I'm Gonna Be

This energetic techno tune is the third song in the musical revue Possibilities. (The first two songs, "Possibilities" and "Big Dreams" appeared in Vol. 7, No. 1, September/October 1996. The last songs and script will appear in Vol. 7, No. 3, January/February 1997, along with a teacher's guide for performance.)

Continuing the subject of possibilities, "I'm Gonna Be" addresses career choices.

The melody of the song is unison throughout, except for the optional divisi in measure 18 and at the very end of the song. If you wish to use the divisi, you can divide your class equally, or select a few individuals with a strong upper range to sing the higher notes. If you have the Performance/Accompaniment cassette or CD, you can let your students listen to the performance of the kids we used for a good example of style.

The background on the recording is pretty simple, but also quite interesting. There are two electric basses playing in octaves, a low synthesizer pad, an electric guitar, a processed drum set, a higher synthesizer pad playing the treble line at 27, and an electric viola. Well, technically, the viola was an acoustic instrument which we processed heavily for a cool techno sound. We are, after all, featuring the viola in this issue (see pages 66-67), and we thought it would be fun to show the viola's versatility.

It is suggested that your performers yell the rap segment, but you can tone it down to enthusiastic speaking if you're timid. The idea is to get them pumped about their choices and keep them there. Let the song lead to a discussion of career and life opportunities. Get your classroom teachers involved to bring it across the curriculum.