Teachers are the backbone of our communities; through writing, history, and the arts, teachers do their best to help guide children towards their passions and shape the world into a better place. For some of those kids, those passions may involve metal and Slipknot – which are passions shared by Risha Allen.
The Music Teacher, who also goes by rishdishfish on TikTok, uploaded a video taken of her using Slipknot as an example of how to count time signature. Specifically, Allen drums and sings along to that of the band’s 1999 classic song, “Wait And Bleed.”
@rishdishfish #musicmeter #slipknotmusic #musictheorylovers #musicteachersoftik #fifthgradebelike #elementarymusicteacherlife #heavymetallovers #teachmusic #4meter
In the video, Allen mentions her efforts to connect with one student who has been possibly a little shy in class. “I’m a little nervous here [because] I want to relate to him,” she shares. “He hadn’t really engaged with me or liked music class up until this point, so I felt like relating to and respecting his music (very personal) would help me connecting with him.”
Sharing with the student that she is a fan of Slipknot’s music, she initially brings up their 2008 single “Snuff” off of the band’s All Hope Is Gone record – that is until the student she is working with brings up “Wait And Bleed.” Getting into the groove of her drumming and humming along, Allen sings part of the lyrics, while also instructing her class to count the meter.
It’s great to see how teachers connect with and inspire students, and it’s even cooler when they use metal to do so. It isn’t everyday you find Slipknot mentioned in the classroom, and we tip our hats off to Allen for using metal and Slipknot in such a fun way! While songs like “Spit It Out” may need to be used in teaching her older students, it would be fun to see her use something like “Duality” for her younger kids.
***
Words by: Michael Pementel
