1. The teacher will begin by asking the class about memory. 

• What is memory? How is it transmitted?

• Can you think of any written testimonies based on memory that are used to inform our understanding of history (including historical events and periods)? 

• Notes for Instructor: Some notable examples include The Diary of Anne Frank, Arn Chorn-Pond’s Never Fall Down, and memoirs or autobiographies more broadly.

• How are the memories of everyday people and communities preserved and passed onto future generations? (Examples may include rituals, songs, recipes, quilts, traditions, books, or artwork.) 
  
   
• Teacher may decide to explain the following terms in order to enhance comprehension and quality of discussion:

• Memory: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memory
• History: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/history
• Oral History: https://dictionary.apa.org/oral-history

2. Begin by having students organize a playlist of at least three songs on a digital platform as they relate to the questions below (e.g. YouTube, Spotify). Next, the teacher will ask students to answer the questions in writing. These questions center on how music can be connected to memories (or commemoration) and processes of healing (or reconciliation): 

• Do you have any memories that are connected to specific songs? 

• If so, what is the song, and what are the memories that are linked to this music? 

1. How did these memories become associated with this piece of music?
2. How does it feel when you return to this song as a listener?

• Are you familiar with any songs that preserve memories in your family or community? (Examples may include anything from popular recorded music to sacred pieces or even songs invented at home with friends and family) 

• Are there any pieces of music that have helped you to deal with loss or overcome difficult times in your life?

Notes for Instructor

Students will likely choose listening examples that evoke moods and communicate messages not only through instrumental sounds, but also lyrics or poetry. The teacher may need to explain how instrumentals, or musical pieces without lyrics, are often more difficult to decipher in terms of the overall message. This is due to the fact that language allows us to communicate directly and in a fashion that is familiar. Instrumental music, on the other hand, is generally more open to interpretation. These distinctions will be important when the class watches the video (2015) of Arn Chorn-Pond’s performances on the flute that bookend his speech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crv9Bre_T2g from 0:20-1:26 and 14:37-15:50) in part V of the lesson (see below).

It will also be important to discuss the multiple possibilities for song interpretation, especially as they relate to social context. For example, a student may have mournful feelings and memories that are connected to a song that, on the face, is considered to be happy or cheerful. These possibilities are indicative of the potential for original interpretation on the part of the listener. While songs rooted in ritual are usually performed in specific settings, popular music is heard in countless situations and social contexts.

3. Next, the teacher will ask students to engage in small group discussions based on their written responses to the questions. First, using the “The Human Emotions Chart” handout, the teacher can ask how different pieces of music make each student feel. Naturally, they can choose multiple feelings–including different emotions based on distinct parts of the song.
   
    
4. The teacher will ask the students to share their answers to the questions as a class. Each group may choose to appoint a speaker to summarize their responses and discussions.

5. The teacher will play the video entitled “Music Saved My Life, Arn Chorn-Pond,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crv9Bre_T2g which lasts just under 16 minutes, followed by the video, “CLA's Story: The Development of the Arts Over the Past 30 Years,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_cSPBq2Vc which lasts 3 minutes.

Notes for Instructor 

The first piece that Chorn-Pond plays receives a great deal of applause (at 0:47) before he explains that this song, which originally described killing, was used as propaganda to indoctrinate Cambodian youth into supporting the Khmer Rouge. Music is often assumed to be a wholly positive force. This first listening example, however, illustrates how music is a tool that can also be used for terrible and destructive purposes as well, including war and social control.

6. Students will write or record a one-page reflective essay that includes answers to the following questions. Alternatively, these questions can be written on posters around the room and students will write their responses on a sticky note and place it on the poster. 

• What specific moments in Arn’s speech had the greatest emotional impact on you?

• How was musical performance connected to both trauma and survival for Arn Chorn-Pond during the period of Khmer Rouge rule (1975-1979)?

• What was your initial response to Arn’s flute playing at the beginning of the video?

• How did your understanding of this performance change once he explained the meanings and context of that song?

• How did his final performance on the flute contrast with his performance at the beginning?

• Why do you think that he cried in that final performance?

• What were some of the difficulties that Arn faced as a newly arrived immigrant to the United States?

• How does Arn Chorn-Pond’s present-day activism involve music?

• What is Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) and how has their mission changed over time?

• How is CLA working to preserve existing cultural traditions and also allow space for new voices and creations?