We need to listen to the lyrics so that we can be sure they are saying exactly what we want them to say.
In a previous blog, October 1, 2023, to be exact, I wrote about a listening exercise I subject my students to every day. I call it, “Love it, It’s okay, Throw it away”, and it has been acknowledged by my administration as having a positive impact on the students. The administration mentioned that through the listening exercise, the students write, discuss, and defend their views about a subject. The discussions allow those who wish to express their opinion about the music to do so without ridicule or negative feedback.
Part of my job as a middle school band director is to transition the students through the steps of Band life.
The steps, in a very broad and basic overview, are:
Going to band class, being in the band, and eventually Being a Band.
Not all students will have the desire to reach the final leg and find the comfort, support, and success of Being a Band, but, they will have the opportunity and experience and experience the journey to ultimate Banddom.
I love it when students take ownership of their musical journey. One of the best parts of their journey is when they discover something, get excited about it, want to share it with me, and preface the announcement of their discovery with, “Hey Mr. Hauger, I bet you have never heard this before!”
Typically the thing I have never heard will be brought to me by an overly enthusiastic trumpet player that had just discovered, Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, or the guy that posts videos of how he transcribes rap music for trumpet and plays along with the tune.
Seriously, I love it when that happens. That shows me the time they spend with me in the band room has been a time of growth and listening. They have begun listening TO music and not AT music. The students find things they like and dislike in the music and can verbalize why they have that opinion without being judgmental. That is a topic I remind the students about occasionally. Your opinion is exactly that, your opinion. When you give your opinion in this class about the music, it is for informational purposes only. You are not required to defend your opinion nor will you challenge others about their opinion.
I will follow my reminder up with, once you learn to give your opinion without automatically defending it or being judgmental, you have shown strength in being able to state your opinion. That means when you apply the method of listening I am teaching you with music to speeches, readings, and discussions, you will be able to form your own opinion and then have the ability to defend it without becoming emotional.
As the students progress through the stages of being in a band to the final realization that they are a band, a sense of ownership begins to happen. It is a wonderful yet challenging time for the director. Sometimes the ownership part of being in a band becomes very personal for the students and their idea of how a band should be doesn’t align with the ideas of other students who have begun their steps of ownership. During these small and minor skirmishes, the director simply reminds the students that they are proud of them for taking ownership and encourages them to continue, but, the direction of the band is determined by the director. Hence the title. When this happens, I kindly remind them that I am waiting for them at the finish line. They are still in the race and do not have the advantage of seeing the big picture. I encourage them to embrace their ownership but they are not to become evil King and Queen overlords that punish the peons who do not view the Kingdom of Banddom in the same way they do.
One of the ways I encourage the students to begin their trek of Band ownership is to have them submit songs, artists, genres, or other types of music for, Love it, Its’ Okay, Throw it Away.
The students are required to write down the name of the song, artist, genre, etc, and submit it to me. They understand that the playing of all music is at my discretion and I will listen to and read the lyrics to the music, where applicable, and will be the deciding factor. Some may view this as censorship, and guess what, it is.
Some of the things my students listen to are the same stuff the neighbors behind me have thumping and blaring through the night. Obscene lyrics along with obscene suggestions are not allowed in the band room and will not be promoted as music education. I do not have the right or power to tell the kids that they cannot listen to that outside of the band room, but, I can introduce them to music that doesn’t rely on the obscene to make people rich.
I have made it a habit to listen to and read the lyrics of all the music I play in the band room. Every bit of music the students recommend as well as the music I grew up on and still listen to today. I have realized that I was very naive while growing up as far as double entendres and the creative ways rock musicians used innocent words to be obscene.
One example of a song that I decided to not share is an oldie. It doesn’t contain explicit lyrics, curse words, or anything obscene, but it did include something that is considered body shaming.
While perusing my list of tunes on my phone, I found one that I wanted to send to my niece. The title included the name of her daughter and I thought it would be a fun way to let them know I was thinking about them. I had never heard the tune before and decided to listen to it and read the lyrics.
Two sentences into the first verse caused me to say, “Nope.”
My niece is a smart, wonderful, successful, and beautiful lady who is raising a daughter who will demonstrate the same traits. I contacted her and told her about this blog and how I would like to mention them, without revealing their identity, and about the tune I had thought of sending her but decided to keep it to myself.
She is amazing and said she had no problem with me mentioning them.
As someone who enjoys sharing music and how it impacts me, I am discerning as far as what I share and if it is appropriate.
Middle school kids can lack that discernment as well as a taste in music.
One of my students approached me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I could play Gnat by Eminem.
I am not opposed to playing music that I never listen to. Actually, I enjoy playing music I am not familiar with because it broadens my listening horizons. You never know if I get picked up to play for a Barvarian rap/polka band that plays an eclectic blend of Rush, Yes, Weird Al Yankovic, and ABBA. Ya never know.
I looked up Gnat by Eminem, on my personal computer (not the school computer) and listened while watching the words zip by.
After the third and fourth sentences, I had to wash out my ears and brain with bleach. Oh my, the language.
Eminem is truly an artist with words and can make a list of words that rhyme, match, and blend in rapid auditory rhythm and rhyme. But, there was no way I would play something like that for the students. Even though 90% of them probably have the tune memorized and could perform it within a second notice, it would not be played for “Love it, It’s Okay, Throw it away”.
The student later informed me that he didn’t want me to use it as a listening for the class, he wanted me to listen to it because it, “Has a cool trumpet solo in it.”
I couldn’t tell if the short trumpet part was played on a keyboard or a real trumpet. But, to the student, it was a great trumpet solo and he was excited to share it with me. He made a connection and was excited about music. The old me would have tried to coach and counsel him about “real trumpet solos” and “how he shouldn’t be listening to lyrics with that language” Instead I told him, “Thanks for sharing. Keep your ears open for more trumpet solos and be sure to let me know when you find them.”
He was excited that I listened to the song and heard the solo. He made a connection. I am proud of him and will continue to encourage him by pointing out trumpet solos in modern music.
If he wasn’t a beginning trumpet player, I would have him listen to the solo and try to write it out. Instead, I may subject my senses to the sounds and write the solo out for him and give it to him as a reward for making a connection.
I can and will continue to use encounters like that to help students with music. They are learning that music can help ground you in reality by providing a momentary escape from reality. Music is enjoyed by all and when you begin to listen to music beyond the beat, you begin to understand how music can cleanse the pallet of your mind from a lot of stress and worries.
We have a total of 10 weeks left in the school year. The students in the band program have grown exponentially in music and as good human beings during the school year.
Maybe a little bit of my passion for music was seen, accepted, and absorbed by them.
Maybe some of them will listen to music differently and appreciatively as they get older.
Maybe some of them will keep playing instruments for the rest of their lives.
Maybe, just maybe I will eventually play gigs with my former students and smile knowing they are a part of music, a part of a community, and a part of a worldwide band.