“Bad Romance” is one of Lady Gaga’s greatest works and one of the best pop songs ever created. It’s a powerful song that through the shadow of its dark imagery is a celebration of everything that is awesome about popular music.
After her breakthrough album The Fame, it was difficult to imagine what Lady Gaga was going to do next. Songs like “Pokerface” and “Paparazzi” (this hyperlink and others in this entry link to other post about these songs) pushed the boundary of what people felt comfortable as pop music. She using strongly referential musical styles with provocative lyrics. There is nothing original about the elements that Lady Gaga used in her first album, but the way she put things together and presented herself was something that no one was else was doing at the time.
Her first album was a triumph but lacked a song with true universal appeal that spoke beyond her neo-1980s dance music and disturbing music videos. Yes, singing “Pokerface” is a good time, but something feels off about rocking to this song in a large group of people.
To lead off her second album The Fame Monster we got “Bad Romance.” The song opens with a glorious rising vocal line leading into the words “caught into a bad romance.” This hook could have been easily used in an Elton John song or after the chorus in a Springsteen anthem. It is simple and straight forward, which is exactly the reason it is so appealing. It’s a melody that an entire stadium of people could sing along with after only hearing for the first time.
Then Lady Gaga presents her second hook. This chant is uniquely Gaga in its quirkiness and even more catching than the opening line. After a verse, a pre-chorus that draws back the texture we get the final hook in the chorus. As the chorus continues we hearing the opening line come in and like the glorious moment in “Tonight, Tonight” from West Side Story when Leonard Bernstein layers in songs on top of each other, the song opens up in sheer joy.
Yes, the lyrics are weird, but the themes are not.
This is a song about someone wanting a relationship even though she knows that there are bad things involved in being together. Instead of pushing this away, Lady Gaga embraces the bad possibilities, the bad romance because she simply wants this regardless of what other people tell her. She knows its not good for her but she wants it anyways. This is a song about taking a chance, not playing safe because as she sing, she doesn’t want to be friends, she wants something more.
Many songs in the this album express the message Lady Gaga has been expressing in her advocacy. Like “Edge Of Glory,” “Bad Romance,” carries the theme of accepting who people for who they are, good and bad. "Bad Romance" is about accepting what you want and who you are regardless of what other people tell you. It’s a feeling that things may be bad and may look bad but that doesn’t mean that have to be bad.
“Bad Romance” is similar to songs like “He’s A Rebel,” about a girl wanting to be with someone that others say are bad.
Yes, this is an innocent and misguided viewpoint, but this is same viewpoint that gives us songs like “God Only Knows.” Lady Gaga captures this feeling of “I’m going to do what I want,” with strength and attitude. This is a pop song with the soul of a rock song because like all great rock music "Bad Romance" is about liberation and empowerment.
If you listen to the song and don’t know what I’m talking about, sing along and you will feel what I mean.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain (Song From Brave Trailer) by Julie Fowlis
I loved her beautiful wild red hair. The sublime nature scenes of rolling Irish hills were breathtaking. Everything about the Brave trailer felt excitingly different but comfortable. Then Julie Fowlis gentle voice began singing “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” As her voice calmed the action and the strong words of our heroine asked a powerful question, I was memorized.
Every once in a while a movie trailer becomes an emotional and meaningful experience completely separate from the film itself. Almost all of the time when this happens, the trailers feature incredible music. Like the use of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” in the Where The Wild Things Are trailer:
And REMs tribute to Andy Kaufman that inspired the title of Man On The Moon.
After hearing this song, I spent the next week trying to figure out how to get a recording of this song. I initially thought it was part of the soundtrack to Brave. I wasn't able to find any samples songs from that album, so I resigned myself to wait for the soundtrack to come out. A couple days later I decided to look around some more through a random message board I found this:
Julie Fowlis is an Scottish artist who sings primarily is Scottish Gaelic. Her gentle and expressive soprano voice perfectly fits the style of folk music that she sings. “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” is a track from her debut album in 2005 titled Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe. The lyrics to “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” tell the story of a man finding a girl who is singing about her love who is at sea. The song has a twist in the last verse when it is revealed that the man who is so struck by the girl's singing is the love the girl has been singing about who has finally come home.
What strikes me about the lyrics is that most of the lines describe the beauty of nature during the twilight hours. These moments are painted using different senses and almost fantastical imagery juxtaposing the peace and calm of nature with the pain and heartache in the girl's hearts. On one level this doesn't seem to have anything to do its Brave, but maybe the yearning for something more, something different set against a magical setting really is what both this song and Brave is all about.
“Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain" is one of the be most beautiful songs that I've ever heard. The combination or the music, the words and the performance create a feeling that only music can capture. This is a song that you've never heard before but seems to have always been in your heart. It’s a story you've never read but somehow feels like something that you've written. It's a place you've never been that feels like a home.
Every once in a while a movie trailer becomes an emotional and meaningful experience completely separate from the film itself. Almost all of the time when this happens, the trailers feature incredible music. Like the use of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” in the Where The Wild Things Are trailer:
And REMs tribute to Andy Kaufman that inspired the title of Man On The Moon.
After hearing this song, I spent the next week trying to figure out how to get a recording of this song. I initially thought it was part of the soundtrack to Brave. I wasn't able to find any samples songs from that album, so I resigned myself to wait for the soundtrack to come out. A couple days later I decided to look around some more through a random message board I found this:
Julie Fowlis is an Scottish artist who sings primarily is Scottish Gaelic. Her gentle and expressive soprano voice perfectly fits the style of folk music that she sings. “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” is a track from her debut album in 2005 titled Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe. The lyrics to “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain” tell the story of a man finding a girl who is singing about her love who is at sea. The song has a twist in the last verse when it is revealed that the man who is so struck by the girl's singing is the love the girl has been singing about who has finally come home.
What strikes me about the lyrics is that most of the lines describe the beauty of nature during the twilight hours. These moments are painted using different senses and almost fantastical imagery juxtaposing the peace and calm of nature with the pain and heartache in the girl's hearts. On one level this doesn't seem to have anything to do its Brave, but maybe the yearning for something more, something different set against a magical setting really is what both this song and Brave is all about.
“Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain" is one of the be most beautiful songs that I've ever heard. The combination or the music, the words and the performance create a feeling that only music can capture. This is a song that you've never heard before but seems to have always been in your heart. It’s a story you've never read but somehow feels like something that you've written. It's a place you've never been that feels like a home.
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Actual Comments
Last week I made a humorous post about comments I decided not to use when writing grade reports. Here's sample of actual comments I wrote this semester.
I have enjoyed working with Susan this year. She continues to demonstrate great focus and hard work in class.
While Susan does great work individually, sometimes working in groups is a challenge for her. When other students get distracted or make mistakes, Susan does not tell them how this makes her feel. Instead she gets frustrated and quiet. Susan has great skills and insights to share. She can improve her own experience in the classroom by communicating more openly with her classmates.
Carol participates well in classroom activities. However, she has difficulty switching her focus from transitions to receiving group instruction. During transitions Carol often becomes distracted by her need to be involved with her friends. Carol needs to focus on transitions not as a time to be involved with friends but rather as a classroom procedure.
While James continues to have difficulty sitting still and not engaging in distracting behavior, his awareness of the classroom agenda has grown. When the class was practicing for their Illinois presentation, James took this process very seriously. He reminded people around him who were being silly the reasons they were practicing and how they needed to present themselves.
Jane showed great leadership in her singing while preparing for the Medieval Dubbing Program. She displayed individual responsibility and memorized the lyrics quickly. Jane seems more comfortable with open-ended assignments than she did earlier this year, which was evident with the success she had with the composition activities this semester.
Rick continues to display great musical instincts and creativity. However, he still struggles to interact with his classmates in a positive way. He often speaks out of turn and interrupts other classmates when they are talking. Rick works well on group compositions if the projects stem from his ideas. He is not as cooperative when he needs to be supportive of another student’s idea.
I have enjoyed working with Maxwell this year. His continued enthusiasm and interest in activities during music class was evident when he taught his younger brother Elliot “Sumer Is In Cumen In.”
Daniel has continued to be a positive and enthusiastic member of the band. Whether the class is rehearsing in small groups or playing musical charades, Daniel is eager to participate and share his thoughts with the group. While I appreciate Daniel’s humor, he has had difficulty this semester switching from joking around outside of class with me to focusing on work during class. This improved as we worked towards the spring concert and after Daniel and I discussed this issue.
Caroline has continued to be a positive and enthusiastic member of the band. Whether the class is rehearsing in small groups or playing musical charades. Caroline has shown an interest not only in music but in the way that people learn and teach music. She volunteered to spend time assisting me with teaching a third grade music class and displayed maturity and care working with these younger students. Caroline continues to take musical challenges with a good attitude and works hard regardless of the circumstance.
I have enjoyed working with Caroline for the past two years and I am proud of the growth she has made as a musician and a young adult.
*****
While Susan does great work individually, sometimes working in groups is a challenge for her. When other students get distracted or make mistakes, Susan does not tell them how this makes her feel. Instead she gets frustrated and quiet. Susan has great skills and insights to share. She can improve her own experience in the classroom by communicating more openly with her classmates.
*****
*****
*****
Jane showed great leadership in her singing while preparing for the Medieval Dubbing Program. She displayed individual responsibility and memorized the lyrics quickly. Jane seems more comfortable with open-ended assignments than she did earlier this year, which was evident with the success she had with the composition activities this semester.
*****
*****
*****
*****
I have enjoyed working with Caroline for the past two years and I am proud of the growth she has made as a musician and a young adult.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Year 2: Week 37 – Year 2
Wow, it’s over.
My second year at this school has come to a close.
How was the second year compared to the first year?
In some ways it was more difficult. The innocence of being a new teachers means that you don’t really know what’s going on and people are okay with that. While I didn’t understand the arch of the school year last year, this also meant that I didn’t stress as much about upcoming events because I didn’t know what to stress out about.
I took on new roles at the school. I was on a committee and people involved me more in important discussions. Yesterday for example I worked with the fifth grade team to create the new class arrangements for sixth grade. This isn’t a conversation that music teachers are usually a part of but because of my relationship with these teachers I was able to contribute. While this is a flattering thing and while I really enjoy being a part of conversations, it takes time away from other things that I need to attend to.
When you are in an organization and do effective work, people seek you out and this was definitely a year where I felt close to over-committing my time to different events and people around the school. It’s a great feeling that people want my help with things but learning to say “no,” changed from something that was a good idea last year to something I needed to do for survival.
While there were things about this year that were harder, many things made this year so much more meaningful.
I knew people. Instead of having to get to know all of my students for the first time, many of my students carried on from last year. I had relationships with the administration and other teachers that had developed into friendships. Instead of walking into a building full of strangers last year, this year I walked in feeling like I was coming home to a family.
Knowing the scope of the year meant that there was more stress but also there was more things to look forward to. Yes, the magic of doing something for the first time was gone for many events but there was a different magic: bringing these experiences to my new students.
I loved my year as a second year teacher. I had more of a feeling of control and I was able to trust in my own instincts as other teachers trusted in me. I’m not sure what to expect in year 3, but I’m looking forward to the new challenges that will arise. For now, I will enjoy spending time reflecting on a fantastic year, amazing memories and the students I feel proud to have work with.
My second year at this school has come to a close.
How was the second year compared to the first year?
In some ways it was more difficult. The innocence of being a new teachers means that you don’t really know what’s going on and people are okay with that. While I didn’t understand the arch of the school year last year, this also meant that I didn’t stress as much about upcoming events because I didn’t know what to stress out about.
I took on new roles at the school. I was on a committee and people involved me more in important discussions. Yesterday for example I worked with the fifth grade team to create the new class arrangements for sixth grade. This isn’t a conversation that music teachers are usually a part of but because of my relationship with these teachers I was able to contribute. While this is a flattering thing and while I really enjoy being a part of conversations, it takes time away from other things that I need to attend to.
When you are in an organization and do effective work, people seek you out and this was definitely a year where I felt close to over-committing my time to different events and people around the school. It’s a great feeling that people want my help with things but learning to say “no,” changed from something that was a good idea last year to something I needed to do for survival.
While there were things about this year that were harder, many things made this year so much more meaningful.
I knew people. Instead of having to get to know all of my students for the first time, many of my students carried on from last year. I had relationships with the administration and other teachers that had developed into friendships. Instead of walking into a building full of strangers last year, this year I walked in feeling like I was coming home to a family.
Knowing the scope of the year meant that there was more stress but also there was more things to look forward to. Yes, the magic of doing something for the first time was gone for many events but there was a different magic: bringing these experiences to my new students.
I loved my year as a second year teacher. I had more of a feeling of control and I was able to trust in my own instincts as other teachers trusted in me. I’m not sure what to expect in year 3, but I’m looking forward to the new challenges that will arise. For now, I will enjoy spending time reflecting on a fantastic year, amazing memories and the students I feel proud to have work with.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Grades And "Comments"
One things that is unique about my school is that in addition to grades, teachers write comments about students. The classroom teachers write 2-3 pages for each student. As the music teacher I write about 200 words of comments. These comments have to be written very carefully as they are not only for the parents and the students but are part of a larger narrative record. As I write these comments, other observations and thoughts about my students pop up. Here are some of these comments that didn't quite make the cut (many of these are actual observations while others are made-up thoughts and not based on any actual student):
Middle School
"_______is unmemorable."
"_______makes jokes that are not funny. . . at all."
"_______needs to learn how to tie her shoes. "
"_______needs to stop pumping his fist in the air every time we finish a song."
"_______liked the "Jasmine Flower" song a little bit too much."
"_______cried less than he did during the first semester."
"_______looks really dumb when he plays the clarinet."
"_______is a student that I am afraid to make mad because I fear that she could beat me up."
"_______looked way better before she straightened her awesome Felicity/Taylor Swift hair."
"_______is going be a students I'm really going to miss next year."
"_______dresses like nobody else in her grade and I totally love that about her."
"_______is a student I wish I could say that I'm proud of."
"_______needs to not sit on girl's laps."
"_______gives me hope for the American teenager."
"_______has powerful puppy dog eyes."
"_______is lazy like woah."
"_______needs to expand his monotone wardrobe."
"_______should never change, ever."
"_______ran into a wall and it was really funny."
Fifth Grade
"_______should consider beet farming because he walks like Dwight Shurte"
"_______ate half of his music folder.
"_______came up with the term "wet sweet" after an especially hot day."
"_______thought "Living On A Prayer," was "Living On a Prairie."
"_______needs to grow into her own ears."
"_______reminds me of my dog. . . in a good way."
"_______wore the same summer dress as one of her classmate, twice."
"_______thing where she only has one of her ears pierced needs to be addressed."
"_______always has really nice hair."
"_______is too tall."
"_______fell off his chair in class."
"_______would benefit from knowing whether of not he/she is the evil twin."
"_______reminds me of my dog. . . and not in a good way."
"_______is not as cool as she thinks she is."
"_______rolls around on the floor too much."
Third Grade
"_______ needs to develop a personality"
"_______seems to be more interested in his hand than music class"
"_______often blows into the wrong end of the recorder"
"_______still does not know how to tie her shoes
"_______would get a higher grade if he wasn't on crutches."
"_______really think he's funny, but he's not."
"_______farted in class."
"_______needs to not have an that early Justin Bieber Haircut."
"_______has really dirty fingernails."
"_______doesn't get it . . . ever."
"_______puts his hand down the front of his pants."
"_______doesn't understand that hand drums are played with your hands, not your head."
"_______sneezed on me."
"_______thinks that if you google 'bomb' the FBI will come to your house."
"_______doesn't understand the difference between 'stand up' and 'sit down.'"
Middle School
"_______is unmemorable."
"_______makes jokes that are not funny. . . at all."
"_______needs to learn how to tie her shoes. "
"_______needs to stop pumping his fist in the air every time we finish a song."
"_______liked the "Jasmine Flower" song a little bit too much."
"_______cried less than he did during the first semester."
"_______looks really dumb when he plays the clarinet."
"_______is a student that I am afraid to make mad because I fear that she could beat me up."
"_______looked way better before she straightened her awesome Felicity/Taylor Swift hair."
"_______is going be a students I'm really going to miss next year."
"_______dresses like nobody else in her grade and I totally love that about her."
"_______is a student I wish I could say that I'm proud of."
"_______needs to not sit on girl's laps."
"_______gives me hope for the American teenager."
"_______has powerful puppy dog eyes."
"_______is lazy like woah."
"_______needs to expand his monotone wardrobe."
"_______should never change, ever."
"_______ran into a wall and it was really funny."
Fifth Grade
"_______should consider beet farming because he walks like Dwight Shurte"
"_______ate half of his music folder.
"_______came up with the term "wet sweet" after an especially hot day."
"_______thought "Living On A Prayer," was "Living On a Prairie."
"_______needs to grow into her own ears."
"_______reminds me of my dog. . . in a good way."
"_______wore the same summer dress as one of her classmate, twice."
"_______thing where she only has one of her ears pierced needs to be addressed."
"_______always has really nice hair."
"_______is too tall."
"_______fell off his chair in class."
"_______would benefit from knowing whether of not he/she is the evil twin."
"_______reminds me of my dog. . . and not in a good way."
"_______is not as cool as she thinks she is."
"_______rolls around on the floor too much."
Third Grade
"_______ needs to develop a personality"
"_______seems to be more interested in his hand than music class"
"_______often blows into the wrong end of the recorder"
"_______still does not know how to tie her shoes
"_______would get a higher grade if he wasn't on crutches."
"_______really think he's funny, but he's not."
"_______farted in class."
"_______needs to not have an that early Justin Bieber Haircut."
"_______has really dirty fingernails."
"_______doesn't get it . . . ever."
"_______puts his hand down the front of his pants."
"_______doesn't understand that hand drums are played with your hands, not your head."
"_______sneezed on me."
"_______thinks that if you google 'bomb' the FBI will come to your house."
"_______doesn't understand the difference between 'stand up' and 'sit down.'"
Monday, June 4, 2012
I Started A Joke by The Bee Gees
Before they were the kings of disco, the Bee Gees were a creative and introspective rock group. And before they were the Bee Gees, they were simply three brothers: Barry and his twin brothers Maurice and Robin.
There are other groups in pop music history that are made up of brothers like The Beach Boys and The Kinks. However the fact that there were only ever three members of the Bee Gees made this family affair seem different.
When I watched the three of them interact during performances it felt like the way that my brother and I would be if we were on stage. There was some slight ribbing but more than that, there was humor, support and genuine brotherly love in the way they created music together.
In 2003, Maurice died of a sudden heart attack and a couple weeks ago Robin passed away due to complications due to pneumonia at the age of 61. Now Barry stands alone. There’s not only a feeling of sadness because this group will never perform or record music but there’s also the family part of it that’s really touching.
Barry went through a great loss with Maurice and Robin in 1988, when the fourth Gibb brother, Andy died of a suspected drug overdose at the age of 30. Andy was a pop star in his own right and it was just as triumphant to see his rise and ultimately tragic to loose him and hearing his brothers talk about him is simply heartbreaking.
When I think of all this loss that this family has endured, Robin’s voice comes into my head with one of the Bee Gees’ most powerful songs “I Started A Joke.”
People have speculated that this song is about religion, talking about the struggles of Jesus Christ dealing with a world that acted contrary to his actions. Other people interpret this song with a more literal meaning. I’ve never quite known how to take this song, but there’s something innately powerful about it. It’s not the fact the lyrics hold a profound meaning in of themselves but because combined with the melody and Robin’s voice the emotional expression is this song is undeniable.
There’s tragedy, sadness, regret but also hope in this song. Even though the lyrics of the song cycle to death, it also leads to the happiness of other people in the world. At first this seems spiteful but when you hear the words in context, there’s a feeling of sunlight shining, a level of hope and optimism. It’s the same kind of mix of darkness and light that U2 has in their lyrics like in the song “One.” It is precisely this ambiguity that makes this song so beautiful.
Robin’s voice seems so exposed making this song feel almost painfully intimate. While there is some insecurity in his voice there’s also bravery, and courage in putting these feelings out there for all us to witness.
It’s weird, you’d think the more times in my life that musicians who have meant something to me pass way, the easier it would get.
It doesn’t.
Maybe it’s because the older I get, the more I appreciate them or maybe it's because of something different that I will never truly understand.
When I watched the three of them interact during performances it felt like the way that my brother and I would be if we were on stage. There was some slight ribbing but more than that, there was humor, support and genuine brotherly love in the way they created music together.
In 2003, Maurice died of a sudden heart attack and a couple weeks ago Robin passed away due to complications due to pneumonia at the age of 61. Now Barry stands alone. There’s not only a feeling of sadness because this group will never perform or record music but there’s also the family part of it that’s really touching.
Barry went through a great loss with Maurice and Robin in 1988, when the fourth Gibb brother, Andy died of a suspected drug overdose at the age of 30. Andy was a pop star in his own right and it was just as triumphant to see his rise and ultimately tragic to loose him and hearing his brothers talk about him is simply heartbreaking.
When I think of all this loss that this family has endured, Robin’s voice comes into my head with one of the Bee Gees’ most powerful songs “I Started A Joke.”
People have speculated that this song is about religion, talking about the struggles of Jesus Christ dealing with a world that acted contrary to his actions. Other people interpret this song with a more literal meaning. I’ve never quite known how to take this song, but there’s something innately powerful about it. It’s not the fact the lyrics hold a profound meaning in of themselves but because combined with the melody and Robin’s voice the emotional expression is this song is undeniable.
There’s tragedy, sadness, regret but also hope in this song. Even though the lyrics of the song cycle to death, it also leads to the happiness of other people in the world. At first this seems spiteful but when you hear the words in context, there’s a feeling of sunlight shining, a level of hope and optimism. It’s the same kind of mix of darkness and light that U2 has in their lyrics like in the song “One.” It is precisely this ambiguity that makes this song so beautiful.
Robin’s voice seems so exposed making this song feel almost painfully intimate. While there is some insecurity in his voice there’s also bravery, and courage in putting these feelings out there for all us to witness.
It’s weird, you’d think the more times in my life that musicians who have meant something to me pass way, the easier it would get.
It doesn’t.
Maybe it’s because the older I get, the more I appreciate them or maybe it's because of something different that I will never truly understand.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Year 2: Week 36 - Jasmine Flowers
I had no idea what to do. It wasn't so much that the choir and band in front of me didn't know the music. They were simply performing with absolutely no energy or spirit. It was only two days until the performance and I was starting to get frustrated.
As part of an India & Chinese Story Theater, my sixth grade band combined with the sixth grade choir to perform "Jasmine Flower," a Chinese folk song from the 18th century. While the band students had been working on this song for months and did some composition projects relating to Chinese folk music, the choir had only recently learned this song.
The first time the band and choir rehearsed together last week, I gave a brief history lesson about the song. I talked about the Xing Dynasty, the use of this song in recent pro-democracy protest, the gesture of giving flowers as gifts and I even got personal telling my students how I played this song at my grandfather's funeral. After hearing all of this, they did an okay job rehearsing and I figured that they would bring more energy closer to the performance.
Unfortunately a week later, not much had changed.
One of the reasons I got so frustrated was that I didn't know what to do to fix this issue. I can almost always come up with some kind of crazy idea to get kids inspired but I was coming up with nothing. It wasn't an ego thing. I mean the kids would be fine, but I just wanted to make this song and the experience of performing it more meaningful.
As I was driving home that evening the lyrics of the song echoed in my head.
That evening, my wife and I bought three big bouquets of flowers and my Diana did a great job arranging them into eight smaller bouquets. I emailed a bunch of different teachers to see if anyone would be up for a random serenade the next morning.
Standing in front the combined sixth grade band and choir, I told the group of almost seventy students the plan. We were going to split up into four smaller groups and serenade different people in the school and present flowers. To my relief, my students were excited about this idea. Knowing they were going to perform in front of people, we had an incredibly productive ten minutes of rehearsing and then we headed out.
The four groups performed two times each. They performed for the middle school secretary, the elementary school secretary, the main office secretaries, two groups of their sixth grade teachers, a teacher assistant, a preschool class and a kindergarten class. Every one of these serenades were a surprise except for the classroom performances.
The students snuck around in small groups, walked into these locations, started singing and then handing out the flowers. The sixth graders performed with big smiles on their faces as they saw the expressions of delight and surprise in their audiences.
When we brought the grade back together and ran the song the energy they performed with was completely different. They were not as energized as they were when they did the serenades in their smaller groups but it was a lot better. The conversation with the group was no longer, "we need you to bring more energy to this song," rather it was "we know you can sing this song with great expressions and energy, so transfer the joy of the serenades to the bigger group performance."
Music has to be connected with a joyous and meaningful experience in order to have a great performance. Often times this happiness comes from the hard work of learning a song, however other times you need to dig into the deeper meaning of a song to find an unforgettable and meaningful experience.
Part of what made this work was picking people in the school to perform for that I was sure would give them positive feedback. The other piece that made this work was that the drama teacher, the other music teacher and I presented this with genuine excitement. As we took them around the school we not only facilitated these performances but had fun with the kids.
Often when I come up with ideas like this, I tell other teachers that this is either the dumbest thing I've every thought of doing or the smartest. Was sending sixth graders around the schools to serenade people giving them flowers the dumbest thing I've ever thought of?
Well, after seeing the big smiles and bright eyes of my sixth graders as they performed this song for their parents, it's definitely not the dumbest idea I've every had.
As part of an India & Chinese Story Theater, my sixth grade band combined with the sixth grade choir to perform "Jasmine Flower," a Chinese folk song from the 18th century. While the band students had been working on this song for months and did some composition projects relating to Chinese folk music, the choir had only recently learned this song.
The first time the band and choir rehearsed together last week, I gave a brief history lesson about the song. I talked about the Xing Dynasty, the use of this song in recent pro-democracy protest, the gesture of giving flowers as gifts and I even got personal telling my students how I played this song at my grandfather's funeral. After hearing all of this, they did an okay job rehearsing and I figured that they would bring more energy closer to the performance.
Unfortunately a week later, not much had changed.
One of the reasons I got so frustrated was that I didn't know what to do to fix this issue. I can almost always come up with some kind of crazy idea to get kids inspired but I was coming up with nothing. It wasn't an ego thing. I mean the kids would be fine, but I just wanted to make this song and the experience of performing it more meaningful.
As I was driving home that evening the lyrics of the song echoed in my head.
I bring this branch of sweet, scented flowers,Then it hit me: maybe they didn't understand the point of the song because they've never given flowers to anyone. I immediately called up one of the other music teachers and the drama teacher and they confirmed my idea wasn't crazy, but actually a good one. The idea was to have the student serenade people in the school in small groups and give them flowers.
Sweetly picked from Dewey blow'rs.
Light sweet scent as a summer aim
These I bring for you,
Blossoms blooming fresh with dew,
Fragrant flows for you.
That evening, my wife and I bought three big bouquets of flowers and my Diana did a great job arranging them into eight smaller bouquets. I emailed a bunch of different teachers to see if anyone would be up for a random serenade the next morning.
Standing in front the combined sixth grade band and choir, I told the group of almost seventy students the plan. We were going to split up into four smaller groups and serenade different people in the school and present flowers. To my relief, my students were excited about this idea. Knowing they were going to perform in front of people, we had an incredibly productive ten minutes of rehearsing and then we headed out.
The four groups performed two times each. They performed for the middle school secretary, the elementary school secretary, the main office secretaries, two groups of their sixth grade teachers, a teacher assistant, a preschool class and a kindergarten class. Every one of these serenades were a surprise except for the classroom performances.
The students snuck around in small groups, walked into these locations, started singing and then handing out the flowers. The sixth graders performed with big smiles on their faces as they saw the expressions of delight and surprise in their audiences.
When we brought the grade back together and ran the song the energy they performed with was completely different. They were not as energized as they were when they did the serenades in their smaller groups but it was a lot better. The conversation with the group was no longer, "we need you to bring more energy to this song," rather it was "we know you can sing this song with great expressions and energy, so transfer the joy of the serenades to the bigger group performance."
Music has to be connected with a joyous and meaningful experience in order to have a great performance. Often times this happiness comes from the hard work of learning a song, however other times you need to dig into the deeper meaning of a song to find an unforgettable and meaningful experience.
Part of what made this work was picking people in the school to perform for that I was sure would give them positive feedback. The other piece that made this work was that the drama teacher, the other music teacher and I presented this with genuine excitement. As we took them around the school we not only facilitated these performances but had fun with the kids.
Often when I come up with ideas like this, I tell other teachers that this is either the dumbest thing I've every thought of doing or the smartest. Was sending sixth graders around the schools to serenade people giving them flowers the dumbest thing I've ever thought of?
Well, after seeing the big smiles and bright eyes of my sixth graders as they performed this song for their parents, it's definitely not the dumbest idea I've every had.
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