Schools : Let's celebrate John Lennon ! Resources

credits: Paul McCartney YouTube

Paul McCartney & John Lennon duet, 2022

 

“Got Back” tour 2022, when McCartney duetted with a video of John Lennon on the Beatles’ classic “I’ve Got a Feeling.”

Lennon 80

https://www.johnlennon.com/news/

"There’s a lot that can be said about John Lennon, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Even more can be said about the individual experiences people have had growing up with his music."

Mike Dutton, doodler

Happy Birthday, John

https://www.thebeatles.com/

Imagine! 80 years! John Lennon would be 80 years-old, this day, 9 October 2020. On 8 October 2010, Google celebrated his 70th anniversary with a poetic Doodle interactive. Imagine!

John Lennon, the Beatle singer was celebrated by Google on the 8 October 2010, but Lennon was born on 9 October.

When we entered on the search engine's home page we were greeted to an illustration which has been designed in celebration of a day before what would have been the singer-songwriter's milestone. 

Google doodle John Lennon's 70th birthday
doodler: Mike Dutton

https://www.google.com/doodles/

• Google Doodle:

Clicking on the doodle, it links to a 32 second track, which plays his popular song Imagine.

As it plays the doodle generates different pictures including that of a butterfly and a flower before turning back to a black and white version of the Google logo.

Students can then click through to the YouTube version of it if they want feel the musical experience online.

Lennon was shot dead outside his apartment in New York. He was a pacifist and his theme Imagine gained even more impact after his death.

via YouTube

He was killed on 8 December 1980. December 8th 2020, forty years ago John Lennon was murdered. The world lost one of its greatest artists of all time. A tribute to present what is his masterpiece, his greatest heritage. We miss you John!

Students can read Remembering John Lennon by Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and a few words by George Harrison on The Beatles official website.

Imagine

John Lennon
graffiti
credits: unknown

His window Yoko Ono encouraged this year, 2010, all fans around the world to send videos tribute  to YouTube to celebrate the very special day.

John Lennon in New York

credits: not identified

https://www.feelnumb.com/

John Lennon [1940-1980]

credits: Getty Images

John Lennon composed some of the greatest 'classics' in world music, such as Help, In my Life, Strawberry Fields Forever and Imagine.

Lennon also produced classics, on the Plastic Ono Band, alongside Yoko Ono, as Imagine, Jealous Guy and Mother, about his conflicted relationship with his mother.

The Beatles in 1962

credits: dpa/ pictures

In an interview, Lennon once spoke about the superhuman high expectations of fans: "They would expect to see God playing." 

He then wished each Beatles member individual happiness and added: "Whether collectively or not, we will see."

The official website The Beatles celebrates his 80th anniversary with the video below:

So, today October 8, marks what would have been the legendary John Lennon’s 80th birthday.

"Although gone for nearly 40 years – the same amount of time he was on Earth, the musician, songwriter and peace activist’s timeless and beloved music -  with The Beatles, his collaborations with his widow Yoko Ono Lennon and his acclaimed solo works – continues to thrill, inspire and lately resonate more than ever"

The Beatles

CD John Lennon The Hits

https://www.johnlennon.com/

"Love, heartbreak, peace, truth, lies, the media, racism, feminism, religion, mental well-being, marriage, fatherhood – he sang about it all, and one just needs to listen to his songs to know how he felt, what he cherished, what he believed in, and what he stood for."

The Beatles

The video Woman (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon (official music video HD) is a tribute by his widow Yoko Ono on the day Lennon would be 80.

Education:

• Let's include John Lennon's message into Languages Civics and Music curriculum!

• Imagine lyrics are so beautiful to talk about some important values: peace, equality, justice, friendship, solidarity. And to play the song in the classroom.

• Woman an important theme to talk about women and equity.

• Invite students to visit and explore the two websites: John Lennon and The Beatles.

• In English curriculum as a foreign language, invite your students to work on the lyrics: pronunciation, vocabulary, values.
• 
  
• In the classroom or at the school library, display the biopic Nowhereboy. Nowhere Boy is a biopic about John Lennon's adolescence, the creation of his first band, The Quarrymen, and its evolution into The Beatles. 

• Invite your students to produce a short video in a cross-curricular project: Languages, Arts, Music, and display it at the school library, introducing the theme 'Peace'.
• 
  
• Organize an exhibition on the 80th anniversary: life, news, photos, CDs, open to all students, teachers, parents .

Resources: 

• Video: Premiered November 20, 2020

• Photos:

John Lennon's Life in Pictures

https://www.dw.com/en/imagine-lennon-would-have-turned-80/a-55203096

Nowhere Boy

Sam Taylor Johnson, 2009

https://www.imdb.com/

• Films & books:

Nowhere Boy is based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon by Julia Baird, 2007)

Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon

Julia Baird, 2007

https://www.amazon.co.uk/

A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.

The 2019 romantic comedy Yesterday depicts a struggling musician who realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate timeline where they never existed.

Empire State Building

https://www.johnlennon.com/news/

"The Empire State Building will shine its world-famous tower lights in sky blue with a white peace sign rotating in the mast tonight, Thursday, October 8, 2020, in partnership with the John Lennon Estate and Universal Music Group to celebrate John Lennon’s life and legacy ahead of what would have been his 80th birthday, Friday, October 9. The lights will illuminate at sunset (approx. 6:25 pm EDT) and stay on until 2 am EDT."

John Lennon official website

John Lennon

https://www.johnlennon.com/

"You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one " 

John Lennon, Imagine

Some of the lyrics from Imagine became a hymn for peace in the world!

The Strawberry Fields memorial dedicated to John Lennon

 in New York City's Central 

Imagine! It would be impossible to me not to spread Lennon words about peace! Yes, I'm a dreamer too!

Lennon viewed his work as one rich story, one step on the journey to Creating a better world, one ongoing, never-ending search for truth.

‘I always consider my work one piece… and I consider that my work won’t be finished until I’m dead and buried – and I hope that’s a long, long time,’ 

John Lennon, words on the last day of his life. 

‘So to me it’s part of one whole piece of work from the time I became public to now…And the eighties is like, we’ve got a new chance.’

G-Souto 

08.10.10

update 08.10.2022

Copyright © 2020G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Schools : Let's celebrate John Lennon ! Resources by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Herbie Hancock : The Imagine Project at Casa da Música !

The Imagine Project

Herbie Handcock

https://www.herbiehancock.com/

"The Imagine Project is a 21st century Love-In, complete with psychedelia (Dave Matthews singing The Beatles's "Tomorrow Never Knows") and some groovy, good-time peace and love (singer Susan Tedeschi and slide guitarist Derek Trucks, stretching out on "Space Captain," made famous by Joe Cocker). Peter Gabriel's gentle "Don't Give Up" retains its writer's world interests in a duet partnering pop megastar Pink and R&B singer John Legend, but with some tasty contributions from guitarist Jeff Beck"

John Kelman

photo: Tribo de Luz, Portugal

https://i890.photobucket.com

December, 9th I have been at Casa da Musica to listen Herbie Hancock. The composer and keyboardist presented his musical project of peace, inspired by John Lennon's song "Imagine".

"It's a peace proposal"

    

Herbie Hancock

Collaborating with legendary trumpeter Miles Davis on the early nexus of jazz and rock, Hancock is considered one of the pioneers in the integration of funk, soul, hip-hop and synthesizer (electronic music) in jazz.

His musicians James Genus (bass), Trevor Laurence Jr (percussion), Greg Phillinganes (keyboards), Lionel Loueke (guitar), and Kristina Train (voice and violin). Excelllent musicians!

"The Imagine Project shall remain at its core, entertainment content that is creatively and emotionally deeply fulfulling."

photo: Tribo de Luz, Portugal

https://i890.photobucket.com

The beautiful Guilhermina Suggia room was full! 

Famous songs like 'Imagine', 'Don't give up', 'Times are a changing' and others have been reinvented with talent by the amazing musicians.

It was unbelievable  to have all those international musicians on stage that night. 

But the impressive jazz musicians on stage in front of us, had a wonderful performance in the art of improvisation and contact to the audience!

After two hours of splendid jazz music, Herbie Hancock and his musicians played an encore: "Rocket", one of his great hip-hop and electronic classics.

Wonderful breakdance sound! Big applause! And when Herbie Hancock (70 years old) and his musicians began to dance, the entire room followed them!

Here the beautiful theme of Kate Bush featured by Pink and John Legend of the album "The Imagine Project".

Há poucas personalidades com um impacto na história do jazz comparável ao de Herbie Hancock. O seu 70º aniversário deu origem ao álbum comemorativo intitulado The Imagine Project, preenchido por canções tão célebres como "The Times They Are A Changing" (Dylan), "Imagine" (Lennon), "Tomorrow Never Knows" e outras. Gravado em múltiplos locais com convidados de todo o mundo, dá agora lugar a uma tournée com o mesmo título e com uma banda de músicos soberbos, onde a voz terá um papel destacado.

Casa da Música, agenda

G-Souto

22.01.2011

Copyright © 2011G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

(musical break, in a sunny but freezing weekend)

credits: Photos - 'Tribo da Luz' Portugal

Herbie Hancock: Imagine by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Schools : John Lennon... imagine a better world : resources

Tribute to John Lennon

credits: not identified

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

"Love and Peace are eternal."

John Lennon

I believe so! December 8, 1980 marks 30 years since John Lennon was slain outside his New York apartment. The former Beatle had been shot four times in the back by Mark David Chapman, to whom Lennon had given an autograph at the same spot outside his Central Park West apartment earlier that evening. 

After his dead, he became the most important icon of music and peace activist.

John Lennon

credits:  ©Bob Gruen

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/

Last October 9, Google celebrated John Lennon with a special interactive doodle to commemorate, in a poetic way, what would have been his 70th birthday, remember? 

Tribute John Lennon | Liverpool (UK)
Photo: Tim Hales | AP 2010

https://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/

Different  memorials and monuments raised in tribute of Lennon all around the world. Strawberry Fields Memorial, in Central Park, New York, the most visited, a statue in Cuba, light tours in Island and, last October, this monument at his home town, Liverpool.

Nowhere Boy

Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2009

https://www.imdb.com/

Education:

Nowhere Boy is a biopic about John Lennon's adolescence, the creation of his first band, The Quarrymen, and its evolution into The Beatles. 

The film received its US release on October 8, 2010, coinciding with that weekend's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Lennon (October 9, 1940).

Nowhere Boy

Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2009

https://www.imdb.com/

The drama tells the story of Lennon's teenage years, 15-17 years old, and the start of his journey to becoming a successful musician. The movie also examines the impact on his early life and personality of the two dominant females in his childhood – his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) and his mother, Julia. 

The film was the directorial debut of conceptual artist/photographer Sam Taylor-Wood. Nowhere Boy was nominated for four British Academy Film Awards.

"Inspired... captures Lennon's essence to perfection", so why not include the biopic into your school lesson? 

A wonderful digital resource to include subjects as social inclusion and music into your lessons.

Tribute to John Lennon

Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi | AP 2005

https://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/

"I believe that as soon as people want peace in the world they can have it. The only trouble is they are not aware they can get it."

John Lennon, 1969

The Beatles

credits: not identified

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

Activities:

Of course you can propose interesting activities in the classroom, in a cross-curricular project to discuss:

• Peace, music, poetry, youth, dreams.

So many good ideas and values that you can share and discuss with your students! 

Curricula: Languages; Music, Arts, Design.

Let your students surprise you! Do they know the Beatles? Of course they do! 

The influences of this awesome music group on the musical world and people is unforgettable and incalculable. 

Smartphones and tablets are allowed in the classroom! To discover and listen Beatles and John Lennon of course. Students will love it.

You may have a fantastic and creative lesson! 

And why not? Join your students and sing Imagine! 

G-Souto

08.12.2010
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Schools : John Lennon... imagine a better world : resources by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.