2.+Tuesday--Taste+Cultures+(Mike)

Taste Cultures

Learning Goals:
 * Understand the concept of "taste cultures" as uses of music & taste to connect to friends, differentiate from others
 * Demonstrate how popular music is important in identity through students' autobiographical playlists
 * Practice openness and curiosity towards others' tastes
 * Categorize personal, social and cultural uses of music from students' Top 5 Songs at My Funeral lists
 * Understand how taste constructs identity, and vice versa; become critical of relationship between "what I like" and "what I'm like"
 * Recognize critical thinking and curiosity about music as a means to navigate, express and explore social and cultural identifications through personal taste choices

Throughout the class, keep 3 columns notes: Personal/Individual, Social/Interpersonal/Groups(small), Cultural/Groups(big)

1. View/Discuss (class): High Fidelity clip "Which came first, the music or the misery?" Discuss w/ML questions [5-8 min] 2. Mini-lecture on benefits of openness/curiosity about complexity of music taste [2-5 minutes] 3. View/Discuss (class): Hi-Fi clips, how we distinguish from/ connect to others; what you like & what you're like [10min] 4. Small Group Discussion of Top5 Songs at My Funeral, Autobigraphical Playlist 5. Large Group Discussion, add to notes on Personal, Social, Cultural uses/meanings of music 6. Wrap up review about taste cultures & identity; complex uses of music
 * key concept: Multi-directional influences of music:
 * we listen because we feel something, feel something because we listen
 * Directions of media effects: reinforce, reflect, inculcate (teach/brainwash/influence), shape
 * media effects look at messages and individuals; another way to think about the role of music in our lives is to think of social uses; how music means something in how we relate to others
 * How do the characters use their music and media tastes in the clips? {we'll discuss "what you like/are like" later]
 * Categorize ways they connect through shared experiences, distinguish by amount of knowledge, etc
 * note categories under social uses on white board
 * Transition to all the different ways students use music as represented by h.w. choices
 * take a few examples from the group and categorize meanings/uses on the board under personal, social, and cultural
 * break into small groups to discuss h.w.; each groups notes categories to fit uses of each song discussed
 * Each student shares a song or two they listed, and how meaningfulness/use
 * Group keeps list of categories to add to class notes on board
 * Group breaks to pairs or trios to share all parts of lists
 * connect to how complex messages in music are beyond effects: reinforce, reflect, inculcate, & shape
 * reinforce need for critical thinking, key questions to understand and use complexity
 * suggest critical thinking to connect with more music, more people & more social/cultural opportunities

[???If we create a blog with our versions of these assignments, we could invite students to add to the blog from home...We could also use that blog space as a place to share "conscious" hip hop songs]

Screen clip of "Who's That Girl" documentary where taste cultures and issues of representation are discussed. (2:49- 9:21)
 * View "Who's That Girl" clip:**

What questions does this clip raise for you? (How and Why questions) What is said about representation? About taste culture? According to the documentary interviews, what are the common representations in hip hop? What representations do they say are missing?
 * Pair/Share (groups of 3-4):**


 * Take Away: Hand-out about taste cultures and issues of representation. Define key concepts. We will follow up on this tmrw! **