Singing Songs and Carrying On

Singing Songs and Carrying On:

Exploring the music of Woody Guthrie and the words of John Steinbeck

Overview:

Woody Guthrie is an important figure in the great American tradition of folk music. He was influenced by many before him and he continues to influence many musicians to this day. Of folk music, Guthrie said:

“A folk song is what's wrong and how to fix it or it could be who's hungry and where their mouth is or who's out of work and where the job is or who's broke and where the money is or who's carrying a gun and where the peace is.”

Guthrie wrote many songs commemorating the Dust Bowl, celebrating the “refugees”, and protesting the social conditions facing migrant workers. However, Guthrie also wrote hundreds of other topical songs concerning political ideas, current events, and real people that had little of nothing to do with the Dust Bowl.

Objective:

In this project you will immerse yourself in the music of Woody Guthrie to gain a better understanding of his music and of folk music in general. You will also gain experience as a balladeer, celebrating Guthrie’s legacy by composing your own song.

Procedure:

Your task is twofold; you will analyze a Woody Guthrie song and you will write a folk song.

1.Select a Woody Guthrie song that you deem to possess a resonance with The Grapes of Wrath. In 1 – 1.5 pages, you should:

a. analyze the lyrical content of the song (with attention to specific words and lines);

b. consider the emotional and thematic content of the song; and,

c. draw connections between the song and one or more aspects of The Grapes of Wrath. The connections with the novel can be broad and general, but more importantly they should also be specific (i.e. direct quotations, reflections on a specific moment, etc.)

2. Write a folk song in the style of Woody Guthrie. Using the format and melody of the song you are analyzing for #1, compose a new, original song. In terms of the content of the song, you should either:

a. write a song inspired by Steinbeck’s novel, focusing on a particular character and/or event from the text; or,

b. write a song inspired by a current event or topic of some social or political significance, either internationally, nationally, or locally.

Assessment:

The value of the project is 50 points. Your essay will be worth 25 points and the song will be worth 25 points. The essay will be evaluated equally on: quality of ideas, development of ideas, organization, use of evidence, and style. Your song will be evaluated on: creativity, “singability”, language, and subject content.