Storytelling through song
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can hear and understand part of a story told through song.
Key learning points
- Humans have told stories through song for thousands of years.
- A griot shares family history, stories and knowledge through song and poetry via the oral tradition.
- The oral tradition is a means of sharing songs by passing them down through singing rather than being written down.
- Traditional ballads tell stories nd have been passed through generations via the oral tradition.
- Thinking about the meaning of the words when we are singing helps us to communicate the story to the audience.
Keywords
Griot - (pronounced ‘gree-oh’) a West African storyteller and musician
Narrative - how a song or piece of music conveys a story through lyrics and/or melody
Ballad - a form of narrative verse, often put to music
Common misconception
Songs are written based on the beliefs and experiences of the person writing or singing.
Songs have been used for so many purposes from preserving history, sharing family history, entertaining people, to protesting, sharing political messages and to tell a huge range of stories both factual and fiction.
Teacher tip
Encouraging the pupils to begin to think about how they can express the meaning of the lyrics of a song will develop their vocal performance skills.
Licence
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