Today's lesson will wrap up our exploration of the contributions of female singer-songwriters to rock music in the 1960's and 1970's. Here's what you have to do.
- Watch the clip of Carole King appearing with Jane Fonda and feminist Gloria Steinem on The Merv Griffin Show in 1982 (the interview begins at approximately 5:10 on the video, so you can advance to that point). Gloria Steinem is a well-known feminist writer and activist and the co-founder of Ms. Magazine.
- Respond ot the following questions.
- What does Steinem say about the role played by women’s music in the 1970s?
- Why do you think King (who has made very few television appearances over the years) wanted to appear with Steinem?
- What does King say about her role in the women’s movement of the 1970s? Was she actively involved?
- How does Steinem respond? What does she mean when she tells King, “You’re living it”?
- Overall, do you think the music made by King and the other women in this lesson was political? Was it making a statement about changing roles of and attitudes toward women? Or was it just women making music that people wanted to listen to?
- What do you think women performing as Singer-Songwriters in this era contributed to popular music? Think about music today and the styles it includes, the themes it addresses, and the performers who are most successful.
- How did the female Singer-Songwriters of the 1970s reflect changing attitudes toward women?
Should their work be thought of as political, or were they just musicians making good music? - compare the female Singer-Songwriters of the early 1970s to those popular today, such as Adele or Taylor Swift. In what ways is their work similar? In what ways is it different? Think about the musical styles as well as the themes they address in their work. Have these newer artists achieved popularity primarily with girls and women, or do they speak to a wider audience?
