My 8th Graders

[asteg@k12.ucs.umass.edu (Albert Steg (Winsor))]

Having spent the year so far reading _The House on Mango Street_ by Sandra
Cisneros and an anthology of poetry with my 8th grade English class, I
thought it would be a fun follow-up activity to record a series of songs for
my class (all girls) to listen to --songs that are vignette-like, or that
have interesting structures, or use words in "poetic" ways.

I cooked up this 33:00 mix:

1) Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell)
2) Galileo (Indigo Girls)
3) Under the Ivy (Kate Bush)
4) Sat in Your Lap (Kate Bush)
5) Eat for Two (10K Maniacs)
6) Behind the Wall (Tracy CHapman)
7) ...Teen Spirit (Tori Amos's cover)
8) Winter (Tori Amos)
9) Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) (Tracy Ullman)

I wrote a little intro to each tune/artist above the lyrics, including a
mention of Kate's youthful popularity in over much of the world.

After "Sat in Your Lap" there was general amazement, and one somewhat
wistful voice that asked "Wow --is that the kind of music that gets popular
over in England"?

They were impressed, and I was impressed that they were impressed.

Albert
-- 
"When it was proclaimed that the Library contained all books,the
first impression was one of extravagant happiness. All men felt
themselves to be the masters of an intact and secret treasure.
                       -Jorge Luis Borges, "The Library of Babel"