Anthems

Happy New Year! While I’m definitely feeling restored after some needed time off over winter break, January is not my favorite month. Shout out to my mom, who instilled in me a dislike for the top of the year: it’s cold, gray, and oh-so-far away from consistently warm temps. While the chill of the month and taking down holiday decorations isn’t something I love, I find the month of January in the music room to be one of my favorites. Unlike the beginning of the school year where you’re establishing routines and building trust or the push from November-December in preparing for performances (while still trying to celebrate all the holidays), there’s just nothing but time. No performances to prep for, no harried this-holiday-that-holiday, no racing to squeeze in all the celebrations and traditions. Less pressure, more meat. I have lots of great lessons and activities for the month that I’ll share along the way, but today I thought I’d share how I start the month (because…it’s awesome). Head’s up: this post is long, but worth it. Promise.

I always begin January the same way:

• Gush over the winter performance and what amazing performers they were

• Recap of something fun from winter break (go around and pat the beat):

  Winter break is over

  The holidays are through.

  Tell me about something fun

  That you got to do!

The kids love to share about their breaks and, while there are some who talk about their drool worthy vacations or a present they received, most highlight the sweet moments of childhood: baking cookies with grandma, playing with cousins, staying up too late, going to the movies. I always think parents would be shocked to hear what their kids share as their stand-out experiences.

• ANTHEMS

Many, many years ago I started a tradition of singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as a community for our MLK assembly. Obviously, things changed during Covid and I feel like the way I teach it now is so much more impactful and enriching.

We talk about how it was adopted as the Black National Anthem by the NAACP in 1919, the history of this important song, the significance of the words and meaning of the lyrics, and how our understanding of them has evolved and continues to change to this day.

We listen to two different versions of the song and discuss how, musically, these very different performances elevate the meaning of the words in completely different ways. Version one (Jarrett Johnson and Alvin Chea) and version two (Blair Whitlow and Otto Gross from Quaver Music).

The Jarrett Johnson video always brings up important conversations (BLM movement, George Floyd protests, 2020—things these kids remember, saw with their own eyes, many of them participating in peaceful protests). They recognize important historical figures, wonder why he’s dressed in four different outfits, why the video goes from black and white to color, what the colors of the mural represent.

The Quaver video lends itself to a completely different kind of conversation—one centered around musical decisions and why they might have been chosen, how they elevate the meaning of the words, and how they, as listeners, feel as they hear it. Do your feelings change after you listen again, knowing a little more and keeping these thoughts in mind?

One example: during the lyrics, “Sing a song, full of the faith that the dark past has taught us; Sing a song full of the hope that the present has…” voices are divided (men and women) and lyrics are sung in unison. The significance of this musical move symbolizes the unity needed for a common goal. This line moves through different keys, creating a sense of hope in the face of uncertainty. 

On the subsequent words “brought us” the voices explode into harmony, and notes are sustained past their written value (a fermata–what a great way to throw in some musical terminology and theory!).

MLK said “...there are two types of laws: just and unjust… one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” To make this tangible and not have them leaving my classroom thinking they should break all kinds of laws, we talk about Rosa Parks and her bravery, refusal to move to the back of the bus, going to jail, the bus boycott, and the resulting unjust laws being changed.

Could one interpret that musical decision, the holding of the word “us” to be a symbolic representation of that quote? Deep conversations for elementary students, but you’d be surprised how this opens their mind and makes them aware of symbolism in a whole new way.

Students are always moved listening to this song. They ask to hear it again and again. We sing it and they work on their dynamics and accents, noting key words. Over the years, I’ve listened to and performed this song hundreds of times. And I feel my feels every.single.time. And I let my students know this. The way music can impact us is vital. And if they take away that from their time in my classroom, I’m a proud teacher. Not whether or not they know how many beats are in a quarter note.

It feels like this post has gotten a bit long, and it pains me not to give the same amount of dedication to this other song we focus on. However, for the sake of time, I’ll briefly say that following “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” we focus on “Rise Up” by Andra Day. This song became a protest anthem, one connected to the BLM movement. We talk about her as an artist, her inspiration for the song, and persevering during hard times.

We watch this video of Kaitlyn Saunders, aka: The Skate Kid as she improvises a figure skating performance to “Rise Up” on Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC. In her choreography she expresses her hope for the future amidst the social unrest of the times. She wants people who see her to “feel free…- the feeling she gets while skating.” From her movements and gestures on specific words, to the colors of her skating outfit, everything is filled with intention and meaning. I believe she was 10 years old at the time.

Whether you plan to teach these songs or not, please enjoy watching these videos on repeat. Send them to someone you know—share it widely, as, historically, music has been passed on from one generation to the next.

Thanks for making it to the end. Check back for some January highlights soon!

Joanna