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Try the following: Take a break from whatever you're doing, and listen closely to the sounds around you for a few minutes. What do you hear? Are you surprised by anything you hear? If you get a chance, try the same exercise someplace else, perhaps in your backyard, kitchen or classroom, or on your fire escape or street corner.

What are the sounds that make up the background noise in your life?

In the Interactive " Dear Architects: Sound Matters " Michael Kimmelman writes:

We talk about how cities and buildings look. We call places landmarks or eyesores. But we rarely talk about how architecture sounds, aside from when a building or room is noisy.

The spaces we design and inhabit all have distinctive sounds. The reading rooms at the New York Public Library have an overlay of rich sound. Your office may be a big room in a glass building with rows of cubicles where people stare into computer screens.

It may be sealed off from the outside, and you may think it is quiet.

Is it?

Often the sound of a place is so pervasive that we stop noticing what we hear. Or we think the sound could not be otherwise - that is, until we, say, turn off the buzzing overhead lights.

He continues:

Sound may be invisible or only unconsciously perceived, but that doesn't make it any less an architectural material than wood, glass, concrete, stone or light. It is shaped by design, albeit most architects rarely think much about it, except when their task is to come up with a pleasing concert hall or a raucous restaurant - and then acousticians are called in. That said, you don't need to be a specialist to distinguish spaces according to the sounds they make.

Students: Read the entire essay, and if possible, use headphones to listen to the audio, then tell us ...

- What are the sounds that make up the background noise in your life? How do the sounds change as you move from place to place in your daily life?

- Do the sounds you hear provide you with comfort? Do they feel familiar? Or, do you find them by and large annoying or unpleasant?

- If you did the listening activity suggested above, were you surprised by what you heard? Why?

- Do you ever play music or wear headphones to escape the background noise (or quiet) in your life?

- Do you agree with Mr. Kimmelman that sound is an important, if often overlooked, element that architects should consider when designing buildings? Why?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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What Are the Sounds That Make Up the Background Noise in Your Life?

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Try the following: Take a break from whatever you're doing, and listen closely to the sounds around you for a few minutes. What do you hear? Are you surprised by anything you hear? If you get a chance, try the same exercise someplace else, perhaps in your backyard, kitchen or classroom, or on your fire escape or street corner.

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Why are a growing number of teenagers suffering from hearing loss? How can the noise in our lives be dangerous? How do our ears and our brain work together to detect sound?

Every day, we are surrounded by noise, from whispered conversations to the roar of busy streets. And any age group - whether infants, or teenagers or older adults - can suffer from even seemingly benign sound levels. In this lesson, we offer several ways to learn about hearing and hearing loss.

Observe Your Soundscape
Use a decibel meter or app to measure the sounds you encounter on a regular basis, such as the hum of a refrigerator, the volume of your stereo or crowd noise at a game or in a cafeteria. While the measurements you yield might not be fully accurate, they can give you a sense of how loud different noises are. Record your observations in a notebook and organize them into a chart or a graph.

Compare your measurements with those made by classmates or the ones in this sound tour of New York City. How do they stack up against other sounds and workplace regulations? What noise levels are safe for human hearing? Are the levels in your daily life dangerous to your own hearing?
Investigate How Our Ears and Brain Detect Sounds
Have you ever been given a hearing test? Consider asking the school nurse or a local audiologist to speak to your class about how ears sense sounds. Gauge your own hearing by playing different sounds with this "hearing response" activity or this online measurement of hearing. (Please note that neither of these exercises is an actual hearing test, which should be administered only by a trained health care professional.)

Then, explore the physics of sound, including sound waves, pitch, frequency, intensity and the decibel scale, and discuss the definition of sound and what decibel meters measure. Next, research ear anatomy and view this animation of hearing.

Then, create three-dimensional models illustrating how our ears and brains detect sounds. Consider creating different models for each stage: from sound entering the ear through the cochlea, to being detected by microscopic hair cells, to transmission to the brain. Can you sequence the steps from the initial sound to its final interpretation?
Survey Listening Habits
Do you listen to music with earbuds or headphones? Used incorrectly, headphones can contribute to noise-induced hearing loss, which affects an estimated 5.2 million people between the ages of 6 and 19.

With your class, create and carry out a survey to determine your schoolmates' listening habits and hearing problems. Consider using these questions and developing your own about the volume and duration of the music to which students are listening as well as their attitudes about hearing health.

Additionally, monitor your own listening habits by keeping a log of your headphone or earbud use in terms of duration and volume.

Tally the survey results, compare classmates' individual logs and discuss your findings. Do you or your classmates listen to music too loudly and for too long? Are you worried about your own hearing? Why or why not? Do you think you will change your listening habits after conducting this survey?
Debate Headphone Usage
"One in ﬁve teenagers in America can't hear rustles or whispers, according to a study published in August in The Journal of the American Medical Association," wrote Virginia Heffernan in 2011. "The number of teenagers with hearing loss - from slight to severe - has jumped 33 percent since 1994." Many researchers believe that sound played loudly and regularly through headphones is responsible for this widespread hearing loss.

Debate this question: Should we stop using headphones?

To prepare for the discussion, research causes of noise-induced hearing loss and find out what a panel of experts had to say about "Why Teenagers Can't Hear You" in a Room for Debate feature. To go further, learn how a study shows that noise can damage our ears.

Alternatively, you can visit the It's a Noisy Planet website for an explanation of noise-induced hearing loss written expressly for children and parents.
Promote Awareness of Hearing Loss
Is it possible to enjoy music and not damage your hearing? Research current listening recommendations and visit one or more of these websites to learn more about how noise-induced hearing loss affects young people:

Then create a video or print ad campaign, like this one, to promote awareness of noise-induced hearing loss and safe listening habits within your school.
Rev Up the War on Noise
Blasting your personal music isn't the only danger to your hearing. Daily life is full of clatter. For more than a century, politicians and concerned citizens have fought to make New York City a more ear-friendly town. Scroll through this interactive detailing New York's war on noise. Then read about how crowded indoor spaces throughout the city, from restaurants to fitness clubs, dole out noise levels that border on dangerous for both those who work and play there.

Should we have stricter laws protecting us from dangerous noise levels? Find out how United States workplace noise regulations compare with those in other countries and then decide what leaders in your community should do to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Write a proposal or discuss the issue as a class.

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Turn Down the Volume: Researching the Science of Sound and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

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Why are a growing number of teenagers suffering from hearing loss? How can the noise in our lives be dangerous? How do our ears and our brain work together to detect sound? Every day, we are surrounded by noise, from whispered conversations to the roar of busy streets.

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In six years, Interscope records mogul Jimmy Iovine and hip-hop icon Dr. Dre have turned Beats By Dr. Dre headphones into a $1 billion-plus business. Now, together with new president and former Interscope executive Luke Wood, they're faced with a new challenge: taking a hot brand and making it, you might say, even hotter.

To that end, Beats Electronics has introduced portable and wireless speakers, co-branded smartphones--and in January it even launched a new streaming music service, Beats Music, to compete with the likes of Spotify. Beats Electronics, despite some ferocious competition, still controls almost 70 percent of the market for premium headphones. For that it can thank lightning-fast marketing and an unbeatable grasp of pop culture. Iovine and Wood explain how they and Dr. Dre pulled it off--and what they have to do to stay on top.

"You've got to be lucky enough to identify a problem where you think you can help," says Iovine. Back in 2006, Iovine felt the music industry had two problems: first, the degradation of record sales because of piracy. Second: the degradation of audio quality because of Apple's plastic earbuds. "Apple," he says, "was selling $400 iPods with $1 earbuds. Dre told me, 'Man, it's one thing that people steal my music. It's another thing to destroy the feeling of what I've worked on.' " But the Cupertino, California, tech giant was both their bane and their inspiration. "Steve Jobs was the first to marry technology directly with popular culture," says Iovine. "I thought, Wow, technology is the new artist." He and Dre settled on a plan. "They're making a beautiful white object with all the music in the world in it," Iovine says. "I'm going to make a beautiful black object that will play it back. Dre and I decided to market this product just like it was Tupac or U2 or Guns N' Roses."

"We got dumped on by audiophiles on Day One," says Iovine. Beats headphones weren't tuned evenly, like the usual high-end headphones. They were tuned to make the music sound more dramatic. Iovine adds: "We wanted to recreate that excitement of being in the studio. That's why people listen." But skeptics also wondered why anybody would pay $200 for headphones when you got the earbuds for nothing. "I was like, 'Bad audio is free,' " Iovine says. "When you believe in something, the last thing you say to yourself is, Well, no one's doing this, so there must be no good reason to do it."

Assemble an All-Star Focus Group

When developing the first Beats headphones, Iovine would lay out various prototypes in his Interscope offices and then poll everyone who came to see him. "It was this incredible parade of the world's great artists," says Wood. "M.I.A. or Pharrell Williams or Gwen Stefani or Will.i.am would come around, and I'd ask them, 'What do you think of this one? What about this? What about that?' " says Iovine. "It's not a numbers thing. I go to people with great taste." As he and Dre prepared to launch the final version of Beats, Iovine sent a pair to another world-famous guy: LeBron James. Iovine had been hanging out in the editing room with James's friend and business partner Maverick Carter during the development of a documentary on the basketball star. "Mav called me back and says, 'LeBron wants 15.' " Iovine sent them, and they turned up on the ears of every member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team when they arrived in Shanghai. "Now that's marketing," says Iovine.

What Are Consumers Thinking About? Make That

"When we look at marketing for our year ahead, we don't look at what products have the best margin or which ones sell best--that's detrimental to progress and innovation," says Wood. "We ask, 'What do we think the consumer should learn about?' " This year, they're talking a lot about wireless speakers and headphones--"We want to teach people that Bluetooth can sound good," says Wood.

Trust Your Gut and Double Down

"I always go back to my experience in the music business," says Wood. Today, as then, Wood looks for the "tug"--the little sign that he has a hit. Then he trusts his gut, and doubles down. Back in the day, a tug could be an album that gets sudden critical acclaim or a band that suddenly sells a lot of merchandise at its gigs. Now, he says, he gets the same sense from how fans--and Iovine and Dre's music-industry buddies--respond to Beats's ads and products. When an ad featuring Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Garnett with the slogan "Hear What You Want" got a big response on Twitter--and Iovine got complimentary emails from none other than Will.i.am and rapper P. Diddy--"we knew we had something," says Wood.

Beats rolled out more ads, including one featuring a press conference with outspoken Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, that did even better. It ran in the third quarter of the playoff game against San Francisco. When Sherman talked trash about his opponents in the postgame commentary, the Beats ad also got attention.

When Iovine heard Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," he smelled a hit--for Beats Electronics. Iovine and Wood got the rights to use the song in an ad and then got Thicke to reshoot the music video--within five days of the original shoot. Then Wood phoned up the CEO of RadioShack and offered to make the ad a dual promotion; RadioShack partly footed the bill. Beats has moved even faster. The Sunday before Black Friday 2012, Will.i.am phoned Iovine: He had just recorded a single with Britney Spears--would it make a good Beats ad? Within 72 hours, Beats filmed Will.i.am and cut a new Black Friday commercial with the song; it aired during Thanksgiving football games. "We got to break a new song, and Will.i.am got millions of dollars in broadcast advertising exposure," says Wood.

Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

Co-marketing deals with big brands are a big part of the Beats playbook. Since the beginning, they have put Beats audio in products ranging from HP laptops to Chrysler 300s to HTC cell phones--and Beats has enjoyed plenty of the big guys' marketing muscle along the way. "We sold half a billion worth of product before we paid for one ad," says Iovine.

Hide the Gold Records in the Basement

"I'm always thinking about what Beats is not, about what's missing," says Iovine. "When you succeed, don't think you've done this incredible thing. Stay focused on the product. I never collected the gold records of the albums I engineered." (Iovine has worked for U2 and Tom Petty.) "My father asked me why I never put them up. I said, 'Dad, they haunt me. I can't think about anything yesterday.' "

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The Billion-Dollar Strategy Behind the Beats By Dre Empire

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In six years, Interscope records mogul Jimmy Iovine and hip-hop icon Dr. Dre have turned Beats By Dr. Dre headphones into a $1 billion-plus business. Now, together with new president and former Interscope executive Luke Wood, they're faced with a new challenge: taking a hot brand and making it, you might say, even hotter.

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Word-of-Mouth and Referral Marketing Blog

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Everyone loves a business success story, they make us feel good and provide inspiration to keep going with our own business endeavors.

Beats is a company that was able to rise to excellent success, and it's important to take note of the things that led them to achieve it. Noting how others obtain their successes can lead to superb pointers for your own company.

So here is how Beats came to be one of the best and most well-known brands in the world, and one of the most popular headphone brands that people buy.

Finding a niche - especially one that's willing to spend more for perceived quality

noted that Apple was selling £600 iPhones with cheap headphones that were low durability and had considerably poor quality. He found it to be a shame that people could not listen to his work, and the work of others, in the quality that was intended.

So he decided to create a pair of headphones that could be used with the to give a better quality of sound. There was a gap in the market and he had a plan to fill it.
Read next: The Power Of Niche Marketing: Emulate These 4 Successful Brands to Get More Word-of-Mouth
Ignore the Critics - be willing to be different and charge more for it

From the start Beats faced a great deal of criticism. The headphones were not tuned like regular ones, they were made to make the sound more dramatic and to recreate the excitement when in the studio recording.

Not only this, but the price was far higher than the cheap earbuds provided by places like Apple. In their words, "bad audio is free". Your clients will pay for something if they think it is worth it.

Talk to your customers - Use focus groups to find out what they want, and give it to them

You need prototypes and people to come and test them. When people come and use your product (just as they did with Beats headphones) they will be able to give you feedback and talk to you about the areas you can make improvements on.

You get a lot of excellent and constructive criticism to help you improve your product before you go on to release it. Plus, you get to learn more about what the consumer is looking for you,and you can try to incorporate that into it.
Read next: Tribes, Niches, Groups and Subreddits - 30+ Examples Of Community-Focused Marketing
Endorsements and Advertising - Beats gave away free headphones to athletes at the Olympics to get tonnes of exposure

At the 2012 Olympics, Beats did some clever guerrilla marketing - they gave away headphones to top athletes,who'd listen to music to prepare themselves before their events. This gave them almost-free exposure at one of the most televised events in human history.

Since then they've had artists like Lil' Wayne use them. And yes, those are diamond-encrusted headphones that cost $1,000,000:

Do everything you can to get some kind of celebrity endorsement or one from another company that relates to your product. You can also work cooperatively with other companies to create ad campaigns that will help to boost your sales.

Effectively, never be afraid to ride on the shoulders of giants. The boost they give you can mean everything, it can be the difference between a huge success and a rocky start. Never be afraid to ask for endorsements and cooperation.
Read next: Celebrities, Bloggers, Athletes, YouTubers - 24+ Examples Of Marketing Through Influencers
To Conclude

Any product has the potential to rise from the ground and become an international success. Beats headphones are an excellent example of this. What's critical is the quality of your idea, and the desire you have to work on it and expand it into something that appeals to people.

Make sure you have your focus groups to test your products, always take constructive criticism on board, and do your best to get as many endorsements and cooperative agreements as you can. With enough faith and hard work you'll be off the ground in no time.

_____
Read next: How To Get Word-of-Mouth: 40+ Successful Examples To Learn From

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How Dr. Dre's Beats Became The Most Popular Headphones In The World - Word-of-Mouth and Referral Marketing Blog

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Everyone loves a business success story, they make us feel good and provide inspiration to keep going with our own business endeavors. Beats is a company that was able to rise to excellent success, and it's important to take note of the things that led them to achieve it.

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Can music improve athletic performance? Can running faster or working out harder be as simple as boosting the volume on your favorite songs?

Costas Karageorghis, author of the book, "Applying Music in Exercise and Sport" has spent 25 years studying music and its effect on the brain. Music can be a stimulant or a sedative, he said. It can enhance mood, improve muscle control and help the brain build key muscle memories. Here's how:
It uses the whole brain
"When the brain is listening to music, it lights up like a Christmas tree," Karageorghis said. "It's an ideal stimuli because it reaches [parts of the brain] that can't easily be reached."

Listening to music activates several major brain areas at once, his research shows: the parietal lobe, which contains the motor cortex; the occipital, or visual processing lobe, the brain's center for rhythm and coordination; the temporal lobe, which regulates pitch, tone and structure; and the frontal lobe and cerebellum, which regulate emotion.

These brain areas are critical to athletic performance. It is in the temporal lobe that cortisol - a stress hormone - is released. Music helps regulate stress by reducing cortisol levels, Karageorghis said. The motor cortex, which is located in the parietal lobe, regulates our body's motor function, which helps determine how straight we throw a football or how well we coordinate our limbs when running, and allows us to fall into our own "rhythm" as we work.

Reyna Gordon, a neuroscientist with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says it's unusual for so many parts of the brain to act in concert.
It helps regulate your emotions
Karageorghis' research has focused on how music regulates mood and helps us filter out distractions. The key, he found, is to use music to tap into the brain's secretion of dopamine and natural opioids - two naturally occurring chemicals that help block our perception of fatigue and pain.

Music can also enhance mood and increase confidence, he said.

"Based on my research, music can be like a performance-enhancing drug. It's just that intoxicating."

For example, listening to Beyonce's "Run the World" might send a positive message to the brain about performance, which might in turn boosts confidence. Conversely, the sad message in Pink's "Sober" can help curb excess adrenaline and bring our anxiety levels back to neutral, post-workout or competition.

Nathan Keith Schrimsher, a 2016 Olympian competing for team USA in the modern pentathlon competition, listened to "One Day Too Late" during his last competition.

"It just put me into an attitude to not quit and to give everything I have to make my life matter," he said.

Gordon's research shows that music can also have a lasting effect on our emotions. When she exposed test subjects to sad music and then showed them a face expressing a certain emotion, the subjects were more likely to assume the face was frowning.

"Our brains want to make sense of the info coming in," Gordon said. "People are able to recognize emotion in music from very short excerpts."
It Makes You Want to Move
Karageorghis' findings show that syncing the tempo of the music to an athlete's heart rate can have powerful outcomes, such as improved stamina, speed and athletic performance .

"You want to try to match your music tempo to your desire to work," Karageorghis said. "That doesn't mean just increasing the tempo, however, because there is a ceiling effect. Anything over 140 beats per minute won't make you go any faster."

The sweet spot, he said, is around 120 bpm, which is the average heart rate during a light jog.

Using this information, Karageorghis has crafted playlists that match heart rates from resting (around 50 bpm) through a warm-up (80 bpm) to low intensity (100-120 bpm) to mid-intensity (120-130 bpm) and finally to maximum (140 bpm) before reversing the process.

KARAGEORGHIS RUNNER'S PLAYLIST

Jessica Grahn, a cognitive neuroscientist at Western University in London, Ontario, said the body responds best to steady rhythms. She found that among patients with Parkinson's Disease, for example, having a steady beat that matches their movements seemed to improve muscle control.
It Helps with Muscle Memory
Finally, listening to songs with lyrics that mimic physical movement, Karageorghis said, can help an athlete's brain form muscle memories. The Salt n' Pepper song "Push it", she said, is the perfect song for those practicing shot put, or any exercise that requires the athlete to physically push something. The brain forms pathways more effectively when it has a song to back up the physical goal.

"Based on my research, music can be like a performance-enhancing drug," Karageorghis said. "It's just that intoxicating."
What are your Olympians Listening To? -Carli Lloyd, indoor volleyball, setter "Music can help get me out of my own head and in my zone. It can make me relax, or pump me up. Music plays a huge role in my competition routine." TOP SONGS:
Not Afraid-Eminem -

There Will Be Time-Mumford and Sons-

Broken Arrows-Avicii-
-Margaux Isaksen, modern pentathlon "I'll occasionally listen to music during fencing in competition but I'm past the point where music or anything will change my performance to help me. I just go out there and do the best I can, that's all I can ask for." TOP SONGS:
Pill in Ibiza-Mike Posner-

Operate-Illenium remix-

I Want You to Know-Zedd-
-Katie Zaferes, Triathlon "Music is there to calm me down or pump me up. It fills my brain and blocks any unnecessary thoughts." TOP SONGS:
Straight Out The Gate- Tech N9ne-

Let's Go-Trick Daddy-

My House-Flo Rida-

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Can music improve athletic performance? Can running faster or working out harder be as simple as boosting the volume on your favorite songs? Costas Karageorghis, author of the book, "Applying Music in Exercise and Sport" has spent 25 years studying music and its effect on the brain.

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students learn about the ways New Orleans high school marching bands and professional brass bands have overcome obstacles in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to keep their musical traditions alive. They then create auditory presentations on festivals and celebrations around the world.

Author(s):
Annissa Hambouz, The New York Times Learning Network
Javaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City

Suggested Time Allowance: 1 hour

Objectives:
Students will:
1. Listen to and discuss a clip of New Orleans brass band music.
2. Consider the significance of music, to both the young and old, in New Orleans culture by reading and discussing the article, "In New Orleans, Bands Struggle to Regain Footing."
3. Create auditory presentations on festivals or celebrations in different global regions they have studied in class.
4. Write journal responses on their thoughts about the music from their assigned global regions.

Resources / Materials:
-student journals
-pens/pencils
-paper
-classroom board
-copies of "In New Orleans, Bands Struggle to Regain Footing" found online at //www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20070221wednesday.html (one per student)
-resources to play music, such as computers with Internet access and speakers or a CD player
-examples of regional music from countries you have covered in your curriculum (find pre-recorded examples in advance, if in-class time is limited)

Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Before class, cue your classroom computer or stereo to play an example of New Orleans brass band music, such as the Hot 8 Brass Band (downloads available online at //www.tipsevents.com/foundation/coop/hot8/media.htm) or the Rebirth Brass Band (downloads available online at //www.rebirthbrassband.com/music.shtml), both mentioned in today's New York Times article.
After students have been seated, play a two- to three-minute audio clip, and then discuss the following questions:
-Where do you think this music is from?
-How would you describe this music? How does it make you feel?
-Does this music remind you of anything? Do any images come to mind when you hear it?
Before reading and discussing today's article, share the name of the band with students and explain that the song they have listened to is from New Orleans, a city famous for its brass band jazz music. The article they will read today is about the connection between New Orleans' high school marching bands and professional brass bands, and how both institutions have managed to survive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
2. As a class, read and discuss "In New Orleans, Bands Struggle to Regain Footing" (//www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20070221wednesday.html) focusing on the following questions:
a. Why has it been difficult for New Orleans to keep its high school marching bands involved in Mardi Gras festivities in recent times?
b. According to the article, what challenges have high school marching bands faced since Hurricane Katrina?
c. What are some examples of relationships between high school marching bands and professional brass bands in New Orleans? How does each help the other?
d. What famous professional brass bands are mentioned in the article?
e. When did the tradition of high school marching bands taking part in Mardi Gras start, and what were some of the early challenges the bands faced?
f. In what ways does the article illustrate the significance of music in New Orleans culture?
g. What conclusions can you draw about the importance of music education in New Orleans high schools?
h. What else does this story remind you of, whether from your own experience or from something you may have read, seen, or heard about?
3. Announce to students that they will be working in groups to compose creative auditory presentations. Their work should offer scenes from a festival or holiday celebrated in one of the global regions they have studied and should also incorporate the music specific to these regions. Divide the class into groups of four to five students and assign each a country or region you have covered in your curriculum. (Though students should not be expected to serve as "experts" in these regions, they should have a fairly solid grasp of the geography, culture, and traditions of their assigned territory and should be allowed to consult their textbooks and class handouts, or conduct brief Internet research for this assignment.)
Next, depending on your time and resources, either distribute pre-recorded examples of regional music to each group or have groups find and download examples of regional music on classroom computers. (The British Library offers a list of links to world and traditional music at //www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/wtmlinks.html). Allow groups a few minutes to listen to their music, and take notes on any images or scenes that come to mind.
After groups have become familiar with the music of their regions, each group spends the remainder of the class period writing the script for a five-minute skit. All skits should offer a slice of life from a festival, ceremony, or holiday from each group's assigned region and should demonstrate how music might be used as part of, or serve as a backdrop to, that event. Examples of skits might include: a radio broadcast from a reporter covering a festival that uses regional music to introduce the story, local musicians preparing to perform in a parade, or family from the assigned region preparing for a ceremony. Using the location from today's New York Times article, an example skit might focus on the story of a group of high school students preparing to perform in a Mardi Gras parade. The piece would discuss some of the obstacles they have faced living in post-Katrina New Orleans, as a famous local brass band plays in the background.
Dialogues should contain lines or activities for each group member to perform. Music clips may be dispersed throughout the scene, or played solely in the introduction and/or conclusion. Each group's final written product (a copy of which should be turned in for review before performance) should contain:
-a cover page with an interesting presentation title and the names of group members
-a list of characters in the skit
-a typed (or neatly-written) copy of the skit's dialogue
-the artist, song title, and genre of music selected for the auditory segment of the presentation
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: In a future period, each group will perform its auditory presentation followed by a class discussion and evaluation of the piece.
As a follow-up homework assignment, have students respond to the following prompt in their class journals:
"What did you learn from the auditory presentation you created in class? Were you familiar with the music of this region before this assignment? How would you describe it? How does the music relate to its place of origin? Did hearing it help you to get a better understanding of its region? Why or why not? Is it music you would listen to outside of the context of this assignment and if so, under what circumstances? If not, why?"

Further Questions for Discussion:
-Based on what you know about the importance of music in New Orleans culture and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, do you think its high school marching bands will ever be able to fully recover?
-How can music reflect the culture, values, history, politics, economics and technology of its people? Support your answer with examples.
-What music has been most personally meaningful to you? Why?
-To what extent can listeners who do not share the same background of a certain culture understand and appreciate its music?

Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on their participation in class discussion, group creation and presentation of auditory presentations, and thoughtfully-written journal entries for homework.

Vocabulary:
vital, strutting, triumphal, immensely, evacuated, insular, ubiquitous, jamming, anticrime, perpetuation, prestige, condoms, brawl, mainstays, choreography, resurrected, fledgling, gigs

Extension Activities:
1. Invite band members or other student musicians to your class to demonstrate their instruments. What inspired them to learn to play music in the first place, and what musical plans do they have for the future?
2. Choreograph a dance or march for one of your favorite songs, or for one of the pieces of global music you heard in class.
3. Create an audio-visual presentation on different types of brass instruments. What does each sound like? Which instruments are most commonly heard in New Orleans' brass bands?
4. Record a Podcast on regional music from various parts of the country. You may choose to include East Coast versus West Coast rap, Chicago blues, Detroit house music, Kentucky bluegrass, among other genres.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
American History- Choose a style of American music and research its connection to the time and place from which it came. You might choose, for example, jazz, folk music, protest songs, rap, or rhythm and blues, and discover why that form arose and became popular when it did.
Health- The article mentions musical instruments destroyed by rust and mold after Hurricane Katrina. What is mold? What types of mold exist, and what impact do they have on people and their living environments? Make a poster explaining molds and their health effects (both negative and positive).
Media Studies- Screen a movie about student musicians, such as "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995), "Drumline" (2002), or "School of Rock" (2003), and write a review. How realistically does the film portray the students' experiences?
Teaching with The Times- Choose one of the themes addressed in today's article, such as music, holidays, teenagers, or the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and scan The New York Times for articles that mention this topic. Challenge your classmates to compete in this "scavenger hunt" with you and compare your findings.
(To order The New York Times for your classroom, click here.

Other Information on the Web:
The New Orleans' Hot 8 Brass Band Web site (//www.tipsevents.com/foundation/coop/hot8/ contains a history of the band as well as a number of downloadable songs.

Academic Content Standards:
Grades 6-8
Music Standard 6- Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and music performances. Benchmarks: Understands how the elements of music are used in various genres and cultures; Knows criteria that affect the quality and effectiveness of music performances and compositions
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Understands distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures; Understands the functions music serves, roles of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed in various cultures of the world
Geography Standard 6- Understands that culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions. Benchmark: Knows the ways in which culture influences the perception of places and regions
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Uses style and structure appropriate for specific audiences and purposes; Writes expository compositions
Language Arts Standard 2- Demonstrates competence in the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing. Benchmark: Uses descriptive language that clarifies and enhances ideas
Grades 9-12
Music Standard 6- Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and music performances. Benchmarks: Understands how the elements of music and expressive devices are used in music from diverse genres and cultures; Knows specific criteria that affect the quality and effectiveness of music performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Knows various roles that musicians perform (e.g., entertainer, teacher, transmitter of cultural tradition) and representative individuals who have functioned in these roles Geography Standard 6- Understands that culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions. Benchmark: Knows ways in which people's changing views of places and regions reflect cultural change
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Writes compositions that fulfill different purposes; Writes expository compositions; Writes fictional, biographical, autobiographical, and observational narrative compositions; Writes descriptive compositions; Writes reflective compositions
This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed above. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education; 3rd and 4th Editions and have been provided courtesy of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado.

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In this lesson, students learn about the ways New Orleans high school marching bands and professional brass bands have overcome obstacles in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to keep their musical traditions alive. They then create auditory presentations on festivals and celebrations around the world.

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students learn about the distinct styles that have characterized famous musicians and conductors throughout history. By studying one musician or conductor in-depth, students become "experts" on this person's musical style and are given the opportunity to share this knowledge with their fellow students.

Author(s):
Rachel Klein, The New York Times Learning Network
Javaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City

Suggested Time Allowance: 45 minutes- 1 hour

Objectives:
Students will:
1. Listen to music and respond by writing or drawing.
2. Learn about Itzhak Perlman's conducting and playing style by reading and discussing the article " What Itzhak Perlman Learned at Camp."
3. In groups, learn about a famous musician; create an outline for a guide to this musician's style.
4. Create guide; present guide to the class.

Resources / Materials:
-five minutes of a pre-selected piece of classical music
-tapes or CDs of music by famous musicians or conductors (at least as many musicians as there will be groups)
-tape recorders or CD players (one per group)
-pens/pencils
-paper
-classroom board
-copies of the article "What Itzhak Perlman Learned at Camp" (one per student)

Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: As class begins, play the pre-selected music excerpt, referring students to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "Listen to the music. When you are ready, write about or draw a picture of what this music makes you think of, or how it makes you feel." After the music is over, have some students share their responses with the class.
2. As a class, read the article "What Itzhak Perlman Learned at Camp", focusing on the following questions:
a. With what object did Itzhak Perlman begin conducting? Why did he use this object?
b. What is Mr. Perlman's role at his wife's camp?
c. What personality traits does Perlman share with his campers?
d. What personal feelings about competitiveness did Perlman share with his campers?
e. According to Perlman, what is one of the great things about teaching? What analogy does he use to explain this process?
f. How does Patinka Kopec describe Perlman's talent?
g. Describe Perlman's "Goose Bumps" class.
h. How does Perlman want his students to play when they perform together?
i. What are Perlman's future plans?
3. Divide the class into groups of three or four, assigning each pair a famous musician or conductor with a distinct musical style. You may choose to focus only on classical musicians, such as Mozart, Liszt, or Schonberg, or expand to include musicians and conductors in other genres, such as Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, or Kurt Cobain. (Choices of musicians or conductors will be limited by the music that student will have available to them.) In groups, students research their musician or conductor, looking for the answers to the following questions:
-What type of music did this person play/conduct?
-What were his or her musical influences? How are these influences evident in his or her own style?
-How did/does this musician describe his or her distinct style?
-How have others described this musician's distinct style?
In addition to research, groups listen to several pieces of music played or conducted by this musician, focusing on how the music confirms what they have learned in their research. Using the information from research and listening, groups create an outline for a "Beginner's Guide to (Name of Musician)." The guide will be a step-by-step analysis of at least three different musical pieces or excerpts (ten minutes total), providing the reader with at least ten specific illustrations of the musician's musical style and philosophy as evidenced by the music selected. The music should be recorded onto a tape or CD and the guide should provide notation so that the reader can easily locate the illustration (e.g., "Illustration number one can be found at 0:13 on the accompanying CD."). Prior to the end of class, groups create an outline of their guide, including music to be used, features to be analyzed, and a list of possible "Study Questions" to accompany the guide.
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: At home, groups compile music and write the accompanying guide and study questions. In a later class, each group leads the class through its guide. All of the guides may be presented in one day, or they can be spread out, with the class focusing on one guide a class as a "Warm-Up" exercise for the day's activities.

Further Questions for Discussion:
-Do you consider yourself to be a musician? If so, what are the most important factors that affect your playing? Are you emotional or intellectual in your approach?
-What do you think is the stylistic distinction between the emotional and the intellectual musician?
-Would you want to conduct an orchestra or band? Why or why not?
-Do you every worry that other people who have the same talents as you are more successful than you? Did Perlman's explanation of his feelings on this subject help you with your anxieties?
-Have you ever had a teacher who "[knew] what not to say"? Why did this make this teacher good?
-How would you describe your "own pressure"? Do you expect certain things from yourself? Do you expect more or less of yourself than others (parents, teachers, etc) expect of you?

Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated on completion of Warm-Up free association, participation in class discussion, participation in group research and planning, and completion of group music guide.

Vocabulary:
signified, subtlety, humane, bungalows, inaugural, precarious, indulge, gusto, spontaneity, nuance, evoke, cajole, meandering, collaborator

Extension Activities:
1. Build a string instrument by hand. Learn how the different sizes and thickness of strings produce different sounds, and what the intervals between notes are on the strings themselves. With this information in mind, create your instrument and write a brief users guide explaining how the instrument is to be played to achieve both standard and unique effects.
2. Create a "Book of Music Humor," inspired by Itzhak Perlman's jokes. Use puns and "groaners," as well as more sophisticated jokes involving music, famous musicians, and famous musical pieces.
3. Be your own music critic. Record yourself playing (or singing) a piece of music. Then listen to it and try to objectively critique what you hear. Consider issues of tone, accuracy, and other stylistic aspects of the music as you write your critique.
4. Create a mix (on tape or CD) of your favorite "goose bump" music, or music that has another specific effect on you ("crying" music, "hyper" music, etc). Provide a list of the songs included, as well as a short explanation of why each piece has this specific effect on you.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
American History- Learn about another musician or group whose career(s) took off because of an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, such as Elvis Presley or The Beatles, or another variety or music show, such as Soul Train or American Bandstand. Recreate this famous performance for your class and explain why it was so significant to this musician's or group's career.
Civics- Learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). What rights does this act guarantee for people with disabilities? What recourse do such people have if these rights are violated? Create an informational pamphlet informing people of their rights under this act, providing historical information about the Act, and providing resources for people who need guidance in this area.
Global Studies- Learn to play as instrument whose origin is a region of the world other than your own, such as the banjo, sitar, or steel drum. Perform an original piece for your class that reflects the style that this instrument represents.
Media Studies- Watch "Mr. Holland's Opus," a film about a musician placed in the position of conductor and teacher. Create a lesson on a music topic (a song, genre, or musical element, such as tone or rhythm) that Mr. Holland might have taught. Teach the lesson to your class (or, if you are not in a music course, ask to guest teach a music course offered at your school).
Social Studies- Research the role that arts education plays in the overall education of children. Find out what studies say about how an arts education can affect students' performance in academic subjects. Based on your research, write an opinion paper about the role that arts education should play in public schools? How much time in the school day, if any, should be devoted to the arts? What should be the government's role in arts education? What should be the nature of public school arts education?

Other Information on the Web:
The Perlman Music Program site (//www.perlmanmusicprogram.org/) provides a mission statement, newsletter, photos, program information and more.
Related Times Articles
"Notes From Music Camp: A Musical Dream Come True" (7/25/02)
"Notes From Music Camp: Teenagers Playing Music, Not Tennis" (6/27/02)

Academic Content Standards:
Grades 6-8 Art Connections Standard 1- Understands connections among the various art forms and other disciplines. Benchmarks: Understands how the characteristic materials of various arts are used to transform similar events, scenes, emotions, or ideas into distinct works of art; Knows the aesthetic impact of arts performances seen live versus those recorded on audio or video; Understands the functions and interaction between performing and visual artists and audience members in theatre, dance, music, and visual arts
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Understands distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures; Understands characteristics that cause various musical works to be considered exemplary; Understands the functions music serves, roles of musicians and conditions under which music is typically performed in various cultures of the world
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Uses style and structure appropriate for specific audiences and purposes; Writes expository compositions; Writes in response to literature
(CTSS - 'english', '6-8', '1')
Grades 9-12
Art Connections Standard 1- Understands connections among the various art forms and other disciplines. Benchmarks: Knows how characteristics of the arts vary within a particular historical period or style and how these characteristics relate to ideas, issues, or themes in other disciplines
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Knows sources of American music genres, the evolution of these genres, and musicians associated with them; Knows various roles that musicians perform and representative individuals who have functioned in these roles
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Writes compositions that are focused for different audiences; Writes compositions that fulfill different purposes; Writes expository compositions; Writes reflective compositions; Writes in response to literature
(CTSS - 'english', '9-12', '1')
This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed above. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education; 3rd and 4th Editions and have been provided courtesy of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado.

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In this lesson, students learn about the distinct styles that have characterized famous musicians and conductors throughout history. By studying one musician or conductor in-depth, students become "experts" on this person's musical style and are given the opportunity to share this knowledge with their fellow students.

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students will listen to Brazilian folk music and discuss its various sounds and connections to today's music. They then record sounds that help define and represent the culture of their school and local community.

Author(s):
Michelle Sale, The New York Times Learning Network
Yasmin Chin Eisenhauer, Bank Street College of Education in New York

Suggested Time Allowance: 1 hour

Objectives:
Students will:
1. Explore the sounds that make up music from a collection of Brazilian folk music.
2. Consider the sounds and influences of Brazilian folk music by reading and discussing the article, "Long-Lost Trove of Music Connects Brazil to Its Roots."
3. Identify and gather sounds from their school community to create a representative catalogue.
4. Identify and gather sounds from their local community to create a representative catalogue.

Resources / Materials:
-pens/pencils
-paper
-classroom board
-copies of "Long-Lost Trove of Music Connects Brazil to Its Roots" found online at //www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20070126friday.html (one per student)
-recording devices and microphones (one per student group)

Activities / Procedures:
NOTE TO TEACHERS: Prior to class, arrange with teachers in different parts of the school (such as the gymnasium, band room, cafeteria, sports fields, etc.) to have groups of students observe and record the sounds made in each of these locations. If sound recording devices are unavailable, students can create written accounts of what they hear. If allowing groups of students to record sounds outside of the classroom isn't possible, students may be asked in advance to bring in items from home that make distinct sounds or noises. The activity will have to be tweaked to fit this change in activity.
1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: As a class, listen to clips from the CD Set, "Musica Tradicional do Norte e Nordeste." (Click on the article, found online at//www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20070126friday.html, and scroll down to the link for the audio files.) Discuss the everyday sounds that are heard. What patterns can be found? What characterizes each music clip? What culture is this music from? What makes you think this? Which current artists or types of music may have been influenced by these sounds?
2. As a class, read and discuss the article "Long-Lost Trove of Music Connects Brazil to Its Roots" ( //www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20070126friday.html), focusing on the following questions:
a. Based on information presented in the article, what is an ethnomusicologist?
b. What role did Mário de Andrade play in preserving Brazil's folk music?
c. Why did Mr. Andrade want to preserve this music?
d. According to Marcos Branda Lacerda, why is the 6-CD boxed set important?
e. How many tracks were used to create the collection "Musica Tradicional do Norte e Nordeste"?
f. What cultures are evident in these recordings? How do you think these cultures spread to Brazil?
g. Why might guitar players be interested in the recordings of repentistas?
h. How do these recordings preserve instruments and sounds that are no longer heard?
i. Under what circumstances were these recordings collected? What was happening in Brazil in 1938?
j. What does this CD collection do for Brazilian culture? Why?
3. As a class, discuss how the music heard during the Do-Now activity reflects Brazilian culture and history as described by the article. How does sound, including music, help to define a culture? How does sound, including music, help to define a time period?
Divide students into small groups. Explain that each group will be acting as ethnomusicologists designated to preserve the culture of their local community through audio. The collection of sounds will be compiled into a catalogue that can be preserved for use by future generations. Each group will be responsible for recording a series of sound bytes that represent a different part of their community, beginning with their school community.
As a class, brainstorm places in the school where students could experience everyday sounds that represent the school's culture. Write this list on the board. Tell students that other aspects of their local community will be recorded as part of the Wrap-Up/Homework assignment. Assign each group a location in the school to observe and record, using the list created by the class. Locations should include the gymnasium, band room, cafeteria, sports fields, main office, library, etc.
Allow time for groups to brainstorm lists of possible sounds they might hear at their assigned locations. Have students compose questions to answer while gathering these sound bytes. The questions should help define and explain each noise by providing the listener with a context. Possible questions include:
-What is this sound?
-How is it made?
-What is the volume?
-What is the pitch or tone?
-What mood does this sound convey? Why?
-What aspect of school culture does this sound capture?
-Why might this sound be important to the future of this location?
-How might this sound change over time?
When groups are ready, allow them to visit their assigned locations and record examples of sounds that reflect this aspect of the school community. Remind students to answer their respective lists of questions for each sound. Each group may want to pick a recording secretary to jot down notes while in the field gathering audio research.
During the last five minutes of class, allow each group time to share ten seconds of collected sounds. Allow class members to identify the sound and location for each sound they hear. Why are the sounds connected with the school community of today significant for the future? What may change about today's sounds ten or fifty years from now? Why and how?
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Individually, students continue to collect audio samples for their preservation project. Encourage them to continue answering their lists of questions for each sound. In a future class, students work together to organize their sound bytes by categories (such as shops, parks, schools, home, etc.). They then create an organized catalogue of sounds with accompanying commentaries explaining what each sound is and why it is representative of their local community. This catalogue may be shared as part of a community celebration.

Further Questions for Discussion:
-How important is music to your family's history and culture?
-How important is music to today's society? How can you tell?
-What everyday noises do you enjoy? Why? Which noises do you detest? Why?

Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on participation in class and group discussions, thorough completion of sound byte collections in school and at home, and well-explained commentaries to accompany their sound bytes.

Vocabulary:
authentic, languishing, prodigious, transmuted, modulations, braggadocio

Extension Activities:
1. Research the Tropicalismo movement. What is it? Who were the important musicians? How is this music characterized? What sounds are prevelant? What contemporary artists have been influenced by this movement? Prepare a Podcast that includes music samples from this movement and from the modern artists influenced by this sound. Share it with the class. For help on creating your Podcast, visit //www.podcast.com.
2. Using the article as a starting point, research the primary instruments used in Brazilian folk music. Create a poster that illustrates each instrument and compares it to a modern counterpart.
3. What role does the Library of Congress play in preserving culture? Write a report explaining your findings.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
Geography- On a map of the world, highlight the countries that have influenced Brazilian music.
Media Studies- Examine the musical score or soundtrack of a popular movie or television show. Create an oral report that illustrates how the music supports the plot and mood of the movie or show. Include sound bytes in your presentation.
Teaching with The Times- Read the paper and find a music review for a CD or concert that interests you. Listen to the music featured in the article, and write an opinion piece persuading people to listen to or avoid this artist or group. Be sure to support your opinion with concrete reasons. Use the review as a guide for how to support your opinion. To order The New York Times for your classroom, click here.
Technology
-Create a "How-It-Works" poster explaining how a music CD plays sound.
-Write a report exploring how music is preserved or restored. Consider the various techniques used, and if applicable, compare processes that have recently replaced standard procedures for recording and re-recording audio.

Other Information on the Web:
The Mission for Folklore Research (//www.sescsp.org.br/sesc/hotsites/missao/eng/index.html) provides links to clips from "Musica Tradicional do Norte e Nordeste," the 6-CD box set described in the article, "Long-Lost Trove of Music Connects Brazil to Its Roots."

Academic Content Standards:
Grades 6-8
Music Standard 6- Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and music performances. Benchmarks: Understands how the elements of music are used in various genres and cultures; Knows criteria that affect the quality and effectiveness of music performances and compositions
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Understands distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures; Understands the functions music serves, roles of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed in various cultures of the world Geography Standard 6- Understands that culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions. Benchmark: Knows the ways in which culture influences the perception of places and regions
Language Arts Standard 8- Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning. Benchmarks: Plays a variety of roles in group discussions; Asks questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas; Listens in order to understand a speaker's topic, purpose, and perspective; Conveys a clear main point when speaking to others and stays on the topic being discussed; Listens to and understands the impact of nonprint media on media consumers
Geography Standard 6- Understands that culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions. Benchmark: Knows the ways in which culture influences the perception of places and regions art forms and other disciplines. Benchmarks: Understands how the characteristic materials of various arts are used to transform similar events, scenes, emotions, or ideas into distinct works of art; Knows the aesthetic impact of arts performances seen live versus those recorded on audio or video; Understands the functions and interaction between performing and visual artists and audience members in theatre, dance, music, and visual arts

Grades 9-12
Music Standard 6- Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and music performances. Benchmarks: Understands how the elements of music and expressive devices are used in music from diverse genres and cultures; Knows specific criteria that affect the quality and effectiveness of music performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Knows various roles that musicians perform (e.g., entertainer, teacher, transmitter of cultural tradition) and representative individuals who have functioned in these roles
Language Arts Standard 8- Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning. Benchmarks: Plays a variety of roles in group discussions; Asks questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas; Listens in order to understand a speaker's topic, purpose, and perspective; Conveys a clear main point when speaking to others and stays on the topic being discussed; Listens to and understands the impact of nonprint media on media consumers
This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed above. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education; 3rd and 4th Editions and have been provided courtesy of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado.

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Michelle Sale and Yasmin Chin Eisenhauer

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site. Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students will listen to Brazilian folk music and discuss its various sounds and connections to today's music.

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students explore the inception and evolution of hip-hop music as a springboard for writing music reviews and researching other genres of music.

Author(s):
Alison Zimbalist, The New York Times Learning Network

Suggested Time Allowance: 45 minutes

Objectives:
Students will:
1. Write a journal entry listing different musical genres, identifying the elements that differentiate musical genres, and describing the roles that music plays in our society.
2. Read and discuss "From Underground Music to Fashion Statement."
3. Write a persuasive, descriptive music review of a favorite music artist or group.
4. Research and report on the history of a specific genre of music.

Resources / Materials:
-classroom blackboard
-student journals
-pens/pencils
-paper
-copies of "From Underground Music to Fashion Statement"(one per student)
-multiple thesauri

Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/ DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following:
-List as many different types of music as you can.
-What elements make one type of music different from another?
-What different roles does music play in our society?
Students then share their answers, and the teacher should write responses on the board.

2. Read and discuss "From Underground Music to Fashion Statement," responding to the following questions:
a. What does it mean when one says that a form of music "evolved"? How and why has hip-hop evolved since its inception?
b. What are some of the main purposes of the book "Hip-Hop America"?
c. What myths about hip-hop does Nelson George aim to debunk? (Refer to paragraph 3.) Why might these myths have been created?
d. How does paragraph 4 describe Mr. George's writing style? What does this description tell the reader of the review about the opinion of the writer of the review?
e. What is the difference, according to Mr. George, between hip-hop and gangsta rap?
f. How does music, particularly the forms discussed in the article, reflect the lives of those who write and listen to it, as well as mirror society as a whole? (See paragraphs 5-8.)
g. What does Mr. George mean when he says that hip-hop's "practitioners" are "not social activists by training or inclination," but "entertainers whose visibility and effectiveness as messengers are subject to the whims of the marketplace"? What other aspects of the media and the realm of entertainment do you feel relate to this statement, and why?
h. How has hip-hop music influenced other aspects of American culture, and why?
i. Analyze Mr. George's statement that "the culture's connection to the African-American working and underclass, people usually without a media voice, enables it to communicate dreams and emotions that make outsiders uncomfortable."
j. How does the writer of the book review persuade the reader, through his words, to want to read this book and learn more about the hip-hop industry? Cite examples.

3. Each student selects a favorite artist or musical group as the subject of a music review. The goal of the review is to persuade others to be interested in this artist or group, so language use is critical to the success of the review. Students should respond to the following in writing their reviews:
-What type of music does this artist or group perform? (e.g., hip-hop)
-What words would you use to describe the style of this artist or group? (What emotions does the music conjure up in its listeners? What do you want to do when you listen to the music? What special characteristics does this artist or group possess? What special talents does the artist or group possess, and how are these talents demonstrated?)
-Describe a few songs performed by the artist or group and discuss how these songs relate back to the style of the artist or group.
-How does this music reflect the society in which it was written?
Students should then read over their review and make the language more interesting, descriptive, and persuasive. In a future class, students can present their reviews to classmates.

4. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK: Students brainstorm what they think is the basic information one needs to know about a genre of music to accurately report about it, such as where and when it began, musical instruments used, famous musicians associated with the genre, popular songs, and how the genre has evolved from its inception to today. Students refer to the board for suggestions from the journal writing exercise, and each student selects a different type of music (barring hip-hop) as the subject of independent research. Reports about the music genres should be presented in a future class, along with visual and audio aides.

Further Questions for Discussion:
-What roles does music play in American society?
-What roles does music play in other cultures?
-How does one define "music"?
-How do various musical genres differ from one another?
-What does it mean when one says that a form of music "evolved"?
-How and why has hip-hop evolved since its inception?
-How has hip-hop music influenced various aspects of American culture?
-How does music reflect the lives of those who write and listen to it, as well as mirror society as a whole?
-Do musicians have a responsibility to act as role models for the youth who listen to them? Why or why not?

Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on written journal entry, participation in class discussions, thoughtful and cohesive review of a musical artist or group, and research paper discussing a specific musical genre.

Vocabulary:
chronicles, inception, anatomizes, aesthetic, entrepreneurial, ardor, formative, detachment, insular, laments, misogynistic, dogma, disparate, nihilistic, tropes, alienation, receded, waned, cynical, overtly, ideological, tenets, forged, mitigate, crassest

Extension Activities:
1. Write a biography of one of the hip-hop artists mentioned in the featured article. How has his or her music been influenced by background, culture, and other musicians?

2. Write a persuasive essay supporting or refuting the censorship of music lyrics.

3. Write and perform a rap or song about a subject studied in school.

4. Compare and contrast different music magazines (e.g. "Rolling Stone," "Spin," and "Vibe"). What musicians are featured in each? What advertisements exist in each? What other topics are featured? Why do these differences exist?

5. Keep a log of hip-hop influences that you see in "daily life" (clothing, television, advertisements, language, etc.).

6. Read and critique a music review of a band with which you are familiar.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
American History- Investigate musical movements with origins in the United States.

Global History- Learn about the varied purposes of music in different cultures.

Mathematics- Study the "mathematics" of music (rhythm and time).

Technology
-Learn how different musical recordings (compact discs, cassette tapes, 8-track tapes, and records) are made.
-Research different types of "technological" instruments, such as synthesizers, drum machines, and mixers.

Teaching with The Times- Keep track of different music reviews in The New York Times and create a chart of the types of music reviewed. What patterns emerge, and why?

Visual Arts
-The featured article mentions the term "post-modern." What does that term mean in relation to sculpture, painting, architecture, and other visual art forms?
-Analyze the "art" on music album covers. What images are shown, and how do these images represent or symbolize the artists, songs, and tone of the album?

Other Information on the Web:
HipHopSite.Com contains news, mailing lists, chat, information on artists, DJ playlists and more. Visit //www.hiphopsite.com.

For rap, R&B, and hip-hop group information, see the Best of Rap and R&B on the Web site at (//www.lookup.com/Homepages/82075/favor_sites.html).

Davey D's Hip-Hop Corner (//www.daveyd.com) offers information on hip-hop life, politics and culture, and includes charts, interviews, industry news, and a Hip Hop Hall of Fame Game.

Underground Hip-Hop Radio broadcasts hip-hop live in Real Audio at (//www.onlinehiphop.com).

The Source is the "magazine of hiphop music, culture, and politics," with interviews, articles, music, videos, and more (//www.thesource.com).

Vibe Online, one of this country's highest-rated music magazines, can be read online at (//www.vibe.com)

Academic Content Standards:
Grades 6-8
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Evaluates own and others' writing; Uses style and structure appropriate for specific audiences; Writes expository compositions; Writes biographical sketches; Writes persuasive compositions
Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Benchmarks: Uses a variety of resource materials to gather information for research topics; Determines the appropriateness of an information source for a research topic; Organizes information and ideas from multiple sources in systematic ways; Writes research papers
Language Arts Standard 7- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts. Benchmarks: Applies reading skills and strategies to a variety of informational texts; Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts; Summarizes and paraphrases complex, explicit hierarchic structures in informational texts; Identifies techniques used to convey viewpoint; Differentiates between fact and opinion in informational texts
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Understands distinguishing characteristics (e.g., relating to instrumentation, texture, rhythmic qualities, melodic lines, form) of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures; Understands characteristics that cause various musical works (e.g., from different genres, styles, historical periods, composers) to be considered exemplary; Understands the functions music serves, roles of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed in various cultures of the world

Grades 9-12
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Evaluates own and others' writing ; Writes compositions that are focused for different audiences; Writes compositions that fulfill different purposes; Writes expository compositions; Writes fictional, biographical, autobiographical, and observational narrative compositions; Writes persuasive compositions that evaluate, interpret, and speculate about problems/solutions and causes and effects
Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Benchmarks: Uses a variety of news sources to gather information for research topics; Writes research papers
Language Arts Standard 7- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts. Benchmarks: Applies reading skills and strategies to a variety of informational texts; Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts; Summarizes and paraphrases complex, implicit hierarchic structures in informational texts, including the relationships among the concepts and details in those structures; Determines the effectiveness of techniques used to convey viewpoint; Supports inferences about information in texts by referring to text features (e.g., vocabulary, text structure)
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Knows sources of American music genres (e.g., swing, Broadway musical, blues), the evolution of these genres, and musicians associated with them; Knows various roles that musicians perform (e.g., entertainer, teacher, transmitter of cultural tradition) and representative individuals who have functioned in these roles
This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed above. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education; 3rd and 4th Editions and have been provided courtesy of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado.

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site. Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students explore the inception and evolution of hip-hop music as a springboard for writing music reviews and researching other genres of music.

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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students consider the fate of jazz music after Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans. They then research and evaluate the "life cycles" of various music genres born in the United States.

Suggested Time Allowance: 1 hour

Objectives:
Students will:
1. Listen to and analyze short samples of various genres of music.
2. Consider the fate of New Orleans's jazz culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina by reading and discussing the article "Jazz Musicians Ask if Their Scene Will Survive."
3. Investigate the "life cycles" of different musical genres with roots in the United States.
4. Assess the current state of their researched genre of music (thriving, static, evolving, endangered or extinct) in a multimedia presentation.

Resources / Materials:
-one-minute samples of five different music genres
-CD player, tape player or computer to play music samples for the class
-student journals
-pens/pencils
-paper
-classroom board
-copies of the article "Jazz Musicians Ask if Their Scene Will Survive" found online at //www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20050909friday.html (one per student)
-index cards, each with one of the following music genres and cities or states of origin written on them: Bluegrass – Kentucky or Tennessee; rhythm and blues - Memphis or Ohio; Motown – Detroit; Folk – North Carolina; House – Chicago; Techno – Detroit; Hip-Hop – Bronx, New York; Jazz - New Orleans; Rock – New Jersey or Ohio; Funk - New Orleans; Disco – New York City; Be-Bop – New York City; Swing – New York City; Blues – Memphis; Ragtime – Missouri; Country – Tennessee; Gospel – Chicago; Southern Gospel- Virginia or Tennessee
-resources about the origins of different American music genres (music history textbooks, encyclopedias, library resources, computers with Internet access)

Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: Prior to class, set up a computer, tape player or CD player to play one-minute samples of five different music genres. Once students have entered the room, play the music. While they listen, students should respond to the following questions in their journals (written on the board prior to class): "You will hear samples of five different music genres. For each, answer the following questions:
-What genre of music is this?
-How would you describe this music? (What are its characteristics?)
-How did this music make you feel, and why?
-Where do you think this music originated, and why?"
Allow students a few minutes to share their answers. Then, as a class, discuss the following: How is a new type of music "born"? What factors determine if a music genre gains or maintains popularity or fades into extinction? What musical genres are currently to be popular? What genres would you say are extinct or nearing extinction?
2. As a class, read and discuss the article "Jazz Musicians Ask if Their Scene Will Survive" (//www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20050909friday.html), focusing on the following questions:
a. What types of music call New Orleans "home"?
b. Why is the future of New Orleans's music culture in jeopardy?
c. How important are artifacts to a culture? Why? Consider the value of a Mardi Gras Indian costume, for example.
d. What did Kermit Ruffins do to protect his home from Hurricane Katrina?
e. At what types of events and locations do the brass bands discussed in the article play?
f. For what are the Mardi Gras Indian tribes known?
g. What is a Mardi Gras Indian?
h. What influences make up New Orleans's culture?
i. According to Gregory Davis, why is the typical New Orleans musician more vulnerable, and to what would such a musician be vulnerable?
j. How does Louis Edwards expect natives of New Orleans to respond to the devastation brought about by Hurricane Katrina? Why?
3. Explain to students that today they will be researching the "life cycles" of different music genres with their roots in the United States. Determine, based on ability level, if students should work in small groups, pairs or individually. Have each grouping randomly pick an index card from a pile, each card with a music genre and city or state of origin written on it (as described in the Materials section).
Using all available resources, students should answer the following questions about their music genre (written on the board or copied on a handout for easier access):
-When and where was this music genre "born"? (If the origin is contested, where are the locations that claim to be the birthplace of this genre?)
-What are some of the traits of this music genre? What does it sound like? What instruments are commonly used? What are some of the common themes of the lyrics?
-Who are considered to be the founders, pioneers or "parents" of this form of music, and why? How did they develop this genre of music?
-What influenced the creation and development of this genre of music? What historic events, movements or ideas helped foster it?
-What time period is considered to be the height of this genre's popularity, and why?
-In what ways, if any, did this genre of music evolve over time?
-If applicable, when did this music's popularity decline? Why?
-What other genres of music were influenced or borne out of this form of music?
-How popular is this music today? (Consider record sales, number of artists, and where the music is heard or played.)
-Who listens to this music today? Is there a local, national or global audience? If applicable, is there an age range of this audience?
-Who are some of the most famous artists within this genre?
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Once research is completed, each grouping should develop a multimedia presentation that illustrates the life cycle of their assigned music genre, culminating in their answer to the following question: "Is your music genre thriving, static, evolving, endangered or extinct, and why?" Students should include visuals (such as a timeline of the music genre's "life"), audio (samples of this type of music) and text that supports their opinion while including the answers to the guiding research questions. Presentations should be presented and discussed in a future class or may be used as the basis for an American music festival held for the larger school community.

Further Questions for Discussion:
-What elements comprise "culture"?
-How does music help to define culture?
-What various elements define the culture of New Orleans? Why?
-Do you believe the culture of New Orleans can ever be restored after the devastation it has faced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina? Why or why not?
-What role does music play in your life?

Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal responses, participation in class discussions, thoughtful research and assessment of music genres, and well-documented and creatively presented multimedia presentations.

Vocabulary:
subsistence, incontrovertibly, bleak, infuse, extent, gig, dire, levees, thriving, fragile, flamboyant, chuckle, exile, knack, crucial, constituent, nobility, vulnerable, equipped, refuge, underpinning

Extension Activities:
1. Stage a half-hour radio show featuring music from the genre you researched during class. Include music, interesting historic facts, and mock interviews with musicians and fans.
2. Write a song commemorating Hurricane Katrina. You may focus on any element of the events that have unfolded - positive or negative. Then, determine what musical artist or group you would want to perform your song and why.
3. Research one of the jazz families mentioned in the article, such as Lastie, Brunious, Neville, Jordan and Marsalis. Prepare a biography using your findings.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
Global History- Create a poster highlighting the origins and evolution of a musical instrument. Include pictures and brief captions of the instrument's development, noting for each stage in its evolution the country in which it was developed, the materials from which it was made, and its uses and purposes as a cultural artifact.
Science- Research the premise that classical music increases brain development and activity in infants, or that music can effectively be used to treat various illnesses. Prepare a report on your findings.
Teaching with The Times - Read the Arts section of The New York Times, focusing on articles about entertainers who are responding the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Consider volunteer efforts, benefit concerts, songs, fundraisers and donations. Then, write an editorial responding to the entertainment industry's response to this disaster. To order The New York Times for your classroom, click here.
Technology- Compare a traditional instrument to a computerized or digital version, such as a piano to a synthesizer or computerized piano-playing program. Create a two-column chart examining the similarities and differences.

Other Information on the Web:
Hurricane Katrina: Storm and Crisis (//www.nytimes.com//learning/issues_in_depth/20050908.html) is a special section from The New York Times Learning Network that offers related lesson plans, links to multimedia and articles on NYTimes.com, and relief information.

Academic Content Standards:
Grades 6-8
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Evaluates own and others' writing; Uses style and structure appropriate for specific audiences; Writes expository compositions; Writes persuasive compositions
Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Benchmarks: Uses a variety of resource materials to gather information for research topics; Determines the appropriateness of an information source for a research topic; Organizes information and ideas from multiple sources in systematic ways; Writes research papers
Language Arts Standard 7- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts. Benchmarks: Applies reading skills and strategies to a variety of informational texts; Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts; Summarizes and paraphrases complex, explicit hierarchic structures in informational texts; Identifies techniques used to convey viewpoint; Differentiates between fact and opinion in informational texts
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Understands distinguishing characteristics (e.g., relating to instrumentation, texture, rhythmic qualities, melodic lines, form) of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures; Understands characteristics that cause various musical works (e.g., from different genres, styles, historical periods, composers) to be considered exemplary; Understands the functions music serves, roles of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed in various cultures of the world
Grades 9-12
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Evaluates own and others' writing ; Writes compositions that are focused for different audiences; Writes compositions that fulfill different purposes; Writes expository compositions; Writes fictional, biographical, autobiographical, and observational narrative compositions; Writes persuasive compositions that evaluate, interpret, and speculate about problems/solutions and causes and effects
Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Benchmarks: Uses a variety of news sources to gather information for research topics; Writes research papers
Language Arts Standard 7- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts. Benchmarks: Applies reading skills and strategies to a variety of informational texts; Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts; Summarizes and paraphrases complex, implicit hierarchic structures in informational texts, including the relationships among the concepts and details in those structures; Determines the effectiveness of techniques used to convey viewpoint; Supports inferences about information in texts by referring to text features (e.g., vocabulary, text structure)
Music Standard 7- Understands the relationship between music and history and culture. Benchmarks: Knows sources of American music genres (e.g., swing, Broadway musical, blues), the evolution of these genres, and musicians associated with them; Knows various roles that musicians perform (e.g., entertainer, teacher, transmitter of cultural tradition) and representative individuals who have functioned in these roles
This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed above. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education; 3rd and 4th Editions and have been provided courtesy of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site. Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students consider the fate of jazz music after Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans.

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Jim Wilson/The New York Times

WHAT is "the cloud"?
WHAT are the pros and cons of music "living" online as opposed to in physical forms?

HOW is it used for music, and by WHOM?

WHO, according to the article, is using cloud computing in interesting ways with respect to music?

WHERE do you keep your music?

WHEN did music start to move online?

WHY did Bjork decide to try an innovative music project that uses smartphone apps?

Related: Our Student Opinion questions "Where Do You Find New Music?" and "What Music Are You Listening To?"

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Jim Wilson/The New York Times WHAT is "the cloud"? WHAT are the pros and cons of music "living" online as opposed to in physical forms? HOW is it used for music, and by WHOM? WHO, according to the article, is using cloud computing in interesting ways with respect to music?