This year we’ll be listening to lots of different music.  Music has a great way of connecting words, meaning, and memory.   Each quarter, as we explore a different geographic area, we’ll spend some time listening and talking about differences within a region, as well as difference and similarities with other geographic areas.  Click on the links above for some of the singers/groups that we’ll be listening to in class.  Remember that styles of music, such as rap, hip-hop, and rock, are not “English-only” styles of music, though we may think of them as wholly American.  These styles, as well as many others, have been appreciated and appropriated in diverse cultures and languages throughout the entire world.  The beats, rhythms, styles, cadences, percussion, and emotion of musical styles that you enjoy are also explored and enjoyed by peers across borders.  Rap in Spanish?   ¡Sí!

 

Remember:  When we listen to a particular song in class I probably selected it because it has some quality, such as vocabulary, theme, or style, that I would like to share with the class.  You are probably not going to like every song we listen to.  It’s going to work best if you are patient and open-minded.  It’s not going to hurt, and in the end you may even discover you like it!  In the meantime, nothing brings an end to the party faster than a chorus of, “Yuck! I HATE this cheesy song!”. 

 

I also encourage you to find more tunes from the singers/groups we listen to in class as they’re a great way to continue your learning outside of class. 

 

Click on the links above and start exploring Spanish-language music!