Intro Journal discussion questions:
-What does it mean to protest something?
-Why (in our nation’s history and today) would artists
choose to write protest music?
-Can you think of any protest songs/artists/issues?
***3 sentences!!***
 Spinoff of folk-rock genre music.
 Cry out against inequality, poverty and war,
support of workers, civil and human rights.
 Helps people realize they're not alone in
feelings that are against certain injustices.
 Sometimes called ‘rebelling’ a certain
issue/topic.
Seeger
Dylan
 Pete Seeger
 His parents were both musicians
 Pre-World War II songs
 Known as a musician, labor activist, environmentalist,
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and peace advocate
Born May 3, 1919 in New York
Spent time in the South during the Civil Rights marches
in the 60’s – when he wrote “We Shall Overcome”
Plays the banjo
His work has inspired musicians today like the Dixie
Chicks and Bruce Springsteen
Then
 Big during the 40’s and early 50’s
 Still playing music today
 Quote: “Participation! It’s what all of my work has
been about”
 Was not always popular since he took different
stances on issues
 Earned several awards for his music
 Called a “saint” by Bob Dylan
Now
 Bob Dylan
 Early 1960’s
 Known as a poet and musician
 Became popular during folk music genre
 Sang about topical issues / current events: Vietnam war
(song: Blowin’ in the Wind) and nuclear bungling of
Cuban Missile Crisis (song: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall)
 Rebelled against power
 Abandoned the protest music in 1965 – adopted
electrically amplified instruments and began creating
rock and roll music.
Then
 Born Robert Allen Zimmerman – May 24, 1941 –
Duluth, MN
 Best known music/works come from the 60’s
 Lyrics incorporated politics, philosophy and literary
influences – defied pop music and attracted
other/more listeners during this time
 One of the most influential musicians and songwriters
in American culture
Now
 Brainstorm artists/songs/ideas that have to do with
today’s protest music
 Ideas:
 ARTISTS
 Greenday
 IDEAS/ISSUES
 9/11 tragedy
 SONGS
 Outkast – Bombs over Bagdad
 Where Have All The Flowers Gone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1tqtvxG8O4
 If I Had a Hammer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSWQfCkduu0
 Turn! Turn! Turn!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydul4B1fyJ0
 Blowin’ in the Wind
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1E8t_55U2g&featur
e=fvst
 We Shall Overcome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S66gM3PoZL
E
 The Times They Are A Changin’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH8hPRCr72
w
 Learn 360 video –title: Musicals, Musicians, Vietnam War, Indira
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Gandhi, and the Six Day War – gives background of this time
period
PBS – Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan videos
Brainpop – 60s Folk Music – discusses Bob Dylan and Pete
Seeger
Radio show about Seeger:
http://www.peteseeger.org/the_series/#3
http://www.songfacts.com/artist-bob_dylan.php - all about Bob
Dylan’s songs and the meanings behind them
Bob Dylan news article:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/fifty-years-ago-todaybob-dylan-premiered-blowin-in-the-wind-20120416
Bob Dylan bio video: http://www.biography.com/people/bobdylan-9283052
 Group creation of a poem or song about some issue
that concerns you today that you would like to protest.