Music and Interdisciplinary Connections

Procedures

1. Note: Students should have been taught at least one lesson in MENC's *NSYNC series and be familiar with *NSYNC songs.
2. Listen to music.
   • Play I Want You Back.
   • Lead short class discussion about what story the lyrics convey. (Lost love.) How do elements in the music contribute to that story? How do tempo, key, instrumental accompaniment, and music texture help portray the story? What about vocal techniques? Are there vocal slides or catches used to convey ideas? Who is telling the story? What is he feeling?
3. Watch at video.
   • Show *NSYNC music video you have taped for educational purposes. (Please see copyright note below.)
   • Lead short classroom discussion asking: Does this video--a mini-drama--tell the same story as the song alone? How do the members of the group tell the story in the video? Think about emotions shown, interactions with others, choreography. What do you notice about camera angles, lighting, scenery, time of day. How do these tell the story?
4. Make connections.
   • Ask your students if they can think of books, movies, opera, artwork, or dance that might share the same theme? (The arts are rich with stories of lost love, but you might include Shakepeare's Romeo and Juliet, Bizet's Carmen, Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, the movies Casablanca and Titanic, pop songs Teen Angel and Yesterday, and country songs Blue and Your Cheatin' Heart. These are just starters--you'll think of many appropriate for your class's age and maturity level.)

   (The music video is not provided by MENC. Have students watch *NSYNC music videos on television at home; or check with a school administrator about taping for educational purposes.)