As their first semester final project, our Upper School Choir students were tasked with brainstorming eight events that have had a major impact on their life: events that have shaped who they are, what they believe, and how they view the world. The students took these eight meaningful life events and connected each one to a piece of music, calling the final product “The Soundtrack of My Life.”
After linking their life events to music, each student created a Google Slides presentation. They provided the listener with a brief autobiographical paragraph followed by an explanation of their life soundtrack and what they hope the listener will learn after hearing their playlist. The students then created a slide for each life event where they discussed its significance along with a link to their chosen song.
Upper School Director of Choirs Dana Self said, “In a normal school year, we spend weeks preparing for multiple performances each semester, with those performances serving as a final assessment. With no live performances this year, I had to come up with new and creative assessment opportunities. I wanted this assignment to focus on the music while at the same time offering the students the opportunity to make this project their own and encouraging them to reflect on the impact that music has had upon their life. In the end, I was blown away by the final products that each student submitted. It was evident after grading their projects and by watching them work in class each day that they took this project very seriously. I learned so much about each student through reading about and listening to their life’s soundtrack. They were so open in sharing with me about celebrating the positive moments in their lives and how much music helped pick them up during the low moments and everything in between. This is a project that I plan to use again in future years. I want them to see how their life’s soundtrack will continue to change and evolve as they go through each experience in life.”
Our students shared similar reflections:
“This project stood out from other projects in other classes to me because of how it took a deep dive from a personal perspective into my own life.” – Trevon Bobo ’21
“Throughout this project, I have learned a lot about myself as a person and as a music learner. This project was completely different than any project I have done, it truly allowed me to express my life through music in a way I have never could have imagined, and I was very pleased with the outcome.” – Layla Daud ’23
“Through the process of making this soundtrack, I learned a lot more about my life than I thought I would. Specifically, I learned how the smaller moments have shaped the way I view the world, and I’m truly grateful for all that has made that possible for me.” – Ittmum Zahir ’22
There is no doubt that music has the ability to mark life events and eras. What a beautiful journey for these students to take at this point in their lives, noting how music has impacted them along the way. It inspires us all when presented with the opportunity to reflect and choose the songs for our own lives’ soundtracks.
