Comments on: Teaching and Cover Bands

By: Gardner

Gardner — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:31:42 +0000

Harry Nilsson used to write his songs by trying to come up with lyrics and music to plug the holes where he’d forgotten bits from the original song.

It’s an enormous sonic tapestry we’re working on together, all of us.

Musical analogies are the highest form of analytical thinking! And here’s another vote for “Hurt”–see the video if you can.

By: Ric Murry

Ric Murry — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:03:36 +0000

Alan,

I like the analogy of teacher as cover band. Teaching is an art, and as such requires the teacher to create a way that communicates to their students, much the way you just taught us. Familiar story, but unique approach. Great example.

By: a. woody delauder

a. woody delauder — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:40:27 +0000

My favorite is “Hurt” originally performed by Nine Inch Nails. You do make a great point. There are many parallels. I find myself in a world of teachers in which act as the “Perfect Cover Band”. These teachers spend every waking moment trying to recreate the song the way the original band performed it. I spend every waking moment trying to explain to my students that the “conventional way” is not always unique and creative. Being a Science teacher, seeing the students twice a week, I am constantly trying to reverse the damage created by “Perfect Cover Band”.

By: Mathew

Mathew — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:24:12 +0000

Cash’s covers of U2′s One and Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus are also awesome.

I like the idea of teachers as cover bands, particularly when teachers are asked more and more to follow prescribed (some would say scripted) programs. It’s more about interpretation and flare than reading from a script.

By: Dean Groom

Dean Groom — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:01:14 +0000

I’ve done this last year with JumpCut. Students in junior years get lost in trying to made ‘great production value’, so allowing them to mash things up, gives them the ‘bling’ factor they want, sound quality and then then can remix a message. It worked so well that we now have a standard HSC assessment task in year 12 English that uses this approach. Over 2 years it has gone from Movie Maker to iMove and now to online. Kids get really into it and spend less time concerning themselves with production values and more time on creating the message and content.

Nice post (again)

By: Comment on Teaching and Cover Bands by Allison Miller

Comment on Teaching and Cover Bands by Allison Miller — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:43:20 +0000

[...] Comment on Teaching and Cover Bands by Allison Miller This is an interesting analogy – I’ve often felt like ‘Billy Connolly’ during face to face teaching sessions – where I’m there to [...]

By: Comment on Teaching and Cover Bands by Alec Couros

Comment on Teaching and Cover Bands by Alec Couros — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:54:48 +0000

[...] Comment on Teaching and Cover Bands by Alec Couros His NIN cover of Hurt is one of my favorite, and Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode cover) is also a terrific song. [...]

By: Allison Miller

Allison Miller — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:47:13 +0000

This is an interesting analogy – I’ve often felt like ‘Billy Connolly’ during face to face teaching sessions – where I’m there to ‘entertain’ the crowd with real life funny ‘situations’ to bring their learning alive. Using a story or ‘situation’ which students can ‘relate’ to certainly supports Constructivism learning theory.

I also seen a quote something along the lines of ‘teaching is 20% knowledge and 80% acting’.

Allison, Adelaide, Australia
http://twitter.com/theother66

By: Alec Couros

Alec Couros — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:47:14 +0000

I like the analogy here. As teachers, we certainly should both cover (in the coverband sense) and remix material. And yes, it’s a matter of taste, but as you allude, taste and circumstances change.

I remember the Soundgarden version well, and when I was a fan of theirs, I saw Johnny Cash in one of his less popular periods. I didn’t much like his music until much later, but before Walk this Line.

What I really liked about Cash’s later music is his ability to tap into (alternative) popular music and actually create something as good if not better, while creating a real cult appeal. His NIN cover of Hurt is one of my favorite, and Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode cover) is also a terrific song. I wish I could accomplish that sort of thing in the classroom … create that kind of appeal … that’s a testament to something even beyond what I’d call classic talent.

Thanks for the post Alan. All the best.