 |
 |
| Home | | Library & Archive | | Education | | About RRL | | Support | | Gallery | | Interactive | | Gift Shop | | Login |
|
 |
| |
|
 |
| "Scarecrow" Song Lesson
Contest Grand Prize Visit |
| |
The
Rock & Roll Library discovered the power of "Scarecrow" by Melissa
Etheridge well before there were any plans for a national song lesson contest
or a discussion panel or a Grand Prize visit to Thomas O. Hopkins Middle School
in Burlington, NJ.
 It
all started simply with the lyrics: words of painful honesty, anger,
forgiveness, and redemption in a poetic allusion to the murder of Wyoming
college student, Matthew Shepard, taken from the world for his sexual
orientation. The song itself cried out with raw expression for attention, for
someone to feel its emotion and to understand its reflection of our society.
"Scarecrow" was an inspiration to the Rock & Roll Library and it challenged
them to take the difficult and poignant themes to those who needed to hear and
learn its message, and those were the students of America. In February 2001,
the Rock & Roll Library informed Melissa Etheridge that "Scarecrow" had
been chosen as the theme of the First Song Lesson Contest with hopes that she
would participate in a national campaign to use "Scarecrow" in the classroom.
The "Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest was born on the day Melissa said "yes" to
believing in the project and to believing in the power of music to teach.
 The
"Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest was soon announced as a contest in which
teachers across the country would submit original lesson plans for K-12
classrooms framed around Melissa's lyrics for "Scarecrow." It was clear that
"Scarecrow" was adaptive to a diverse array of subjects such as history,
English, psychology, art, sociology, health, and music itself and the contest
was open to any and all interpretations of the song. With all the possible uses
of "Scarecrow," the RRL hoped the submissions of the Song Lesson Contest would
address specific issues relevant to today's global community including
tolerance, diversity, and civil rights. They were not disappointed. Provocative
and inspiring lessons were received from educators everywhere which transformed
"Scarecrow" into an interactive and positive force for young minds.
 The
Grand Prize Winner of the "Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest was to receive not
only a $1,000 cash prize and autographed memorabilia from Melissa Etheridge,
but would also receive a visit to their school from Melissa herself. The design
of the visit would be to have Melissa shed new light on how "Scarecrow" was
conceived and written and for the evening to be a celebration of tolerance and
understanding.
But who would receive this honor? It was not an easy task for the RRL to choose
the lesson plan that would be the flagship for the contest, as each submission
had a unique flavor that brought "Scarecrow" into new perspectives. Yet,
something leapt off the page when the Rock & Roll Library opened up eighth
grade New Jersey teacher Laura Stegmuller's "Music With a Message," a
comprehensive poetry lesson that explored the true depth of "Scarecrow's"
meaning. It was an innovative educational approach that could not be ignored.
On Dec.19, 2001, the RRL announced Ms. Stegmuller as the Grand Prize Winner.
Now, the "Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest and Melissa Etheridge would be heading
to Thomas O. Hopkins Middle School in Burlington, NJ.
 It was
the night of April 11, 2002 that Melissa and the Rock & Roll Library made
their way to Burlington and spent the evening with Laura, her students, the
parents, and members of the school community exploring "Scarecrow" and its
timeless message of peace. The goal of the evening was to be a panel discussion
featuring Melissa and distinguished human rights specialists creating a
dialogue with the Thomas O. Hopkins audience on tolerance. It quickly became
clear that the evening would be much more…
 The
proceedings began with a student Speak-Out event presented by SHiNE. The
students gathered in the Thomas O. Hopkins Library with SHiNE facilitators to
discuss as a school community how music could be used to teach about
stereotypes and where intolerance comes from. The discussion turned into a
lively interactive exploration of how celebrating difference and championing
diversity can actually stop the hurt and the hatred from becoming victorious.  The
Thomas O. Hopkins students naturally became the leaders of the discussion, and
the true success of the Speak-Out became apparent in the honesty, candidness,
and eloquence that was displayed among the young participants. One eighth grade
student wisely reflected "Even though you may not be able to change everybody,
changing yourself is good enough." The Speak-Out proved to be a fittingly
inspirational beginning for the night's events.
 After
the close of the Speak-Out, the focus of the evening shifted to the main
program in the Hopkins school auditorium. Melissa Etheridge entered the
anxiously awaiting room to thunderous applause as Laura Stegmuller's students
waved homemade signs that read simply "Love" in tribute to the closing words of
Melissa's "Scarecrow." The Rock & Roll Library took over the podium and set
the discussion in motion, a discussion that would invoke many raw emotions and
energetic responses from all who shared in the experience. A short awards
ceremony preceded the panel where the Proclamation of "Tolerance Day" which was
received by the RRL from New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey was read. This
was followed by Melissa and Laura being awarded for their achievements. Melissa
proclaimed as she accepted the award, "This is going right next to the
Grammies!"
Anne Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Rock & Roll Library, then
stepped in to serve as moderator of the panel, opening with a fitting
introduction by delivering the stark and sobering story of Matthew Shepard's
murder. The panel consisted of Melissa, Laura, A. Widney Brown, advocacy
director for the Women's Rights Division of the nationally renowned Human
Rights Watch, and Michael Heflin, director of Amnesty International's OUTfront
program for LGBT human rights. Laura answered questions on how she authored her
lesson and how she was able to convey and create an understanding with her
students on "Scarecrow's" significance. She felt that her role as a teacher was
more than just teaching how to read and write but also included fostering
personal growth in students as she said, "It's not just a gay or lesbian issue,
it's a humanity issue and if you don't feel ok about you, you're not going to
learn anything in anyone's classroom."
 A.
Widney Brown spoke on the work that needs to be done in the classroom in
helping children to both develop and appreciate their identity, and also why
considering discrimination as a human rights issue is crucial, remarking that,
"The reason I work with a human rights framework is because we're not learning
that you can't discriminate on the basis of race, it's about the very
fundamental idea that all people are born free and equal in dignity and with
rights. Full stop. No exceptions to that." Widney also made a call to action to
parents and educators who she believes should take responsibility and educate
youth to accept diversity and practice tolerance.
Michael Heflin spoke specifically on human rights violations to our nation's
gay and lesbian community and how it is not too early for students to speak out
against these crimes. He also universalized the tolerance struggle to include
the aftermath of September 11 which he reminded the auditorium was a human
rights violation in and of itself. He added, "What we say at Amnesty is that
September 11 is a lesson to all of us that human rights do matter, that in fact
we really neglect human rights at our own peril." Michael went on to read a
letter sent by Amnesty to its members after September 11 which reflected many
of the major themes of the evening.
 And, of
course, Melissa Etheridge discussed the day she wrote "Scarecrow," the words
behind it, what Matthew Shepard meant to her both as a person and as a symbol,
and how she struggled with her own identity. It was her overall message of
hope, however, that struck a searing chord that night. As she looked out into
the crowd, she aimed her statement right at the pool of transfixed Hopkins
students, "I think the most I want you to learn is to love yourself, that's
where tolerance begins. It's to feel strong enough in yourself and in your
truth that you have room enough for everyone else's wants and needs and no
desire to hurt or ridicule anyone's else's because you feel yours and you feel
your strength."
The interaction of the night's panelists with the audience was the stirring
climax to a provocative evening. There wasn't much left to say when Anne
Fitzpatrick finally took to the podium one last time to close the event, but
she rose to the occasion by turning the night's reflections into a call to
action for all. "Our greatest purpose in this cause is never to forget, as
Melissa says, Matthew's 'silhouette against the sky.' Remember that it is every
person's responsibility to encourage peace and tolerance for all."
 More
than a full year since its inception, the "Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest came
to a close that evening in the Thomas O. Hopkins auditorium. The last image of
the event is of Melissa Etheridge surrounded by a collection of Laura
Stegmuller's students, talking, laughing, but still coping with the evening's
heavy themes and emotions. Meanwhile, the Rock & Roll Library prepared to
put closure on the event that they had been planning for so long. Despite its
end that night, the impact of the Contest will be felt for a long time to come
by those same students who stood with Melissa as the auditorium filtered out.
From Laura deciding to enter into the contest, from Melissa making the journey
to spend an evening with a group of young people, and from the students
standing up and speaking out against the disease of discrimination in their
lives and communities, the "Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest always had an
underlying message. The message was clear. The message was strong. The message
was tolerance….
The "Scarecrow" Song Lesson Contest continues to be an educational presence, as
the four winning lesson plans are available for free download in the Teacher
Resource Center at www.Rocklibrary.com. The lessons can also be found in the
official "Scarecrow" Lesson Book, which features an letter from Matthew
Shepard's mother Judy, the founder of the Matthew Shepard foundation.
Proclamation of "Tolerance Day"
NJ Students Interview Melissa Etheridge
View the winning lessons!
Thomas
O. Hopkins Principal Ken Faulkner, Melissa Etheridge, "Scarecrow" Song Lesson
Contest Winner Laura Stegmuller, RRL Executive Director Anne Fitzpatrick, Vice
Principal Larry Penny
|
|
|
|
|
