
• This could easily turn into a parent/child activity by having each interview each other, sharing their music of choice with one another. After the interview, each should write a reflection of the interview and share it with one another.

Chapter 7 ~ Politics

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with Chapter 7, entitled "Politics." There was so much potential for this chapter, I just didn't feel it lived up to; or perhaps it was simply my expectations/hopes for the chapter. During this reading we definitely received a great deal of information regarding politics, however, I felt this chapter lacked a little on the music side.

I wish more emphasis would have been spent on the impact or influence politics has had on music or vice-versa. As I think through US history and the changes that have occurred in society, I can think of so many songs that take me back to that place in time, where I can vividly recall what was happening in our world. Music holds an important place in politics and history.

I thought Negus made an important point at the beginning of the chapter pointing out that meaning or interpretations of songs need to be put into context with time and place and that they evolve as the world evolves. "Songs are not constant or fixed" (194.) John Lennon's song Imagine was a perfect example of this.

While there was some good information in the middle of the chapter, I found myself losing interest. Rather than going into (GREAT) detail of one example (Nazi Germany), for me, it would be been helpful and more interesting to elaborate on multiple scenarios. A major trend I pulled out of this portion was that of fear from the governments. There was this constant need to control for fear of outside cultures to influence its citizens. What it seemed to come down to was the fight against influence through power and control.

So, what impact does music have on politics or vice-versa? Music can take on the form of storytelling and has an ability to connect different people, places, and ideas. Negus states, "music works at the intersection of the body and emotions, and in doing so can generate 'affective alliances' between people, which in turn can create the energy for social change that may have direct impact on politics and culture." (220)

As I reflect on this quote the events of 9/11 come to mind. Images and music held a place in these events for many Americans. There was a message Americans were sending, and that is "united we stand." While there were many songs written and played that signified the events and feelings during this time there is one that will forever take me back to that place and time.

For me, it is songs such as this, which evoke meaning and emotion in people, that are examples of the interchange between politics and popular music.

Chapter 3 Mediations

While reading Chapter 3 several things came to surface for me in regards to my knowledge, interest and relationship with music. I realized that to some extent I take for granted the history of music and where it is today. It's a part of my everyday life but I don't really think about it. Chapter 3 has opened my eyes to become more aware.

I've always thought about music solely in terms of entertainment. I've never thought about it critically in terms of a process or mediation. This chapter brought this to light for me. The pieces that stood out the most to me were in regards to the transmission of music and people's connection/relationship with the music. It brought me out of my bubble and made me appreciate more how easily accessible music is today.

We tend to get wrapped up in our worlds, forgetting that what is at our fingertips was once only a vivid dream for many. As I was reading about the street songs I was able to picture in my mind the energy that created, while it was entertainment, the entertainers owned their worked. As technology has grown I feel like artists have been stripped away of their power and decisions regarding their work. As Negus points out there are interactions that occur between production, distribution and social consumption of music (67) but I question how involved the artist is and what their role is. It seems as though more emphasis is put on the $ and less on the expression and art.

It was interesting to learn more about the consumer marketing as technology has developed. I can only imaging the awe of people when the radio first became widely available. As more and more people got radios in their home there was a shift in broadcasting. It is here that I think music genres spawned (in the US at least.) At one point in time there may have been a specific divide between genres but in the 21st century those lines have blurred a little. Over the last 5 years we have seen artists (such as Kid Rock and Carrie Underwood) cross those lines and have heard their music on different radio stations; we have even seen artists of different genres collaborate on songs.

Although I appreciate the value and extra airtime music videos have brought to artists, I never had a huge interest. As radio opened doors for artist, bringing their printed music to life, videos gave music another face lift. It allowed audiences to become more connected to an artist, it gave the artist a face/image. In one respect, the videos had an ability to tell the story of the song, sometimes explicitly and at other times more vaguely allowing for audience interpretation. As we experienced with the videos we viewed last week, music videos evoke emotions in people, it brings music to another level.

While I take a step back to analyze the progression of music I find myself in amazement. It started as simple as a few words (then notes) written on a piece of paper. It has boomed into one of the largest media commodities there are. But it's more than a piece of paper, a song on the radio, or an image on TV. It's become part of our everyday lives.

It would be interesting to do an activity with a group of youth integrating in some of the topics of this Chapter. First I would ask them to define their relationship with music. While many may speak of the type of music they like or their favorite artist, I would be curious to see if any of them went beyond that and spoke of their interactions with music, the history or the details of "mediation" activities. It would be fun to break the group into small groups, having each research the different transmission periods and then the break down of different genres. While we may see students walking around with their IPods in all day, I wonder how many have a true connection to the music they listen to, above the words they hear. For me, I would have to admit, prior to reading this chapter I had a lack of appreciation.

Movies & Teachers

"Have movies mystified teaching and life in schools?"

As I was reflecting on some of my favorite movies about school and the roles teachers play in those movies I thought to myself while the movies may glorify some of the situations and/or relationships between teachers and students, are they mystifying it or reminding us what this role should or could be?

As I read through the article from Education World the following stood out to me:

• Teacher's make a difference in the lives of kids


• Many teachers view their students as their "children"


• The power of teaching can do amazing things


• Teachers impact


• All children can learn

All of these messages are portrayed in movies about teaching. When you bring this back to reality I would have to say that I agree with each of them. Teacher's roles in the lives of their students are irreplaceable. While it may not be as easy as the movies make it look, all of these things are possible and I believe that most teachers strive to reach these goals.

In viewing the movie School of Rock there are many lenses you can analyze the role of the teacher and student. In one respect I found this difficult because Black was playing a character that was playing a teacher. I thought okay this is very unrealistic (although many movies are.) But as you continue to watch the movie he takes on some characteristics that could be found in teachers.

At the start of Dewey's teaching adventure, clearly it was all about him. First it was just a job, a way to pay the rent. Then when he realized the students were musically talented, it became about the band. But as the movie progressed (while I don't know that the results of his actions were intentional) positive things transpired and the focus turned to the students. During the formation of the band he made sure each student had a role. Regardless of the importance of the roles, each student felt they belonged and had a part. By the middle of the movie, the focus for these preparatory students changed from rigid overachievers to natural learners who were active in their educative experience. By the end of the movie Dewey managed to inspire and touch the principal, the parents, his friend Ned (the "real" Mr. Schneebly) and most importantly his students.

Our syllabus points out a number of characteristics Shannon and Crawford identified as representations of teachers. As I looked at that list I thought, yes I can think of movies that portray teachers with those characteristics, but I can also think of teachers I have had and teachers that I know who also have such traits. Everyone has different personalities and styles. I don’t necessarily think these characteristics are just roles teachers in movies portray; they are also roles many real teachers take on.

Getting back to the question, do movies mystify the roles of teachers? (Now I have to admit I'm not a formal teacher so I perhaps see this question in a different light, but) I'm not so sure that is does. I agree that it's not as easy as the movies make it appear and there are a whole lot more obstacles teachers face on a day to day basis. Overall we need to remember that movies are made for entertainment. While the movies may not tell the exact story or reality (but hey how much of our media today really does) I do believe there are some good messages that are portrayed: Teachers make a difference in the lives of their kids, the power of teaching can do amazing things, teacher's impact, and all children can learn. If only we can free our teachers from the test scores and abundance of expectations, maybe then they could do the work they dream to do.

Music Videos

When I originally watched the three videos I did so from an entertainment stand point. This was the first time I had viewed any of these music videos. While I'm not a hard core follower of any of the artists, I did find myself singing along to each song as I was watching. The following was my initial reaction to each video:

• Leslie Gore, It's My Party: Fun chorus to sing along to. Video was boring.
• Fiona Apple, Criminal: There was a lot going on. I found myself captured by the video, engaged in trying to figure the story out. Was it about partying (drinking and drug use), was it about sex, was it about rebelling, was it about taking control, etc.
• Lil' Kim, How Many Licks: Okay, first of all, I have to admit that it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I found out what this song was actually referring to. I guess I never heard the uncensored version nor had I previously seen the video. Clearly this song and video is about sex, but I also think it's something more than that. While the beat is catchy, my first initial reaction to the video was of disgust, it felt degrading to girls and to women.

After viewing Lil' Kim I started to look critically at the videos. It's interesting how music and videos have changed over the decades. In Gore's early video, it was the song that captured me. While with the later videos I got lost in the videos and the song got over shadowed.

A commonality I saw between the videos was that the artists were all female and they are trying to send a message. Female artists have wrote about and sung about their relationships for decades past and will for decades to come. It's interesting though to watch how the messages and images have changed through the years.

I watched the Gore video first, while I found the video boring, the background dancers did catch my attention. Aside from the couples dancing on the dance floor, the background dancers were all female. While it didn't appear they were dancing provocatively for today's standards, I wondered what people thought/felt during that time. I thought perhaps the purpose for the dancers was to capture the male audience.
Apple's video evoked many different emotions for me. I'm still not 100% sure I have a full understanding of the exact message. The story changed for me as I watch the different clips. At first I thought it was an aftermath of party where heavy drinking and drug use occurred. As the video went on I felt the story shifted to promiscuity and sex. During the scene where she was shedding her layers of clothes I thought perhaps she was assaulted at the party and was rebelling or speaking out about it. I was unfamiliar with Apple's history prior to reading Zeitner's article (although this is only a snap shot from one person.) While I don't completely agree with all of Zeitner's critiques, they did open up additional perspectives for me. Given this knowledge I thought perhaps this song/video was her way to express herself and share her experience. Aside from this, I didn't feel the need to define exactly what that was.
While I found Kim's video to be tasteless I thought perhaps she was trying to reverse the power role. I found myself asking if this was a male singing this song would I or others be so offended? Was Kim trying to flip the coin and say if my peer males can do it so can I? Either way (especially after I found out what the song was really about and saw the video) I find the song is degrading, degrading to women and degrading to men.

I believe the overarching message between the three videos is that of control; control of themselves, resistance of control by others (e.g. the men, friends, relationship, etc. in their lives) and the control over their music and art. However, is this the most effective and appropriate way to express this and get the point across?

My final question I pose is, what are songs and videos, such as the ones we watch for this assignment, saying to our youth? While I think it's important to empower our young women and men of today I think it can be done in a more positive and respectful way. (Respectful to themselves and to others.) As parents, educators, youth workers, etc. we need to be mindful of the types of media our children our exposed to. While we can't shelter them from everything we can monitor and be knowledgeable. As they start to make choices for themselves (such as what music to listen to and what movies to watch) it is our job to be there as their sounding board and further educate them.

Rationale for Teaching Pop Culture/Music

In schools today there tends to be increasingly high standards and added stress to teachers and students to improve test scores. While I agree and understand there needs to be expectations, I ask what exactly are our expectations of schools, teachers and students and how do numbers on paper (e.g. test scores) meet our expectations? If we "go back to the basics" I think we'd realize that the overarching goal for schools should be to equip students with skills, as Cameron Whites states it, to "prepare students for active participation" in society.

I propose that one way to do this is to integrate pop culture into the classroom. My goal as an educator would be to create long lasting learning experiences. I believe a way to achieve this goal is to create content that is applicable to a student's every day life (which creates meaning) and to get the students actively engaged in the learning process.

First and foremost, the student needs to want to be there and want to learn. If you create a learning environment where it is the youth participators who own the space and have a voice the door will open for active participation. Next an educator needs to be creative in finding a way to present content in such a way that the students can relate to and apply to their experiences. In doing this you're able to bring the content to life and make it meaningful.

While I'm not a formal educator I have had some experience in teaching community religious education classes at my church with kids aged 10-16. As I was preparing for this experience I remember thinking to myself, wow - I don't really remember much from the religion classes I took as a kid. I wanted the youth I was working with to have a different experience. So often kids attend these classes because their parents make them, I wanted our group to be there because they wanted to be not because they were forced. The next obstacle I wanted to overcome was making it a meaningful, active experience for the youth. While I knew there was a specific curriculum I was required to teach and content I was required to cover, I felt in order to create life long learning and knowledge I needed to find a way to relate the material to the youth's lives.

After the first year I knew I accomplished my goals when I had the highest attendance rate out of the classes and all of my youth requested to be in my class the following year! My greatest teaching memory with this group of youth was during their final year. That year was about self reflection and finding their faith. This year more than any I felt like I needed to get creative in finding a way to make the content applicable. One way I did this was by having them journal about the passages we were reading and link the messages to experiences they were having. As we were approaching the end of the year I asked them to pick out a song that identified them in their journey of faith. They each picked a song, wrote about how it identified them and shared it with the group. I think this activity was as fun for me as it was for them. This was a creative, expressive way for them to self reflect and share a piece of their journey with their classmates. On our last day of class I made each of them a Cd with everyone's song on it. They were able to take a piece of each other with them as they moved on and continued to grow. As I see these young adults today they often reflect on our experiences and share with me how it impacted their life.

As I reflect on this experience I am reminded of the value of bringing pop culture and music into the classroom. Where some may devalue this style, I think my example is evidence of the power it can bring. Pop music is embedded in our culture, society and history. Utilizing this approach can bring what may appear to youth as dull content to life.

Anyone can increase test scores with enough studying and practice. The real question on educators' minds should be how do we create meaningful and life long learning experiences? We can accomplish this task by refocusing our attention on the process of learning rather than the regurgitation of information. As Graff pointed out, we need "young people to join...That's more important than the particulars of what they learn." By building bridges between the content we're attempting to teach and the young people's lives, we're inviting the youth to join us.