Music and Society
Developed by Rebecca Suhr
Incarnation School
Grade Level: 8th grade Band
Introduction
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Click here to view/download this lesson plan as a PDFInspiration
“The Ever Fonky Lowdown” by Wynton Marsalis
Overview
Summary
Students will learn about different ways that music has been used to reflect society and has been a catalyst for the societal changes. Students will then create their own songs with narrations or lyrics to respond to current events either locally or globally.
Standards
2CE Discuss how current developments in music reflect society in reference to the local community and larger world.
Objectives/Outcomes
Students will demonstrate how music is used to describe, express, or try to change social issues. Students will compose a short song using proper notation and will perform their work.
Teaching Approach
Lecture, whole class modeling, small group work and Socratic seminar reflection
Introduction of examples of musical works that deal with societal issues. Whole class model will be used to create a short music theme of 8 measures or less. Students will practice writing notes on white boards and manuscript paper. Then the whole class will contribute to writing a narrative that will be used between each 8-measure music theme. Finally, 1 person will move to show how the song is expressed through dance.
Assessment
Students will be assessed by means of rubrics for both the written work and the performance of the work.
Lesson Preparation
Teacher Needs
Libretto from “The Ever Fonky Lowdown”
Background on Wynton Marsalis and his contributions to jazz, education and global recognition
Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit (1939 protest of lynching and racism)
Helpful Hints
Use a couple of excerpts of listening examples that resonate with the teacher and the student. Limit group size to 2-4 people so that all students are participating, and progress can more easily be achieved.
Student Needs
-Manuscript (music) paper
-Pencils
-Instruments
-White board and markers
Prior Knowledge
Students should know about current issues that are either local or global.
Student Voice
Since the group will have to successfully collaborate, students should be able to choose the people that comprise their group. Students should be allowed to choose the topic of their composition and the different roles for each child in the group, making sure that all are involved in both the written work and the actual live performance.
Vocabulary
protest, collaborate, predilection (used in “The Ever Fonky Lowdown”)
Evidence/Assessment of Outcomes
Students will be assessed on the written work that is turned in and the performance of the work.
1. Written assessment. Students will write lyrics or a speech and a short song (16 -32 measures). The message of the current event will be clear with descriptions of the local or worldly issue. Students will write the song with the proper notation including a clef sign that is appropriate for his/her instrument, time signature, key signature, and notes that are clearly and neatly written. A rubric for the lyrics and music will be given to students before starting the project.
2. Performance assessment. Students will perform their original work in front of the class. Clarity of presentation, all students participating, and use of instruments and voice are all items in the rubric.
Students will have 2 weeks to complete this project. They will work in groups of 2-4 people. Bonus points are available for those who choose to add movement/dance for one-fourth of the length of the presentation. Movement must reflect the theme.
Enduring Understandings
Students will discover different ways to express opinions.
Students will experience putting themselves in the forefront and taking a chance on creating and performing.
Students will understand that factors including ability to play notes accurately, hear notes that they want to play, write note legibly, and practice to improve accuracy are all imperative for musicians and composers in order to portray the work precisely. They can take with them the understanding that diligent, hard work and practice achieve positive results.
Learning Plan
Prompt
Discuss the quote by Dexter Gordon, famous tenor saxophonist, “Jazz to me is a living music. It’s a music that since its beginning has expressed the feelings, the dreams, hope, of the people.”
What does the prompt mean to you? How does music express dreams and hope? How can you use music to express views on issues in your city, state, or the world?
Hooks
Play “The Ever Fonky Lowdown” by Wynton Marsalis and distribute the libretto. Especially look at the “isms” section. If the recording is unavailable, use another from the examples above. Then play Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” and discuss the lynchings, the recording industry’s unwillingness to record it and other background.
Essential Questions
Why use music in collaborative events such as protests? What outcomes can you expect to make for yourself and for society through a collaborative arts project?
Resources
as described under Teacher Needs and Student Needs
Teacher and Student Performance Tasks
- This lesson will take several class periods to complete.
- Teacher introduces and students react to the prompt, hooks, and essential questions.
- Overview the project for the class.
- Use a whole-class model to create a very short music theme of 8 measures or less. Students will practice writing notes on white boards and manuscript paper.
- Then the whole class will contribute to writing a narrative that will be used before the 8-measure music theme. Students practice playing the theme and practice the narrative. Finally, 1 person will move to show how the song is expressed through dance. Class decides if the movements reflect the narrative or not and changes are made, if necessary.
- Students break up into groups of 2-4 and find a space in the classroom or hallway to work. Emphasis will be placed on being inclusive and the fact that all students in the group are to actively participate.
- Students collaboratively decide upon the local or global issue that will be used.
- All group members have a say in the composition of the music, the narration or lyrics, and the movement, if used.
- Students practice their song and make changes as desired.
Final Review
Copies of the songs with narrations are submitted to the teacher to be graded with a rubric. Students perform their song with narration along with optional dance in front of the other classmates. This is also graded by means of a rubric.
Lesson Reflection
Teacher and students will hold a Socratic seminar to discuss the lesson, what was learned, what would they like to learn more about and was the final project different from their expectation or was it what they expected before they started working on it?