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Spyro · Joined: 09 Dec 2011 Posts: 36

I currently teach at a local Chinese university and right now lesson planning for classes after the October holiday. I was thinking of having a music class and having them listen to songs and discuss them. However, I am having a bit of a problem coming up with music they may find interesting. They are freshmen, so quite young, and I know they tend to like artists like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, but I'm not really interested in using such singers.

Their English is pretty strong, (the worst students are at least intermediate, with the best students having studied overseas in summer camp before). The classes are huge with 50-55 students in each class, so I can't print out too many worksheets or else I'll get swamped. Nevertheless, anyone have some good ideas to make this interesting and get them talking?

JamesD · Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:14 am Post subject:

May be a little off the wall but what about leaning toward an actual music class? Give them basic music vocab (staff, bar, measure, flat, coda, chorus,...explain keys, chords,.....) and write some ditties? Give them common ad jingles and rewrite the lyrics?

Probably a long shot but what if all of them are actually interested in learning to read music? Could you do simple lessons on clefs, notes, and keys?

Try to transcribe something? (Yeah, do the notation on this Mozart overture for homework.)

chinatimes · Joined: 27 May 2012 Posts: 478

Music is very difficult to talk about. Students usually want to listen instead of talk. So, I took one song with good lyrics but not really popular among the students. Then I removed parts of the song and they had to fill in with their own words.

If the focus is on English speaking I suggest doing this. If it is a real music composing class and you know theory you could teach them some.

Two of the classes I did it with were ok with it, the third one couldn't relate (but they were also lower level.

You might want to get 2 songs, one you like and want to introduce and if that fails have one they are more familiar with as backup ("I knew you wouldn't like that one, so I got another one").

And if they don't like that one, run!!!

Denim-Maniac · Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 1238

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

doogsville · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 924 Location: China

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

here's a useful anecdote. i downloaded a mess of music to play before
class and during breaks. also useful to test the headphones in the
lisnin' lab.

they love anything with a fast beat, flashing strobe lights, and quickly
alternating visuals. cyndi lauper, bangles, b-52's...adam ant...okay!
they stare at the screens mesmerized.

they don't seem to enjoy slim whitman or patsy cline or george straight,
and quickly return to sleeping/texting/ninja fruiting.

Mr. Leafy · Joined: 24 Apr 2012 Posts: 246 Location: North of the Wall

This book might be useful.

Music and Song
Tim Murphey
Oxford University Press

http://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/teacher_development/resource_books_for_teachers/9780194370554?cc=global&selLanguage=en&mode=hub

Disclaimer - I have not used this book but I have attended half a dozen workshops by the author and used his other books. If this book is as good, it's worth a look.

davelister · Joined: 15 Jul 2013 Posts: 214

Something I've done in the past (and will do again sometime):

A Class on Music Genres

1- Brainstorm types of music on the board.

2 – Add any of these if they've not been said: pop, rock, classical, opera, heavy metal, blues, folk, dance, country, jazz, hip-hop, soul. Ask students concept questions such as: “What's the difference between rock and heavy metal?”, “Blues music is fast, happy music, isn't it?”, “In traditional Chinese opera, what do singers wear on their faces?”, “What are some traditional Chinese folk music instruments? (e.g. zither and pi-pa), “Country music is which country's folk music?”, “What style of singing do we hear with hip-hop?”, “Which music style is black American music expressing deep emotion, and became popular in the 1960's?”, “What is 'pop' short for?” “Give me the name of a famous Western classical composer.”, “Which style of music often uses saxophones and trumpets?”, “What does 'folk' mean?”.

3- Get students in pairs, play short pieces of typical examples of types of music, and get them to write down what style they think the pieces are (I don't bother with folk).

4- Whole-group feedback n answers n replay of music pieces.

5- Repeat 3, but with different typical examples of music, and get the whole group to say what genres they think they are.

6- Ask students questions about music: Do you play a musical instrument? What kind of music do you listen to most? Do you go to concerts? Who is your favourite pop star? What is K-Pop? Etc.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

I've done genres as well, back in my long-ago high school days of "Spoken English". They seemed to like it (I did it with movies as well - - a big hit if I say so myself).

Here's an idea - - download some videos of commercials that have had catchy jingles (your age and your country of origin may have an impact with this). Let them watch a few, discuss them, etc. Then see if they can write/put to music/sing a short jingle of their own to a well known product. Maybe they could write a jingle that would "advertise" their school. Turn it into a contest and let higher-ups choose the winning one.

PS: Did you know Barry Manilow was responsible for a lot of well known jingles from the 70s: "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!" "I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!" . . . and several others?

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

If it's a music appreciation class, conduct it as most western classes are conducted: divide it up into periods and show how the various genres developed. Using Gaga and Justin Boober are bad choices unless they're part of a comparative contemporary study. In the scheme of things, they're not aesthetically important or MUSICALLY influential unless you address the topic of public image and its influence upon the music industry.

If the course is about American music, I'd probably start with truly influential composers like Stephen Foster and Irving Berlin and place them in context of history. That would be meaningful. American popular music existed before Madonna, Snoop Dog, Miley Cyrus, etc..

I have a feeling that you'll probably need to do a bit of study before you embark upon this course.

Craigo · Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:00 am Post subject:

This FT plays guitar and banjo in class, and hands out song lyrics sheets (some fill-in-the-blanks), and have a sing along.
Using the portable microphone also makes for a lotta fun (let em pass it around)

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

I'd go with that since you're performing. You're in an excellent position to explain style and genre.

I was asked to give a class on American music, and half of the kids (college students) freaked out at Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack"--- with handouts--- even though I explained what the words meant. The other half laughed. Had i performed it, it would have gone over much better.

So yeah, performance is the way to go, if you can.