Tag: music

For fun…

We teachers have full, wonderful lives outside of teaching. I think. Sure we do! YES! We most definitely do! And why let all the wonderful folks such as Barack Obama create a list!? Here’s my challenge, inspired by @jarredamato, the leader of #ProjectLit:

When a friend posted Obama’s list today, I immediately went to i-Tunes and grabbed some of the songs I liked. Dang, I used to be such an aficionado of new music! What happened?

via GIPHY

Whatever.

Here are the list of movies, books, and music I added to my collection in 2018:

Books:

My Goodreads name is k love (I think) and I read 47/100 of my reading challenge books. *Shrug* https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/11069938

My favorites came out of the #ProjectLit collection:

Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha)

Dread Nation (see link)

Dread Nation

Long Way Down: (see link)

Long Way Down

And:

Movies/Television:

What did we watch? Well, Black KKKlansman, Black Panther, Hereditary, A Quiet Place, Isle of Dogs, Bird Box, (read the book first, dang it!) Game Night (eye roll), Solo and whatever comes out on Netflix. Shows include Ozark, Sabrina, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, The Haunting of Hill House, Making a Murderer, Jessica Jones, Series of Unfortunate Events, Vikings, Game of Thrones, all of the American Horror Stories, Better Call Saul, Barry, and started Dark. (I feel like there are some missing, but oh well.)

Music

Some songs I added (not new to 2018 necessarily, but new to me):

And I highly recommend the Kill Bill soundtrack.

In addition to consuming media, I like to create media, too! I love to write and make collage images.

@cmclymer tweeted this fun thing – what would your two accessories be?

A toy company makes a replica action figure of your likeness. What two accessories do they include?— Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) December 27, 2018

So thank you, Jarred and Charlotte, for some fun ideas. I’m not anyone important, but I am a teacher, and living my best, creative life helps me, my family, and my students. It is my personal oxygen mask.

Summer Series of Saves: Genre

My sweet friend posts the cutest things on social media (in contrast to my doom-and-gloom handwringing posts). This is such a great idea of how to explain genre to students–yes, the lyrics are a little spicey but rest assured I always get parent permission for my 8th-grade students.

This would be such a fun engaging activity: give student groups songs and randomize styles of music. Play examples of different musical genres and have students identify key characteristics.

I’m curious as to what some of your favorite genres might be, too:

[socialpoll id=”2512344″]

 

Myth-of-the-Month Club: No need to PANic.

Play that funky music, goat man.
Play that funky music, goat man.

Pan – the little goat-man, lover of beautiful girls, and chaser of dreams. His presence creates panic in men because of his wild nature, the forces that cannot be controlled, when we lose ourselves to crazy behavior, mob rule, or “herd” mentality. When we act like sheep, Pan is the deity to blame.

PAN was the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music. He wandered the hills and mountains of Arkadia playing his pan-pipes and chasing Nymphs. His unseen presence aroused feelings of panic in men passing through the remote, lonely places of the wilds.

Maybe that’s why over eons Pan morphed into a devil-like manifestation: from Greek mythology, he changed into something to be feared, a representation of temptation, debauchery, and evil. Mankind versus Nature has been an age-old conflict, and we all know which side Pan is on.

But perhaps Pan doesn’t deserve this reputation. Maybe he was just ‘green’ before everyone else was. He was a funky hippy dude, playing his flutes, hanging out with Mother Nature, and making organic feta cheese to sprinkle on his pita chips. Soap wasn’t his friend, per se, but animal instinct was his middle name. Pan is the free-thinker, the non-conformist, kind to animals, and not intending any harm. He has his share of heartbreak, too. Maybe if he had used a little deodorant…but there was no way to cover up that stink.

The mythos of Pan gave us other personifications of wildness, youth, and nature, not just the devil. We have the charming tale of never wanting to grow up, in J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and of course, we all get a little ‘satyr but wiser’ with Phil, the trainer in Disney’s Hercules.

Hercules-Phil1

Pan is also featured in one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins’ novels. But he’s not until you get to college.  Not that anything’s bad, just some more grown-up ideas. Sometimes experience does have its benefits, young ones.

So, when you’re feeling like you need some time to kick back, listen to some music, and just chill, thank your friendly neighborhood Pan for helping you get back in touch with nature. And, don’t forget: reuse, recycle, and reduce!

Music to Our Ears…

Video: The Guitar Maker

Jack White, Jimmy Page, The Edge
Jack White, Jimmy Page, The Edge

One thing we can all agree on is that we don’t all have to agree – right? Your tastes in music may be very different from mine. But, don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions and assume I only like one type of music. I like a lot of genres of music – everything from The Beatles to Black Eyed Peas, from Mozart to Moby, and everything in between. I put my i-pod on random shuffle and listen to the surprising results. (When did I download that? Oh, this is one of my favorites. This is new! Cool!)

Some music I grew up with when I was a teenager, back when I rode a dinosaur to school and only had three channels, included U-2 and Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin’s heyday began long before I was in high school, but once I heard them, I thought, yeah…this is awesome! In college, when I had a broken heart, I listened to Since I’ve Been Loving You about 1,299 times.

During my senior year a friend of mine, Chris, told me about U-2, telling me it was, and would remain, one of the greatest bands. Ever. Period. I wish I knew where he was today so I could tell him his prediction turned out more than true.

The White Stripes is an acquired taste, but I do like their raw, simplistic sound.

There is a documentary called It Might Get Loud coming out on August 27 that highlights the three main musical talents, geniuses, gurus, whatever title one may wish: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Jack White, and The Edge of U-2. Yes. The Edge. That’s his name.

So, I’ll be there, front row seat, hoping to get a glimpse inside the hearts and minds of three very talented musicians.

What are you listening to?