Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Junior Secondary 3
Uses of Music.
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Uses of Music.
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Subject: Cultural and Creative Arts
Class: Junior Secondary 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 9
Theme: Performing Arts & Entertainment
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state the uses of music in society. state the impact of music on human life.
Definition of Music: Music is an art form whose medium is sound. It involves the organisation of sounds with melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre to create expressions of emotion, ideas, or beauty. Its exact definition varies culturally, but it universally serves as a form of communication and expression.
Uses of Music in Society:
1. Social Use: Celebrations and Festivities: Music is central to almost all celebrations (birthdays, weddings, naming ceremonies, festivals like Calabar Carnival, Argungu Fishing Festival). It sets the mood, encourages dancing, and fosters communal joy and togetherness.
Communal Bonding: Work songs (e.g., farmers singing while tilling, fishermen paddling), communal dances, and storytelling accompanied by music help to unite people, lighten labour, and transmit shared experiences.
Entertainment: Music provides leisure and enjoyment. This includes live concerts, parties, radio broadcasts, and simply listening to recordings for pleasure. Social
Commentary: Musicians often use their platforms to critique societal issues, address injustices, or express the collective aspirations of a group (e.g., Fela Kuti's protest music against government corruption).
2. Religious/Spiritual Use: Worship and Devotion: Music is fundamental in most religions for worship, praise, and prayer. Choirs in churches, qira'at (recitation of the Quran) in mosques, and chanting in traditional African religions are examples.
Rituals and Ceremonies: Music accompanies initiation rites, burial ceremonies, harvest festivals, and rites of passage in various traditional beliefs, often believed to invoke spirits or connect with the divine.
Spiritual Awakening: Specific musical forms are used to induce trance-like states, facilitate meditation, or evoke spiritual experiences.
3. Therapeutic Use: Healing and Relaxation: Music is used to soothe, reduce stress, and alleviate pain. Lullabies calm babies, background music in hospitals can aid recovery, and specific rhythms are sometimes used in traditional healing practices.
Emotional Expression: Music provides an outlet for expressing emotions that might be difficult to articulate verbally, such as grief, joy, or frustration.
Cognitive Development: Studies suggest music helps improve memory, concentration, and language skills, especially in children.
4. Educational Use: Cultural Transmission: Traditional songs often carry historical narratives, moral lessons, and societal norms, educating younger generations about their heritage (e.g., folk songs teaching about ancestors or community values).
Skill Development: Learning to play an instrument or sing improves discipline, coordination, and auditory skills.
Concept Learning: Educational songs are used to teach complex concepts, such as the alphabet, counting, or even scientific principles to young learners.
5. Economic Use: Livelihood: Music provides direct employment for musicians, composers, producers, sound engineers, instrument makers, music teachers, and promoters.
Advertising and Marketing: Jingles and background music are crucial in commercials and advertisements to promote products and services, making them memorable and appealing.
Tourism: Music festivals (e.g., Felabration, Lagos Jazz Festival) and cultural performances attract tourists, boosting local economies.
Film and Theatre: Music scores films, television shows, and theatrical productions, enhancing storytelling and creating atmosphere.
6. Political/Advocacy Use: National Identity: National anthems and patriotic songs foster a sense of national pride and unity (e.g., "Arise, O Compatriots").
Protest and Advocacy: Music is a powerful tool for protest, social activism, and campaigning for political causes or human rights. Artists like Onyeka Onwenu and Lagbaja have used their music for advocacy.
Political Campaigns: Campaign songs are used to garner support for political candidates and parties.
7. Communication Use: Signalling: Traditional instruments like talking drums in various Nigerian cultures (e.g., Yoruba, Igbo, Edo) were historically used to send messages across distances, announcing events like births, deaths, or invasions.
Conveying Messages: Music can communicate complex emotions or narratives without words, bridging language barriers.
Impact of Music on Human Life:
1. Emotional Impact: Music directly influences moods and emotions. It can evoke joy, sadness, excitement, peace, or anger. A melancholic tune can bring tears, while an upbeat song can uplift spirits.
2. Psychological Impact: Music affects cognitive processes. It can improve concentration, memory (e.g., studying with background music), and spatial reasoning. It can also reduce anxiety and stress, promoting mental well-being.
3. Physical Impact: Rhythmic music often stimulates physical movement (dancing, marching). It can influence heart rate, breathing, and even muscle tension. Athletes use music to enhance of Music on Human Life:
1. Emotional Impact: Music directly influences moods and emotions. It can evoke joy, sadness, excitement, peace, or anger. A melancholic tune can bring tears, while an upbeat song can uplift spirits.
2. Psychological Impact: Music affects cognitive processes. It can improve concentration, memory (e.g., studying with background music), and spatial reasoning. It can also reduce anxiety and stress, promoting mental well-being.
3. Physical Impact: Rhythmic music often stimulates physical movement (dancing, marching). It can influence heart rate, breathing, and even muscle tension. Athletes use music to enhance performance and endurance.
4. Social Impact: Music builds communities and facilitates social interaction. It brings people together at concerts, parties, religious gatherings, and cultural events, fostering a sense of belonging and shared identity.
5. Cultural Impact: Music is a primary carrier of culture, preserving traditions, history, and values from one generation to the next. It helps define cultural identity and can also be a catalyst for cultural change and fusion.
6. Cognitive Impact: Exposure to music, especially learning an instrument, can enhance problem-solving skills, creativity, and academic performance.
7. Spiritual Impact:** For many, music connects them to a higher power or provides a sense of transcendence, offering solace, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of existence.
Teacher Activities: Introduction (10 minutes): Begin by playing a diverse short medley of Nigerian music genres (e.g., Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, a popular Fuji tune, a gospel song, a traditional folk song, a modern Afrobeats hit). Ask students to identify the songs/genres and prompt them to think about why these different types of music exist and where they usually hear them. Review previous concepts related to elements of music (if applicable) and link to today's topic. State the lesson objectives clearly. Presentation of Uses of Music (25 minutes): Guide a brainstorm session: Ask students, "In what situations do we use music?" List their suggestions on the board. Introduce and explain each category of music use (Social, Religious/Spiritual, Therapeutic, Educational, Economic, Political/Advocacy, Communication) one by one. For each category, provide clear explanations and elicit specific examples from Nigerian culture and daily life.
Example for Social Use:* "When we celebrate a wedding in Nigeria, what kind of music is played? How does it make people feel?" (Responses could include Juju, Highlife, Afrobeats, traditional drumming; joy, excitement, unity).
Example for Religious Use:* "Think about church or mosque. How is music used there?" (Choir ministration, praise and worship, Quranic recitation).
Example for Economic Use:* "Can anyone name a Nigerian musician who makes a living from music?" "What about those short songs you hear on TV adverts?" (Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy; jingles for Milo, Indomie, etc.).
Example for Communication:* "Have you heard of talking drums? What were they used for?" (Sending messages in ancient times). Play short audio or video clips as examples for each use where possible and relevant (e.g., a short clip of a political jingle, a traditional work song). Presentation of Impact of Music (20 minutes): Transition by asking, "So, we've seen how music is used. Now, let's think about what effect it has on us and society." Explain the different impacts (Emotional, Psychological, Physical, Social, Cultural, Cognitive, Spiritual). For each impact, engage students with questions and scenarios: Example for Emotional Impact:* "When you listen to a sad song, how does it make you feel? What about a very happy, fast-paced song?" Example for Physical Impact:* "What happens to your body when you hear a strong drum beat or a dance track?" (Tapping feet, dancing).
Example for Social Impact:* "How does music bring people together at a party or a festival?" Encourage students to share personal experiences illustrating these impacts.
Consolidation and Wrap-up (5 minutes): Summarise the main uses and impacts of music discussed. Address any lingering questions.
Student Activities: Brainstorming and Discussion: Actively participate in brainstorming sessions on "uses of music" and provide local examples.
Listening and Observation: Listen to diverse music samples and observe how they relate to the discussed uses and impacts.
Group Activity (Role-Play/Presentation): Divide students into small groups. Assign each group one or two uses of music (e.g., "Religious," "Economic," "Social"). Each group discusses and prepares a short demonstration, a short explanation, or an example of how music is used in their assigned category in a Nigerian context (e.g., sing a relevant song, describe a scenario, perform a simple jingle). Groups present their findings/demonstrations to the class.
Question and Answer: Ask questions and respond to teacher's prompts throughout the lesson.
Reflective Writing (Optional): At the end of the lesson, students could quickly write down one new thing they learned about the uses of music or its impact.
Instructions for Teacher: Read each question aloud. Give students a few minutes to think or jot down answers. Then, guide them to the correct solution, explaining the reasoning.
Question 1: Imagine a traditional Nigerian wedding celebration. Describe two ways music is used during this event.
Solution: Use 1: Social/Celebration: Music is used to create a festive atmosphere, encourage dancing, and signify joy. For instance, a live band playing Juju, Highlife, or traditional percussion can get guests on their feet, celebrating with the couple.
Use 2: Cultural Transmission/Ceremonial: Music can accompany specific rituals within the wedding (e.g., traditional praise songs for the bride/groom, family anthems), reinforcing cultural identity and transmitting traditional values.
Commentary: This question directly targets the social and ceremonial uses of music, providing a clear Nigerian context. It helps students connect abstract concepts to concrete, familiar events.
Question 2: Explain one significant impact music can have on a person's emotions. Give a relevant example.
Solution: One significant impact of music on a person's emotions is its ability to evoke or change mood. Music can make someone feel happy, sad, excited, calm, or even angry.
Example: Listening to an upbeat Afrobeats song like "Unavailable" by Davido can instantly make a person feel energetic and want to dance, lifting their spirits from a dull mood. Conversely, a slow, solemn worship song might bring a sense of peace or reflection.
Commentary: This question focuses on the emotional impact, allowing students to draw on personal experiences, making the concept more relatable.
Question 3: A popular Nigerian food brand wants to create an advertisement. How can music be used effectively in their TV commercial, and what impact is it trying to achieve?
Solution: Music can be used effectively in a TV commercial as a jingle or background score.
How it's used: A catchy, memorable jingle with lyrics promoting the food brand's benefits can be created. Upbeat or soothing background music can also be played to complement the visuals of the product.
Impact achieved: The jingle aims for economic impact by making the product memorable and appealing, driving sales. It also has a psychological impact by associating positive emotions and recall with the brand, making consumers more likely to choose it.
Commentary: This question addresses the economic use and psychological impact of music, using a common advertising scenario in Nigeria.
Community Festivals and Cultural Preservation: Music is central to virtually all Nigerian community festivals (e.g., New Yam Festival, Durbar, Eyo Festival). Learners can observe how music is used not just for celebration but also to narrate history, invoke ancestors, and reinforce community identity. This understanding encourages participation and appreciation of their cultural heritage, preventing its erosion.
Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship: The lesson can be integrated with career guidance. By understanding music's economic uses (performance, production, jingles, teaching), learners can explore career paths within the vast Nigerian entertainment industry. They can see how popular musicians like Davido or Wizkid, producers like Sarz, and even cultural troupe leaders are entrepreneurs leveraging music. This promotes creative thinking about livelihood.
Social Advocacy and Public Awareness: Music is a powerful tool for social change in Nigeria. Artists frequently use their platforms to address issues like corruption, bad governance, health (e.g., HIV/AIDS awareness songs), or gender equality. Students can learn to critically analyse such songs and understand how music can be used to raise awareness, mobilise people, and advocate for positive change in their communities. This fosters civic responsibility and critical engagement.