Blog For Week #8

 The topic I chose to examine is playlists. Whether through Apple Music, Spotify, or any of the other platforms available, it seems as if virtually everyone has their own musical playlists for their lives; some people have multiple different playlists they access based on the daily activities they are involved in (work playlist, exercise playlist), or what emotions they are experiencing at a given moment (happy playlists, angry playlists). A person’s music collection acts as an expressive soundtrack to their life, revealing so much about them.  I view this as a new literacy, as playlists can be an opportunity for someone to learn about others and themselves. My goal is to create an engaging and effective way for students to reveal who they are and learn more about the music they listen to and love.

The project involves having each student look at a favorite playlist they listen to. It could be a playlist they created themselves, one being shared with them by someone else, or even their favorite album. From these playlists, they are to pick 3 to 5 songs. With each song, they will research the artist who performed the song, the lyrics, the mood of the song (upbeat, mellow, emotional), the message the artist is trying to convey through the song, and what the song means to the student personally. Through this research, the students can discover the stories behind their favorite songs and come to a deeper understanding of the music they are so passionate about. At the same time, it will hopefully help them discover new things about themselves as they delve into why these songs mean so much to them.

Students will then give a report on their findings. They can choose whether to give an oral report, a slide presentation, or to make a video. In either case, they must play clips of each song they report on. This will open a window into themselves for the class to see, as they showcase their musical interests. In addition, this presents the opportunity to discuss different social issues these songs bring up.

I myself have a deep love for music. It is my feeling that such a project will be enthralling for many different students. Music playlists are the mixtapes of this generation. Many people love sharing their musical tastes with others, and this assignment will give kids the opportunity to practice this and let their class know what they value.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 

Bonnin, G & Jannach, D. (2015). Automated Generation of Music Playlists: Survey and Experiments

ACM computing surveys, Vol.47 (2), p.1-35.

This article serves as a critique of automatically-generated music playlists. Bonnin and Jannach take into question the algorithms used in synthesizing these playlists, and argue that better approaches could be taken to cut down on popularity bias, resulting in a superior automated, more organic process. The article will help to strengthen my argument that playlist are more enjoyable when made personally by the listener.

Owens, C. L., Bradfield, T. B.  & Frew, K. (2023). Playlists in Play Therapy: Using Music-Based Technology to Engage African American Boys. International journal of play therapy, Vol.32 (2), p.75-78.

This article examines the issue of racism and marginalization on African American boys, and the toll it takes on their social and emotional well-being. Owens and Bradfield offer music as a play therapy for the teenagers, suggesting the creation of playlists by the kids to help them feel a sense of empowerment. Through music, the authors aim to equip the students with a coping mechanism and a resource to use now and in the future. The article emphasizes both music as therapeutic and listener-created playlist as a valuable tool to help students deal with their issues.

Hagen, A. N. (2015) The Playlist Experience: Personal Playlists in Music Streaming Services

Popular music and society. Vol.38 (5), p.625-645.

This article delves into the creating of personal playlists on different platforms, such as Spotify. It examines how people put together their lists and where their choices stem from, even suggesting that it stems from practices of the past, before music-streaming platforms existed. Hagen’s article will assist me in looking at the reasons behind students particular song choices on their own playlists.

Ocaña-Fernández, A & Reyes-López, M. (2019). ‘My Favorite Song’: understanding a music learning ecology of children from interaction among media, family and school contexts. British journal of music education. Vol.36 (2), p.113-123

This article discusses childrens’ connection to and fascination with music from an early age.  The authors suggest utilizing this musical experience into endeavors for establishing social skills and within the process of their academic studies. I can use this article to find ways to draw out older students’ musical tastes and where they might stem from.

Wesselmann, E. D.,  P. Kassner, M & Graziano, W. G. (2016). Personality’s Top 40: An Assignment to Motivate Students to Apply Personality Concepts to Their Favorite Songs. Teaching of psychology. Vol.43 (2), p.159-163

This article chronicles an activity created by Psychology professors as a way to engage their students in the subject. The students picked and voted on songs that they felt described the different course concepts. This resulted in the students becoming highly engaged and enjoying the activity. Furthermore, the professors argue that this approach can be used in numerous other fields and stages of education. I can use this article to further argue that music can be an enthralling and engaging way for students to take part in their learning.