MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS (1995)
Run Time: 142 minutes Synopsis: Glenn Holland is an aspiring composer who takes a teaching job to support his family. As the years unfold, the joy of sharing his passion for music with his students becomes his new definition of success.MUSIC OF THE HEART (1999)
Run Time: 124 minutes Synopsis: This is a true story of Roberta Guaspari and her fight against the board of education. Her effort to teach music to underprivileged students in East Harlem involved an innovative violin program.Reflection:
Mr. Holland's Opus chronicles a 30-year teaching career. What changes in the music curriculum did you observe? In Mr. Holland's instructional style? What personal and institutional factors influenced these changes?
How did gender, race, and socioeconomic status influence the curriculum, teaching, and efforts to save music education in Music of the Heart? In Mr. Holland's Opus?
How did the arts influence the education and life experiences of Gertrude and Sadler in Mr. Holland's Opus? Guadalupe and Naeem Adisa in Music of the Heart? What role did the fine arts play in your elementary and secondary education? In your life? Do your experiences parallel those of the films' characters?
Consider Mr. Holland's comment: "The day they cut the football budget in this state, that will be the end of Western Civilization as we know it!" Why do you think extracurricular athletics are often given priority in school budgets over music, art, and even physical education?
Follow-up Activity: It's time to take a stand! You are a colleague of Mr. Holland at John F. Kennedy High or Ms. Guaspari in East Harlem (or choose any school where the fine arts are targeted for elimination).* The local school board is holding finance hearings and you decide to share your opinion. In 500 words or less, create talking points. Use scenes from the films, information from the chapter, and your own life experiences as supporting evidence.
*If you feel strongly for or against another course potentially threatened by budget cuts (sign language, computer animation, child care) use this example for the position paper.
