Students Delight with Literary Parodies at Annual Yam Slam

AP Literature class showcases musical talents in lunchtime performance

Apr. 5, 2026 at 6:35am

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Students at M-A High School gathered on the Green to watch three groups perform at the 18th annual Yam Slam, a lunchtime event coordinated by AP Literature teacher Lisa Otsuka. The seniors in her class prepared songs with lyrics inspired by the novel Invisible Man, which is part of the curriculum. The performances included parodies of popular songs like 'Take It Easy' by the Eagles, 'Build Me Up Buttercup' by The Foundations, and 'This Love' by Maroon 5.

Why it matters

The Yam Slam allows AP Literature students to creatively engage with the course material by rewriting song lyrics to reflect themes and characters from the novels they study. This hands-on approach helps students better understand the literary works while also showcasing their musical talents in a fun, lunchtime performance for their peers.

The details

The Yam Slam kicked off with a parody of 'Take It Easy' by the Eagles, performed by a group that included Aidan Sharp, Eli Hart, Cole Johnstone, and Zachary Quintana on vocals, Joshua Carriel on guitar, and Emile Freeman on drums. The 'Black & Blue' group then took the stage with their parody of 'Build Me Up Buttercup' by The Foundations, led by Kealy Bryman's commanding vocals and Dane Hansen's standout saxophone solo. To wrap up the event, the 'Seven Letters' group sang and played along to a parody of 'This Love' by Maroon 5, with Jack Bullard on ukulele and Cubby Derrough on guitar.

  • The 18th annual Yam Slam took place on Wednesday during lunch.
  • The winner of the event will be announced on M-A Today after spring break.

The players

Lisa Otsuka

An AP Literature teacher at M-A High School who coordinated the Yam Slam event.

Aidan Sharp, Eli Hart, Cole Johnstone, Zachary Quintana

Students who performed a parody of 'Take It Easy' by the Eagles.

Joshua Carriel

A student who played guitar during the parody of 'Take It Easy'.

Emile Freeman

A student who played drums during the parody of 'Take It Easy'.

Kealy Bryman, Max Spier, Emile Freeman, Amari Witt, Ruby Stone, Connor Bae, Dane Hansen, Emma Mulcahy, Nina Tangilanu, Brady Phan

Students who performed a parody of 'Build Me Up Buttercup' by The Foundations as the 'Black & Blue' group.

Jack Bullard, Molly Gray, Cubby Derrough, Allie Orzechowski, Elise Koo, Josie Weiss, Auden Jones, Elise Miller

Students who performed a parody of 'This Love' by Maroon 5 as the 'Seven Letters' group.

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What they’re saying

“I think it was just fun just seeing how you understand these lyrics, and it's kind of like an inside joke, because you have to read the book to understand the lyrics.”

— Joshua Carriel, Student

“I love that Ms. Otsuka not only lets us take tests, and I know it's an AP class, [but] it's not the most serious thing ever. We get to do stuff like this [and] have fun with what we're learning, which is really nice.”

— Ruby Stone, Student

“I think we did a great job bringing the energy and the emotion right where our music talent falls short.”

— Jack Bullard, Student

What’s next

The winner of the 18th annual Yam Slam will be announced on M-A Today after spring break.

The takeaway

The Yam Slam allows AP Literature students to creatively engage with course material while showcasing their musical talents, fostering a fun and collaborative learning environment that goes beyond traditional tests and assignments.