Zaretta’s “Pump Me Up” Playlists
Zaretta Hammond
Following her keynote address to the AASB 64th Annual Conference, author and educator Zaretta Hammond devoted a portion of her sectional presentation to discussing the effects of music on the brain, and how music can be used effectively to engage students. She led a lively group activity in which she challenged attendees to develop playlists of their favorite songs in three categories:
- Pump Me Up
- Its Gonna Be Alright
- Walking On Sunshine
Below are the song lists the groups came up with. Try them out in your school (or on yourself) and see what happens!
GROUP 1
PUMP ME UP
- 300 Violins
- Bon Jovi (anything!)
- Rolling Stones (anything!)
- Up, Up, Up
- Queen – We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Taps
- Tennessee Waltz
- I Have a Dream
- Bob Marley
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Hey Good Lookin’
- You Are My Sunshine
- Katrina and the Waves – Walking On Sunshine
- Spinning Around
GROUP 2
PUMP ME UP
- Pump Up The Jam
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
- The Walrus Song
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Lean On Me
- You’ve Got A Friend
- Aarigaa
- Chicken Soup With Rice
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- As
- Sunshine
- Alaska Flag Song (in Yup’ik)
GROUP 3
PUMP ME UP
- Girl On Fire
- Eye Of The Tiger
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Lean On Me
- Here Comes The Sun
- Jesus Loves Me
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- When Jesus Says Yes
- I Got A Feeling
- Hakuna Matata
GROUP 4
PUMP ME UP
- We Are The Champions
- Pumped Up Kicks
- Fight Song
- Multiplied
- Stayin’ Alive
- Thunderstruck
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Up On The Rooftops
- Things Change
- On Eagle’s Wings
- By Your Side
- Heart Songs
- Flaming Star
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- You Are My Sunshine
- Thrive
- Happy
- Footloose
- Free Fallin’
- “Any Blues”
GROUP 5
PUMP ME UP
- Keep Your Head Up
- Respect
- My House
- Can’t Hold This
- Girl On Fire
- Girls Run The World
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Shake It Off
- Sky Full Of Stars
- Fight Song
- Born This Way
- Lean On Me
- Adele – Water Under The Bridge
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Uptown Funk
- Can’t Stop The Feelin’
- Walking On Sunshine
- KC And The Sunshine Band – Celebration
- James Brown – I Feel Good
- Oklahoma
GROUP 6
PUMP ME UP
- Dead Girl
- Walking (Reprise)
- Meglovania
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- History Maker
- One For The Road
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Yorktown
- Drop Pop Candy
GROUP 7
PUMP ME UP
- R. Kelly – I Believe I Can Fly
- Eminem – Soldier
- Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger
- Gwichen – Indian Girl
- A Tribe Called Red – Electric Pow Wow
- Sister Sledge – We Are Family
- Pick Me Up
- Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam
- Jimmy Fortune – Elizabeth
- Yup’ik – Thank You Song
- Yup’ik – Where’s My Drum
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
- Pink – What About Us
- John Luther Adams (Seattle Symphony) – Become Ocean
- Jimmy Fortune – I Believe
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Michael Jones – On Eagle’s Wings
- Justin Bieber – Friends
- Nu Shoez
- Walking On Sunshine
GROUP 8
PUMP ME UP
- Whip It
- Crass
- Abrasive
- Latin Roots
- Faith
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Don’t Stop Believing
- Buffalo Soldier
- Better Place, Better Time
- Fall Back Down
- Lose Yourself
- Auld Lang Syne
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Best Day Of My Life
- Lovely Day
- Girl On Fire
- I Love You
- Santa Monica
GROUP 9
PUMP ME UP
- Pitbull (featuring Christina Aguilera) – Feel This Moment
- Shaun Mendes – There’s Nothing Holding Me Back
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Lean On Me
- Mahler – Adagio from Symphony #5
- Rachel Platten – Fight Song
- Ax Gagaanix Isitee – Ruth Demmert
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World
- Audra Day – Rise Up
- Calvin Harris – Feel So Close
GROUP 10
PUMP ME UP
- Queen – We Will Rock You
- AC/DC – Thunderstruck
- Imagine Dragons – Thunder
ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
- Bob Marley – Everything Gonna Be Alright
- Gospel Music
- Lumineers – Ho Hey
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
- Andy Grammer – Good To Be Alive
- Over The Rainbow
- Louis Armstrong