Madam[…].
[…] About our work – which was written initially only on a personal impulse – some teachers have called it real 'Swiss army knife' – including EPP – both the applications are numerous. I will therefore speak feedback that we have at the present time but also what we think as writers.
Without being a classic literature book (on which the young reader can sometimes whacked), this book allows an initiation to playback smoothly. Style remains simple and contemporary, the correct language and its structure-even are reassuring (short stories that can be read only once / illustrations relax that goal which, at the same time, stimulate the imagination / a very strong mental visualization when listening to the songs treated). These words (their substance) were collected during my interventions with students of different institutions.
Our aim "redo the way upside down" (from a song to extract history), Sandrine T. (Professor of English at the College Emile Zola of Belleville-sur-Saône) followed this example to ask his students to pick a song (in this case: "Broken" Gim's master) and to write the story, thus imitating how we proceed. This work was done in a collective manner, and we posted it on our wall of students. College students were delighted, because the screenplay, the characters and the events were a figment of their imagination. However, it has not have been easy for the Professor, to consolidate the proposals of 26 students to arrive at a coherent text 'publishable'!
However, I imagine that it is possible to ask each student to work individually on a song of his choice (involvement will be more important, since it will be "his favourite song") and to write the story, DM or AP. I could talk to you for hours of all the good that this work could get in terms of creativity, awakening to the French song and understanding of a text written in the poetic mode – but I'm sure that you easily understand the object.
With this same class (5th 2), we proposed students to transform into "lyricists" during a writing workshop. I much insisted to them that a good song should always tell us a story 'exciting'. Thus, even before writing one, we asked them to describe orally, in their own words, their characters, the context, the subject of their story and the conduct of the scenario… to well "ask things". Absolute freedom! Even the usually disseminated pupils were very prolific, and we achieved a result enough of that teacher plans to create 4 (totally different) tunes to accompany them. The purpose being to sing their own songs at the end of the year party. With, of course, has posted on our wall of students to the key!
The theme (heartache) could be replaced by the history of France, for example. We could ask the students to write a song about "The King – Sun" or any other event in studied history/geography. Which, in terms of memorization and student involvement can prove to be very interesting.
Again in the interest of fostering creativity, teachers can involve the Professor of Plastic Arts so that it guides students in the realization of designs which will illustrate their history (from their favorite song by them). The best illustrations will be published on the wall of students and will "enhance" their original text. They will be also discussed by our three professional illustrators to provide tips and lighting students.
Finally, we can very well imagine that the work of students is then translated into English (or any other language).
And I'm sure that over time, other teachers (perhaps yourself) will find other original and constructive applications that can be used to the greatest number […]
Marc Crichi.