MU:Re9.1.T.la: Evaluate music using criteria based on analysis, interpretation, digital and electronic features, and personal interests.
Best or Worst?
What makes a song good or bad? This intermediate to advanced level lesson deals with the question of how do we judge the quality of a musical work or performance. There are numerous sources where you can find the "Top 10 Best Songs of All Time" or the "Top 10 Worst Songs of 2016". The teacher will find examples of songs that fit into one of these two categories and play them for the students. The students will work with partners to write down the musical and digital characteristics of the song and discuss whether they think the song came from the "Best" or "Worst" list. Students will then share with their classmates using musical and digital vocabulary their rationale for why they placed the song into the "Best" or "Worst" list. After the discussion, the teacher will reveal which list the song was on. Use as many examples as a class period will allow.