lesson:
DAMN.: The Art and Importance of Storytelling
How do Kendrick Lamar’s album DAMN. and the work of photojournalist Gordon Parks tell stories that bring attention to social issues?
lesson:
#BlackLivesMatter: Music in a Movement
How have musicians responded to the Black Lives Matter movement?
lesson:
“Alright” and the History of Black Protest Songs
How have Black artists throughout the 20th century used music to speak about racial injustice in America?
video:
“Never Catch Me”
people:
The Temptations
The most successful male group of Motown Records' 1960s heyday, the Temptations personified the label's R&B-pop crossover ideal. With powerful vocal harmonies, snappy attire, and slick dance moves — not to mention access to Motown's best songwriters, producers, and studio musicians — the quintet made music that was immaculately crafted yet punchy and gritty, appealing to black and white listeners alike. The Temptations were a consistent chart presence from the mid-60s through the early 70s, with their evolving sound reflecting the era's volatile mood. The five Detroit singers who comprised the Temptations' classic lineup — David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul...
video:
Alright
video:
Hip Hop Swagger
people:
Miguel
Birth Name: Miguel Jontel Pimentel Birthplace: San Pedro, California October 23, 1985 – Present Years Active: 2004 – Present R&B singer Miguel grew up in a middle-class Hispanic community in San Pedro, California with a Mexican-American father and African-American mother. His love of music started young with his father being an amateur musician who was a fan of Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz and Classic Rock. However, it was his mother who introduced him to R&B. Miguel started pursuing a career in music in his early teenage years, working at a local production company called Drop Squad. In 2004, he signed with an independent record...
people:
Pete Seeger
(1919 – 2014) Although he's never made a Rock record, Folk music legend Pete Seeger is nonetheless an important Rock influence. That's partially a result of his songs, which have been widely covered by Rock and Pop acts. But Seeger's stature is more a matter of his uncompromising commitment to his ideals, which has made him a role model for politically committed musicians for multiple generations. The Manhattan-born son of composer, ethnomusicologist and New Deal administrator Charles Louis Seeger Jr., Pete fell under the spell of Folk music in his teens, while traveling with his father and stepmother in the rural...