VH1 Fan Club Lesson for Music Classes, Grades 7-12 ABBA VH1 Music Studio Cable in the Classroom Lesson 2

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• Students will draw conclusions on the relationship between trends and individual tastes in music and other aspects of their lives.
• Students will identify the characteristics and musical elements that led them to their favorite type of music.
• Students will identify and notate the musical device known as a “hook”.
• Students will notate and perform rhythmic and melodic patterns in the ABBA song “Mamma Mia”.

National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Materials

• VHS VCR Player
• Television
• Audio playback equipment
• VH1 Fan Club: ABBA program
• Web-based lesson materials
• Pencils
• Teacher selected recording of song “Mamma Mia” (see Supplemental
• Resources for suggestions)
• Student selected recordings of examples of music from ‘00’s
• “ABBA 3-2-1” worksheets for students
• “Mamma Mia” notation worksheets for students
• Classroom instruments - optional (piano, keyboard, hand drum, recorder, etc.)
  
  
  Prior Knowledge:
  Students are familiar with basic rhythmic and pitch notation.
  
  
  

Procedures

1. Ask students to refer to their “Music and Fashion” table assignments from Lesson 1. Have them share their findings for the ‘00’s section, and play a few of the audio examples they have brought. Lead students in a discussion of how they came up with the information they added to the table. In summarizing what is popular now, was it difficult for them to narrow their choices to a few? What might have influenced their decisions (Top 40, personal preference, what others might think/comment, etc)? Reiterate the importance of a balance between individual taste while respecting and appreciating the preferences of others.

2. Review the following ABBA facts with the students:

- ABBA was the most commercially successful pop music group of the 1970’s.
- They sold over 350 million recordings worldwide.
- They were commercially on par with Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
- ABBA’s music has inspired the movie “Muriel’s Wedding”, and the Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!”
- Their songs have been recorded by other music groups such as A*Teens, Ace of Base, Bjorn Again, B*witched, Erasure, LFO, and 98 Degrees, among others.
- The group recently turned down a reported $1billion offer for a year-long reunion tour.
Based on what they know so far, ask students to suggest why the music of ABBA is enjoying a revival? Certainly their look is out of date, but why hasn’t the popularity of their music faded as well?

3. Distribute the “ABBA 3-2-1” worksheet found at the end of this lesson.

4. Show VH1 Fan Club: ABBA, Segment 3. Have students summarize the program by using the worksheet. After watching this segment, ask students to share their findings (answers will vary). Emphasize the importance of the following factors in music that help it to transcend its time: enduring music can express human feelings; enduring music is a bond between musicians, music, and audience; and enduring music is based in the traditions and experiences of people who create it.

5. The “bubble gum/feel good” music of the 1970’s often used a compositional device called a hook. This catchy melodic or rhythmic pattern keeps the listeners attention because it is easy to remember. Listen to the teacher selected recording of the song “Mamma Mia”. Ask students to see if they can identify the musical hook (the song’s title is a hint!).

6. Distribute the “Mamma Mia: Notation” worksheet found at the end of this lesson. Working in groups of two or three, have students notate the melody and its rhythmic pattern indicated by the positioning of the pitch names in relation to the counting syllables. Since the melody moves mostly in a stepwise pattern, intervals wider than a fourth are not needed. Add only notes and measure lines, do not add rests. Each measure should add up to four beats.

7. Have students check their answers by singing or playing their patterns on an instrument. As a class, say the rhythm pattern together, followed by singing the solfege pattern in rhythm. Play the recording one more time to check for accuracy.

8. Identify which of the songs contributed by the students for the “Music and Fashion” exercise employ a musical “hook”. Ask them to comment on whether the “hook” is what attracts them to that particular song. Choose one of the students’ favorite songs, and lead them in an analysis of the musical elements, other than the “hook”, that attracted them and made it one of their favorites.

9. Share the following interesting ABBA fact with the students:

Benny Andersson and Bj`rn Ulvaeus did not write down the music score for their songs. The instrument parts were experimented, improvised, and overdubbed in the recording studio

Curriculum connection: Language Arts
An acronym is a word formed from the first letters of other words. The name ABBA is an acronym derived from the first names of its members: Agnetha, Benny, Bj`rn, and Anni-Frid. Create an acronym for you and your friends that describes you as a group.

Supplemental resources:
Official ABBA fan club Web site www.abbasite.com/start.
“ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits,” CD, Polygram Records, 2001.
“The Winner Takes It All - The ABBA Story,” DVD, Universal Music, 2002.

ABBA 3-2-1

National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.