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Say
It Loud!:
A Celebration Of Black Music In America
Lessons for High School Music and Social Studies Classes
Episode 4: Express Yourself
Lesson 3 of 5
The Motown Dynasty (1969-1980)
Part 2
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Objectives
• Students will recognize the contributions of selected artists
• Students will identify musical characteristics of Motown music
• Students will recognize specific Motown song titles
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
• CD player
• Paper and pencil
• Videotape of Say It Loud: Black Music In America, Episode 2:
In Pursuit of Dreams
• Recordings of Motown hits such as:
- "I Can't Get Next To You," rec. by The Temptations
- "Someday We'll Be Together," rec. by The Supremes
- "I Want You Back," rec. by The Jackson 5
- "Get Ready," rec. by Rare Earth
- "ABC," "The Love You Save," rec. by The Jackson
5
- "The Tears of a Clown," rec. by Smokey Robinson and the
Miracles
- "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," rec. by Diana Ross
- "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," rec. by
The Temptations
- "What's Going On," "Inner City Blues," "Mercy,
Mercy Me (The Ecology)," rec. by Marvin Gaye
- "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone," rec. by The Temptations
- "Let's Get It On," rec. by Marvin Gaye
- "Keep On Truckin', " rec. by Eddie Kendricks
- "Touch Me In The Morning," rec. by Diana Ross
- "You Are The Sunshine of My Life," "Superstition,"
"You Haven't Done Nothin'," "Boogie On Reggae Woman,"
by Stevie Wonder
- "Love Hangover," "Do You Know Where You're Going
To," rec. by Diana Ross
- "Sir Duke," I Wish," by Stevie Wonder
- "Got To Give It Up (Part 1)," by Marvin Gaye
- "Three Times a Lady," "Still," "Sail On,"
rec. by The Commodores
- "Can't Slow Down," rec. by Lionel Ritchie
Procedures
1. Play a Motown song (see Materials list for examples) as students
enter the classroom and get settled. Start a discussion of the role
of songwriters and producers. The songwriting/producing team, Holland-Dozier-Holland
was responsible for many Motown hit songs. What were some of their responsibilities?
Accept such responses as composing the melodies and harmonies (songwriter),
writing the lyrics (songwriter), matching the songs with the artists
(producer), supervising the recording session (producer), preparing
the artist for the recording session (producer) and assisting the artists
with all aspects of performance of the music during the recording session
(producer).
2. Many Motown artists wrote their own songs. Who were they (Please
see recordings under Materials list and note that some songs are “recorded
by” and some are “by”(written by). Accept such responses
as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Discuss with students ways that Motown
music changed as a result of this. Accept the following responses:
• The length of the songs changed and many from the 1970s and
1980s are longer in length.
• The content of the lyrics changed and many social and political
messages were included.
3. In June 1972, Motown closed its Detroit operations and moved to
Los Angeles. The company expanded into the television and motion picture
industries. Stress the fact that this company started with a very small
budget of borrowed capital in 1959. Hard work and persistence can reap
positive rewards.
4. The Motown dynasty created popular music "icons." What
is an "icon?” Who are they? What role did/do they play in
American culture? Accept such names as Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
Discuss their achievements and contributions.
Here are some examples:
Stevie Wonder (1950- )
• Recorded first hit, “Fingertips, Part. 2” at age
13
• One of first to use modern recording technology which allowed
him to perform most of his instrumental accompaniments on the album
Music Of My Mind in 1972
• One of first to experiment with extensive use of electronic
music synthesizers for album Talking Book in 1972
• Winner of many awards including several Grammy recognitions
• Active in social causes such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving,
the antiapartheid movement in South Africa, and leader in the effort
to institute a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Michael Jackson (1958- )
• Became leader of The Jackson 5, brothers singing/dancing group
at age 5
• Featured in numerous television appearances, including animated
series
• Recorded first solo hit album, Got To Be There at age 21
• Featured in musical film, The Wiz in 1978
• Wrote or co-wrote many songs from his phenomenally successful
recordings from 1979-present, including the best-selling album in
history, Thriller (up until 1982)
• One of first MTV icons
• Recipient of numerous awards including an unprecedented eith
Grammys for Thriller
• Advocate of social causes such as animal rights
References
- Edwards, David and Callahan, Mike. The Motown Story, http://ww.bsnpubs.com/gordystory.html.
- Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2001, http://encarta.msn.com
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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