I want to introduce Buffy simply by daring you to listen to this song without bopping your head along.
Seriously – every class I have ever played this song for IMMEDIATELY asks me to play it again as soon as it finishes.
The music itself is enough to grab you – but the fact that it’s written about the champion dogsled racer George Attla, who competed in the first-ever Iditarod dog sled race in 1973 and has such a powerful message makes it SO PERFECT.
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Buffy Sainte-Marie on Sesame Street
Buffy was featured on old-school Sesame Street many, many times. Here are just a few clips that would be fun to share with students.
Teaching Points
- Note how in each of these three videos, Buffy is playing a different instrument. She is a very accomplished instrumentalist who also plays the piano in addition to the instruments shown below.
Up Where We Belong
Buffy Sainte Marie is a talented singer and musician, but she is also a very accomplished composer. Her songs have been performed by Bob Dylan, Bobby Darin, Cher, Peggy Lee, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and many more.
Here she is singing one of her biggest hits which was written for the film “An Officer and a Gentleman”. The song won an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for best original song in 1983.
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Buffy Sainte Marie Documentary
For older students, this is a 48 min documentary that celebrates so many fascinating clips of her through the years.
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