Volume XXXI, No. 24 | October 23, 2009
Using Music to Build Community and Promote Student Success
Nearly everyone enjoys music, and recently I discovered how music can contribute to creating a positive learning environment in my government classes. Through trial and error, I discovered a strategy to use music to build community, prepare students to engage in the work of learning, and simply make class more engaging, unpredictable, and fun.
At first, I selected all the songs myself. To bring students out of their small-group conversations, I played brief portions of songs that had some witty connection (or so I thought) to the topic we were discussing. We segued out of a conversation about the separation of church to the sound of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky.” And, for something really edgy, we listened to Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” after a conversation about the Iraq war. My students seemed to enjoy hearing music in class, but I could tell that the songs I chose were not always very meaningful to them.
This changed when I started asking my students which songs they would find fun and relevant to class. My first hint that we were really onto something came when we lightened the mood of some heavy conversations about terrorism and war with the Black Eyed Peas’ “Where Is the Love?” This was literally a “let’s everybody put their hands together” moment, with nearly every student smiling, clapping, and having a better time than I can remember my students ever having together. Instantly, this group of students turned into a single community. By the time the verses of the song ended, we were refreshed, energized, and ready to return again to the work of teaching and learning. Even more important, this moment changed the way that I and many of the students felt about the class for the rest of the term. From that point on, we were all on the same team, working together toward achieving our common goals of student learning and success.
Other songs became opportunities for further conversations: Why are the lyrics of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “Man in the Box” so dark? These songs provided us with new ways to approach course material concerning personal choices and their consequences for ourselves and others. Before long, I looked for other opportunities to play the many songs that students requested—in the moments before class began, during breaks, and at the end of class. Sometimes, I still found it effective to select songs of my own. For example, I returned a batch of less-than-satisfactory mid-term essays to the ominous sounds of Dimitri Tiomkin’s theme for “Rio Bravo.” Yet the greatest successes clearly came from the songs that students suggested. Whatever songs we played—from the sweetest jazz and pop to the heaviest hip hop and heavy metal—this strategy energized us, helped set the mood for our time together, and caused a greater number of students to feel like they were a significant part of the class.
To gain student input, I set up a new forum on the online discussion board that I ordinarily used for our political conversations. Students were encouraged to suggest and write about songs that they would find meaningful to hear, and they received credit for their posts (as with other forums). At first, only a few students took advantage of this opportunity, but once the class discovered the power of playing these student-selected songs in class, more and more students began to contribute. This forum soon became the most popular of all, with nearly twice as many posts as any other. Students who did not contribute easily to other conversations suddenly came to life when asked to talk about a favorite song, providing an opportunity to connect with me and other students.
Once again, I am reminded that the best way to make class more worthwhile for students is to ask for suggestions from the students themselves. Note: I found that most every song my students suggested was available for use in class on grooveshark.com.
Michael Iachetta, Program Coordinator of Professional Development for Adjunct Faculty, and Adjunct Professor of Government
For further information, contact the author at Richland College, 12800 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX 75243. Email author.
