MUSTAFA=Music:

Giveeachpairalyricfromoneofthesesongs,withshortcontextandavague
prompt.
Instructions:Howdothelyricsrelatetostorylineortheirownlives?Wellsharelater.
10minutes
GROUPS:
1. Trout
2. SimpleGifts
3. Blackbird
4. Trout
5. GoldenSlumbers/CarryThatWeight
6. Trout3/3

Timeline
ECHANG=Intro:MusicisarecurringthemeinthenovelandisabigpartofLydiaslife
asapianist.Alotofthesongshavesignificancebasedonwhereinherlifetheyshowup,so
wellgothroughatimelineofthemajorstagesinherlifeandhowmusictiesin.
Structure:Havethegroupwhogotthatlyricreadthelyrics
Askthemwhattheytalkedaboutregardingthatpieceofmusic
IRIS=Brownhouse
Onlytimeshestrulyhappy.
Nosignificantsongbutthisisanimportantpartofherlifenonetheless.
Formativeexperienceforher.
MUSTAFABarnard(college)
Trout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF9DrUXowBo
ThefirststanzaoftheTroutisanidyllicdescriptionoftheriverandthetrout,
justlikehowLydiadescribeshertimeatBarnardwithherfriendsandher
philosophyclassesasaprettystabletimeinherlife.
Atthispointinherlife,herbiggestworryiswinningtheauditiontoplaythe
Trout,andGeorgeremarksthathernotgettingtheTroutpartwouldnotbethe
endoftheworld,therearelotsofworsethingsthatcanhappen.dundundunnn
ECHANG=KidsAlanandVivianreturnfromQuakercamp(page60)
SimpleGifts(lyrics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYi9Vr8bHJY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Gifts
Atthispoint,whenSimpleGiftsshowsupforthefirsttime,Lydiasfamily
seemstobeinharmony,andtheyreappreciatingthesimplegiftofthemall
beingtogetherandsafe
IRIS=VictorbringsbackTV(page13)
BlackbirdAlansroom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7epRPz0LGPE

TalkaboutthehistoryoftheWhiteAlbum,andthenwecantalkaboutwhereit
showsupinthebookandhowthatparallelstheplotofthenovel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_%28album%29
ThisisapremonitionofthebreakupofLydiasrelationships,aswhenthe
BeatlesmadetheWhiteAlbum,thereweretensionswithinthegroupbutthe
realbreakupdidntoccurtilllater.Lennon,whenaskedaboutthealbumlater
saidhecoulddetectthetensionsbetweenthemembersinthesongs
themselves.
InLydiascase,itwastheweddingofGabyandDonthatseteverythingin
motion.Whentheygotmarried,LydiaandVictorgottogether,andthat
changedthecourseofLydiaslife.
ECHANG=Beforefuneral(page176177)
Trout
The2ndstanzaofthetroutlyricsarewhenthenarratorseesthedangerofthe
fisherman,butbelievesthatthefishwillnotgetcaught
ThisparallelshowwhenshewasatNinashouseandthoughttherewouldbe
nonewchangesinherlife,buteventually,asweknow,therewere.
IRIS=Funeral(page191)
GoldenSlumbers/CarryThatWeight
TheEndAbbeyRoad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HCaBAV4ZTI
GoldenSlumbersandCarryThatWeightareonAbbeyRoadandarefollowed
byTheEnd.AbbeyRoadistwoalbumsafterWhiteAlbum(whichisactually
TheBeatleswithawhitealbumcover).Philpickedoutthosesongs.
Justasinthealbum,GoldenSlumbersandCarryThatWeightleadtoTheEnd,
thedeathofLydiaschildrenisthebeginningofTheEnd,bothinthesectionof
thebookandpertainingtotheharmonyinherfamily.
SimpleGifts(ballet),AppalachianSprings,whichtheyalsosangasafamily
(61,191)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiLTwtuBio
Balletversionwithoutlyrics.
MUSTAFAAlansroom(page197)
Blackbird
Herethelyricsbecomeespeciallyimportant,asthesongslyrics,especially
takethesebrokenwingsandlearntoflyrelatetohowLydiaandtherestof
thefamilyattempttocopewithAlansandViviansdeath.
MUSTAFATrout3/3(page259260)
Lydiacouldntplaypianoforalongtime,andatthispointinthenovelshe
listenstotheTroutforthefirsttimeafterthechildrensdeath
ThenarratoroftheTroutfeelsangrythatthefishwascaught,andseesthefish
asbetrayed.Inthesameway,Lydiaaskswhatshedidtodeservethedeathof
herchildren,andfeelsbetrayedbylife.

 Justlikethenarratorthoughtthereasonthefishgotcaughtwasbecausethe
clearwaterwasmuddied,Lydiathoughtthatherchildrenwouldnothavedied
hadshedeservedthem.Thereisntalwaysareasonfortragedy,butmany
peopletrytofindreasonsanyway.
ECHANG=EndwithnonlyricalversionofTrout(page362)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpG_XjJHcA
WhensheplaystheTroutforthesecondtime,sheisabletoplayittoitsfull
potential,withallitsnuancesincludingthedarkundertones,becauseofthe
darknessshedexperiencedandmanagedtoaccept.

IRIS=Ending:
Putupalistofthebookswevereadthisquarter,andhaveeveryone,bythemselves,drawa
piechartofwhattheythinkisthemostimpactfulbookforthem.Thenwellgoaroundina
circleandeveryonesharestheirbiggestandsmallestsliceandwhy.