A music and poetry based project that involves looking at some modern and historical female singers/poets for inspiration and having the girls create their own music or poetry.
Learning Outcome: Use historical and modern female icons in music and poetry to inspire the girls' own creativity and art. Understand how music and poetry varies between genres and time periods as well as how this can effect the purpose of the art that is created.
Materials:
Computers or some access to the internet to play music
Information sheet about each woman to spur discussion (linked below)
Worksheet for the girls to create their own music/poetry (linked below)
Project Run-Time: 1 Meeting
Step #1:
Either as a large group or in smaller broken off groups, have the girls explore a variety of music and poetry. We were fortunate enough to have three leaders and did this by breaking the girls off into three small groups so we could have more intimate discussions.
For the music, we used Spotify and youtube to play the songs. For the poetry, we printed off singular poems from the Poetry Foundation website to read with the girls.
Link to Poetry:
Maya Angelou Phenomenal Woman https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48985/phenomenal-woman
Mary Oliver The Storm https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=40069
Please explore more of Mary Oliver and Maya Angelou, as well as other amazing female poets!
Links to Music:
Ella Fitzgerald Blue Skies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB-xqDZbEVQ
Stevie Nicks Gypsy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX57RBmD3eI
Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUXx0PQWXY
Kacey Musgraves Rainbow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj4RRliPTpA
Moana How Far I'll Go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPAbx5kgCJo
Link to Information on each of the women/discussion sheet:
Step #2:
In groups, analyze the songs/poems: what do they mean to you? Why are they empowering? Why do you think the author wrote them? Use the discussion sheet to build on the conversation. What was happening at this time in history? What prompted these women to write this music or poetry?
Also talk about genre. How does the music and poetry differ?
Step #3:
It's time for the girls to play with their own music and poetry. Make sure they keep in mind your conversation about the strong female poets and singers and incorporate some elements, messages, etc. into their own creative work.
Link to worksheet:
