Nafme Core Music Standards: MU:Cn10.0.

8a
Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and
skills relate to personal choices and intent
when creating, performing, and responding to
music.
Evan Kopca

Rockstar Superstar

FleschKincaid Readability: 80.4

Suitability: 9-12 (due to sexual content)

Rockstar Superstar covers the fictional story of Pete, an

aspiring high school bassist, whose nerdy and jazz band
oriented life is flipped upside down when he joins a punk
rock band. From there he experiences a new way of
performing and creating music up to the point where the
band starts to get famous and discuss the idea of a record
deal. Readers can perhaps connect to the story as it
provides a perspective of life in a rock band that Petes
band, along with many other real bands, experience when
trying to perform music.
Citation: Nelson, B. (2004).Rockstar Superstar. Weinheim, New York: The Penguin Group.

The story of the orchestra:

Listen while you learn about
the instruments, the music,
and the composers who wrote
the music.
FleschKincaid Readability: 61.7
Suitability: 3-6
This book covers a large number of
composers biographies, works and
interesting facts about their lives. A
great read for elementary school
student with fantastic visuals and
narrative but it also contains advanced
topics in music that a middle school
student can understand and enjoy.
Readers can enjoy and appreciate
these composers and the processes
they went through to write the
wonderful music that they did.
Citation: Levine, R., & Hamilton, M. (2001).The story of the orchestra: Listen while you learn about the
instruments, the music, and the composers who wrote the music. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal

Lives of the musicians: Good

times, bad times (and what the
neighbors thought).
FleschKincaid Readability: FleschKincaid 59.9
Suitability: 4-8

This book (like the previous book) contains

images and biographies of composers,
though arguably more advanced reading
more appropriate for a middle school
student. Students can learn about specific
facts and important information about
some famous composers. The story is also
humorous, which can be appealing to some
readers. Through this book, students can
acquire a background of musical
knowledge that can become a foundation
Citation:
Krull,music.
K., & Hewitt, K. (1993). Lives of the musicians: Good times, bad times
of inspiration
to create
(and what the neighbors thought). San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Godel, Escher, Bach: An

eternal golden braid
FleschKincaid Readability: 10.6
Suitability: Upper high school-college
This book analyzes the patterns that were
used by J.S. Bachs compositions, M.C.
Eschers paintings and Kurt Godels theories
and connect the works to various levels of
mathematics and theories. From a
musicians perspective, the text that covers
J.S. Bach discusses the writing process and
how Bach used certain music theory to
create music. These theories are
mathematical based and also represent
Bachs personal background and why he
wrote the music that he did.
Citation: Hofstadter, D. (1979).Godel, Escher, Bach: An eternal golden braid. New
York: Basic Books.

Perspectives of New
Music28(2)
FleschKincaid Readability 20.9
Suitability: Upper High SchoolCollege
This journal (and specific periodical) discusses
the process of how new composers make
music that is original and arguably
revolutionary. Examples include using
mathematic relationships between notes and
numbers to create notation and how critics
respond to these new ideas. Students can
build inspiration from this text and become
inspired by untraditional ideas to create new
music.
Citation: Boretz, B. (2010).Perspectives of New
Music,28(2).

Steve Thompson: 'When Lars Asked Me, What

Happened to the Bass in '... Justice', I Wanted to Cold
Cock Him (Interview)
Readability: 69.9
Suitability 8-11 (due to content)
This interesting interview I found recently discusses the process of Steve
Thompson mixing what would be legendary rock albums including Guns n
Rosess Appetite for Destruction, Paul Simons Boy in a Bubble and
Metallicas and Justice for All. Thompson elaborates on the conflicts that
occurred between him and some of the band members he has worked with
when it came to mixing certain instruments. This can be notably shown as
Thompson goes on about how he had an argument with Lars Ulrich
(drummer of Metallica) about how the bass should sound on and Justice
for All. Students can relate as they can develop unique skills to help create
music in different ways, such mixing sound.
Citation: Rosen, S. (n.d.). Steve Thompson: 'When Lars Asked Me, What
Happened to the Bass in '... Justice', I Wanted to Cold Cock Him' Retrieved
January 1, 2015.

Make Music (Poster)

FleschKincaid Readability: N/A
Suitability: All Ages
This poster is meant to inspire
students to make any form of
music based on their
background, interests and
choices that they have made.
The poster covers a range of well
known musicians from a variety
of genres such as rock, pop, jazz,
classical, etc. The poster can also
represent how anyone,
regardless of background and
experience, can
createJohn
and Bogenschutz (2014), Tone Deaf Comics. Make Music Poster,
Citation:
perform music.
Union KY.

Practice Chart (Poster)

FleschKincaid Readability: N/A
Suitability: All Ages
I chose this poster to emphasize a
musicians personal choice when
wanting to improve musicianship.
The importance of practicing is
essential if one has the desire to
want to create and perform music.
Ones background and prior skills
can also allow a student to develop
good practicing habits and flourish
as a musician.

Citation: Joshua Wells, Odd Quartet Comics (2010-2014).

Practice Chart.

John Coltranes Giant steps.

FleschKincaid Readability: 77.4
Suitability: 4-6
This is a childrens book primarily based on
John Coltranes famous jazz tune Giant
Steps. It contains a large number of
pictures and sets Giant Steps to text and
illustration. Having a child read this and
listen to the music can perhaps help
him/her appreciate the complexity of jazz
and respond to the music well.

Citation: Raschka, C., & Coltrane, J. (2002). John Coltranes Giant steps.
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Whiplash (Film)
FleschKincaid Readability: 88.3
Suitability: 11-college (Due to explicit
content)

An intense movie that is about an inspiring

drummer who experiences the ruthlessness of
being in a jazz ensemble led by an aggressive
jazz band director in order to become the best
musician he can be. This film covers topics
such as how personal choices to make music
with a group can affect relationships and
personal health, but can also lead to
greatness. This movie truly outlines Tellers
characters desire to create and perform
music with the group and how he personally
responds to the intensity and commitment it
takes.
Citation: Whiplash[Motion picture]. (2014). Sony
Pictures.