Nothing compares to Original Pilipino Music (OPM), let’s just admit this. From its selection of heartfelt ballads to its classic brand of Pinoy rock, OPM has made its way into the hearts and minds of its many listeners, both here and abroad.
This OPM week, one public school teacher took his passion for the local music genre one step further by creating an OPM-centric lesson plan.
In the Facebook post below, English teacher Jan Aldrin listed down a few ideas educators can use to integrate OPM into their classroom modules.
According to Aldrin, the classroom setting is the perfect venue to educate the youth about our local music.
“I think our classrooms are great avenues for educational, cultural, and creative experiences. I feel strongly about OPM and I am lucky to be a teacher that can reach [out to] a lot of young people,” he tells InqPOP!
Aldrin said that initially, many of his students considered OPM as something “old” and “static.” But after applying some of his modules to their curriculum, many of his students seem to be discovering the beauty of our country’s music.
“My students were very excited [when I started applying the modules]. Maybe because we started talking about songs they already know or listen to,” Aldrin shares. “It’s surprising to know that some kids in my class actually listen to Asin, Apo Hiking, Eraserheads, Rivermaya, and UDD. Nakakatuwa po” (It’s delightful)
Through his efforts, he eventually hopes that the youth will continue to like, appreciate, and support OPM.
“The exemplar [I made] has modules on OPM songwriters, New Breed, Musicals, the Cinema, Advocacies, Genres, OPM as an expression of our culture, National Artists, Lokal, etc. I think we should expose the students to ALL of these [aspects] and make them decide who they want to listen to and why they want to listen to them. OPM is the soul of the country. Let’s nurture it. And grow as a people and a nation.”
We definitely can’t wait to see the outcome of Aldrin’s efforts and we, at InqPOP! wish everyone a Happy OPM Week!
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