Grey DeLisle - The Students Critique

The Graceful Ghost
Sugar Hill Records

One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was to involve my students in the process and have them writing. Our first attempt was Grey DeLisle's "The Graceful Ghost." First, a quick explanation. These students are fans of hip hop and extremely music, so getting them to listen to this album was not the easiest thing to do. We talked about what makes a good vs bad review. We then had a listen to the disc and the kids wrote as we went through it.

Here's a sample of what they wrote:

• "She is very expressive in her singing and her lyrics." ST, 8th grade
• "She's HOT!" MW, 7th grade
• "The songs make you relax and sleepy and feel like there is no worries. I felt calm listening to them." RR, 7th grade
• "Grey seems to write what is in her heart. Her voice is not the greatest, but she writes nice lyrics." BS, 8th grade

As a whole, the group was divided 50/50 on this disc. Still, for kids who do not usually listen to anything beyond hip hop and guitar laced extreme music, our first attempt went quite well.

Look for more reviews coming from students soon.