CITIES, STATES AND MUSIC IN THE USA

This term projects and oral presentations will be about Music in America. We'll learn about blues, gospel, soul, jazz, rock, pop, country, folk, grunge, rap....Students will do some research on the main singers in the history of the United States and we will all enjoy the music and the lyrics of world famous songs. Students, in paris, will also present different states and crucial cities in the history of music which also were the hometown of the singers they will be presenting. Listen learn and enjoy!!! Then write your comments here.

WE WATCHED WEST SIDE STORY AGAIN!!

Since my last years' students enjoyed the film and it led us to an interesting debate in class. We've done  the same this course. Thus, after reading Romeo and Juliet  and before you all start preparing your version of the play to be performed, we've watched the film and again it's been a pleasure to listen to many of you, even the shiest ones, commenting on the film.  

Let me tell you a few things about the film. As you all know, it is based on the play by Shakespeare, but adapted to describe the conflicts between two rival gangs in New York in the 1950's. The film was awarded with ten Oscars in 1961, included "Best film Award" and it was a real turning point in the hsitory of musical films. It was directed by Robert Wise and the music, famous all over the world, was written by Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Jerome Robbins was in charge of the coreography and Ernest  Lehman was the scipt writer.

As some of you has pointed in class, this version doesn't exactly follow Shakespeare's drama, that's why we describe it as a version of the play. There are many similarities though. I would like you all to leave your comments  on the film. Include your opinion  but, please, mention any other details like the differences with the play Romeo and Juliet, the topics on the film, the actors and actresses, the sceneries, and especially, the meaning and sense of the song "I want to live in America".

BODY, THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, ARE THEY ALL CONNECTED?

As part of the listening exercise we did today in class, we all listened to the coach's sentence: "YOU DON'T RUN WITH YOUR LEGS, YOU RUN WITH YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART". We started an interesting debate in class about the meaning of this sentence. Can you please leave your opinion here?