My English 1100 students are starting their second project, and I want to play along too, of course. So here is the beginning of it.
Assignment: It is nearly impossible for me to imagine my life without music. From the sticks I banged together in first grade music class to the piano that still sits in my mother’s living room; from the playful if somber syncopation in Sufjan Steven’s “Chicago” to head nods that come with Childish Gambino’s “Redbone”; from the burst of energy that comes with Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” to the inevitable drain of listening to a whole Nick Drake album in one sitting; from the utter vapidity of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” to the depth and power of Beyonce’s “Formation” to the social critique embedded in Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” — music has always had some sort of impact on me and how I see the world.
For this project, you can take one of two paths: you can turn the analytical eye on yourself or on someone else.
I’ve Got the Magic in Me: if you want to write about yourself by constructing your own playlist, I’d encourage you to think of a particular “you” to explore: the athlete, the reader, the writer, the nerd, the activist, etc. Don’t make a playlist “All about Me” but one that’s the playlist of yourself in one of the roles you play. This allows you to focus in on who this person is when he/she/ze is in that role, which helps to keep your project from spiraling out of control.
OR
Sing Us a Song, Mr. Piano Man: if you want to design a playlist for someone else, then think about the mini-activity we did in class and how there are songs that seem “natural” for other people: in class, we explored the playlists for Winnie-the-Pooh, Buddy the Elf, Miley Cyrus, and Ryan Reynolds. But those playlists were based on somewhat superficial things: what we already knew, what was most obvious. To do this sort of playlist effectively, you’ll need to explore the person/character you’re working on and go beyond what’s obvious to just anyone who knows this person/character.
Guidelines:
As with all the projects we do, your guidelines are negotiable to allow for your own creativity and for flexibility. However, as a rough guideline, your projects should contain 8 – 10 carefully chosen songs. These songs should be available on a publicly viewable internet source (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc.) and you should be able to embed them in your finished project.
Publishing:
In order to take advantage of the audio (and likely video) that your project will use, be sure to link them out on your Blackboard submission or consider one of the following easy-to-use options for sharing:
Post on Blackboard by 8am Tuesday, February 14th.
Assignment: It is nearly impossible for me to imagine my life without music. From the sticks I banged together in first grade music class to the piano that still sits in my mother’s living room; from the playful if somber syncopation in Sufjan Steven’s “Chicago” to head nods that come with Childish Gambino’s “Redbone”; from the burst of energy that comes with Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” to the inevitable drain of listening to a whole Nick Drake album in one sitting; from the utter vapidity of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” to the depth and power of Beyonce’s “Formation” to the social critique embedded in Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” — music has always had some sort of impact on me and how I see the world.
For this project, you can take one of two paths: you can turn the analytical eye on yourself or on someone else.
I’ve Got the Magic in Me: if you want to write about yourself by constructing your own playlist, I’d encourage you to think of a particular “you” to explore: the athlete, the reader, the writer, the nerd, the activist, etc. Don’t make a playlist “All about Me” but one that’s the playlist of yourself in one of the roles you play. This allows you to focus in on who this person is when he/she/ze is in that role, which helps to keep your project from spiraling out of control.
OR
Sing Us a Song, Mr. Piano Man: if you want to design a playlist for someone else, then think about the mini-activity we did in class and how there are songs that seem “natural” for other people: in class, we explored the playlists for Winnie-the-Pooh, Buddy the Elf, Miley Cyrus, and Ryan Reynolds. But those playlists were based on somewhat superficial things: what we already knew, what was most obvious. To do this sort of playlist effectively, you’ll need to explore the person/character you’re working on and go beyond what’s obvious to just anyone who knows this person/character.
Guidelines:
As with all the projects we do, your guidelines are negotiable to allow for your own creativity and for flexibility. However, as a rough guideline, your projects should contain 8 – 10 carefully chosen songs. These songs should be available on a publicly viewable internet source (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc.) and you should be able to embed them in your finished project.
Publishing:
In order to take advantage of the audio (and likely video) that your project will use, be sure to link them out on your Blackboard submission or consider one of the following easy-to-use options for sharing:
Post on Blackboard by 8am Tuesday, February 14th.
My Teacher-Writer Identity Playlist
Wake Up by Arcade Fire
Folk Song Melody by Maria Taylor
Beginner's Mind by Bright Eyes
Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend
A Little Lost by Sufjan Stevens
Stand Tall by Childish Gambino
When My Time Comes by Dawes
Fake Empire by The National
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 by The Flaming Lips
Can I Kick It? by A Tribe Called Quest
Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2 by My Morning Jacket
Every Age by Jose Gonzalez
Folk Song Melody by Maria Taylor
Beginner's Mind by Bright Eyes
Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend
A Little Lost by Sufjan Stevens
Stand Tall by Childish Gambino
When My Time Comes by Dawes
Fake Empire by The National
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 by The Flaming Lips
Can I Kick It? by A Tribe Called Quest
Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2 by My Morning Jacket
Every Age by Jose Gonzalez