MuchMusic | Media Education | BookTelevision | Rock 'n' Roll 'n' Reading II

Rock 'n' Roll 'n' Reading II

Program Length: 1 hour
Produced: 1996

A look at the relationship between literature and popular music: rock's top names discuss their literary influences and how images on the page have found their way into some of music video's most compelling storytelling. (This acclaimed program was originally distributed to schools by Frontier College to promote literacy among teenagers.)

A. Defining Literature

1. List some book titles that you consider to be literature. What qualities make these books literature? List some book titles that you do not consider literature. Do these books lack the qualities you listed above?
Is rock music literature? Might some rock music be literature?
Does some rock music have the literary qualities you listed?

2. Devise a one or two sentence definition of literature. Check one or two dictionaries to see how your definition compares.
Design a test (series of questions, five maximum) that can be applied to writing to determine whether or not it is literature. Apply the test to a popular school novel. Apply the test to a popular music video, then a song.
What is the result? Why?

3. "Literature is what a society uses to define itself."
Northrup Frye
Northrup Frye was one of the Twentieth Century's greatest literary critics. His last book, The Great Code, was an explanation of how the Holy Bible was the book the Western World used to define its culture. Is rock music what many people use to define themselves today? Think about people who listen to a lot of rock. Describe the way they dress, talk, behave. How many of these aspects of their lives seem to come from their musical preferences? Re-read Northrup Frye's definition of literature. How does rock music perform the function of literature for many people?
Think about the recent revival of Beatle music. Do some people define their worlds through Beatle music? How? In what ways has Beatle music become literature?

B. Using Literature

4. Musical artists write and sing songs from their hearts, but also from their experiences. Some of their experiences are personal, and some come from reading.
Following are the people who appear in the video, along with the books they were reading when they were taped. Investigate some of the books they recommended. Decide which ones you think are worth reading, and why. Which ones do you think are literature? Why? Do they pass the test you devised?

· MC Hammer - books by Donald Trump, T. Boone Pickens, & J. Johnson
· Michelle Shocked - Hit Men, by Fredric Osared
· Neil Young - A Land Remembered
· Daryl Hall (Hall & Oates) - Restoration, by Rose Tremain
· Paul Stanley (KISS) - books by Kurt Vonnegut, Pat Conroy, Richard Brautigan
· Marty Stuart - The Holy Bible
· Warren Cuccurullo (Duran Duran) - Bonfire of the Vanities, by Tom Wolfe
· Barry D (Jesus Jones), Steve Lippon (Lush) - Chaos
· Sting - Iron John, by Robert Bly
· Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde) - The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice
· Perry Farrel (Jane's Addiction) - books by James Joyce & JG Ballard
· Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) - books by Jack Kerouac, William Burrows, Gregory Corso
· Bryan Adams - The Book of Small, by Emily Carr

5. One artist says, "Why are vampires often connected to Rock? There is a distant eroticism. A vampire commands with charisma, so is the perfect rock star."
Do rock stars 'command with charisma?'
Do literary heroes 'command with charisma?'
Is the rock star and hero's charisma an important part of what makes reading a pleasure?

6. Rob Halford (Judas Priest), says, "Escapism is vitally important to the human condition. That's why we need books and listen to music. There is virtue - good vs evil, overcoming the odds -- which has always been a great attraction to Heavy Metal music."
Did you list 'escapism' as an important part of literature? Should it be? Why?
Listen to some Heavy Metal lyrics. Do they contain virtue and good vs. evil?
Look at the list of books you listed as good literature. Do they contain virtue and good vs. evil? Does this suggest that some Heavy Metal is literature?

7. Robert Priest, author of The Ruby Hat, says, "I used to think the job of the poet was like the canary in the mine - to warn people. Now that everyone's been warned, the job of the poet is to provide some hope." (Note: Coal miners carried caged canaries into the mines to warn them of poisonous gases. The canaries were more sensitive to the gases, and the miners could get out alive if they left as soon as the canaries died."
Listen to Leonard Cohen's The Future and read the lyrics.
Is The Future 'the canary in the mine?'
In what ways does rock music warn people of the hazards of the future?
In what ways does rock music provide some hope?

C. Being Literate

8. Has this documentary encouraged you to read more? Why?
Which of the books mentioned would you like to read? Why?
Has this documentary changed the way you thought about musical artists? How?
Has this documentary changed the way you think about literature? What has changed?

Written by: Neil Andersen
Neil Andersen is an award-winning Curriculum Consultant with the Toronto District School Board. He is also a speaker and consultant in media and communications technology. His most recent work includes the Between the Lines CDs, the teachers' study guide for the award-winning Scanning Television, and study guides for Space, Bravo! and MuchMusic's Cable in the Classroom broadcasts of original media literacy programming.

For more information about MuchMusic's educational programming -- or to give us your feedback -- please contact:

Calla Dewdney
Public Affairs Coordinator
CHUM Television
416-591-7400 x5940
callad@chumtv.com

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