#memorablemomentsineducation #16:
Jimi Hendrix died 49 years ago today, which got me thinking about how I came to love him and his music. I know much of it comes from my brother Todd, but another memory materialized that speaks to my interest as well.
My 9th grade English teacher, Mr. Mays, happened to be a DJ on the side, so he had quite the setup in our classroom with speakers, turntable, receiver, and tape deck. Many days, I recall sitting in his room, working and reading, while we listened to some of his favorite music. He introduced us to Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Police, U2, CCR, basically his favorites. We lapped it up without even realizing the impression his musical tastes would leave on our own.
With that music in the backdrop, we also read The Odyssey, and then created an interdisciplinary project called The Odyssey of My Self and My Nation. We had to write a narrative attached to each of the 13-14 years of our life and then research something important that happened in history in the corresponding year. I spent countless hours in my mom’s sewing room, typing on an old Apple 2E computer while creating and decorating my personal epic. I still have this creation in a box somewhere, and I think I was quite proud of that work!
I’m not sure if it was the music of a bygone era, the fact I was watching the U.S. bomb Baghdad on TV at night, or my narcissistic need to write something all about my life and the world revolving around me (sound familiar?), but I remember that moment in my education. My views on the world and the soundtrack to match were born in that class.