Music and Social Justice

How do artists respond to injustice?

​

Students will recognize their own responsibility to stand up to injustice. Students will plan and carry out collective action against injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective.

Overview

For this project, you will:

• Form a group and write lyrics that respond to a social justice cause of your choice. Each member will write a verse and you will collaborate on a chorus (for EX, consider a pre-chorus or a bridge).
• Consider the kind message you want to communicate:
• A critique of the injustice you see
• A re-imagining of the injustice you see
• Compose a song using software such as Garage Band, Audacity, Ableton or Logic that is a musical representation of the injustice you are addressing.

First Steps

The next nine slides contain lyrics from songs dealing with some kind of injustice

1. Choose one lyric that has meaning for you.�
2. Check the color then copy (don’t delete!) and paste it on the slide with the same color.

And now I understand what you tried to say to me

How you suffered for your sanity

How you tried to set them free.

They would not listen

They did not know how

Perhaps they'll listen now.

You think you have to want

More than you need

Until you have it all you won't be free

Pave paradise and put up a parking lot

1. "There's nothing wrong with loving who you are" She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe" "So hold your head up girl and you'll go far, Listen to me when I say"

Now turn away

'Cause I'm awful just to see

All my agony

People killin', people dyin' / Children hurt and you hear them cryin' / Can you practice what you preach? / Or would you turn the other cheek?

Stand up I'll try if you will,

Wake up it's not a fire drill,

All [earth] needs is a little attention,

Can you give her just a little attention'

They follow the pattern on the wind, ya’ see

’Cause they got no place to be

That’s why I’m starting with me

Spreadin faster than an eye can blink

So I had to sit down and take time to think

Of how to spread the word to people all across the land

To make sure they putting out a helping hand.

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change

And my life don't even matter, I know it, I know it

I know I'm hurting deep down but can't show it

I never had a place to call my own

I never had a home, ain't nobody callin' my phone

With one little action, the chain reaction will never stop, Make it strong

Shine a light, and send it on

It don't matter if you're black or white

I feel like I'm out of my mind

It feel like my life ain't mine

I know I'm hurting deep down but can't show it

Money, it's a crime

Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie

Money, so they say

Is the root of all evil today

But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're giving none away

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive

I'm free to be the greatest here tonight.

All those things that make you stronger

Will have you lying on the floor think you can't take it anymore

It's alright not to feel okay

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

It's the little things we take for granted

When we sacrifice to save the planet

Can't we all just get along?

Father, father, father help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me

Questioning

Where's the love?

So they pull back, make other plans. I understand, I’m a liability. I’m a little much for everyone.

The eastern world, it is explodin',

Violence flarin', bullets loadin',

You're old enough to kill but not for votin',

You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin',

But you tell me over and over and over again my friend,

Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Not long ago someone told me

To quit using paper, stop killing trees

Some girls, feel best in their tiny dresses

Some girls, nothin' but sweatpants, looking like a princess

I'm coming home from my hardest year

I'm making plans not to make plans while I'm here

And this life has been no holiday,

It's good to be alive

What's so funny about peace love and understanding?

No, no, no

Stick to the stuff you know

It is better by far to keep things as they are

Don't mess with the flow, no no

Stick to the status quo

I'm the water, consuming all my kindness for altaration

And Momma ain't lying for her daughter

Oh, I know on mother earth I see the weather

Most girls are smart and strong and beautiful

Most girls, work hard, go far, we are unstoppable

Most girls, our fight to make every day

No two are the same

And she says oh

I can't take no more

Her tears like diamonds on the floor

And her diamonds bring me down

Cause I can't help her now

She's down in it

She tried her best but now she can't win it

Imagine there's no countries

Nothing to kill or die for

Imagine all the people living life in peace

Protect the wild, tomorrow's child

Protect the land from the greed of man

Take out the dams, stand up to oil

Protect the plants and renew the soil

What do you want them to say when you’re gone? That you gave up or you kept going on.

Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing

It's time we all reach out for something new

That means you too

Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?

Who's gonna say that she's had enough?

Who's gonna take on the big machine?

Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?

This all starts with you and me

We're all in this together

Once we know, that we are

We're all stars

And we see that

Next Steps...

Now go back and put your name next to your lyric.

This is your group!

Yellow = (Mental) Health�

Blue = Equality

�Green = Environment

�Red = Society

Pick a Cause

Research a cause that you respond to and you want to give voice to.

In a Break Out Room...

1. As a group, re-arrange your found lyrics as if they were a verse of a single song.

​

​

2. As a group write a four line chorus that summarizes your verse without quoting or restating any of the lines.

​

3. Use this document to organize your song

​

4. Wait for next slide!

Consider the Following...

As you are writing your chorus consider the following: Is this a re-imagination of society or a criticism of it? Discuss. Look at your individual lyric. The one that spoke to you. Is this a re-imagination of society or a criticism of it? Does this reveal anything about you? Think about how you deal with a tough situation. Are you the first to criticize or the first to come up with a solution? Does this match your lyric choice?

Green

Verse 1 :

​

Global warming in the philippines,

Rising temperatures and Rising Seas

Stronger storms with deadlier winds

Torrential rains causing dangerous floods

​

Chorus :

​

This is our fight, our destiny, our hope

For the future of our planet Earth

Let’s not stay quiet, as time is running out

So let’s take action now………

​

Verse 2

​

Now look at Kenya, how bad it is,

Many more draughts and floods

Erratic storms which is causing damage,

Crops are dying, starving many farmers

​

Vinamr & Nili

​

​

Chorus :

​

This is our fight, our destiny, our hope

For the future of our planet Earth

Let’s not stay quiet, as time is running out

So let’s take action now………

​

Bridge :

​

Do not waste electricity,

Reduce your water usage,

Protect the forest and plant more trees,

Reduce, reuse and recycle!

​

Chorus :

​

This is our fight, our destiny, our hope

For the future of our planet Earth

Let’s not stay quiet, as time is running out

So let’s take action now………

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Guitar chords for the song : Bb Bb F F7

Guitar chords for bridge :

​

D, F, Gm, A

Chorus

Refine

Rethink

Redo

Your verse

Strategize how you want the verses to function.

Telling different stories, scenarios?

One long narrative?

Monitoring and Remediation for the Social Justice Song PBL

There are multiple stages to this PBL. Review and feedback will occur during and after each stage of the composition process. Any scaffolding or reteaching should happen before students move to the next stage of their composition.

Stages:

1. Group selection
2. The choice of social justice cause and angle (critique or re-imagining) on which to take action
3. Collaborative crafting of the lyrics to the chorus
4. Individual writing of one verse (For and exemplary grade, or for students who want additional challenges, they could take on writing a bridge or pre-chorus)
5. The composition of the chord progression
6. The composition of the melody

​

Monitoring and Remediation for the Social Justice Song PBL

For Stage 1:

Several factors play into the choosing of a group and data I am considering here is:

• Is this a group that will bring out the best in each other?
• Are there musical considerations to be made ie. students who play different instruments?
• Does anyone in the group have more advanced musicianship skills?
• Are there students who might do well at one stage, but not at another and will these students complement one another?

Regrouping will take place if I feel any of the groups is or will become dysfunctional.

​

Monitoring and Remediation for the Social Justice Song PBL

For Stage 2:

The choice of social justice issue should be relatively low risk, as the initial activity led them to the general cause that interested them. Choosing an angle (critique or re-imagining) could be more of a challenge for some students. It could be simply too abstract. They should first go back to the lyric that they chose in the first activity and determine its viewpoint. Is it something that resonates with them? Exemplars come in handy as well. We are the World is a good example of a re-imagining of society:

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me

​

Sunday, Bloody Sunday would make a good age appropriate song for a societal critique:

I can't believe the news today

Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away

How long, how long must we sing this song?

How long? How long?

​

For Stage 3:

Students are supposed to rework lyrics to pre-existing songs, so this should be relatively low risk. Data I will be collecting is how the students approach rhyme and the rhythmic flow of the words. If groups are struggling, the teacher should go to some exemplars to see how choruses are put together. Songs like Michael Jackson’s Heal the World and Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire are good examples of how to send a message in a poetic form. Playing the music could inspire students who are struggling with engagement. If the group continues to struggle, some direct intervention from the teacher can generate creativity:

• The teacher should refer to the group’s choice to either criticize or re-image the cause they are targeting as a means to narrow the focus.
• The teacher could suggest one half of a rhyming couplet based on their ideas.
• Knowing that the next line has to rhyme can help focus their thoughts and ideas.
• The teacher could also remind them of sound devices like assonances and alliterations, as well as the use of metaphor and simile, etc.

​

For Stage 4:

This stage could be very demanding for some students as it is their first individual task. It requires students to write creatively with a rhythmic flow, a rhyme and the use of literary devices, and this is the data I will be looking at. An intervention here for struggling or unsuccessful students is a song lyric generator. Link. This isn't a substitute, but is useful for inspiring creativity.

Writing and composing a bridge and/or a pre-chorus is an activity students can undertake while I am working with those who are struggling. This also gives the opportunity for students to “exemplify the creating standard.”

​

​

For Stage 4:

This stage could be very demanding for some students as it is their first individual task. It requires students to write creatively with a rhythmic flow, a rhyme and the use of literary devices, and this is the data I will be looking at. An intervention here for struggling or unsuccessful students is a song lyric generator. Link. This isn't a substitute, but is useful for inspiring creativity.

Writing and composing a bridge and/or a pre-chorus is an activity students can undertake while I am working with those who are struggling. This also gives the opportunity for students to “exemplify the creating standard.”

​

​

For Stage 5:

This should be a relatively straightforward stage as they have been given an online chord progression generator to help them create an harmonic structure. The biggest challenge would be to justify the progression with the social cause and focus. Data I will be looking for is:

• The overall mood of the chord progression (adjectives like rebellious, energetic, or sad can be selected in the chord progression generator)
• The tempo they choose to play the chord progression. (A faster tempo could be happier, but also more aggressive. Slower tempo could be signal grief, but also calm).
• The choice of instruments to play the progression. For a critical approach, a group might choose a distorted electric guitar to play the chords (ala Jimi Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner. For a re-imagining, a group could choose an acoustic guitar, strings or even harp.

​

For Stage 6:

For some students, composing a melody to their verse will be the most challenging stage of this project. Data I will be looking for while reviewing this stage is:

• How well the melody “sets” the text to music?
• Does the rhythm suit the natural syllabic accents of the words?
• Does the contour of the melody suit the flow of the verse?
• Are important words given prominence through pitch choice, note duration or accent?

Some students will need just a little bit of help tweaking rhythms and pitches, but others will be totally lost and will need a lot of scaffolding. For them, we start from scratch with their lyrics. Each student should memorize their lyrics by reciting them repeatedly. Through this process natural peaks and valleys will occur in their voice, as well as natural rhythms. Once they are completely memorized and stable “flow” is established, we work on converting those peaks, valleys and rhythmic flow into a pitched melodic contour that lays well over their chord progression.

​

Lastly, it may happen that some groups completely fail in this PBL. The creative demands could just be too great. In this case, the teacher can choose to focus primarily on the lyrics, and have the group set them to a preexisting song that has a similar message.

​

​