Why this blog? La chanson du jour/The daily song

In September 1974 (35 years ago but that seems like yesterday) I started working as a French Assistant at Loretto Heights College in Denver. Among the things I wanted to share about the French language were the beautiful songs that I loved.

This was pre-computer, pre-internet time so I typed and copied a bunch of lyrics and had to rely on audiotapes that made it difficult to immediately listen to one particular song: one had first to find out where it was on the tape.

As my dear daughter Anne is entering Mount Holyoke College (far away from Seattle) I thought about revisiting the French songs I like and share them with her (as a little French bonjour) and with anybody who would be interested.

I also thought about how this initiative could become a class or some sort of class.

Looking on line at the French classes offered at various schools and colleges I saw that they sometimes incorporate/mention songs but songs never seem to be at the core of one specific class nor a systematic/regular part of the curriculum.

"Popular music" as it is called remains -at best- very marginal.

I think "popular music" is an important component of the culture and should be an integral part of the curriculum.

I think students should become familiar and knowledgeable about the main singers and songs in the French language.

I understand they have many other things to learn and there is only so much time, so I have chosen to offer a small daily dose: for each day of the week I select one song and I post on the blog a very short presentation, a few links (including a link to a recording they can listen to) and the text of the lyrics.

At this point I am using English as I also think students or visitors who are not studying French could be interested by the content but I am working on another blog that would be in French and include some sort of work in French based on the song that has been selected.

There is plenty of material available on the internet but it takes time to collect and select what is relevant: that is the service I provide.

Of course my selection is biased: de gustibus et coloribus.

But I think my tastes are eclectic enough to provide the students with a large spectrum of songs and singers.

I also hope that at one point students and visitors will start offering their own selection.

For now I only wanted to tell you about this project so that you can give me your feedback.

PS: there are many ways to subscribe to the blog so you receive directly the latest post into your email box. I like feedmyinbox

Comments

[Nicole Vaget]

I love your selection and the Rina Ketty song must have been the first song I ever heard coming out of a gramophone....

I could not agree more about the pedagogical value of songs. I use lots of them in phonetic classes, and intermediate language classes.

Par example aujourdhui on a transcrit:
"A quoi ca sert l'amour" de Piaf et Theo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOiWOlltzI
"L'effet papillon" de Bénabar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAs8gN0j2Z8
Amicalement.

[Philippe Boucher]

Merci Nicole pour votre commentaire.
Je cherche des moyens détendre le projet vers un format webradio.
Les
rares émissions proposées par des radios universitaires ont une
présence très faible sur le net (juste la playlist -et encore-).
On pourrait imaginer et réaliser bien davantage avec les nouveaux outils disponibles.
Connaissez-vous lAttaché Education basé à New York qui me semble particulièrement dynamique?
Peut-être
soutiendrait-il une initiative qui impliquerait plusieurs radios de
collèges avec un programme plus ambitieux (qui pourrait être syndiqué).
Mais tout cela prend du temps (et un peu dargent mais très peu
relativement sans compter la possibilité de trouver des parrainages).
Bonne journée
Philippe Boucher

PS:
si vous avez des sélections de chansons dans la période la plus récente
(1990-2009), je suis preneur car on dirait que jai arrêté découter
les tubes à partir de 1990 (sauf rares exceptions). Merci davance.