Melodies of Life: Storytelling Through Music
How can songwriting help us process and share our emotions and experiences?
How to Use This Lesson
This is a Harmony Student Wellness lesson, a week-long, music-centered social-emotional learning lesson designed to be taught across multiple sessions, culminating in an arts-based project. This lesson can be taught in isolation or as part of the larger Harmony Student Wellness program. For more support on implementation, see the Implementation Guide on the program page.
Essential Question
How can songwriting help us process and share our emotions and experiences?
Objectives
Mastery Objective
- Students will be able to tell stories or make statements about their lives, thoughts, and feelings by writing their own songs.
Day 1 - Students will:
- Listen to “No One Knows Me” by Sampha
- Define singer-songwriter
- Consider songwriting as a method for processing and sharing emotions and stories
Day 2 - Students will:
- Listen to “Summer of ‘42” by Kishi Bashi
- Relate characteristics of literary genres to storytelling in lyrics
- Consider how real feelings and experiences can be expressed through fictional stories
Day 3 - Students will:
- Listen to “Moment of Joy” by Chicano Batman
- Make connections between music, visual art, and writing
- Recognize that different people may interpret the same song differently
Day 4 - Students will:
- Listen to “All Too Well”, “Shake it Off”, and “Ivy” by Taylor Swift
- Explore the influence writing mediums have on lyric writing
Arts-Based Activity - Students will:
- Reflect on the songwriting strategies introduced in this lesson
- Experiment with expressing their thoughts and emotions through songwriting
Background
In this lesson, students will explore songwriting as a method for processing and sharing emotions and stories. They will consider various approaches to songwriting, including writing about “what knows you best” and creating fictional stories that incorporate their own thoughts or feelings. Students will also examine the connection between doodling and songwriting and the impact different writing mediums have on the lyrics they create. The lesson concludes with students expressing their thoughts and emotions through songwriting.
Materials
Required for all lessons:
- Student Journals
- Art Supplies*
*Be sure art supplies include various mediums for Day 4 and the Arts-Based Activity. Some suggestions include pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, or gel pens.
Slides
Playlists
Connected Themes
Monthly Theme
SEL Competency
SEL Subskill(s)