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Integrating music into the study of law to engage students

2023; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 57; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03069400.2023.2200710

1943-0353

Jonathan Collinson,

Artificial Intelligence in Law

ABSTRACTThis article describes five ways in which I have integrated music into law modules as a means by which to engage students: as an icebreaker; to set the tone for a module; to explore questions of representation; to tell stories; and to make theory tangible. The use of music in these ways aims to make students feel differently about the law and to engage their “emotional solidarity”. The modules into which music has been interrogated are substantive modules, thus the ideas for practice in this article are therefore ones which are transferable to the teaching of different legal subjects.KEYWORDS: Musicicebreakersstorytellingpunk rockPaulo Freire AcknowledgementsI am grateful to Dr Amanda Warren-Jones for comments on drafts of this article, and to Siobhan Walsh for information on student responses to the icebreaker activity.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.Notes1 Verona Ní Drisceoil, “Moving beyond Text, Embracing the Visual: The Virtual Land Law Field Trip Project @ Sussex” (2021) 55 The Law Teacher 186; Gayani Samarawickrema and Kathleen Raponi, “A Field Trip in the First Week at University: Perspectives from Our LLB Students” (2020) 54 The Law Teacher 103.2 Kelly VanBuskirk and George Filliter, “An Examination of the Effectiveness of Readers’ Theatre as a Teaching Strategy in Legal Education” (2020) 54 The Law Teacher 129.3 Karin Mika, “Games in the Law School Classroom: Enhancing the Learning Experience” (2009) 18 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing 1; Jacques Sabine, “Experimenting with Gamification in Legal Higher Education: A Thousand Intellectual Property Rights” (2018) 27 Nottingham Law Journal 3.4 Leilane Serrantine Grubba, “Cinema, Human Rights and Development: The Cinema as a Pedagogical Practice” (2020) 8 CINEJ Cinema Journal 87; Elizabeth Weeks Leonard, “Teaching Sicko” (2009) 37 The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 139; Mary Kay O’Malley, “Through a Different Lens: Using Film to Teach Family Law” (2011) 49 Family Court Review 715.5 Babatunde Fagbayibo, “Choral Intervention: Reimagining International Law Pedagogy in Africa Through Music” (2023) 57 The Law Teacher 55; Camille M Davidson, “Problems, Music, and Popular Culture: How I Teach Theory and Practice in Decedents’ Estates to Our Next Generation of Lawyers” (2015) 28 Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal 394; Dawn L Rothe and Victoria E Collins, “Teaching Criminological Theory: The Power of Film and Music” (2013) 21 Critical Criminology 227.6 Although only “free” if one ignores that the business model is based on collecting and selling users’ data and by feeding users targeted ads.7 Centre for Teaching Innovation, “Icebreakers” (Cornell University) accessed 22 June 2022.8 See eg Dan Greenstone, “Down with Classroom Icebreakers: Can We All Just Start Teaching Instead?” (Salon, 6 September 2016) accessed 22 June 2022.9 Romena MG Holbert, “Beginning with Bingo – An Icebreaker to Initiate Classroom Community” (2015) 63 College Teaching 181.10 Kerry Knickle and Nancy McNaughton, “Who Do I Think You Are? The Guessing Game Icebreaker: Building Community” (2021) 43 Medical Teacher 1330.11 Jennifer Gonzalez, “Icebreakers that Rock” (Cult of Pedagogy, 23 July 2015) accessed 22 June 2022.12 67 and Harlem Spartans, “Splash & Cash” (2016).13 1011, Digga D, Horrid1, Mskum, Sav’O and ZK, “No Hook” (2018).14 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Lambo4oe, The Notorious B.I.G., Ty Dolla $ign and YG, “Let’s Ride” (2023).15 Gillian Calder, “Using ‘Icebreakers’ in Legal Learning” (Project Pedagogy, 24 August 2020) accessed 22 June 2022.16 University of Portsmouth, “Guide to Assessment Centres” accessed 22 June 2022.17 Camille M Davidson, “Problems, Music, and Popular Culture: How I Teach Theory and Practice in Decedents’ Estates to Our Next Generation of Lawyers” (2015) 28 Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal 394, 396–97.18 The Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen” (1977); Stiff Little Fingers, “Law and Order” (1979); Crass, “Big A, Little A” (1982); The Clash, “Guns of Brixton” (1979); Discharge, “Protest and Survive” (1982); The Clash, “Know Your Rights” (1982); Gang of Four, “Why Theory?” (1981); Stiff Little Fingers, “Doesn’t Make it Alright” (1980); Billy Bragg, “To Have and To Have Not” (1983); Crass, “Do They Owe Us a Living?” (1978); The Clash, “Clampdown” (1979).19 Paul Marko, The Roxy London WC2: A Punk History (Punk77 Books 2007) 126.20 See eg Sacha Deshmukh, “A British Bill of Rights? This Draconian Plan Is a Rights Removal Bill” The Guardian (London, 22 June 2022) accessed 24 June 2022.21 Jemma Slingo, “Patel Lashes Out at ‘Lefty Lawyers’ in Asylum Speech” Law Society Gazette (5 October 2020) accessed 28 October 2021.22 The Clash, “Clampdown” (1979).23 Rick Poyner, “The Art of Punk and the Punk Aesthetic” (Design Observer, 6 September 2016) accessed 29 October 2021.24 Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Continuum 1970) 54.25 The Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen” (1977).26 Crass, “Do They Owe Us a Living?” (1978).27 Hélène Tyrrell and Joshua Jowitt, “Let Them Eat Cases! Bridging the Gap between School and Degree Level Learning” (2022) 56 The Law Teacher 271, 273.28 Lord Reed, Speech at Inauguration Ceremony of the Law Association (Hong Kong University, 15 March 2018) . accessed 27 April 2023.29 Helen Fenwick and Daniel Fenwick, “Prevent, Free Speech, ‘Extremism’ and Counter-terrorism Interventions: Exploring Narratives about Chilling Expression in Schools” [2020] Public Law 661.30 The Prevent guidance defines extremism as including vocal opposition to the “rule of law”, but provides no definition as to what is envisaged by that term: HM Government, “Prevent Duty Guidance” accessed 30 March 2023.31 Tom Bingham, The Rule of Law (Penguin Books 2011).32 See for example the range of recent contributions to the UK Constitutional Law Association Blog: accessed 30 June 2022.33 Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Continuum 1970) 73.34 Gang of Four, “Why Theory?” (1981).35 ibid.36 The full playlist for the Immigration and Asylum Law module comprised: Asian Dub Foundation, “Fortress Europe” (2002); Billy Bragg, “Deportees” (1986); Madame Monsieur, “Mercy” (2017); K’Naan ft Show Tha Product, Riz MC, Residente and Deveed Diggs, “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” (2017); Denise Chaila, “Duel Citizenship” (2019); The Pogues, “Thousands Are Sailing” (1988); Asian Dub Foundation (ft Stewart Lee), “Comin’ Over Here” (2020).37 For example, see Sam Bennett, Constructions of Migrant Integration in British Public Discourse: Becoming British (Bloomsbury Academic 2018); Emily M Farris and Heather Silber Mohamed, “Picturing Immigration: How the Media Criminalizes Immigrants” (2018) 6 Politics, Groups, and Identities 814; Esther Greussing and Hajo G Boomgaarden, “Shifting the Refugee Narrative? An Automated Frame Analysis of Europe’s 2015 Refugee Crisis” (2017) 43 Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 1749; Tobias Heidenreich and others, “Political Migration Discourses on Social Media: A Comparative Perspective on Visibility and Sentiment across Political Facebook Accounts in Europe” (2020) 46 Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 1361; Luke de Noronha, “Unpacking the Figure of the ‘Foreign Criminal’: Race, Gender and the Victim-Villain Binary” accessed 13 September 2016.38 Idris Malik and others, “How Does the Language Used in Mainstream Media Affect Public Perceptions of Immigration?” (University of Birmingham and No8 Chambers) accessed 22 June 2022.39 Asian Dub Foundation (ft Stewart Lee), “Comin’ Over Here” (2020).40 Juliana McLaughlin and Susan Whatman, “The Potential of Critical Race Theory in Decolonizing University Curricula” (2011) 31 Asia Pacific Journal of Education 365, 369.41 Migrant Voice, “Migrant Voice Theory of Change” accessed 24 June 2022.42 Ian Macdonald QC, quoted in Ife Thompson, “Black Lives Matter UK: for Lasting Change, We Need ‘Movement Lawyers’” (Each Other, 3 August 2020) accessed 28 October 2021.43 Wendy Leo Moore and Jennifer Pierce, “Still Killing Mockingbirds: Narratives of Race and Innocence in Hollywood’s Depiction of the White Messiah Lawyer” (2007) 3 Qualitative Sociology Review 171.44 Kathy Luckett, “Curriculum Contestation in a Post-Colonial Context: A View from the South” (2016) 21 Teaching in Higher Education 415, 425.45 ibid.46 Woody Guthrie and Martin Hoffman, “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” (1948).47 Billy Bragg, “Deportees” (1986).48 Jason Daley, “One Man’s Search to Find the Families of the ‘Deportees’ in the Famous Woody Guthrie Song” (Smithsonian Magazine, 28 February 2018) accessed 24 June 2022.49 Madame Monsieur, “Mercy” (2018).50 William Lee Adams, “Madame Monsieur’s ‘Mercy’: How a Newborn Refugee Inspired France’s Eurovision Song Entry” (Billboard, 26 April 2018) accessed 24 June 2022.51 ibid.52 Eurovision Song Contest, “Madame Monsieur - Mercy - France - Official Music Video - Eurovision 2018” (YouTube, 12 March 2018) accessed 24 June 2022.53 Snow Tha Product, K’naan, Residente and Riz Ahmed, “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” (2016).54 Randall Hansen, Citizenship and Immigration in Post-War Britain (Oxford University Press 2000); Alison Harvey, “Discrimination in British Nationality Law” in Devyani Prabhat (ed), Citizenship in Times of Turmoil? Theory, Practice and Policy (Edward Elgar Publishing 2019).55 Wendy Williams, Windrush Lessons Learned Review (HC 93, 19 March 2020) 12.56 Lord Kitchener, “London Is the Place for Me” (1948).57 Lord Kitchener, quoted in Mike Phillips and Trevor Phillips, Windrush (HarperCollins 1998) 66.58 Euton Christian, quoted in Mike Phillips and Trevor Phillips, Windrush (HarperCollins 1998) 71.59 Burning Spear, “Slavery Days” (1975).60 Jason Toynbee, Bob Marley: Herald of a Postcolonial World? (Polity 2013) 39.61 Lloyd Bradley, “‘The Time Is Right’: Reggae Colossus Burning Spear on Racism, Rebellion and Returning to Britain” The Guardian (London, 8 August 2022) accessed 15 September 2022.62 Jason Toynbee, Bob Marley: Herald of a Postcolonial World? (Polity 2013) 67.63 Lloyd Bradley, “‘The Time Is Right’: Reggae Colossus Burning Spear on Racism, Rebellion and Returning to Britain” The Guardian (London, 8 August 2022) accessed 15 September 2022.64 Jason Toynbee, Bob Marley: Herald of a Postcolonial World? (Polity 2013) 67.65 ibid. 68.66 ibid. 28.67 Linton Kwesi Johnson quoted in Sean O’Hagan, “Linton Kwesi Johnson: ‘I Certainly Did Not See Myself as an Angry Young Black Poet’” The Guardian (London, 31 July 2022) accessed 15 September 2022.68 Paul Marko, The Roxy London WC2: A Punk History (Punk77 Books 2007) 126.69 Sound Check, “Punk Rock and Reggae: A Love Story in 2 Acts” (Afropunk, 28 September 2021) accessed 24 June 2022.70 The Clash, “Rudie Can’t Fail” (1979).71 The Slits, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (1979).72 Jack Whatley, “The Story Behind the Song: ‘White Riot’ The Clash’s Misunderstood Punk Masterclass” (Far Out, 18 March 2021) accessed 24 June 2022.73 Sarfraz Manzoor, “The Year Rock Found the Power to Unite” The Guardian (London, 20 April 2008) accessed 24 June 2022.74 Inquest, “30 Years on Inquest Remembers Blair Peach” (Inquest, 23 April 2009) accessed 24 June 2022; Metropolitan Police, “Investigation into the Death of Blair Peach” accessed 24 June 2022.75 Linton Kwesi Johnson, “Reggae fi Peach” (1980).76 Linton Kwesi Johnson, “Inglan Is a Bitch” (1980).77 Linton Kwesi Johnson quoted in Sean O’Hagan, “Linton Kwesi Johnson: ‘I Certainly Did Not See Myself as an Angry Young Black Poet’” The Guardian (London, 31 July 2022) accessed 15 September 2022.78 Afzal Khan MP, “Diversity and Anti-Racism Should Be at Every Level of Our Education System” (PoliticsHome, 22 June 2021) accessed 15 September 2022.79 Mike Phillips and Trevor Phillips, Windrush (Harper Collins 1998); Fiona Bawdon, “Remember When ‘Windrush’ Was Still Just the Name of a Ship?” in Devyani Prabhat (ed), Citizenship in Times of Turmoil? Theory, Practice and Policy (Edward Elgar Publishing 2019).80 Bob Dylan, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” (1964).81 Marie-Bénédicte Dembour, “Human Rights Law and National Sovereignty in Collusion: The Plight of Quasi-Nationals at Strasbourg” (2003) 21 Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights 63, 72.82 ibid 82.83 Ian Frazier, “Life after Lonesome Death” The Guardian (London, 25 February 2005) accessed 15 March 2023.84 ibid.85 Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory (6th edn, OUP 2020) 153–55.86 Jimi Hendrix, “The Star Spangled Banner” (1969) accessed 15 March 2023.87 Desmond Manderson, “Towards Law and Music” (2014) 25 Law and Critique 311, 315. Itself a contentious interpretation of the War of 1812 given that conflict’s origins in US colonial expansion into Canada and Indigenous lands (Bernard Porter, “Friendly Fire” (2008) 30 London Review of Books). https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v30/n04/bernard-porter/friendly-fire88 Desmond Manderson, “Towards Law and Music” (2014) 25 Law and Critique 311, 315.89 An example can be found at accessed 15 March 2023.90 Penelope Eckett and Russell Newmark, “Central Eskimo Song Duels: A Contextual Analysis of Ritual Ambiguity” (1980) 19 Ethnography 191; E Adamson Hoebel, “Law-Ways of the Primitive Eskimos” (1941) 31 Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 663.91 Damen Ward, “A Means and Measure of Civilisation: Colonial Authorities and Indigenous Law in Australasia” (2003) 1 History Compass.92 Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory (6th edn, OUP 2020) 153–55, 360–63.93 Such as HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, “Disproportionate Use of Police Powers: A Spotlight on Stop and Search and the Use of Force” (February 2021) accessed 20 March 2023; The Ministry of Justice, “The Lammy Review: An Independent Review into the Treatment of, and Outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System” (September 2017) accessed 20 March 2023; Julian Hargreaves, “Police Stop and Search Within British Muslim Communities: Evidence from the Crime Survey 2006–11” (2018) 58 British Journal of Criminology 1281.94 Jonathan Ilan, “Digital Street Culture Decoded: Why Criminalizing Drill Music Is Street Illiterate and Counterproductive” (2020) 60 British Journal of Criminology 994.95 Leroy Logan, “How Tone Deaf Police Misunderstand Music” The New European (10 September 2020) accessed 20 March 2023.96 Adam Lynes, Craig Kelly and Emma Kelly, “Thug Life: Drill Music as a Periscope into Urban Violence in the Consumer Age” (2020) 60 British Journal of Criminology 1201, 1202.97 Ciaran Thaper, “Making the Banned: MK The Plug and M1 on The Beat Are UK Drill’s Brightest Hope” (FACT) accessed 20 March 2023.98 As demonstrated, for example, at Brian Scholes and Sophie Hatchwell, “In Conversation: Perspectives on Art Interpretation” (University of Birmingham) accessed 20 March 2023.99 For example, a detailed description of the legal traditions of eight Indigenous societies in Canada can be read at John Borrows, “Indigenous Legal Traditions in Canada” (Law Commission of Canada, January 2006) accessed 20 March 2023.100 For example, Jermaine Jenas, “The Truth about Police Stop & Search” (Channel 4, 2021) accessed 20 March 2023.101 Vivian Rashotte, “In an Age of Division, Billy Bragg Wants Us to Stop the ‘War on Empathy’ and Focus on the Common Good” (CBC, 6 April 2022) accessed 21 November 2022.