“What’s Your Name?”
Rhymes and Rhythms from Pennsylvania’s
Neighborhoods
A Study Guide
Compiled by Amy Davis and Jill Rossiter
Edited by Kate Modic and Amy Skillman
Message to the Teacher
Why Use Traditional Music in the Classroom?
“A major factor in effective education is the integration
of what is learned in the school with the experiences children
have in their homes and communities. An equal challenge is
the integration of the culture of the community into the curriculum.”
Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Professor of Folklore,
Tish School of the Arts, NYU
Traditional music can be an engaging vehicle to steer students
toward an exploration of their own culture and community.
By understanding one’s own culture, the student may begin
to see commonalities across cultures and ultimately develop
interest in understanding and appreciating others.
Music is an integral part of our lives. In addition to forming
group identity, communities use music to mark occasions or
rituals such as birthdays and weddings; to communicate culturally
significant ideas through commentaries, moral messages and
documentation of events; to celebrate and entertain; and to
express individual virtuosity and talent. Music is used by
communities, but music also teaches us about communities.
Through their music, communities tell us their unwritten histories,
the ways in which they see, order and respond to the world,
and the importance of style and aesthetics to their identity.
Music and song provide insights into language, rhythm, values,
behaviors, and beliefs. Through traditional music, students
can learn to acknowledge and respect individual differences
in ways that may help them to interact successfully across
cultures.
Great care was taken to record the traditional music of Pennsylvania’s
many communities on the accompanying recording, which presents
an exciting opportunity to learn from often overlooked cultural
treasures. The focus on traditional music is a natural entree
into community explorations. Furthermore, music establishes
a bridge between curricular areas. As these lesson plans indicate,
traditional music and song can be used to teach about geography,
physics, language, communication, arts and humanities, and
social studies.
© 2001 On Tour Productions
|
