Music

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Permalink Reply by David Jahner on March 31, 2010 at 8:32am

Enya works really well for times when you want participants to reflect.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Sauer on March 31, 2010 at 12:38pm

I like to play international Pandora music (depending on the audience) before a workshop and during breaks. Teachers love that "I know" so many of their favorite artists.

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Permalink Reply by David Jahner on March 31, 2010 at 12:41pm

High energy music during breaks is always a good thing. I need to do a better job of playing more international music - so that's a good tip.

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Permalink Reply by Greta Lundgaard on April 1, 2010 at 3:39pm

At the inservice we kicked off our curriculum revision initiatives I played "Brand New Day" by Sting over and over. Maybe I hypnotized them . . .

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Permalink Reply by Connie Kunkel on April 13, 2010 at 9:21pm

One of my favorite topics. Music is a must at most meetings and all PD. Love, love, love it...and so do teachers. And, the brain research is there to explain why it works. I use different types depending on what I'm trying to accomplish..rev them up; quiet them down, think and process, etc. Here is a website I leared of recently. It has thousands of songs by category. It won't put them on your ipod, but will give you some ideas you may have never thought about. It's little green book of songs.com and it's about $6.00 for educators.

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Permalink Reply by John De Mado on May 24, 2010 at 3:46pm

Vocabulary Acquisition and Music
Posted by John De Mado


I believe the following to be true:


· We acquire vocabulary within the crucible of situation and problem-solving.
· We acquire vocabulary as we need it.
· We acquire vocabulary in context.

Simply put, it appears that vocabulary is primarily ‘self-selected’ and acquired when the situation is compelling enough to warrant the selection. Accordingly, it would then behoove the classroom teacher to deploy methods and activities that would create a degree of ‘urgency’ or ‘immediacy’ in the classroom. How might this be done? By way of example, I would like to offer the following activity to you.

Function-al Rap Activity

It is conjectured that, at one time in human history, music and communication were one and the same; much like birdsong. Some linguists feel that Chinese, a highly intonal language known for its ‘musicality’, is the last remaining vestige of this phenomenon in today’s world. At some point, due to natural selection, music diverged from primary communication into a separate genre.

The following activity is designed to fuse language learning and music together once again. ‘Raps’ will be created by students based around specific language tasks, also known as ‘functions’. Certain expressions and vocabulary words, selected for their applicability to the function, are provided to help them compose the lyrics.

STEP 1: Acquire the music

This step is critical to the set up of the activity. Original rap background instrumentals by contemporary artists, without the controversial lyrics, are available for purchase on line at music download sites such as iTUNES, RealOne Rhapsody, Music Match, Napster, etc. Please note that we are working to acquire original background instrumentals, not re-recorded backgrounds done by other artists. Students do not take well to elevator music.

The music download site will have a search engine available. Simply type in ‘rap instrumentals’, hit enter and the download of background instrumentals will begin. The offerings will be varied and spread among several recording artists. If you are partial to a particular artist, type in ‘rap instrumentals’ followed by the artist’s name and the download will be limited to backgrounds associated with that artist. At present, songs may be purchased for $.99 each.

STEP 2: Burn a master CD

Once you have selected the background instrumentals you are interested in, it is time to burn them to a CD. I suggest that you vary the backgrounds based on beat and speed. Although you will have many to select from, I suggest that you limit your selection to no more than 18 songs. This number will provide you with variety and will fit comfortably on a CD.

If you are not able to burn the CD yourself, you might consider offering the task to a student for extra credit.

STEP 3: Burn a CD for each student

It is important that each student have his/her own personal CD. As a result, this step has a number of options to consider.

· If you have the time and the funds
o Buy blank CDs and burn a copy of the master CD for each student.

· If you have the time but are on a budget
o Have each student provide you with a blank CD and burn a copy of the master CD for each one.

· If you have neither the time nor the budget
o Have each student provide you with a blank CD and ask a student to burn the master CD to disk for
extra credit. You might also ask that this be done by your school’s media/ IT specialist.

STEP 4: Organize the task

· Now that everyone has music, it is time to set to the task. The first homework assignment is a
simple one. Ask students to listen to the background instrumentals and to rank their top 3 favorites.
· The next day, divide your class into groups of 4 to 5 participants based on their ranking of the
background instrumentals. When the first choice cannot be accommodated, move to the second or
third choice.
· Arrange to have an audio CD player available for each group.
· Provide the following instructions IN PRINT to each student:

o A rap will be written and eventually performed by each group.
o The rap will be of a specific length. (Initially, 3 stanzas of 4 lines each or 12 lines of lyrics is
recommended.)
o The rap will focus on a specific linguistic function or tasks, such as ‘identifying and describing
members of your family’.
o Certain vocabulary words, idiomatic expressions and structural items will be provided as prompts.
Students, however, may not use these words exclusively in building their raps.
o Have the students turn on their respective audio CD players and begin the process.
o Depending on your situation, The activity may be spread out over weeks and need not be done every
day.

Figure 1 below will serve as a rubric for implementation:

Linguistic Function: Describing and discussing family members

Helpful vocabulary: Helpful Expressions:
· la familia cuenta chistes
· el abuelito a mi lado
· el gato de color café
· los ojos un poco alto
· los lentes conmigo
· castaño
· alto
· el tío
· callado
· dormir

Sample Rap:
by John De Mado

En mi familia somos cinco:
mi mamá, papá y yo,
el abuelito y tía María,
el perro Tico, el gato Limón.

Mi mamá tiene los ojos azules,
el pelo negro y usa lentes también.
Mi papá es un poco alto, con el pelo castaño,
es delgado y se viste muy bien.

Mi tía María es muy bonita,
con los ojos de color café.
El abuelito es gracioso, con el pelo canoso,
Cuenta chistes, duerme hasta las diez.

El gato Limón es muy callado,
sólo quiere jugar y dormir.
Mi perro siempre está mi lado,
y conmigo él quiere salir.
(Figure 1)


STEP 5: Perform the raps

As recommended by ACTFL, activities should be performance-based. Accordingly, when ample time has been given to creation of the raps and to practice of the respective performances (this includes not only the vocal piece but any choreography as well), each group will be assigned a particular date upon which to perform its rap. Hip-Hop gear should be encouraged. Although grades may be given, it is recommended that initially this not be done. Extra credit might be more appropriate.

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