Eric Jensen - Top Tunes for Teaching: 977 Song Titles & Practical Tools for Choosing the Right Music Every Time

Top Tunes for Teaching

977 Song Titles and Practical Tools for Choosing the Right Music Every Time

Eric Jensen

Copyright 2005 by Corwin Press

All rights reserved. When forms and sample documents are included, their use is authorized only by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial entities who have purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Many others contributed directly and indirectly with song ideas. Those contributors include Arturo Flores, Karen Miller, Tracy Linares, and Rich Allen. I am very appreciative and deeply indebted for their suggestions.

Eric Jensen is a former teacher and current member of the Society for Neuroscience and New York Academy of Sciences. He has taught students of all levels, elementary through university. His academic background is in English and hes currently completing his PhD in Psychology. In 1981, Jensen co-founded SuperCamp, the nations first and largest brain-compatible learning program, now with more than 40,000 graduates. He has written numerous books, including Brain-Based Learning, Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Super Teaching, Tools for Engagement, Enriching the Brain, and eighteen other books on learning and the brain. A leader in the brain-based movement, Jensen has made more than forty-five visits to neuroscience labs and interacts with countless neuroscientists. He was the founder of the Learning Brain EXPO in 1998. Jensen has trained more educators and trainers worldwide in this field than anyone else. He is deeply committed to making a positive, significant, lasting difference in the way we learn. Currently, Jensen does staff development, conference speaking, and in-depth trainings. To schedule him send an e-mail to Diane Jensen at .

There is no way on earth that one person can keep up with all the music, remember the latest tunes, or do justice to every artist. If an omission from any list really bugs you, write to me. I always welcome comments about your favorite artists, off-the-wall songs, and memorable tunes. If I accidentally assigned a song to the wrong artist, please let me know so I can correct it. If you have some really novel ideas about ways to use music in teaching or training, Id love to hear those, too! I can be reached at .

Your music is SO good! Whered you find it? Teachers and trainers ask me this every single time I present. For years, Ive collected great music, perfect for learning that I now want to share with other educational professionals.

The purpose of this book is to provide support for teachers and trainers who love to use music in the classroom but are not sure of how or when or which piece of music fits a situation. Top Tunes for Teaching is mostly a book of lists of tunes and artists, so I hope its easy to use. There are dozens of lists and hundreds of songs in this book, some of which you may not be familiar with. Be sure to screen songs you dont know before playing them in front of a groupthat way you can avoid surprises like extremely long introductions or PG-13 lyrics in front of a K3 class!

This book is a storehouse of practical tidbits sprinkled throughout with scientific research and rationale. It was really fun for me to write and I hope it is just as much fun for you to read and use. If you have any favorite selections or suggestions you think should be in the next edition, please e-mail them to me at Id love your input.

Have fun!

You probably already know all the good reasons for using music while you teach, but have you ever tried to articulate them to others? Here is a good list of reasons why music benefits learning.

1. Increase social contact. Music encourages social contact by putting people into a positive, relaxed mental state. Louder music can bring others close together if only so they can hear each other better! Familiar, fun music puts groups in a social mood.
2. Prime students for learning. Prepare learners for upcoming tasks by selecting music to put them in a particular emotional state or by playing a song with content-applicable lyrics (there really are songs about science, geography, math, English, and P. E.).
3. Entrain emotional states of mind. When everyone in the audience hears the same piece of music over time, they often get into the same emotional state, mental rhythm, and frame of mind. Music creates a harmonic beacon for our bodies to follow.
4. Deliver key messages. Sometimes music can send a message to your students better than you can. Certain songs can do that well; browse the lists of songs in this book for ideas and recommendations.
5. Provide a background for physical movement. Up-tempo music playing in the background prompts learners to move faster. When you want them to get up and perform a physical task, play a song from the 18 Pumped-Up, High-Energy Jams or 10 More Upbeat Energizers lists on pages 36 and 43.
6. Evoke specific memories. Certain songs may remind listeners of what they were doing when they first heard that song. Other songs may invite the listener to evoke a new memory not previously associated with that song. Experiment with both.
7. Energize a group. Fast music, or music with 100 to 140 beats per minute (BPM), is both stressful and energizing. Use it as a strategic tool to get students up on their feet and moving or busily working to meet a deadline. (See 3 Ways to Pace Instruction with Beats per Minute on page 14.)
8. Establish an auditory backdrop. Music playing in the background can provide a stable, predictable backdrop to the days events. The next time you watch a movie, pay attention to how often music is played in the background. The music you choose should match and enhance the direction of the day, not overwhelm it. Instrumental music with 55 to 70 BPM works best for this purpose.
9. Calm the mind and body