Major Project Post--Hannah Flach

Hello ladies and Nick,

This post has to do with my final project so I will be asking you to refer back to it on Friday when I present.  This post will also contain links to videos which pertain to my topic, so if you need headphones to listen or a place away from family, this is your warning so you’re not blaring 18^th century opera to your household. 

The topic of my major project was humor in education.  What I explored was the value of humor as an educational tool in the standard classroom as well as in the music classroom.  In the last century, many studies have been done to explore the use of humor as an educational tool.  Many researchers have found that relevant and appropriate jokes can actually boost retention and inherently lead to higher test scores.  Research has also shown that teachers who use humor have higher attendance and are seen as more competent communicators. The increases a different kind of respect for these teachers. It is not the typical respect that teachers maybe 75 years ago would have asked for; students sitting with their hands crossed on their desk not speaking a peep.  This different kind of respect entails classroom participation, engaged learning, curiosity and productive use of technology in the classroom.  Today, teachers’ do not want their students merely sitting with their hands folded—we want proof of retention and engagement.  Classroom conversations mean learning in education these days.  The 2018 Louisiana teacher of the year, Kimberly Eckert explains it best; the best thing you can do as a teacher is laugh—use humor and make learning fun.  “Teaching’s not easy,” she says. “You have to laugh a lot.  You have to laugh at yourself, you have to laugh at other teachers, you have to laugh at everything.  Like if you can make humor do its magic, you can make it all work.” (Google on Education, 0:32-0:43).

               David Tarvin is a very successful college professor who also preaches the value of humor in the classroom. Tarvin breaks down the way he uses humor into three categories: associations, applied improv, and incorporating personal stories. 

These methods break down the barriers between student and teacher.  This is of course, something which must be balanced because putting yourself on the say level as students can sometimes result in disrespect but knowing your personal line (the line set in place by school rules) is the key. 

But what about the music classroom, Hannah? Ah yes, using humor in the music classroom.  One way many people know about is through the use of parodies.  I remember learning about the Bubonic Plague through a parody to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” written by a collection of high school history teachers.  I mean, it’s stuck in my head now as I write this, so I guess it certainly worked.  The use of parodies can certainly be used outside of just the music classroom, as I just mentioned, but what better place to use a song to teach music than in a music classroom? Parodies fall right into Tarvin’s use of associations to teach, just in a little bit of a different way. 

Now, I must apologize in advance. I know that it is not Christmas, and if Christmas music before December isn’t acceptable, then I am sure it is not at ALL acceptable in April. But alas, this song happens to work perfectly.  The parody lyrics to this song describe exactly what is happening in this song.  So maybe this holiday season, if you’re still a broke college student, you can just gift your family this educational and musical rendition of a holiday favorite.  Or maybe not.  This song haunts my dreams now…

Aside from parodies, music and satire have a bit of a history, even going back to the 18^th century.  I warned in the beginning about opera, so what better time to introduce said opera than saving it for last.   But this opera is probably a little different than your preconceived notion of opera; even before listening you can maybe get a hint of that just from the cover frame.  This opera was a satirically written ballad opera by John Gay in response to the politics of the time and the slow decline of attendees to traditional Italian operas.  This opera makes fun of Italian opera by being in English which was unheard of during the time, as well as being about sexual affairs, which wasn’t as absurd, but these are not the relations of Greek Gods and Goddesses like many traditional operas were.  

           The title of this song from The Beggar's Opera is “Our Polly is a Sad Slut,” which in and of itself is a rather absurd title for a song even in todays terms.  This opera also consists of simplistic melodies which are made to make fun of opera, so maybe if you’ve believed up until this point that you hate opera? Maybe this one will be for you because this opera is meant to make fun of opera—ironic isn’t it. 

Humor is a powerful tool for learning.  Having fun in the classroom always makes learning more enjoyable; no one just wants to sit their and listen to a teacher drone on and on anymore.  Now more than ever we need constant stimulus and entertainment to be able to focus, and humor is the perfect way to engage students.  Humor makes students curious and makes students want to come to class.  Humor boosts retention and increases respect for teachers.  Humor even allows students to understand things better, after all, what better way to learn about opera than learning about everything it’s not!