Battle of the Bands

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The stories in Battle of the Bands examine the ways music can bring people together and illuminate truths. Have students think about how music can evoke memories or be the making of a moment. Get them talking about examples from the stories they read about characters’ emotional responses or connections to songs.

Have students take a look at and listen to the Battle Of The Bands-Author's Choice Playlist, which includes favorite songs of authors in the anthology. Based on what they read in the author’s story, ask them to match up songs with the author who made the recommendation and share their reasoning. Have them look at Battle Of The Bands: Official Authors Playlist to see how many they got right.

Then have students choose their own favorite from the playlist and ask them to write or draw their reactions to the song. Hang up their work and see if students can identify the songs based on the interpretations.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

1. Do you enjoy short stories? Why or why not? What are some common themes you noticed throughout the stories in this book?
2. Did you have a favorite story in this collection, or any that particularly stood out to you? What was it about this story that caught your attention?
3. Have you read any of the authors whose works were in this collection? Did this collection inspire you to pick up their other works?
4. What role does music play in your life? What music are you listening to right now?
5. How do you feel about performing in front of an audience? Have you ever been to or participated in a battle of the bands? If so, how does your experience compare to the event at Raritan River High School? 

Related Resources

• Battle Of The Bands: Official Authors Playlist
• Meet the Authors: Battle of the Bands video from Orange County Public Library
• Music and Me: Visual Representations of Lyrics to Popular Music from ReadWriteThink