Musicality is the Key

Over the years, I have done an amazing amount of lessons with music poems. I used to teach them primarily using on sample poem -- Weary Blues by Langston Hughes (and playing John Coltrane and Miles Davis CDs) but this day (Reed Residency) was really interesting and inspiring and I wanted to do something a little bit different. So I chose to employ two different lessons for the three classes. Using musical selections, the skills of listening, analyzing and writing poems, along with traditional methods. It was quite interesting I must say. Using one of the lessons I tried from Kenneth Koch's book, "Wishes, Lies and Dreams" I was able to use a different teaching idealogy with the 8th and 3rd Graders. Different poems were generated because of the music I used (hip hop instrumentals, Nas, Kelis, and jazz evoked different emotions, and poetic themes in the following poems you are going to be seeing. I was very happy with the openness in my lower grades opposed to my upper grades. But all in all, I feel, since this was the first day back for students, we were able to share out love of music as a force that can inspire all types of things.

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Ranice G. (8th Grade)

Girls and boys die early.
Boys getting shot in drive bys.
Girls getting thrown in the alley.
All this violence stops soon.

Too late to fall back.
Too soon to fall forward.
To sudden to do anything.
So don't even try to move.

You already there.
You already done.
You think it's funny.
You think it's cool.
They will have you in the hospital.
Eating out of a tube.
Looking dumb.
Looking like a fool.

So think before you do.
Think before you say.
Listen to the words that I say.

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Teressa J. (8th Grade)

The wave of a morning vibe.
He's rapping about the bad times that happened.
And think now his revenge is time.

Everything is so unpredictable.
Everybody is dying.
He feels bad and would never
make the same mistakes and would try
to enhance if he just had
one mic.

Life Beats
Danielle S. (8th Grade)

To that beat I hear
I see myself in my beat
Dance to that beat
Ride or die is what I feel
Living a life of a dark side
staring at the moon
As I think of that beat
Running for my life
I hear that beat
I run to that beat
Independent I stand
because of that beat
Independent woman in that beat
nothing with out beat
staring back at the moon
Trying to find out what to say
to the sky
I've never been good at saying
good bye
or hello they say
You don't know what you get until
what you have is gone
Til that beat goes away
I wish then I had something to say
Life beats
to that beat

2 Songs
Attallah H. (8th Grade)

I think that he mad about somebody
and tryna make it and he only have one
life and he need one microphone.

He gone upgrade on everything
he did in life
so dat he only need one microphone
2 make it in life
and where he need 2 be.

I feel that they having a good time
and they on they're anniversary
and tryna have a good time
and enjoy their self and going to keep
on loving each other
and they're not going to let
nobody come between them.

What is Music?
Carmen E. (8th Grade)

What is music?
Do you know?

Does it have melody?
Does it have a certain beat?
Can I flow to it?

I really want to know.
What is music!
Can you tell me please.

Cause I am stuck.
In this music beat.
I'm asking questions.
Can you respond?

Cause I am stuck
in this music band.
So what is music!

Can you tell me now?
Cause I really need to know
it now!

My Feeling
Reginald R. (8th Grade)

I feel calm and bored.
I feel sad and a little happy.
The tone sounds like a person in love or
having a romantic date.
Like someone on a get away cruise
or eating at a five star restaurant.

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Steven R. (8th Grade)

Bullets flying and people dying.
Can you smell the chicken frying?
And after all this people are still living
and dying.
Nothing we can do but just let it happen.
Unless we take action and do something about it.

Music played in class: "One Mic" by Nas & "Swamp Song" by Foreplay (jazz ensemble)

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Donovan T. (3rd Grade)

It sounds red.
It reminds me of my Grand Dad.
I hear dancing.
I hear piano.
I hear guitar.

Slow Music
Dezirme J. (3rd Grade)

I hear wind.
I hear a flute.
I hear a beat.
I hear squeaky noise.
I hear somebody talking.
It reminds me and my mom dancing.
I hear don-- donny.
I hear a piano.
I hear something that winds threw.
It reminds me of Chris Brown.
I hear smooth and soft music.
It reminds me of when I was listening to soft and smooth music.
I hear a beat.
It makes me feel like the music is gone off.
I think they know I like smooth and slow music
that make me feel like I'm somewhere quiet and peaceful.
I think the color..could be pink.

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Edward C. (3rd Grade)

Dis song remind me of my Granddad song
and he let me play the drums
and he play the good one and he called his friend
to help him make a song
and we had made a song for Grandmother
and she had small...

I did a good thing
for my family and even time I come from
school and play

when I grow up
I want to be a rock star
and I want to play the drums

I go in the bedroom
and think of some songs
for my Mom
and I just made a good beat

and have fun
and be yourself
and I will have fun
like you...

The Classical Music
Jauron M. (3rd Grade)

I hear the drums go boom boom.
I hear the flute go toot-toot.
I hear the beat going hum-hum.
I hear the wind going whoosh-whoosh.
I think the color would be light grey.

It reminds me of my Great Grandmother.
It reminds me of her kisses.
It reminds me of my Grandmother.
It reminds me of how she kisses me.
It reminds me of my Aunt.
It reminds me of her sweet hugs.

The Crazy Sounds
Tiffany A. (3rd Grade)

I hear the flute saying bom, bom, bom, like the drums.
But the drums are blue.
It sounds like toot, toot like the flute.
Sounds like bom hop, bom hop, like Africa drums.

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Tiara B. (3rd Grade)

I feel about songs.
It made me feel sad.
I remember of my Grandfather.
I hear someone's piano soft, musical.
It made me feel pink sleep.
It made me go to sleep.
Me put my head down
to when my Grandmother ...
I was okay.
Flew me and the air like a butterfly
like a star.
Like a sun.

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Ernest H. (3rd Grade)

The music feels soft and gentle
like the wind.
The music feels like it's blending in with the beat
just flowing through the air.
The music is so nice and gentle.
I just might fall asleep.
It sounds like my Grandfather's band
playing the blues.
That's the way the music feels.

The Jazz Song #2 and #1
Kiara F. (3rd Grade)

I hear the song in my heart
like a person who likes to sing
a song of what I know.
I can like...
I do...
I know who I like.
I know I can be what i want to be.
My teacher Mrs. Tomlinson and I love
as a friend Mrs. Tomlinson.

Song #1
Diangelo W. (3rd Grade)

It sounds like a piano.
It don't sound like jazz.

Song #2
Diangelo W. (3rd Grade)

It sounds soft.
It sounds like Jazz.
It was like truck music and piano
with strings.

Music played: Brooklyn Funk Essentials & Foreplay

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Lavontae C. (5th Grade)

Boom.
Boom.
Hear comes the parade.
The sound is beating through my head.
It comes in one ear.
It comes out the other.

I am walking home.
I hear a sound...
rat-ta-tat-tat!
What is that sound?
Then I start looking around.
It is a man
working on this street.
I say "hay, that's a good beat."

The Noise That is in My House
Monae S. (5th Grade)

I hear myself wheezing
when my Asthmas is messing with me.
Then my heart is racing so fast like the weather.
When I go outside my Aunt told me
'going to be alright'.
I am on my way to the hospital when I get
on a machine.
It sounds like a trumpet.

I'm Walking Down the Street
Montera C. (5th Grade)

I'm walking down the street.
I heard funny beats.
It was a clarinet.
It was like squeak squeak squeak
like a sound of an owl.

Then I looked around and saw a girl.
She was holding it and she blew it and
it was like beat beat beat.
...of an instrument of an clarinet.

Follow the Beat of your Heart
Martarvia P. (5th Grade)

Follow the beat of your heart,
then you'll have a healthy start.

You can try a violin or clarinet.
The one that fits you the best.

You can have a drum to add to the beat.
so you can tap your feet.

You can try a flute that sounds
like birds in trees.

Or a trombone that sounds like you're
moaning and groaning...from scratching from fleas.

You can choose whatever you feel just remember
follow your heart to whatever you like.

My Own Rhythm
Raesha R. (5th Grade)

I try to hear the beat like a drum.
That comes to my heart.
Some that bring together or apart.

Some have piano or a flute
and some have a instrument that goes
root-toot-toot.

I wonder if I can make a rhythm
with a horn or a bike.
So I can see what rhythm sounds like.

People think that beats are just raps
but I use a beat.
I beat my hands on laps.

The Rhythm
Jazmin L. (5th Grade)

The rhythm of my beat.
My sounds are like bom bom bom.
Shhh..bom.
I am never quiet.
I just make more noise as if I were a trumbone.

What I Wake UP To
Dalvin S. (5th Grade)

A dream that I had in me,
I woke up to see.
I seen my brother walk around on the guitar
acting like a clown.
It was not a lot of noise.
People that I see walk down the street.
Some people in their house beating their drum.
Some people I see that are funny.
In the summer, they see bunnies.

The Rhythm
Daisha B. (5th Grade)

What do I hear when I wake up?
I hear the stove sizzling "ssss."
Then my baby brother beating on the table
boom boom like a drum.
My sister screaming.
It sounds like a cho-cho train.
It's all the rhythm that I hear in my house.

No music selections used, but traditional reading and discussion of a poem inspired these.

Onomatopoeia Poems

The fun part of being at Walter Reed is the openness of students. Event if they don't quite know if they are writing their 'poem' right, they are open to the experience. Today's class focused on the simplicity of using words that have the element of sound, i.e, onomatopoeia. Lapota's class were very chatty but also many of the students took the poetry challenge and dived right on in to the exercise. Ms. Constance class (#204, formerly Garland) were very excited to see me as well. In the class, I asked several questions about things they love to hear, not not hear. I asked for words that had the element of soun (hiss, bam, boom, splish, splash,etc.). They were able to apply their 'brainstorming list of words to an original poem. Tomlinson's class were sooo great we had all of the students read their original poems during the reciting time. All of the students had fabulous poems that inspired me.

The Things I Hear
Shyneshia S. (Ms. Constance, 5/6 Grade)

The things I hear.
I am in the pool.
The water splash splash in my face.
Bounce bounced the ball goes to my brother
playing with his fastball.
Tap tap girls!
Jumping rope.
Roll roll
my sister is skating.
My brother jumped and the pool
splash splash
goes again in my face.
I get out and go in the
house put on some clothes
and go out the door.
I go
stomp stomp
the the girls asked
"do you want to play rope?"
and I said,"yes"
Then I go tap tap in the rope
the wind is blowing back
my wig.

A Walk
Malik W. (Ms. Constance, 5/6 Grade)

I am walking
I don't know where.
I think I heard the scratching of a bear.
"Clutch. Clutch." his claws scratching in the tree.
I walk along.
I hear a "knock. knock."
I wonder what it is.
I see it.
It's a wood pecker in a tree.
I walked pass a basketball court
"Swish. Swish."
The ball is in and the crowd cheers
"Yeah. Yeah."

Noises In the Morning
Donovan T. (Tomlinson, 3rd Grade)

In the morning
I hear
sizzle sizzle
drizzle drizzle.
It is my Mom cooking.
We are eating.
I hear
munch munch
It's Cane eating.
I hear
*ding*
the plates are
in the sink.

I Hear Noises
Keora H. (Tomlinson, 3rd Grade)

I hear the water go
splash, splash, splash.

I hear the thunder go
boom, boom, boom.

I hear the car go
honk, honk, honk.

I hear the cow go
moo, moo, moo.

I hear the horse go
nade, nade, nade.

I hear the drum go
boom, boom, boom.

I hear people go
clap, clap, clap.

I hear a baby go
wah, wah, wah.

I hear the duck go
quack, quack, quack.

I hear kids talking I go
shhh, shhh, shhh!

I hear the dog go
bark, bark, bark.

I hear the cat go
meow, meow, meow.

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Danielle S. (Lapota, 8th Grade)

Running down the court
tic toc tic toc
the clock is ticking
time is almost up.

Swish!
The ball is in.
The time is up.

Yaaaaay everyone screams.
Thump, thump, thump...
Stomping I hear
1 ... 2....3
Yaaaaaay
They rise starting for joy.

Finally the game is over.
Boom boom boom boom boom.
The crowd is running to the center
Pop a needle is being pushed through the balloon.
Picking me up out of the air
and I feel like a winner.

!HAY I AM A WINNER!

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Lashawn R. (Lapota, 8th Grade)

I hear the mustang.
The motor was rumbling.
The motor was like zoom zoom.
Zoom.
Down the block fast as it go.

I tried to run down the street to
look but it was so fast.
I wet my foot in a puddle nearby.
Down the street it goes still leaving me behind.

I finally got tired and stopped
and put my hands on my head to get
some wind.
The care still burning..
rubber still going like scrrrrrrr!
Leaving me behind.

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Steven R. (Lapota, 8th Grade)

As I throw the freesbie.
It went 'swoosh' through the air.
As I heard the tick tock of the clock.
As I heard the 'vroom vroom' I noticed
a car racing up the street.
As I watched the sunset I heard the
birds chirping and singing as the
day ended.