include several different parts H u m a n i t i e s
Why do you listen to music? How does music make you feel? Does music serve a different role in your life depending on your mood, who you are with or what you are doing? Does music ever cause you to think differently, to feel a part of something larger or to want to rise up and take action? Let’s Hear About It! You are to develop a soundtrack list. You pick one theme deviance, stigma, identity, protest, social control, quiet rage, exclusion, resistance, justice, injustice, transformation, respect, and freedom, you name it. Your soundtrack will be made up of at least 10 songs. Do not limit yourself to any one genre, be eclectic. You will identify the song’s title and artist, from the lyrics (usually accessible online) highlight the most significant stanza to you, and provide a brief (100-200 words in length) explanation of how each song selection ties into the particular theme you picked.
1. Brainstorm a list of the most meaningful moments in your life (thus far). What events have shaped who you are, what you believe, and how you view the world?
2. Select at least one (1) of the most important moments from your list.
3. Now comes the fun part: Link that event to the music you listen to. This is a challenge for some people and easy for others; I encourage you to grasp at a greater knowledge of music and share your ideas with others. Google “The Green Book of Songs by Subject” (http:// This site categorizes more than twenty thousand songs and makes them easy to search. Use the Internet to find lyrics or titles to songs that relate to your events. You can also share your findings with your peers. Some of you will have similar events and you might just find some new music you love. Talk to one another. Share your ideas.
4. Next, put your songs in order. This should not be random! Put together your soundtrack in a meaningful way. This does not have to be chronological, though it might be.
5. Now another fun part—the write-up. This assignment is a written exploration of self, and will include several different parts. a. In the first paragraph, introduce yourself to the “listener.” This should just be a brief, autobiographical paragraph about who you are. b. In the second paragraph, explain your soundtrack to your listeners. What is this soundtrack doing/explaining about you? What do you want the listeners to get out of hearing/reading your soundtrack? c. Next, introduce each event/song combination in one paragraph. (As you reflect on these things, remember that this is why the organizing principle (the order you put your songs) is so important. d. Finally, in your conclusion, thank the listeners for “sharing” these meaningful life experiences with you (remember, you are writing this for people who cares and are paying attention— me and your classmates!). This is where you should sum up what this project has meant to you. My hope is that by the end of this project, you will find it meaningful.
6. You will submit your soundtrack in our discussion forum to share with your classmates. I expect you to approach this assignment with varying degrees of seriousness—some of you will reflect on deeper or inspiring moments of life’s injustices that have been close to you; some of you will reflect on the freedom of a first love; some of you will be led to consider the notion of identity and what mean for you or marginalized people. This assignment can be as deep and/or as personal as you choose to make it.
