Alice Bag in the Music Room: unas ideas para integrar el punk en la music class

Alice Bag is pioneer punk rocker from Los Angeles and she is bilingual.  Her music in English and Spanish exemplify artistic freedom, music as activism and fearlessness.  In my opinion, all students should be taught about punk and Alice, especially during music time!

 

About Alice

●  Alice Bag is a punk rock pioneer who first performed in 1977 as the lead vocalist of her band The Bags which she co-founded.

●  Her iconic autobiography, Violence Girl was published in 2011 in English and its Spanish translation in 2025.

●  She was born in East Los Angeles and is the daughter of Mexican immigrants.

●  Since 2016 she has released three solo albums featuring songs she wrote in English and Spanish.

●  Alice Bag’s songs tackle heavy subjects including racism, sexism, ageism, and domestic violence.

●  She is an outspoken activist that supports women’s and marginalized people’s empowerment in music.

 

Below are my suggestions for teaching your students about Alice Bag.  Please intro all these activities by showing a picture of Alice and sharing a few facts such as the ones listed above.  Be sure to stop to ask students to define terms including "punk rocker" and "activist."  These activities are written in sequential order but can still be done individually.

Grades K-2:

 

1.   Objective: Students will be able to identify and respond to changes in tempo and recognize form in musical performances using movement.

a.   Teacher will demonstrate using scarf to move along to music that is fast then slow and stopping when there is a pause using the studio recording “77” (1:30-2:15) and will ask students to keep the beat they feel by patting on their laps.

b.   Teacher will review behavior expectations, mainly to move safely and stay in their “bubble”

c.    Teacher will distribute scarves, providing a choice between two colors

d.   Students will move along to the recording and respond to the changes in form and beat using the scarves

e.   Teacher will ask students to share any moves they came up with during the first (faster) part of the song and or during the slower later part.

  

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