Teaching Beyond The Current Top 40 Pop Songs

I like to introduce my students to a wide range of musical influences beyond the current pop songs they usually request to learn. Our nervous system likes what feels familiar. When we step outside of our comfort zone, it can be challenging for our ears. We might not initially like it. The more opportunities we give students to hear music beyond what they’re familiar with, the more open they are to appreciating different lexicons of music.

Currently, one of my favorite ways to demonstrate the creative power of arranging is to share Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights and Cécile McLorin Salvant’s cover. We then open up a conversation about what the student heard between the two pieces. How did the arrangements tell different stories about the same song? What did they find striking about either piece? There are no right or wrong answers, just an opportunity to listen deeper.

Sometimes we’ll revisit a song they weren’t initially open to a year ago (I do this a lot with Wuthering Heights), and this time around, they tell me they really like it. Art is subjective. I come from a jazz background, and in the jazz tradition, the lineage of who we listen to and study from plays deeply into our personal style. Sourcing from a wide variety of influences creates a unique sound all your own, something Cécile McLorin Salvant does fabulously and in a very exciting way. (Gabby Byrd mentioned her music to me!).

Check out the songs below!