Subway musician

Many texts we experience deliver a message through a particular perspective. It may be a song that is sharing the perspective of the artist who created it. A speech is delivered through the perspective of the speech writer. An interviewee will share experiences from their perspective.

Explore this short film about Billy James, a subway musician who has been playing the guitar and singing in Toronto, Ontario for 40 years in the subway stations. This film shares Billy’s perspective about music, creating music, why music touches lives, and why his audience is the reason he makes music.

As you explore the video, reflect on the points that Billy makes about making music, and whether you agree or disagree with his perspective.

In the video, Billy makes the following statement:

“Playing music to 100,000 people is the same as playing to one person.”

Do you agree or disagree with this statement. Use the following Number Line with strongly agree on the left, and strongly disagree on the right. Where do you place yourself on this continuum? Be ready to share your opinion and state why you feel this way.

1 = Strongly agree
5 = Strongly disagree

Exploring perspective

As we discovered in the Minds On section, different texts are created from a specific perspective, which alters how a message is delivered.

For example, famous speeches are written and shared by the author of that speech. They have a message to communicate, and it will come from their own life experiences and their own perspectives. As the receiver of the message, we make judgments about what we hear and make decisions as to whether we agree or disagree with that message.

Find and explore a famous speech. After the speech, reflect on the following questions, and record your responses in an audio recording, on paper, on a computer, as a visual representation or in an organizational tool of your choice:

• Why did this person deliver this speech? Who was the audience?
• What was the message of this speech? What was their perspective on this issue? Do you have any thoughts as to why this was their perspective?
• How did you respond to this speech? Did you agree or disagree with their perspective? Why do you think that is?
• Who might have a different perspective to this message or speech? Explain why you think their perspective might be different.

Perspective scenarios

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

For this task, you will work with a partner, if possible, to explore the following scenarios where there will be more than one perspective. Choose one topic from each section to explore. Record your thinking using a method of your choice.

As you explore these scenarios, discuss the following:

• What would the various perspectives on this topic be? Why?
• Who do you agree with? Why?
• Who might not have a voice and get to share their perspective on this issue? Why?

Scenarios

SECTION 1

• The best team in the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, or MLS
• The best player in any professional sport
• The best… in the music, dance, art, poetry, author, video game, or social media world

SECTION 2

• The best way to stop plastics from ending up in the oceans
• 16 should be the new age to vote in Ontario
• The G driver’s license program should be changed
• Tesla is the best car manufacturer

If you have another topic that you would like to discuss, add it to the list.

It might be a social justice topic, a school-based topic, an environmental topic, or another topic altogether.

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

Analyzing perspectives

Now that you have had some time exploring the idea of messaging and perspective in texts, it is time to choose one of the topics discussed during this learning activity.

It can be:

• the short film on Billy James from the Minds On section, and his perspective on performing music
• one of the speeches that were possible to explore in the Action section
• one of the scenarios from Section 1 or Section 2

Now that you have a topic, you are going to create a personal reflection about your perspective on this topic. You are also going to reflect on the perspectives focused on, and the perspectives not focused on.

You can create your reflection in an audio recording, as an oral presentation, in a written journal response on paper, or digitally, or in a visual representation. Be sure to include the following in your reflection:

• the topic and why you chose it
• the perspective(s) that was/were shared were (as a summary)
• where you are on the Number Line from strongly agree to strongly disagree

1 = Strongly agree
5 = Strongly disagree

• What are other perspectives that would exist on this topic? Why might they exist?
• Are there any voices that are typically not heard on this issue? Why might that be?

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.