My 11th grade AP English class taught me a lot of life lessons. This was one of the classes that not only taught me how to appreciate writing, but lessons about female dynamics.
We were a class of seven females lead by a male teacher. While this environment should have been prime for encouragement and empowerment, it was quite the opposite. We couldn’t stand each other, to put it lightly. External drama was brought into class, we (mainly myself) could not contain eye rolls, and I’m pretty sure we were all competing for one thing or another.
I thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience, though. Our male teacher (who knocked participation points off of my grade due to the eye rolls) was totally aware on how much inner turmoil we had, and still managed to get us to look at The Great Gatsby under a new light.
We learned about group dynamics and the great beauty of the English language.
Along the path of learning, we produced some great writing, essays, and thoughts. We could act hard, but we could think hard. It was an odd sort of balance.
I guess you could say that we would have made a perfect girl group.
Girl groups are usually filled with a lot of dynamics, but the commonality is the result of something (in this case, music) good.
Out of the darkness, comes light.
You have to go through the rainbow to get to the rain.
You get the idea.
Girl groups can not only please our ears, but teach us lessons in group dynamics and life lessons through their backstories and music. Check out girl groups that I learned some lessons from (and feel free to start listening to their music, too).
The Ronettes:
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Let’s get one thing straight, it is my life goal to be half as great as Ronnie Spector. I wear my hair and makeup like her, and if I could sing, I’d totally try and recreate the “whoa-oh” sounds found in “Be My Baby”. The Ronettes were a group of sisters and their cousin. All three ladies were talented, but Ronnie Spector was the lead, getting the lead vocals and their producer, Phil Spector. Even though the group died out by the end of the sixties, the other two girls supported Ronnie, even through obvious favoritism.
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The Supremes:
The Supremes are one of those bands that have some of the most infamous group dynamics. Much like The Ronettes’s group hierarchy, there was a leader. Diana Ross was the supreme Supreme. She got the leads, the producer, and the attention. This upset Florence Ballard, who was later kicked out of the band.
The Supremes, through all of the bad times, gave us some standards of the 20th century. As a part of Motown, it seems like every generation grew up with at least one Supremes song in their life. The Supremes are a prime example of producing high quality works under low quality relationships.
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The Andrews Sisters:
The Andrews Sisters were one of the first girl groups. The trio of ladies had great hits. You’re a liar if you are saying that you’ve never danced to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” ten times in a row.Their influence is far and wide across the female singers, but they themselves started off as a tribute band to another girl group called The Boswell Sisters.
I may be getting a little philosophical, but The Andrews Sisters are a group that started a cycle. They respected those who came before them, and influenced those who came after. While it may not be totally related to group dynamics, the group is important.
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Haim:
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Haim are amazing. I am in love with their debut album, and I hope they’re around forever. Shoutout to the band for starting off on the right track with a band name that encompasses ALL of their last names (seeing as they are sisters). The group also looks up to Destiny’s Child and other awesome girl groups. They began as a duo, but expanded to a trio with the inclusion of younger sister, Alana.
Even though the group had minor success before Alana came into the band, props to them for allowing her to join. Haim is amazing, and I think I’m addicted to their music.
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The Crystals/The Chordettes:
These two girl groups are grouped together for the sole reason that they share the common trait of members coming and going. The line-ups of each of these groups has varied from time to time. However, the groups, in any incarnation, still put the music above all.
This may be a short explanation, but I COMMAND of you to listen to both of these music groups…AFTER you finish this article.
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The Shirelles:
The Shirelles were a girl group that stood up for what was right. In the time of the Civil Rights Movement, an African American girl group broke barriers. Their music transcended chart genres.
This group is a testament to producing good work, when not only your internal dynamics lack, but the exterior environment that surrounds you is less than perfect.
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The Spice Girls:
They’re fashionable, they’re wonderful, they’re British queens. The Spice Girls all have distinct personalities. I had a dance party when they reunited at the 2012 Olympics.
If these individuals taught me anything, it’s that you can maintain individuality even when in a group environment. Unlike the girl groups who looked and dressed the same, The Spice Girls all had very distinct personalities and fashion identities.
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The Runaways:
The alliterated Cherie Currie and Joan Jett were a part of this group; described as one of the first female bands that played their own instruments.
The girl group was not about breaking all of the rules, as much as they were about breaking all of the standards. For a look on the band, check out the movie starring Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, which features a good story and good music in a good movie. Â
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There are millions of girl groups I didn’t add, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t met something to me, or anybody else. What girl groups do you look to for group dynamics?