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fandomhigh2006-07-31 02:14 am
not_entirely) wrote in fandomhigh2006-07-31 02:14 am
Entry tags:
History of (Earth) Music, Monday Afternoon
Lucas was back in the back room, waiting for the students.
"Right. We left off at medieval and Renaissance music. There was some stuff that came after, mostly opera, Beethoven, Brahms, big orchestra stuff, but I don't have a harpsichord and frankly I don't want one, so we're going to skip all that and move on to 18th and 19th century America, to something that inspired a lot of modern music, something which is referred to by a very not politically correct term: Negro spirituals."
Lucas passed out a handful of pages with some details on the history of the music. "I apologize if that offends anyone. This music inspired jazz, blues, rock and roll, country . . . most of the modern genres, really. It was sung by slaves on the plantations, as a way of establishing a rhythm and passing the time as they worked in the fields. While this was a very dark time for American history, and something that not everyone wants to think about, it was a very good time for music. Again, sorry if that offends. The spiritual was usually a sung prayer to God for strength, or a lament of the hard life of a slave. It often had no back up music to support it and was sung ‘accapella', which is why I don't have any instruments for you, today. What I will do is play some samples and give you some of the lyrics. Take a listen, give singing a shot. As always, I have earplugs and aspirin."
Once the students had done that, Lucas got their attention again. "As I said, this was where a lot of modern music takes its roots. What about this music do you think inspired future singers and song writers? What aspects of it do you recognize from modern music? If you're from a different time or a different world, are there any comparisons you can make to your own culture's music?"
At the end of class, Lucas got their attention one more time. "For next week, I'd like you all to bring in a recording, CD, tape, record, lyric sheet, what have you, of some of your favorite music, as well as some music that you personally dislike. This can be anything you like. See you guys then."
[ooc: As always, information that Lucas possesses comes almost entirely from my brain, and may be incorrect, but it's his perspective on things.]
"Right. We left off at medieval and Renaissance music. There was some stuff that came after, mostly opera, Beethoven, Brahms, big orchestra stuff, but I don't have a harpsichord and frankly I don't want one, so we're going to skip all that and move on to 18th and 19th century America, to something that inspired a lot of modern music, something which is referred to by a very not politically correct term: Negro spirituals."
Lucas passed out a handful of pages with some details on the history of the music. "I apologize if that offends anyone. This music inspired jazz, blues, rock and roll, country . . . most of the modern genres, really. It was sung by slaves on the plantations, as a way of establishing a rhythm and passing the time as they worked in the fields. While this was a very dark time for American history, and something that not everyone wants to think about, it was a very good time for music. Again, sorry if that offends. The spiritual was usually a sung prayer to God for strength, or a lament of the hard life of a slave. It often had no back up music to support it and was sung ‘accapella', which is why I don't have any instruments for you, today. What I will do is play some samples and give you some of the lyrics. Take a listen, give singing a shot. As always, I have earplugs and aspirin."
Once the students had done that, Lucas got their attention again. "As I said, this was where a lot of modern music takes its roots. What about this music do you think inspired future singers and song writers? What aspects of it do you recognize from modern music? If you're from a different time or a different world, are there any comparisons you can make to your own culture's music?"
At the end of class, Lucas got their attention one more time. "For next week, I'd like you all to bring in a recording, CD, tape, record, lyric sheet, what have you, of some of your favorite music, as well as some music that you personally dislike. This can be anything you like. See you guys then."
[ooc: As always, information that Lucas possesses comes almost entirely from my brain, and may be incorrect, but it's his perspective on things.]
Re: Discussion questions
Re: Discussion questions