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Want to know
what each Music Connection lesson is about? Click on the
links below or scroll down for more details on each lesson.
If interested in these materials, please sight them by packet #
when e-mailing your inquiry.
Packet #1 – Literature: LORD OF
THE FLIES
Music:
Gregorian chant, Boys’ Choirs
Focus:
The choice of boys stranded on the island was intentional on the
part of the author, William Golding, so he could prove through
his book that, if left without rules and government (adults in
this case), society would slowly deteriorate to the point of
savagery. Golding used choirboys to represent the initial
goodness of the boys so that the transition to savagery would be
more pronounced.
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Packet #2 – Literature: TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD
Music:
Billie Holiday’s STRANGE FRUIT – video
Focus: The
injustices of prejudice have their roots in slavery and the
lynchings in the South. It is this message that Billie Holiday
reflects on in the song “Strange Fruit.” Tom Robinson in TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, like Miss Holiday, still feels the pain of
his heritage and knows he has lost the fight before he has the
chance to be defended. Tom tries to escape, perhaps knowing
defeat will come to him one way or another.
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Packet #3 – Literature: OUT OF
THE DUST (Middle School read as well)
Music:
The blues, featuring Woody Guthrie
Focus:
The people of the mid-west were hit with the Depression and a
drought in the early 1930’s. As a result, the music world sang
the blues and mirrored the reality of the hard times and many
people’s desire to move west for better soil or a better way to
make a living. To understand the real world, as written by
Woody Guthrie, is to better understand the reality of this
realistic fiction.
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Packet #4 – Literature: ROMEO &
JULIET
Music:
Elizabethan era – Renaissance music & the madrigal
Focus:
Music of the Elizabethan era reflects purity, predictability,
and holiness, all of which are expected of Juliet as a product
of her times.
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Packet #5 – Literature: HUCK FINN
Music:
Mississippi Blues
Focus:
Music is a reflection of life on the Mississippi with its
riverbank characters and the colorful words and phrases of
another time and place. The Mississippi blues reflect the
treatment of Jim and Huck as they travel in Mark Twain’s
unforgettable novel.
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Packet #6 – Social Studies: THE
VIETNAM WAR
Music:
Music of the times
Focus:
Music is a reminder of the troubles of past generations. Even
today, current events are reflected in the music we listen to.
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Packet #7 – Social Studies:
CHINA, JAPAN & INDIA
Music:
Sounds and Instrumentation from each land
Focus:
The sound of Chinese and Japanese music is similar unto itself,
but very different from other countries. This phenomenon
demonstrates how geography can isolate a country. Similarly,
the sounds of India are more similar to those of Europe because
of its geographical proximity.
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Packet # 8 – Social Studies:
AFRICA
Music:
Sounds & Instrumentation
Focus:
The use of drums for communication and dance were important in
African tribes. African dancers looked out of control because
of its polyrhythmic style.
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Packet # 9 – Social Studies:
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Music:
The song as message
Focus:
Music played an important part for the southern slave. Hiding
their messages in songs, music served as their vehicle for
freedom.
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Packet #10 – Social Studies:
BLACK AWARENESS MONTH
Music:
Selections by Scott Joplin, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, &
Michael Jackson
Focus: A
reflection on the history of famous black musicians can easily
illustrate the impact they have had on American music.
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Packet #11 – Social Studies:
CIVIL WAR
Music:
Propaganda in music
Focus:
Music of the Civil War was written to persuade the public and to
boost the troops. It served as musical propaganda.
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Packet #12 – Social Studies:
EVENT IN HISTORY – Sept. 11, 2001
Music:
Folk songs featuring modern day Bruce Springsteen
Focus:
On Sept. 11th,
history was made and music was made to reflect it. The
evolution of music continues and we have become connected to
it. We will understand it and be moved by it as we hear it in
years to come. This unit is a tribute to our modern day folk
singers who continue to help us make sense of our world through
the music they create.
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