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.

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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.)

"A CHANGE IS GONNA COME" 1
"A CHANGE IS GONNA COME" 2
"A CHANGE IS GONNA COME" 3

Audio: A CHANGE IS GONNA COME

"MOVE ON UP" 1
"MOVE ON UP" 2

Audio: MOVE ON UP

"POWER TO THE PEOPLE" 1
"POWER TO THE PEOPLE" 2

Audio: POWER TO THE PEOPLE

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