music is multi - multifaceted, multi-rhythmic, multicultural

Music has many faces: it is a multifaceted art form: 

Music is a multifaceted art form that encompasses a vast array of styles, genres, and cultural traditions. At its core, music is an expressive medium that harnesses sound, rhythm, melody, harmony, and often lyrics to convey emotions, stories, and ideas. It is a universal language that transcends boundaries, connecting people across cultures, generations, and backgrounds.

One of the most remarkable aspects of music is its ability to evoke emotions and stir the human spirit. Whether it’s the uplifting euphoria of a triumphant anthem, the melancholic introspection of a soulful ballad, or the invigorating energy of a lively dance tune, music has a profound impact on our moods and emotions. It has the power to uplift our spirits during times of joy, provide solace and comfort in moments of sorrow, and inspire us to persevere in the face of adversity.

It brings people together:

• [or at least it should] music and politics go hand in hand [in Afghanistan]
• The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura Paraguay [in particular] LANDFILL HARMONIC MOVIE – The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura
• how classical music brings people together [in the Middle East] An Introduction to the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra - YouTube
• what does your taste in music say about you? [in Venezuela] How Music Saved Venezuela's Children - YouTube

It's for all generations:

• opening up the world of classical music to children [with the BBC]

Music has many rhythms: and when there's more than one, it's polyrhythm:

Polyrhythm (/ˈpɒlirɪðəm/) is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter.[2] The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music (cross-rhythm), or a momentary section... In some European art music, polyrhythm periodically contradicts the prevailing meter. For example, in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni, two orchestras are heard playing together in different metres (3/4 and 2/4)...

It's all about the rhythm:

• polyrhythm and different rhythms [with lots of examples from popular and folk music, And from jazz and classical: And with different time signatures]
• the basics of music [in particular at 24 mins] On Drums Stewart Copeland 2019 Docu BBC - video Dailymotion [which takes us to] Tomorrow Never Knows (Remastered 2009) - YouTube [and also] With a little help of my friends - The Beatles (LYRICS/LETRA) [Original] - YouTube [compare the rhythm] JOE COCKER With A Little Help From My Friends 1969 Woodstock - YouTube

Music is never a 'pure' art form untouched by other forms: we can see the cross-cultural influence in music - in a journey through genres:

Music, often described as the universal language, transcends boundaries and connects people across different cultures. In our globalized world, music has become a vibrant tapestry woven with threads from every corner of the globe. Here we explore this fascinating interplay of cultures in the realm of music. Through this exploration we come to understand not just the music itself, but its profound impact on society. Music breaks stereotypes, fosters understanding, and can even act as a tool for cultural diplomacy...

With more 'multicultural music' here:

• classical dance from Africa [from Kenya] Ballet in Kibera, Kenya #UniteFor Community - YouTube [from West Africa] DANCING AT DUSK - A moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring - YouTube
• the music of west Africa [kora and harp] Térangah-Bah - Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita - YouTube [desert blues] Ali Farka Toure - Festival In The Desert 2003 - YouTube [it is pure, rootsy, raw, driving African funk music of the highest order,]Marijata - No Condition Is Permanent - YouTube

Music is 'multi' - considering the multimodal, multidimensional nature of music from multiple perspectives:

Beyond human engagement with music, [there are] a number of additional themes, such as emotion and musical expression, the multi-modality and multi-dimensionality of music and the fact that music is not just about listening and sound but also about movement, touch and embodiment...; and the many different perspectives from which music can be approached, considering the experiences and practices of performers, composers, and listeners.

It's a question of taste:

• what does your taste in music say about you? part three

It's also cross-genre/disciplinary:

• [high vs popular culture] beatles or stones [in particular] The Beatles: a musical appreciation and analysis by composer, Howard Goodall CBE - YouTube
• [high vs popular culture again] romeo + juliet and west side story [and compare] "Tonight (Quintet)" - West Side Story 1961/2021 Supercut - YouTube

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it's national storytelling week!

Next week is National Storytelling Week 2026!

In 2026, we will be celebrating National Storytelling Week from Monday 2 February to Sunday 8 February with FREE online events running on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 February 2026. The events will be live-captioned Created by Society for Storytelling, this fantastic annual event is a joyful celebration of the power of sharing stories. Stories teach us about the world; they allow us to step into someone else’s shoes and feel empathy; they help us to relax and escape and they can help develop essential literacy skills.

And this year, they're making it musical:

Our research highlights that exploring stories through lyrics can be an effective way to re-engage young people with reading for enjoyment and writing for pleasure. Slightly more than 3 in 5 (60.7%) children and young people age 8-18 regularly read song lyrics digitally.

All of which can be adapted to the ESL/ESOL/TEFL classroom.

There are lots of things to discuss around storytelling...

Should we allow AI to make up stories for us [see: trurl's electronic bard vs chatgpt]

When it comes to new people among us, especially in our schools, should immigrants be encouraged to use their mother tongue?

When it comes to storytelling, it's often difficult to see what's next...; there are often specific themes, such as creating narratives around money and debt; some stories, such as blockbusters, don't have to be stupid; and look out for the political narratives...

Finally, beyond the UK and the school system, there are lots of writing activities for the ESL class and beyond...

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classical dance from africa

'Western classical' (or 'art') music forms are associated with 'the West', but there are some fabulous examples of these coming out of other parts of the world. It does depend on your taste in music, but, before the political mess really started in Venezuela, there was a wonderful project happening there and the recycled orchestra of Cateura Paraguay is another great piece of inspiration.

On the BBC World Service today and on their excellent set of podcast documentaries, we can hear about the Kibera ballerinas: just listen to the first five minutes to get a sense of what this extraordinary project is all about...

[Or, if you prefer to get your BBC podcasts this way: Kibera Ballerinas - The Documentary Podcast - Apple Podcasts]

This is all about their latest piece: Dancing Through the Dust: Ballerinas turn one of the Kenya's Largest Slum into a Stage for a Christmas Show - with more pictures here: In Pics: Christmas ballet performance in Nairobi's Kibera slum-Xinhua

Here's a video of their work:

Ballet in Kibera, Kenya #UniteFor Community - YouTube

To finish, here's something from professional dancers in Senegal:

DANCING AT DUSK - A moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring - YouTube

This Breathtaking Film Captures 38 African Dancers Performing Pina Bausch's Rite of Spring

Brought to the stage in Paris:

Pina Bausch's The Rite of Spring | The evolution of an epic - YouTube

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learning english through british classical music

We can of course work on our English though pop music:

Jay Doubleyou: pop videos for learning english

Jay Doubleyou: the music of west africa

Jay Doubleyou: using songs in the esl/esol/tefl classroom

But what about learning English through classical music?

It doesn't seem to be a good choice:

Why is England called the land without music? - Quora

But there are some great British composers who wrote and continue to write in English.

Here's an overview:

Jay Doubleyou: british music

It includes these genres:

Jay Doubleyou: folk music

Jay Doubleyou: new versions of traditional christmas carols

How about this - not British but much in English [try from 23 mins]

Between the Ears - The Thousand Voices of Cathy Berberian - BBC Sounds 

And how about this!

A Ticket to Ride - YouTube

Or the original if you prefer:

The Beatles - Ticket To Ride - YouTube

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nigeria making an impact on america

Nigerians are doing well - especially in the United States:

... it is not just in music and entertainment that Nigerians are, for want of a better word, tearing up the dance floor. The runaway success of the country’s diaspora has been documented. For example, in the United States, Nigerian-Americans are among the most successful immigrant groups, topping the charts in a wide array of fields. According to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Nigerians in the United States are the most educated immigrant group, with 61 percent holding at least a bachelor’s degree, “compared with 31 percent of the total foreign-born population and 32 percent of the US-born population.”  

This, however, has created The Nigerian Conundrum:

Accordingly, the Nigerian conundrum consists precisely in the discrepancy between the demonstrated success of Nigerians, resulting in an unmistakable cultural confidence, and the country’s notorious political sclerosis. Nigerian entertainers may be redefining the global soundscape, giving American entertainment a run for its money; yet, Nigeria as a country cannot seem to get out of its own way. Not only is it one of the world’s most corrupt countries, ranking 150 out of 180 countries in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2022, it is, perhaps deservedly, a global byword for dysfunction and infrastructural decay.

Nevertheless, despite its political troubles, culturally Nigeria makes a huge impact - including on the United States - with the Nigerian prom dresses that have the wow factor for US teenagers:

Anita Konneh,17, from Worcester in Massachusetts, ordered her dress from Keerah's Fashion Cave Photo: Tom Boakye

When Brianna made a TikTok video of herself in her African prom gown, she did not expect the reaction she got - it went viral and her post now has more than 1.1 million views. This reflects a growing interest that has driven demand for custom-made outfits with bold designs and unique embellishments. What began as a TikTok and Instagram trend - with people like Brianna flaunting their garments - has led to a booming business that links fashion designers in Africa to young people outside the continent.

The average price for an African-made prom dress ranges from $600 to $1,000 (£440 to £740), depending on the complexity of the design, fabric choice and added details. Custom luxury pieces can exceed $1,500. This may sound expensive but is much cheaper than having a garment custom made in the US - where the cost starts at around $3,500 and can go much higher depending on the designer and materials.

The BBC spoke to five fashion designers in Nigeria and Ghana who, in all, fulfilled more than 2,800 orders for prom dresses during the 2025 season, most of them bound for the US...

However, it's not all good news for the Nigerian economy: the US funding cuts have affected aid groups in Nigeria; when exporting to America under the new tariff regime, Nigeria now requires $80 Prepaid Duty each time; and Nigeria has been hit by US cuts to visa duration.

And yet, Nigeria tops South Africa as the Continent’s biggest economy - and culturally, the impact of Nigeria continues to grow, as Nigeria is the country that loves to overachieve.

And the cultural impact on the United States is particularly impressive, with Nigerian filmmakers at the Sundance film festival and Nigerian’s Afrobeat heavyweights at the Grammy awards.

Let's see how this develops!

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to debunk: "to disprove a myth that is a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim"

'to debunk' is an interesting verb:

to show that something is less important, less good, or less true than it has been made to appear: "debunk a myth": "The writer's aim was to debunk the myth that had grown up around the actress." DEBUNK | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

If you debunk a widely held belief, you show that it is false. If you debunk something that is widely admired, you show that it is not as good as people think it is. DEBUNK definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being “nonsense.” (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins.) Debunk has been in use since at least the 1920s, and it contrasts with synonyms like disprove and rebut by suggesting that something is not merely untrue but is also a sham—a trick meant to deceive. One can simply disprove a myth, but if it is debunked, the implication is that the myth was a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim. DEBUNK Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

There's a lot of grossly exaggerated [over-the-top, blown out of all proportion, bigger than it really is] and foolish [very silly, not at all smart] claims being made...

In politics: 'All of us have a responsibility to debunk myths targeting refugees' | The National and Seven common tropes used to deny Gaza’s famine, debunked by an expert | The Telegraph

When it comes to conspiracy theories: 4 Ways Oncologists Use Social Media to Debunk Myths and Dispel Misinformation and Moon landing conspiracy theories, debunked | Royal Museums Greenwich

Even in sport: Debunking Outlandish Stances on Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence

The scientist, researcher and writer Emma Monk has been debunking since the Covid pandemic:  I now split my time between working as a Research Scientist in the Biotech industry and debunking spurious misinformation online.  Science — Emma Monk

For example, from 2022, she was interviewed by the BBC: Social media and some news outlets have spread claims this week that only around 17,000 people have actually died of Covid. We debunk. More or Less - BBC Sounds

Last year, four years on from Brexit, she debunked the myths around what happened since then in several iconic industries: How fishing was gutted by Brexit, Brexit and farming and It's time to face the music - four years on from Brexit - West Country Voices.

And lately, she's been looking at the hottest topic there is at the moment: immigration: Are small boat migrants really 24 times more likely to go to prison? Spoiler alert: no. But here’s how the media got suckered by bad data and worse assumptions. - West Country Voices

Here she is being interviewed this week by Ian Winwood in The New World: Emma Monk, the one-woman debunking machine:

On the last day of July, Emma Monk happened upon a story which claimed that asylum seekers are 24 times more likely to end up in prison than people who are born in Britain. Arching a quizzical eyebrow in the direction of this (ahem) arresting figure, Monk, a 46-year-old scientist from the New Forest, ran the numbers. Mining data and government statistics, with empirical certainty, she discovered the claim was hokum...

And for more:

Jay Doubleyou: brexit: and fishing rights... and selling fish

Jay Doubleyou: comparing: all sorts of categories

Jay Doubleyou: russia, ukraine and the war on culture

Jay Doubleyou: the psychology of lies and why we fall for them

Jay Doubleyou: fake news

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pop videos for learning english

There are lots of great places to go on YouTube:

Learn English with Music - YouTube

10 Great Songs For English Fluency & How to Learn with Music - YouTube

Planet Pop by ELT Songs - YouTube

Learn English with Michael Jackson: 10 Pop Songs (to improve your fluency) - YouTube

Here are some suggested guides on how to do it:

A step-by-step guide to learning English with songs

• Choose a song that's in English. It can be any song at all. ...
• Listen to the song. Do you understand all of the lyrics? ...
• Read the lyrics. Find the lyrics online. ...
• Notice pronunciation. You may notice some strange-looking words! ...
• Listen again and join in. ...
• Sing along.

The power of music: How to learn English with songs | LearnEnglish

8 Tips for Learning English with Song Lyrics | FluentU

Here are some lessons:

Learn English With Songs - Online Lessons and Exercises

ESLSongs.com | The best pop song lyrics to teach ESL English

And more from Google's AI search:

Learning English through pop songs can be a fun and effective way to improve your listening skills, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation. Here's how:

1. Choose your songs wisely:
Start with songs you enjoy and that have clear, easy-to-understand lyrics. Songs by artists like The Beatles or Ed Sheeran are often recommended for their simple and relatable language.

2. Listen actively:
Don't just passively listen; actively engage with the lyrics. Try to pick out new words and phrases, pay attention to the rhythm and flow of the music, and try to understand the meaning of the song.

3. Read the lyrics:
Find the lyrics online and read them while listening to the song. This will help you connect the written words with the spoken words and improve your understanding.

4. Sing along:
Singing along is a great way to practice pronunciation and rhythm. Try to mimic the singer's pronunciation and sing along to the beat of the music.

5. Look up new words:
If you encounter new words or phrases, look them up in a dictionary or online translator. Understanding the meaning of new words will help you understand the song better and expand your vocabulary.

6. Use music videos:
Watch music videos to see how the lyrics are interpreted visually. This can also help you understand the context of the song and its meaning.

7. Focus on repetition:
Pop songs often repeat phrases and lines, which can be helpful for memorizing new words and phrases.

8. Create playlists:
Compile a playlist of songs that you enjoy and that are suitable for learning English. This will help you stay motivated and keep your learning process engaging.

9. Find resources:
There are many websites and apps that offer lyrics, translations, and other resources for learning English through music, such as LyricsTraining.

10. Don't be afraid to make mistakes:
Learning a new language is a process, and it's okay to make mistakes. Embrace the mistakes and keep practicing.

how to learn english through pop songs - Google Search

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the future is african

 How do we and how should we see Africa?

LANGUAGE:

The continent is part of the Anglosphere:

Jay Doubleyou: the english-speaking world: west africa

Jay Doubleyou: different african english accents

Jay Doubleyou: english is an african language

Jay Doubleyou: west african pidgin english

Nigeria is the third largest country when it comes to English speakers, after India and the USA, although the list on Wikipedia can be questioned...

List of countries by English-speaking population - Wikipedia

And arguably the largest English speaking city in the entire world is Lagos, Nigeria:

The largest city by population in Africa with close to 25 million people! Also, arguably the largest English speaking city in the entire... | Instagram

Here's a better list:

English Speaking Countries in Africa - WorldAtlas

CULTURE:

In that case, when learning English, we do not need to stick with the UK - but can read and listen to stuff and have conversations with people coming out of places such as Cameroon and Kenya:

Jay Doubleyou: "let’s not make english about british culture"

When it comes to music, there is so much coming out of Anglophone Africa:

Jay Doubleyou: the music of west africa

Yes, London is a cultural centre, but much of this is multicultural, with the African diaspora contributing considerably:

Jay Doubleyou: adventures in art at the british museum

Jay Doubleyou: shonibare - gorgeously recognisable artist

And as for writing, there are powerful African voices making up the 'canon':

Jay Doubleyou: english literature

POLITICS:

Europeans have made their mark in the continent of course - and some are only just realising their impact:

Jay Doubleyou: facing up to your imperial past: the belgians

And this might also involve 'paying back' for any gains and losses:

Jay Doubleyou: reparations

But Africa has not always been on the receiving end of violence and robbery - but might have something to teach the rest of the world:

Jay Doubleyou: non-western democratic traditions

Jay Doubleyou: non-western democratic traditions - part two

THE FUTURE IS AFRICAN

Maybe, then, Africa can be seen not as a victim but as a provider and innovator:

Myth 6: Africa needs our help - Global Justice Now Global Justice Now

Here's another list:

10 things Africa has given the world | Eliza Anyangwe | The Guardian

Here's real promise for the future:

How Africa can help drive global climate change solutions - ONE Data & Analysis

Including in sport:

Newly elected IOC President Kirsty Coventry celebrated on return home to Zimbabwe | AP News

View from Africa: how Kirsty Coventry will handle sport’s biggest job at the IOC | International Olympic Committee | The Guardian

We need to think of Africa as more than a place to extract stuff:

What does Africa offer to global world development apart from Natural Resources? - Quora

And this might well become a source of power:

Why Africa will become a prominent player in global geopolitics | World Economic Forum

The future is African:

The Future Is African | Council on Foreign Relations

6 numbers that prove the future is African | World Economic Forum

To finish:

Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history and fantasy to explore the African-American experience and aims to connect those from the black diaspora with their forgotten African ancestry

Afrofuturism | Tate

Afrofuturism | National Museum of African American History and Culture

Afrofuturism: Turning pain into possibility - YouTube

And:

Let's Talk About 'Black Panther' And Afrofuturism - YouTube

Black Panther and Afrofuturism - YouTube

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the music of west africa

The music of West Africa is multi-layered and multi-faceted.

This would be one element:

Jay Doubleyou: polyrhythm and different rhythms

For example:

Butour Ngale - African polyrhythm demonstration - YouTube [Senegal]

Chaabi. That Moroccan groove that made you go WHHAAATTTTTT - YouTube

Mongo Santamaria - Afro Blue - YouTube [Afro-Cuban]

Tony Allen & Hypnotic Brass feat Baaba Mal - Ise Nla - LIVE@Broad Casting, London 29/01/09 - YouTube [Nigeria and Senegal]

There is a rich instrumental heritage: 

The kora (Manding languages: ߞߐߙߊ kɔra[1]) is a stringed instrument used extensively in West Africa.[2] A kora typically has 21 strings, which are played by plucking with the fingers. It has features of the lute and harp.

Kora (instrument) - Wikipedia

With very famous players:

Toumani Diabaté obituary | Music | The Guardian

Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté - Jarabi - YouTube

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté - In The Heart Of The Moon - YouTube [intro in English]

This is part of an inherited tradition: 

A griot (/ˈɡriːoʊ/; French: [ɡʁi.o]; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: ߖߋ߬ߟߌ,[1] djeli or djéli in French spelling); also spelt Djali; Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.

Griot - Wikipedia

Griot Music of West Africa | Steve Pile AND Jali Bakary Konteh | TEDxSonomaCounty - YouTube [intro in English]

And there are very interesting collaborations...

Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita met by chance in 2012, when Keita was called in to substitute for Toumani Diabaté in rehearsals for a tour with Finch. A military coup in Mali had prevented Diabaté from leaving the country in time, so Keita stepped in to help prepare the repertoire with Finch—a classical musician who had never seen or heard a kora before. For his part, Keita, a Senegalese kora master and griot of royal descent, didn’t read music. A wonderful musical partnership was born.

Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita: A Magical Partnership | KCRW 

Two Harps That Beat As One: Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita - YouTube

Bach to Baïsso - Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita - YouTube

Different traditions can fuse together...

Tishoumaren (ⵜⵉⵛⵓⵎⴰⵔⴻⵏ in Neo-Tifinagh script) or assouf,[1] internationally known as desert blues, is a style of music from the Sahara region of northern and west Africa. Critics describe the music as a fusion of blues and rock music with Tuareg, Malian or North African music.[2] Various other terms are used to describe it[1] including desert rock, Saharan rock,[3] Takamba,[2] Mali blues,[4] Tuareg rock[5] or simply "guitar music".[6] The style has been pioneered by Tuareg musicians in the Sahara region, particularly in Mali, Niger, Libya, Algeria, Burkina Faso and others; with it also being developed by Sahrawi artists in Western Sahara.[7]

The musical style took shape as an expression of the culture of the traditionally nomadic Tuareg people, amid their difficult sociopolitical situation, including rebellions, widespread displacement and exile in post-colonial Africa.[7] The word Tishoumaren is derived from the French word chômeur, meaning "the unemployed".[1]

The genre was first pioneered by and popularized outside of Africa by Ali Farka Touré and later Tinariwen. In recent years, artists like Mdou Moctar and Bombino have continued to adapt Saharan rock music and have achieved international success.[8][2][3][9][7]

Desert blues - Wikipedia

With a very special festival happening in Mali:

Festival au Désert - Wikipedia

Ali Farka Toure - Festival In The Desert 2003 - YouTube

The Tragic Story of Africa's Festival In The Desert - YouTube

Perhaps the most international music has come from Nigeria/Ghana:

Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk[3][4]) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Yoruba music[5][6] and Ghanaian music (such as highlife),[7] with American funk, jazz, and soul influences.[5][8] With a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion,[9] the style was pioneered in the 1960s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who popularised it both within and outside Nigeria. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa's most "challenging and charismatic music performers."[10]

Distinct from Afrobeat is Afrobeats, a combination of sounds originating in West Africa in the 21st century. This takes on diverse influences and is an eclectic combination of genres such as hip hop, house, jùjú, ndombolo, R&B, soca, and dancehall.[11][12][13][14][15][16] The two genres, though often conflated, are not the same.[12][13]

Afrobeat - Wikipedia

With its most famous proponent: 

Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz.[2] At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa's most "challenging and charismatic music performers".[3] AllMusic described him as "a musical and sociopolitical voice" of international significance.[4]

Fela Kuti - Wikipedia

He was 'the president':

FELA KUTI Live at GLASTONBURY [Film Concert] - YouTube [intro in English]

Fela Kuti: Music Is The Weapon | Full Music Documentary Movie - YouTube

Faces of Africa - Fela Kuti: The Father of Afrobeat, Part 1 - YouTube

The Genius of Fela Kuti and Afrobeat (feat. Femi & Made Kuti) - YouTube

He had an important collaborator:

Tony Allen - Afrobeat Revolution (Full Album) 2020 - YouTube

To finish, from Ghana:

it is pure, rootsy, raw, driving African funk music of the highest order,

In 1976, Marijata made an african Raw Funk masterpiece

Marijata - No Condition Is Permanent - YouTube

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music in britain

There is British pop music:

The Mike Flowers Pops - Wonderwall - YouTube

Oasis - Wonderwall - Official Video - YouTube

There is also British folk music:

Jay Doubleyou: british music

Jay Doubleyou: music from the uk

And there is a lot of British classical music too:

The Kanneh-Masons: The family that plays together - YouTube

This house is full of music - YouTube

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance | BBC Proms 2014 - BBC - YouTube

Jay Doubleyou: barenboim and education

An Introduction to the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra - YouTube

Jay Doubleyou: british classical music and vaughan williams at 150

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using songs in the esl/esol/tefl classroom

We all love songs - and so they usually make a great resource in the language classroom.

There are lots of things in songs for the English learner:

Jay Doubleyou: conditionals in songs

Jay Doubleyou: singing songs to learn english

Jay Doubleyou: listening to song lyrics will help your pronunciation

Jay Doubleyou: modal verbs in song

And for the English teacher:

Jay Doubleyou: every song has its lesson plan

Jay Doubleyou: every song has its lesson plan - part two

The British Council has got some ideas:

How to use songs in the English language classroom | British Council

Using music and songs | TeachingEnglish | British Council

There are some good videos out there with more ideas:

5 ways to use songs to teach English - YouTube

12 fun activities you can do with pop songs in the ESL classroom - YouTube

Going beyond the conventional 'gap fill' exercise, here are some more activities suggested by Eleanor Spicer-Lundholm of the International Teacher Training Institute, Hastings, UK:

> Song in Strips: cut up the song into strips which the students need to put back together.

> Creative writing to Song: put some of the key words from the song on the board and ask the students to make them into a poem/email/short story in pairs; then share and share the 'original song'.

> Word partnerships to Song: put some of the key phrases on the board, but cut in half and in two columns, which the students have to put together in pairs; then play the song, with the students shouting out 'bingo' when they hear their collocation.

> Word order to Song: put all the words of a sentence, but mixed up, from a song on the board, which the students have to order in teams; then compare each team's sentences before playing the part of the song.

> Whoops! Find the mistakes: put up a 'wrong' version of sentences from the song where the students have to identify the 'mistakes' before listening and correcting.

> Mime to Song: standing in a circle, first the students listen to a line and copy the teacher's mime; then the students suggest mimes to further lines which the class agree to copy.

Here's a lesson plan from Fiona Aish at the Itafel - looking at teaching connected speech through songs:

> Play the first 2/3 lines from the song 2/3 times and get the students to write what they hear; confirm the correct version.

> Elicit from the students the stressed words and then the connected words; the students should try this in pairs with the following lines.

> Play the song's lines again, getting the students to tap the beat/rhythm; the students should then speak out... and sing the song (if they want!)

Finally, here's a list from OnTesol:

• put the verse in the right order;
• put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense/or, form of the verb (for example, gerund or infinitive);
• identify the past tenses in the song (or, any other tense or grammar topic, for example, conditionals, modal verbs, reported speech…);
• reorder the verses;
• reorder the letters;
• correct the words/mistake;
• question on the theme, the message or meaning of the song to encourage discussion;
• write to the protagonist and (give advice, or tell him what you think);
• write the story in the song.
• put the underlined words under the right column according to … (pronunciation, vocabulary related to any specific category, or a grammatical pattern);
• complete the blanks with the words in the box;
• choose the right word;
• answer the questions;
• match the verses;
• check the words that you hear

Using Songs with Adult ESL Students

Have fun!

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what is 'music'?

Why do humans do music? 

Jay Doubleyou: why music?

What is 'music'? Here's a picture:

Jay Doubleyou: what does your taste in music say about you?

What music we listen to tells us a lot about who we are:

Jay Doubleyou: what does your taste in music say about you? part three

Here's a quiz which shows it:

What the Music You Love Says About You and How It Can Improve Your Life | TIME

What are the basics?

Jay Doubleyou: the basics of music

Jay Doubleyou: polyrhythm and different rhythms

And once you dig deep, it gets very interesting:

Jay Doubleyou: music and politics go hand in hand

Jay Doubleyou: how classical music brings people together

Jay Doubleyou: dumbing down high culture

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music and politics go hand in hand

Music is very political...

RELIGION:

What's the difference between folk, classical and pop music?

Afghan Folk Music - Babolale - YouTube

Traditional Afghan Music on Rubab and Santur - "Pareshe Jal" (The Flight of the Lark) - YouTube

AFGHANISTAN 🇦🇫 TOP 40 SONGS - MUSIC CHART 2021 (POPNABLE AFGHAN) - افغاني سندرې - YouTube

What problem have the Taliban got with music?

Afghanistan: Taliban burn ‘immoral’ musical instruments - BBC News

When the music stops: how the Taliban’s fear of art is killing Afghan culture | Global development | The Guardian

And Christian fundamentalists?

Why Christians Shouldn’t Listen to Secular Music

Back in the 1920s, parent groups and a good many clerics were much exercised by the seductive, destructive power of jazz and the blues. The devil's music, they called it, as late as the mid-1950s.

The Devil's Music - The Washington Post

But what about this?

JP Cooper - Call My Name (Gospel / Live) - YouTube

RACE:

Is this "cultural appropriation" - or stealing someone else's music?

BIG MAMA THORNTON - Live YOU AIN'T NOTHING BUT A HOUND DOG - YouTube

Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (1956) HD 0815007 - YouTube

Is Country Music 'white'?

Beyoncé: Singer praised for 'impressive' country album Cowboy Carter - BBC News

Beyoncé’s country album drowns out the Black music history it claims to celebrate | Beyoncé | The Guardian

Beyonce just dropped the most exciting country album of the year. What a pity Nashville didn’t want it | The Independent

BREXIT:

Flashmob Flash Mob - Ode an die Freude ( Ode to Joy ) Beethoven Symphony No.9 classical music - YouTube

Brexiters boycott choral festival over EU’s Ode to Joy | Choral music | The Guardian

Jay Doubleyou: barenboim and education

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance | BBC Proms 2014 - BBC - YouTube

FOLK:

In the UK and US it's about 'protest':

Joan Baez performs "We Shall Overcome" at the March on Washington - YouTube

Seth Lakeman - Kitty Jay - YouTube

On the Continent it's more conservative:

Oompah band beer hall. Munich, Germany. October 2015 - YouTube

It's something young people are into:

Отава Ё - Про Ивана Groove (русское готическое R'N'B) - Otava Yo - YouTube

Trio Mandili - Svanuri - YouTube

FINALLY:

Jay Doubleyou: how classical music brings people together

Music and politics - Wikipedia

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polyrhythm and different rhythms

Rhythm - or stress, or beat, or pulse - is essential when speaking languages - especially English:

Jay Doubleyou: the basics of music

It's a basic part of music:

How Music Works with Howard Goodall - 02 - Rhythm (Full Show) - YouTube

And it's very much about the music of the [English] language:

Jay Doubleyou: rhyme rhythm repeat: the cumulative song or tale: "this is the house that jack built"

Jay Doubleyou: a curvaceous young phoneme called schwa...

With A Little Help From My Friends - YouTube and JOE COCKER With A Little Help From My Friends 1969 Woodstock - YouTube

And all of this will help students to speak with a 'natural rhythm' in English:

Jay Doubleyou: sound scripting

But what about other rhythms?

Rhythmic mode | African drumming, Polyrhythms & Syncopation | Britannica

With a bit of explanation:

Looking at More Complex Polyrhythms - Music Theory Crash Course - YouTube

New Horizons in Music: Polyrhythms | Loop - YouTube

Songs that use Polyrhythms & Polymeters - YouTube

And some examples from popular and folk music:

God Only Knows (Remastered 1999) - YouTube

Acapella Georgian Polyphonic Singing - YouTube

Tony Allen & Hypnotic Brass feat Baaba Mal - Ise Nla - LIVE@Broad Casting, London 29/01/09 - YouTube

Chaabi. That Moroccan groove that made you go WHHAAATTTTTT - YouTube

Mongo Santamaria - Afro Blue - YouTube

Butour Ngale - African polyrhythm demonstration - YouTube

And from jazz and classical:

Clapping Music (1972) / Steve Reich - YouTube

West Side Story - Cool (1961) HD - YouTube

West Side Story (4/10) Movie CLIP - America (1961) HD - YouTube

West Side Story ' Dance at the Gym ' Mambo 日本語字幕 - YouTube

And with different time signatures:

Dancing at Dusk — A moment with Pina Bausch'.. — Video | VK

Gustav Holst - Mars - YouTube

Finally:

Jay Doubleyou: how classical music brings people together

And where to go next:

Jay Doubleyou: talking about music - on audio

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the basics of music

There are some excellent programmes and podcasts out there on music:

ON THE BASS:

How Music Works with Howard Goodall - 04 - Bass (Full Show) - YouTube

Jay Doubleyou: bass

In pop:

Is Bass DEAD? I Listen to Spotify's Top 10 - YouTube

10 Pop Songs For Bass Players - Online Bass Courses

Best Bass Lines Rock/Pop Songs - YouTube

Finale Performance - "With A Little Help From My Friends" | 2015 Induction - YouTube

The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (From "Yellow Submarine") - YouTube

GEORGE MICHAEL - COWBOYS AND ANGELS (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) - YouTube

when the bass is too funky for the audience - YouTube

In jazz:

10 Jazz Songs For Bass Players - Online Bass Courses

The TOP 10 Electric JAZZ Bassists of All Time - YouTube

Miles Davis - So What (Official Video) - YouTube

The John Coltrane Quartet ‎– Africa / Brass (1961/2019) - YouTube

GoGo Penguin - Weird Cat – Live at Union Chapel - YouTube

In classical:

The Role of the Double Bass in Classical Music - dummies

Wagner's Dream: The Opening Bars of Rheingold - YouTube

Franz Schubert - Janine Jansen - String Quintet in C major - YouTube

Se7en - Library scene - YouTube = HAUSER - Air on the G String (J. S. Bach) - YouTube

Henry Purcell: Dido's Lament (Dido and Aeneas); Anna Dennis, soprano, with Voices of Music 4K UHD - YouTube

Bach — Cello Suite No. 1, [BWV 1007: 1. Prelude]: Played by Lorraine Campet, Double Bass - YouTube

Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 1, 3rd Movement (excerpt) - YouTube

ON THE DRUMS:

On Drums Stewart Copeland 2019 Docu BBC - video Dailymotion

BBC Four - Guitar, Drum and Bass, Series 1, On Drums... Stewart Copeland!

On creating a beat:

FOLI there is no movement without rhythm original version by Thomas Roebers and Floris Leeuwenberg - YouTube

Tony Allen: The 5 Major Drum Patterns of Afrobeat - YouTube

Tony Allen & Hypnotic Brass feat Baaba Mal - Ise Nla - LIVE@Broad Casting, London 29/01/09 - YouTube

On the importance of rhythm:

How Music Works with Howard Goodall - 02 - Rhythm (Full Show) - YouTube

Jay Doubleyou: babies learn from sing-song speech

Jay Doubleyou: rhyme rhythm repeat: the cumulative song or tale: "this is the house that jack built"

Jay Doubleyou: sound scripting

Jay Doubleyou: a curvaceous young phoneme called schwa...

Jay Doubleyou: singing songs to learn english

With A Little Help From My Friends - YouTube

ON THE MUSIC:

What Is Music | How I Define Music | Describe Music - YouTube

Music | Definition, Description & Characteristics - Video | Study.com

On where to go for more:

Jay Doubleyou: talking about music - on audio

Jay Doubleyou: talking about music - on video

On making a playlist:

Jay Doubleyou: what's your playlist?

On a classic story:

Jay Doubleyou: romeo + juliet and west side story

On music and you:

Jay Doubleyou: what does your taste in music say about you? part three

On what it's all about:

Jay Doubleyou: why music?

On the pop classics:

Jay Doubleyou: beatles or stones

On different genres:

Jay Doubleyou: mozart

Jay Doubleyou: arabic music

Jay Doubleyou: folk

Jay Doubleyou: 'popular opera'

On classical music:

Jay Doubleyou: how classical music brings people together

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how classical music brings people together

Playing music together is a wonderful way to bring people together.

In families:

The Kanneh-Masons: The family that plays together - YouTube

This house is full of music - YouTube

In Paraguay: 

Jay Doubleyou: the recycled orchestra of cateura paraguay

In Venezuela

Jay Doubleyou: what does your taste in music say about you?

El Sistema – Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar de Venezuela

El Sistema - Wikipedia

In Europe:

Jay Doubleyou: barenboim and education

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance | BBC Proms 2014 - BBC - YouTube

In the Middle East:

Music Matters - 25 Years of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra - Sowing Seeds for an Orchestra - BBC Sounds

An Introduction to the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra - YouTube

In our orchestra, Israelis and Palestinians found common ground. Our hearts are broken by this conflict | Daniel Barenboim | The Guardian

BBC unveils 2024 Proms lineup: Daniel Barenboim, Daleks and disco | Classical music | The Guardian

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comparing: education, society, culture

When we compare different countries or cities, especially our own, we tend not to be too critical.

Jay Doubleyou: comparing: countries

Jay Doubleyou: comparing: cities

EDUCATION:

The US and UK are not doing very well:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/13_02_07_nn_unicef.pdf

Here's a critical look at the state of the United States some fifty years ago:

Jane Elliott Brown Eyes vs Blue Eyes 1 - YouTube (incl intro - first minute)

Jane Elliott “Blue Eyes - Brown Eyes” Experiment Anti-Racism - YouTube (incl subtitles)

Here's the same experiment forty years later - and in the UK (main part from 9 mins - and to 14 mins)

How Racist Are You? - Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise - YouTube

The issue of class and race and gender in our education system is very complicated and very controversial:

‘Forgotten’ White working-class pupils let down by decades of neglect, MPs say - Committees - UK Parliament

Poorer white pupils let down and neglected - MPs - BBC News

White “working-class” boys aren’t failing because they’re White - Make it Plain

Looking at girls:

More than half of British girls lack confidence learning maths, poll finds | Schools | The Guardian

Ada Lovelace Day – Celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths

Cafe Scientifique: Floating Offshore Wind Farms – Sidmouth Science Festival

2021 Sidmouth Science Festival programme.pdf

Let's compare the education system in India:

Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education | TED Talk

SOCIETY:

It seems that every 'marginalised' group have a hard time.

For example: Are British police interested in 'crimes against women'?

Every week in the UK, two women are murdered; as the documentary explained, a staggering 94 per cent of those cases involve stalking. As such, its illustration of the police response, near-universally dismissive or inept, was maddening – and terrifying. As State of Fear ended, there was precious little in the way of resolution – of course, there’s no way of wrapping up such a sprawling, systemic failure with a bow. Nonetheless, in its unflinching, forensic gaze, the show did essential work in simply taking women seriously and attending to their stories with measured and diligent interest. We can only hope that it pushes police to begin doing the same.

Stalking: State of Fear took women seriously - if only the police did too

And: Do immigrants commit more crime?

The academic literature and official statistics provide mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime. Research in the United States tends to suggest that immigration either has no impact on the crime rate or even that immigrants are less prone to crime.[1][2][3] A meta-analysis of 51 studies from 1994–2014 on the relationship between immigration and crime in the United States found that, overall, the immigration-crime association is negative, but the relationship is very weak and there is significant variation in findings across studies.[4] This is in line with a 2009 review of high-quality studies conducted in the United States that also found a negative relationship.[5]

Research and statistics in some other, mainly European countries suggest a positive link between immigration and crime: immigrants from particular countries are often overrepresented in crime figures.[6][7][8] The over-representation of immigrants in the criminal justice systems of several countries may be due to socioeconomic factors, imprisonment for migration offenses, and racial and ethnic discrimination by police and the judicial system.[9][10][11] The relationship between immigration and terrorism is understudied, but existing research is inconclusive.[12][13][14] Research on the relationship between refugee migration and crime is scarce and existing empirical evidence is often contradictory.[15][16] According to statistics from some countries, asylum seekers are overrepresented in crime figures.[17][18][19][failed verification]

Immigration and crime - Wikipedia

The mythical tie between immigration and crime | Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)

Trump says migrants are fueling violent crime. Here is what the research shows | Reuters

Immigrants less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born : NPR

Many people who oppose immigration say that it increases crime. But does immigration really affect crime? Studying a country whose proportion of migrants has tripled in less than ten years, researchers find immigration significantly impacts people’s perceptions of crime but has no effect on actual crime.

Does immigration really increase crime? - McGill University

We causally analyse the link between immigrants and crime in Germany for 2008–2019. The effect is positive for the early sub-period and negative or insignificant for the later one. When analyzing the total period, the estimates average out to zero.

Do immigrants affect crime? Evidence for Germany - ScienceDirect

Reality Check: Are migrants driving crime in Germany? - BBC News

And: Are strangers dangerous when it comes to children?

Statistics on child sexual abuse | NSPCC Learning

And: What are the countries with the highest/lowest crime/murder/suicide rates?

Crime Rate by Country 2024

List of countries by intentional homicide rate - Wikipedia

List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia

And: What makes the English? Let's go to Munich (at 10:30)

From football fans watching England, to Dover, a Druid gathering, and a mass trespass near Reading, Grayson wonders who are the English?

Grayson Perry's Full English - Series 1: Episode 1 | Channel 4

FINALLY: CULTURE, COMEDY AND ENTERTAINMENT:

Here are some lists: how many of these represent 'minorities'?

Movies:

Greatest American Film Directors | Pantheon

Driven to Darkness: Jewish Emigre Directors and the Rise of Film Noir on JSTOR

Musicals:

West Side Story (1961 film) - Wikipedia

West Side Story is the product of a bunch of GAY JEWS!!

Musicians:

Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog - YouTube

Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (1956) HD 0815007 - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Little Red Rooster - YouTube [1:30]

Comedians:

Top 10 Best Comedians of All Time

Top 10 American Male Stand-Up Comedians of All Time - YouTube

The 20 Best Stand Up Comedy Specials of All Time - YouTube

Top 10 Absolutely Fabulous Moments - YouTube

Footballers:

Une équipe de foot multiculturelle peut-elle encourager la France à l'être aussi ?

It’s not just football – it’s a barometer of diversity. Bring on the Euros… | Euro 2020 | The Guardian

Finally, what country could possibly compare?

THIS IS RUSSIA WINTER IS COMING - YouTube 

Discussion of Tchaikovsky's personal life, especially his sexuality, has perhaps been among the most extensive of any composer in the 19th century and certainly of any Russian composer of his time.[102] It has also at times caused considerable confusion, from Soviet efforts to expunge all references to homosexuality and portray him as a heterosexual, to efforts at analysis by Western biographers.[103]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Wikipedia (23 secs into the youtube video)

Compare:

BBC Radio 3 - Discovering Music, Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings

Ossip Abramovich Gannibal's father, Pushkin's great-grandfather, was Abram Petrovich Gannibal (1696–1781), a Cameroonian[14] page kidnapped and taken to Constantinople as a gift for the Ottoman Sultan and later transferred to Russia as a gift for Peter the Great.

Alexander Pushkin - Wikipedia (15 secs into the youtube video)

Compare:

Rare Editions of Pushkin Are Vanishing From Libraries Around Europe - The New York Times

Forgery or History? Peter Harrington Rare & First Edition Books.

whatthehell

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london has a new museum

A new museum is opening in London:

Dedicated to creative opportunity and its power to bring change. Two free cultural destinations – V&A East Storehouse and Museum – will open up the V&A collection for all, celebrate making in all its forms and create new possibilities for everyone.

V&A East · V&A

This is what a design magazine thinks:

We preview the V&A East Museum in London | Wallpaper

This is the actual website of the new museum:

V&A East

There's a lot going on - with a museums website looking at it all:

New look inside V&A East Storehouse as collection move begins

This week, the director talks to some teenagers about what he wants them to do - and he lets them handle some of the museum's artefacts:

Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East, is on a mission to create a new kind of museum in the Olympic Park. He wants to attract a diverse audience of 16-25-year-olds, the kinds of young people least likely to be found in the great museums of South Kensington. Part of his plan is to take objects from the collection into schools and to tell their powerful stories. So we are with him in a school for students who have been excluded from other institutions as he opens the treasure chest... Gus also shares his own story of discovering art in books and then travelling to museums and galleries, as a terrified teenager, to encounter the real thing. A life-changing experience.

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, A Museum in the Making, 11/03/2024

With a piece in the Radio Times to accompany the series:

A safe space - 5 Mar 2024 - Radio Times Magazine - Readly

Last year, we had a look at how the project was going:

V&A East's plans to shake up the art world - YouTube

Here's their first exhibition next year - with a video trailer:

The Music Is Black: A British Story - Exhibition at V&A East Museum · V&A

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