December 20, 2023: Fall Semester Finds: New Music in Writing I

[For myannual Fall semester reflections series, I wanted to share some of the newtexts and ideas I encountered this semester. I’d love to hear things youdiscovered or rediscovered this Fall in comments!]

The textsI highlighted in the week’s first two posts were ones I assigned in my classes,if as I said yesterday ones for which in each case it was our collectivediscussions that truly opened them up to me. But over the years I have likewisefound ways to get student-chosen texts into many of my courses, andparticularly into my First-Year Writing courses where the papers and units tendto be especially individualized. That’s especially true of the short third unitin First-Year Writing I, where students practice the skills of structured closereading through work with a song of their choice. I hope and believe thatassignment offers benefits for their skills and ideas and writing, but I knowfor a fact it has the ancillary benefit of consistently introducing me to newmusic! This semester, as usual, that meant two different and equally excitingkinds of discoveries: new songs by artists I already know, like Billy Joel’smoving “Vienna”; andsongs by artists who were entirely new to me, like Sleepy Hallow’s “Self Control.” My sonsdo what they can to keep me aware of new music and artists, and with greatresults to be sure; but this assignment gives me access to so many moreperspectives and possibilities, and helps keep my own perspective and knowledgefresh in ways I really cherish.

Next Fallfind tomorrow,

Ben

PS. Whatdo you think? Other Fall finds you’d share?