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Say
It Loud!:
A Celebration Of Black Music In America
Lessons for High School Music and Social Studies Classes
Episode 2: Pursuing The Dream
Lesson 2 of 5
The Music Industry Part II
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Objectives
• Students will identify general business terms such as entrepreneur,
corporation, marketing, demographic, promotion, distribution etc.
• Students will identify many careers within the music industry
such as producer, A&R representative, recording studio engineer,
etc.
• Students will connect achievements of noted artists with their
roles in the music industry
• Students will identify many Black music industry leaders and
their contributions
National Standards for Music Education
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Materials
• VHS VCR player
• Television
• Videotape of Say It Loud! A Celebration Of Black Music In America,
Episode 2: Pursuing The Dream
• CD player
• A recent copy of The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Black
Enterprise or similar business periodical
• Paper and pencil
• Suggested 1950s CD song example for teacher to supply:
1950: Top 5, Top 40.
1. GOODNIGHT IRENE - Gordon Jenkins & the Weavers (Decca)
2. MONA LISA - Nat King Cole (Capitol)
3. THIRD MAN THEME - Anton Karas (London)
4. SAM'S SONG - Gary & Bing Crosby (Decca)
5. SIMPLE MELODY - Gary & Bing Crosby (Decca)
1951: Top 5, Top 40.
1. TOO YOUNG - Nat King Cole (Capitol)
2. BECAUSE OF YOU - Tony Bennett (Columbia)
3. HOW HIGH THE MOON - Les Paul & Mary Ford (Capitol)
4. COME ON-A MY HOUSE - Rosemary Clooney (Columbia)
5. BE MY LOVE - Mario Lanza (RCA Victor)
1952: Top 5, Top 40.
1. YOU BELONG TO ME - Jo Stafford (Columbia)
2. WHEEL OF FORTUNE - Kay Starr (Capitol)
3. I WENT TO YOUR WEDDING - Patti Page (Mercury)
4. AUF WIEDERSEH'N SWEETHEART - Vera Lynn & Chorus (London)
5. KISS OF FIRE - Georgia Gibbs (Mercury)
1953: Top 5, Top 40.
1. SONG FROM MOULIN ROUGE - Percy Faith (Columbia)
2. VAYA CON DIOS - Les Paul & Mary Ford (Capitol)
3. DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW - Patti Page (Mercury)
4. I'M WALKING BEHIND YOU - Eddie Fisher (RCA Victor)
5. YOU, YOU, YOU - Ames Brothers (RCA Victor)
1954: Top 5, Top 40.
1. LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT - Kitty Kallen (Decca)
2. WANTED - Perry Como (RCA Victor)
3. HEY THERE - Rosemary Clooney (Columbia)
4. SH-BOOM - Crew Cuts (Mercury)
5. MAKE LOVE TO ME - Jo Stafford (Columbia)
1955: Top 5, Top 40.
1. CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE - Perez Prado (RCA Victor)
2. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - Bill Haley & The Comets (Decca)
3. THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS - Mitch Miller (Columbia)
4. AUTUMN LEAVES - Roger Williams (Kapp)
5. UNCHAINED MELODY - Les Baxter (Capitol)
1956: Top 5, Top 40.
1. DON'T BE CRUEL - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)
2. SINGIN' THE BLUES - Guy Mitchell (Columbia)
3. THE WAYWARD WIND - Gogi Grant (Era)
4. HEARTBREAK HOTEL - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)
5. ROCK AND ROLL WALTZ - Kay Starr (RCA Victor)
1957: Top 5, Top 40.
1. ALL SHOOK UP - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)
2. LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND - Pat Boone (Dot)
3. LITTLE DARLIN' - Diamonds (Mercury)
4. YOUNG LOVE - Tab Hunter (Dot)
5. SO RARE - Jimmy Dorsey (Fraternity)
1958: Top 5, Top 40.
1. VOLARE (NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLU) - Domenico Modugno (Decca)
2. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM/CLAUDETTE - Everly Brothers (Cadence)
3. DONT/I BEG OF YOU - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)
4. WITCH DOCTOR - David Seville (Liberty)
5. PATRICIA - Perez Prado (RCA Victor)
1959: Top 5, Top 40.
1. THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS - Johnny Horton (Columbia)
2. MACK THE KNIFE - Bobby Darin (Atco)
3. PERSONALITY - Lloyd Price (ABC-Paramount)
4. VENUS - Frankie Avalon (Chancellor)
5. LONELY BOY - Paul Anka (ABC-Paramount)
• If possible, visit by a community-based record label representative
Procedures
1. Students will view the videotape Say It Loud!: A Celebration of Black
Music In America, Episode 2, Pursuing The Dream.
2. Distribute copies of The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, or
similar business sections of newspapers or periodicals for student perusal.
3. Ask students to find articles that relate to the recording industry.
(Accept articles about celebrities, popular culture, sales charts.)
4. Discuss the articles with students. Ask the question, “What
changes have occurred in the last ten years?” (Accept responses
about technology and the movement from cassettes to CDs and VHS videos
to DVDs). Discuss any recent “cutting-edge” developments such
as internet access, MP3s and downloading.
5. Play an excerpt from a 1950s recording (See Materials List) .
6. Discuss changes in musical styles and instruments over the decades.
Note the actual sound quality of the recordings as the process improved
over the decades. Point out the use of acoustic instruments such as
strings, woodwinds and brass in the earlier recordings. Note the change
to electronic instruments in current music.
Optional:
1. Invite a community-based record label representative or manager
from a recording studio to address the students.
2. The teacher or guest artist will write the following terms on the
chalkboard: producer, performing artist, composer, lyricist, manager,
agent, promoter, record company executive, tour manager, image consultant,
recording engineer. Define terms and lead students in a discussion of
the duties of these jobs (See “Pursuing The Dream” Lesson
1, Procedure 9.)
3. Assign students, or small groups of students to various roles listed
on the chalkboard. Explain that the class is now a record company. Students
are to launch a new record label and investigate and simulate the appropriate
steps to do so. Ask students to invent a name for the company.
4. Students can investigate process and determine how to set up the
company. (Accept the idea that someone must invest an amount of imaginary
money.) Investigate other references to help high school students research
business plans such as a business class or junior achievement program
based at the school. ( Students may reference “Grammy In the Schools
Career handbook” [Copyright 1999], available through the NARAS
Foundation, narasfoundation@grammy.com)
5. Students will prepare a plan as if they were organizing a Talent
Showcase to identify emerging artists (including venue, equipment, talent,
promotional, prize, budget, and staff needs etc.) Organize a committee
to select a date for the event. Another committee should handle all
publicity, including flyers, and other announcements.
Optional: Have students prepare plan for and carry through the organization
of a Talent Showcase.
Extension
• If appropriate resources are available, students may produce
and market a CD recording. Various business roles, such as marketing
director, promoter, performing artist, manager, agent, recording engineer,
and producer will be assumed by groups as assigned by instructor. (
Optional: Ask a local recording studio to donate eight hours or time
to facilitate this.)
• Students may take a field trip to a local recording studio.
Interviews of employees will be assigned to several small groups.
6. See VH1 Music Studio VH1 Legends: Aretha Franklin Lesson 3, which
explores roles/careers in the music industry.
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
and
MENC: The National Association for Music Education
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