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September 2025: Right Back To School⌠Check ItâŚ
Hello lovely people!
As the summer winds down, Iâm looking back at the music, metaphors and magical moments that defined the end of the last school year. If you missed anything, nowâs the perfect time to catch up before the brand new Sound of Pen classes start to drop.
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PVRIS & The Power of Rhyme
We tuned into Lynn Gunnâs haunting âYou and Iâ and discovered how perfect rhymes can echo safety and harmony, while half-rhymes might capture tension, distance and longing. Next time youâre tackling Shakespeare, Rossetti or Agard, think: is this rhyme telling me more than the words themselves?
Charli XCX & The Whoâs Who of A-Level Lit
Charli XCXâs âbratâ tour has been pure chaos (the good kind). We matched Charliâs feelings with those of our A-Level course characters: Gatsby, Blanche, Offred, Othello and others. Whoâs got âPompeii in the distanceâ energy? Which character would really be driving that âbubblegum-pink Ferrariâ?!
YUNGBLUD & Creative Writing
YUNGBLUDâs âZombieâ doesnât just hit hard musically â the video shines a spotlight on the indomitable strength of nurses. We broke the video and lyrics down, then challenged you to create your own piece celebrating an unsung hero in your life. From vocab lists to atmospheric writing prompts, this class gave you the tools to turn compassion into art.
Dimscua & Analysing Loss in Language
Post-metal might not be the first genre you link to literature study, but Dimscuaâs âDust Eaterâtakes listeners on an emotional journey every bit as layered as a novel. Written in the shadow of devastating personal loss, the lyrics push us to think carefully about how writers transform grief into art. In this class, we asked how different writers (from Dimscua themselves to William Shakespeare) represent loss, and what their choices can teach us about resilience, love and memory.
Julia Wolf: Love or Obsession
So many of our A-Level texts hinge on the fine line between love and obsession â Gatsbyâs longing, Othelloâs jealousy, Rossettiâs intensity. Julia Wolfâs songs gave us the perfect soundtrack to test where that line blurs. From âBurning Houseâ to âLoserâ, we asked: is this lyric true love, or something more destructive?
And thatâs not nearly everything. There was so much more!
Special thanks to the amazing Ania and Thea – and, of course, EVERYONE else who contributed to last yearâs live classes – Iâm looking forward to assembling the new Sound of Pen gang over the next few weeks.
In the meantime, and as this summer comes to an end, keep blasting your playlists, scribbling your notes, and remember: every beat, every rhyme, every lyric has something to teach us about the stories we read.
See you soon for more music, more discussions about Fred again.. & F. Scott Fitzgerald – and more reasons to get excited about EVERYTHING!!
Love JC
Coming in the next fortnightâŚ
- Exploring the sun motif with Gracie Abrams, mgk & others.
- Getting creative with Dua Lipa.
- Looking at accessories and outfits with Taylor Swift, Maggie Lindemann & friends.
- Investigating the prison metaphor with Cyan Kicks.
- And LOTS more!!!