Participants debate and defend their favorite songs and create their own “Billboard” playlist
Do your participants know a lot about the latest and hottest tracks in popular music? Put theDo your participants know a lot about the latest and hottest tracks in popular music? Put their musical knowledge and opinions to the test by helping them create a collaborative weekly Top 10 playlist. Split participants into groups and have them nominate current songs or artists they think should be on the Top 10 list. When the groups come back together, they’ll have a debate to decide on a final Top 10 list for the week. ir musical knowledge and opinions to the test by helping them create a collaborative, weekly Top 10 playlist. Split participants into groups and have them nominate current songs/artists they think should be on the Top 10 list. When the groups come back together, they’ll have debate and agree on a final Top 10 list for the week.
In additional participants will:
Develop critical listening skills and identify key song elements
Be exposed to different kinds of music
Learn to respectfully engage in a group discussion and communicate their ideas
Get to know their peers and their musical tastes
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How to…
Check out current top hits on the Billboard 100 as a jumping off point to keep things current
Decide on the week’s Top 10 debate theme, for example:
Specific artist
Genre
Songs from particular decades
Split participants into small groups
Participants will come up with ideas based on the theme
Each participant should have the opportunity to speak and provide input
The group reaches a consensus and decides on their Top 10 List
Each group nominates a representative to present their Top 10 List
Small groups all get together
Each small group representative makes a case for their Top 10 List
Staff member moderates a discussion and allows participants to defend their song selections
The goal is to determine a master Top 10 List by voting on each others’ choices
Voting process
Staff posts each group’s #1-10 list on a whiteboard so everyone can see the options
Start “secret” voting with the #10 choice for each group to create one Master List. For example:
Say there were 3 groups each with songs list #1 through #10
All the participants put their heads down
Staff read each #10 song out loud and tally the participants’ votes (raise of hand) for which of the 3 songs deserves the #10
The song with the most votes lands at #10 on the master list
Repeat this process until you get to the # 1 song
The final Master List serves as the “Billboard Top 10” for that week. Each week you can start comparing where songs move up and down on the list.
