Say It Loud!:
A Celebration Of Black Music In America 

Lessons for High School Music and Social Studies Classes   
  
Lesson 2 of 5
Making Change Through Music 
  
Note to Teachers: Before showing the videotape to your classes, please review 
for possible objectionable language.
  
  
  
Objectives 
  
  
Students will identify many genres of Black music
Students will consider Black music as a reflection of the culture
Students will consider the effectiveness of music to communicate ideas
Students will identify many popular Black musical examples 
National Standards for Music Education
  1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
  6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
  9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture
  
  
Materials
  
  - VHS VCR player
  - Television
  - CD player
  - Paper and pencil
  - Videotape of Say It Loud: Black Music In America, Episode 1: Keep On Pushin' 
1.Recording and sheet music of "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Say It 
  Loud! Disc 4 or Say It Loud! CD Sampler # 11) and/or "What's Goin' 
  On." (Say It Loud! Disc 5 Sheet Music Publisher Hal Leonard) and/or "Power 
  To The People" 

  
  
Procedures 


1. Tell students they are going to view the videotape Say It Loud!: A Celebration 
  Of Black Music In America, Episode 1: Keep On Pushin' . Briefly inform 
  them of music's ability to communicate ideas.
2. On a piece of paper, tell the students to write their definition of freedom. 
  Ask the question, "What does freedom mean to you?" (Accept reasonable 
  answers and emphasize the point that music was used to communicate important 
  messages during the struggle for freedom in America during the pre-1900s).
  (Depending on the prior knowledge of the students, a preliminary discussion 
  about the plight of the Black Citizen and background about segregation, the 
  Civil Rights Movement etc. should be included.)
3. Show Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America, Episode 1: Keep 
  On Pushin'.
4. Discuss the styles of music used in the program with the students.
  (Accept reasonable answers, include hip-hop, field hollers, blues, jazz, rhythm 
  and blues, soul, Motown, etc.) During the discussion, the teacher may provide 
  live or recorded examples of each style mentioned.
5. Ask students to name specific song titles.
  (Accept "The Message," "Your Feet's Too Big," "Black 
  and Blue," "Strange Fruit," "Having a Party," "Trouble 
  Blues," "A Change is Gonna Come," "Cop Killer," "Keep 
  on Pushing," "Dancing in the Streets," "Respect," "Think," 
  "Say It Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud," "Precious Lord," 
  "What's Goin' On," "Living in the City," "Happy 
  Birthday," "Superfly," "Freddie's Dead," "Wake 
  Up Everybody," "I Will Survive," and others.)
6. Ask students to identify songs that contain strong messages about freedom. 
  (Accept many of the titles previously stated.)
7. Ask students to identify songs that had a strong impact on American culture. 
  (Suggest "Respect," "Say It Loud: I'm Black and I'm 
  Proud," "Precious Lord," "Livin' In the City," 
  etc.)
8. Play an excerpt of one of the songs, provide students with the sheet music 
  and lead them in an analysis of the lyrics. (Many of the songs can be found 
  in the Say It Loud! Box Set. To obtain, please see the "Say It Loud Page 
  " on www.vh1musicstudio.com.)
9. Discuss the role of musicians in communicating freedom messages throughout 
  the history of Black music. Recall the quote in the episode "Music did 
  more than politics ever did."
10. Ask students to identify issues that are addressed by today's Black 
  artists. (e.g. "Tyrone" (family responsibility), "Bag Lady" 
  (homelessness) and Penitentiary Philosophy by Erykah Badu (Album: Mama's 
  Gun, Motown 0121532592)


 
Extensions 
 
€ Students may interview artists in their communities who are expressing 
  freedom messages. 
€ Students may each bring a CD example from their own collection that 
  illustrates the use of a political or social message. Students should write 
  a short statement about the music and the content of the lyric. 
€ Students can choose or be assigned a specific genre of music/time period 
  in music (hip-hop, jazz etc.) and create a report or presentation on how the 
  artists communicated messages through their music. 
€ Students may create a song communicating a modern day message 
  
 
Extensions for Performance Class 
€ Provide a choral, orchestral, or band version of a song or freedom song 
  and have the class analyze the lyrics and music. Prepare for performance. 

Suggested Selections:
  2. "A Movement for Rosa" by Mark Camphouse 
  3. "The Lincoln Portrait" by Aaron Copland
  4. Spirituals as performed by the Fisk Jubilee singers, including "Follow 
  "The Drinking Gourd."
  5. Come Sunday", Duke Ellington, pub. by Schirmer
  6. "Oh, Freedom," traditional
  7. "We Shall Overcome," traditional
  8. "Down By The Riverside", traditional 

 
This lesson was developed by Dee Spencer, professor of music at San Francisco 
State University and Willie Hill, president-elect of MENC: The National Association 
for Music Education and director of the University Fine Arts Center at University 
of Massachusetts-Amherst in collaboration with VH1 and 
MENC: The National Association for Music Education