Mups Artist Studies: Music as a Force for Change
This winter, our Friday music periods have been dedicated to exploring the lives and legacies of musicians who used their art to inspire change. Through our artist study unit, the Mups have been immersing themselves in the powerful connections between music, storytelling, and social movements. Our journey began with Nina Simone, a classically trained pianist and jazz singer whose voice became a force for civil rights, and has continued with Woody Guthrie, the legendary folk musician who sang about the struggles and hopes of everyday people. By learning about these artists, students are discovering how music has the power to tell important stories, bring people together, and challenge injustice.
Our study began with “Nina: A Story of Nina Simone” by Traci N. Todd, a beautifully illustrated biography that helped students understand Simone’s journey from a young piano prodigy to a groundbreaking artist who used her music to fight racism and demand equality. As we read, students reflected on the obstacles she faced and how her songs became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. We listened to “Young, Gifted, and Black”, “I Love You, Porgy”, and “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”, discussing what the lyrics meant and how the music made us feel. The children were deeply moved by her story and the emotions she poured into her music, and they gained a deeper appreciation for the role artists can play in shaping history.
As we transitioned to studying Woody Guthrie, we found powerful connections between his work and Nina Simone’s. Like Simone, Guthrie used music to speak about social justice and the experiences of ordinary people. Through “Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People”, students learned about his journey across America, witnessing the struggles of working-class families and writing songs to tell their stories. We’ve been singing “This Land Is Your Land” and “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know Ya”, exploring how Guthrie’s lyrics reflect themes of fairness, resilience, and community.
To make these songs their own, students participated in an activity where they wrote new verses to *This Land Is Your Land*, reflecting on the landscapes, values, and experiences that are important to them. Just as Nina Simone reinterpreted songs to fit her message, this exercise helped students understand folk music as a living tradition—one that evolves as people adapt it to express their own voices.
Through this artist study, the Mups are not only strengthening their musical skills but also developing a deeper understanding of music as a tool for storytelling and social change. By studying both Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie, students are seeing how artists from different backgrounds and genres used their voices to challenge injustice and inspire hope. As we continue this exploration, we look forward to more discussions, creative expression, and joyful singing—carrying forward the idea that music has the power to shape the world.
