So, you don't listen to music?

I'll often give students interest surveys at the beginning of the marking period, and one of the questions I'd ask was "What kind of music do you listen to?" Most students would respond with names of bands, or genres they liked, but every once in a while I'd get a kid who would write "I don't listen to music."  Obviously, not the best way to start off a new marking period of grade general music. Of course, I'd always do my best to turn it into a good conversation starter.

Me:  So you don't listen to music?
Student: No, not really.
Me: Do you watch tv?
Student: Yeah...
Me: Play video games?
Student: Yeah...
Me: Go to movies?
Student: Uh, sure... 

...I'm sure you see where this is going. 

After a few years of these conversations with students, I got to thinking; regardless of whether or not our students are die hard music fans, they are surrounded by media that incorporates music in one form or another. So if any one subject is going to be included in a general music class, I figured why not a unit on Music and Emotion. In the unit, we take a look at how marketers and media producers use music to help tell stories, to help sell products, and to form bonds with their target audiences.

As an introduction to the unit, I show the students various movie trailers and videos. We talk about what kind of audience the people who put the video together are going for and how the musical decisions are affected by the target audience. 

One of my favorite examples of the use of music to reach specific audiences can be seen in these two variations of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Trailer.

Alice - Trailer #1


Alice - Trailer #2


After watching the two trailers, we talk about which one was probably shown before a PIXAR movie, and which was shown before the newest Action/Adventure super hero film. Along with lighting and pacing, how did the music used help determine the target audience?

Another great intro video is this IKEA lamp commercial directed by none other than Spike Jonze.

It's obvious, Jonze knows how to use music and lighting to play with our emotions.

One of the best discussions I've ever had about the argument of nature v. nurture in determining how/why music impacts us, was after I showed this recent YouTube meme...

Why is the boy crying? Did he recently go through a break-up? Did he have a rough morning? Did he get in an argument with his mother before getting in the car with his dad? 

I usually don't give homework in general music, but after the introductory lesson for the Music and Emotion Unit, I charge the kids with paying particular attention to the music that is used in the media they watch and the games they play, and how it impacts their emotions.  

In the next blog, I'll go into detail about how the students use GarageBand to create their own soundtracks and tell their own stories.