The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.
– Bruce Springsteen
The message of this lesson is that you aren’t failing at life if you are going through a difficult time. Life can be hard sometimes, especially during adolescence. The teenage years are a time of self-discovery, where you test limits, try new things, and figure out your place in the world. Difficult emotions like discomfort and confusion are a natural, normal part of the process. It is helpful for high school students to have an understanding that they are not alone in many of the challenges they are facing in their lives. Rather, they are negotiating this stage of development along with their peers. Oftentimes for teenagers, music is part of this journey of self-discovery. Music can help you feel seen, understood, and uplifted. In today’s lesson, students will learn that music is a powerful tool they can use to express themselves, their identities, and their emotions.
Prior to teaching this lesson, watch the expert and guest artist videos and create your own music playlist, draw your cover art, and make a title for your playlist.
Gather colored pencils, crayons or markers for the cover art as well as paper and pens if students choose not to do this digitally. If your students do choose to do this digitally, Canva.com offers many album design covers. If they are doing this digitally, make sure all students have a personal electronic device (i.e. laptop, tablet, Chromebook). This is a lesson that can be extended into a second class period, especially if you invite students to play their musical selection for the class.
Dr. Gowri Aragam describes several key ideas that offer students more information about the way identity develops over time. She shares that music often supports her in pausing to reflect on her identity and determine who she wants to be.
DJ Osh Kosh explains that she creates music playlists as a form of emotional expression and that she can always find a song for every feeling.
Olivia shares a playlist she made that reflects her values and experiences, including a difficult relationship with a parent as well as her feelings about friendship, perfectionism and insecurities. She also shares her cover art and the title of her playlist.
Sofia shares how music has helped her express and identify who she is as a person, and how certain songs have helped her feel comforted and validated when she feels stressed.
Ashton and Carter Ryan describe how writing, playing, and listening to music have been tools to help them through difficult times.
Meaghan Birnie and Clare Kehoe – founders of Morgan’s Message – share the way music was one support that helped them get through the loss of their friend Morgan to suicide. They also share their friend Morgan’s connection to music.
Display the ‘welcome slide’ from the Lesson 7 PowerPoint as you begin.
*Slide 1
As discussed in the teacher training, remember to make the suggested language below authentic to yourself and meaningful for your students.
*Slide 2
Example of What You Could Say:
“An important takeaway from this lesson is that everyone is going through something you can’t see, and you are not alone if you are having a difficult time. In fact, during your adolescent years, you’re supposed to feel difficult emotions like confusion and discomfort. Adolescence is a time of self-discovery, where you’re still figuring out who you are and your place in the world. This is a natural, normal, developmentally appropriate part of becoming an adult. You’re not alone if you feel like you don’t have it all figured out. Today, we’re going to embrace this journey of self-discovery and learn a new method to express all that you’re feeling.”
“We are going to watch a video from a mental health expert who shares some more information about identity development and emotional expression, then connects these ideas to today’s creative activity.”
Example of What You Could Say:
“As you can see from the expert video we just watched, this transition between childhood and adulthood is pretty significant. This is when we are meant to test and set limits and to try out various roles. This is when we are searching to establish a new identity that feels authentic. Oftentimes for teenagers, music is part of this journey of self-discovery and self-expression. We just heard from an expert that there is a developmental reason for this, and now we are going to watch another video from a guest artist who gives a real life example and shares the way music helped them express their identity and emotions during a difficult time.”
Play whichever guest artist video you feel would resonate most with your students. You can play multiple, if time permits. The guest artists describe the way either making music or listening to music supported them in expressing their identity and emotions.
Before you play the guest artist video, remember to give students a description of the video content, so that they can decide if they would like to view the video. The video descriptions are listed above each video.
Example of What You Could Say:
“As the guest artist shared, music can be a powerful tool to express ourselves. It can make us feel seen and uplifted. Kevin Love shared a music playlist that he created himself, and describes in it why he chose each song. (Share Kevin’s playlist, which can be found in the PPT or at the bottom of the ‘materials for lesson’ section.)
Now you are going to create your own playlist. You will choose three or four songs that best express you, whether that be your emotions or your identity. After, you will give your playlist a title and you can create ‘cover art’ for your playlist if you have time. (Instruct your students whether they will design the cover art digitally or draw it by hand.) Reflection is an important part of this activity; you should consider why you’re selecting a song and how it represents you. If you would like to write why you chose a particular song and how that song represents you, please feel free to write one or two sentences about each song selection.
Before this lesson, I created my own playlist of songs that represent my identity and emotions… (Share your playlist and explain why you chose each song. For example, you can highlight a song that helped you through a hard time.)
When selecting music, you might pick a song that represents your values, an emotion you want to express, your beliefs, or what’s important to you. The song might even feel like a kind of ‘theme song’ for who you hope to be. This activity should feel really individualized for who you are.”
*Slides 4 and 5
Students spend approximately 20 minutes choosing the songs for their playlist and creating a playlist title. Students can also create cover art for their playlist and write why they selected each song.
Invite students to share the songs they chose for their playlists and why they selected each song. Optionally, if time permits, students can play an piece from one of their songs for the class. Encourage students to keep using music as a tool for self-expression.
Example of What You Could Say:
“I would love to hear what songs you chose for your playlists and why you chose those songs. Would anyone like to share their playlist? How did it feel to do this activity?”
(Allow students to share.)
“Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful playlists. I hope you enjoyed today’s lesson, and I hope you feel inspired to continue using music as a tool for self-expression after today.”
If you or your students would like to learn more about the ideas in this lesson, additional resources and third party links are included below.