I started doing this last year in order to introduce the concept of text-wrestling. I ask the students to bring a cd version of their favorite song. We listen to four songs at a time; only 30 seconds of it. As they are listening to the song, I ask them to write and to listen to the lyrics and listen to the music. I ask them to think about how the music and lyrics work well or don't work well together. Does the song evoke a memory? How does it make you feel? After they jot down some of their thoughts, they break up into groups and discuss their thoughts on the four songs. After a discussion period, we listen to four more songs.
Listening to 24 songs was a wonderful experience. I felt like I knew my students better and in turn they became closer as a class. This whole process will probably take two class periods but it teaches them the fundamentals of analyzing, critiquing, interpretation, and reactionary writing. It also teaches them that music can be a text just as much as a written piece. Once we finish this exercise I feel more comfortable delving into text-wrestling because I feel they now have the tools to tackle any essay.
