The Melting Pot: Introduction to Jazz
OVERVIEW Students will understand the historical and cultural forces that converged to create jazz music, referred to by many as the only truly American art form.
Please Note: This lesson plan is contingent upon some prior understanding of slavery in the southern United States. It is in no way meant to replace a thorough study of this subject, but to enhance students’ understanding of this time period and its lasting cultural effects.
LOUISIANA STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED 4.1.2 Use timelines to explain how changes over time have caused movement of people or expansion of boundaries in the United States 4.1.3 Use appropriate vocabulary of time 4.1.7 Summarize primary resources and explain their historical importance 4.2.2 Cite evidence to support the key contributions and influence of people in the history of the United States 1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose. b. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details. c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically). d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. c. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially). d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 9. Draw relevant evidence from grade-appropriate literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
MATERIALS NEEDED Computer with Jazz Curriculum PowerPoint Slides Projector connected to computer Speakers Spotify Jazz Curriculum Playlist and Track List Copies of Worksheets: Spirituals, Work Songs, Delta Blues, Jazz
VOCABULARY Spiritual: a sacred song sung by slaves in the United States (i.e. “My Lord, What a Mornin’” or “Steal Away, Steal Away to Jesus”). Work song: an often-improvised song sung while doing manual labor. This term can be used to reference those songs sung by slaves in the United States or laborers in prisons or on chain gangs. Delta Blues: style of music developed in rural Mississippi and Louisiana, usually AAB form, often a solo voice with acoustic guitar Improvisation: creating music on the spot, rather than playing from written sheet music Jazz: style of music that developed in the early 20th century in American cities. It is an improvised style of music and varies greatly by city.
2 ACTIVITY
I. Why do we sing? Ask students for reasons someone might sing, list them on the white board (examples will likely include boredom, happiness, celebration, sadness, church, means to express themselves)
II. Review the slave trade in Louisiana (Slide 2) Review the subject as you see fit, based on the students’ prior study of it.
III. Spirituals (Slide 3, Spirituals Worksheet) Spirituals are songs of the American slaves. They were passed down by ear (it was illegal to teach slaves to read or write). Spirituals were often religious songs, but also expressed daily struggles. Sometimes they even carried code for escape. We don’t have any original recordings of slaves singing spirituals, but we have modern recordings of other people singing them. Steal Away (Track 1) Project the text of the spiritual (Slide 4) and have students listen to the recording. Have the students write a paragraph while listening to it, depicting who is singing the song in their imagination. All God’s chillun got wings (Track 2) (Slides 5-6) Listen to the recording with the text projected, and discuss with students what they think the piece is about. Have them fill this out on their Spirituals Worksheet. Flight and flying are prevalent themes in African American folklore and folk songs, including spirituals. Discuss with students why this might be, and have them record their thoughts on their spirituals worksheet. If they have time (or as a homework assignment), they can draw a picture of themselves flying on the back of their spirituals worksheet.
IV. Work Songs (Slide 7 and Work Songs Worksheet) Introduce Alan Lomax’s recording of “Early mornin’” “In the 1900s, a man named Alan Lomax went to a prison in Georgia and heard the prisoners singing while working in the fields. Though these recordings were from the 1940s, many of these men were born around the year 1900, which means that the work songs of their ancestors were passed down to them, just one generation from slavery. This is why we think these recordings are the closest we have to what it would sound like to be outside on a plantation.” Instruct the students to listen for how (without video) we know that the men are working, and have them write down all the words that they can pick up on their worksheets. Listen to “Early mornin’” (Track 3) for 2-3 minutes, or just until 1:37 (it is at this point that the words, “Gonna rise and fly” are audible) Ask the students for lines they understood. If this line is not mentioned, be sure to highlight it. This is a clear connection between these work songs and the
3 spirituals that came before them. This recording is a primary resource—Mr. Lomax recorded these men actually singing in the fields as they worked.
V. Delta Blues (Slide 8 and Delta Blues Worksheet) The Delta Blues was a style of music that originated in the Mississippi Delta and parts of Louisiana in the early 1900s. It originated in poor communities and was primarily sung by one person (usually male), with guitar. Most Delta Blues songs were about being poor, or hard parts of love and life. The Delta Blues were often very simple and the form is very clear: it is what we would call ‘AAB’ form. This means that each verse is composed of only three lines: Line A Line A (repeated) Line B Cross Road Blues (Track 4) Project the text (Slide 9) and listen to a few minutes of Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” Point out the AAB line structure. Brainstorm: What would the students sing the blues about in their own lives? After brainstorming, have students write their own blues on their Delta Blues worksheet.
IV. Jazz! (Slide 10 and Jazz! Worksheet) Proceed to Slide 10. Divide the students into groups of 3-5. Instruct the students that as you play the next piece, they should have a conversation between them all. Play just a couple minutes of Struttin’ with Some Barbecue (Track 5) as the students talk to each other. Stop the music, and rotate two people from each group to the next (remove two students from the first group and trade them with the next, and those with the next, so that each group now has two new people in it). Instruct the students to have another conversation, and play just another minute of “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue.” Have students return to their seats. Introduce Jazz to students (Slide 11): As more jobs came to cities, more people flocked to them for work. Musicians from the lower classes played together in night clubs. They played improvised music: this means music made up on the spot, rather than played from written sheet music. Some Jazz musicians compare improvising music to having a conversation. They listen to each other and what their friends play, and they answer it back with their own music. The conversation you just had was already an improvisation, like a jazz piece! Because each player is reacting to every other player, each time each piece was played, it was different, just like your conversations changed when you changed groups. Each musician had their own way of improvising and therefore each city had its own individual type of jazz. “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue” is an example of New Orleans-style jazz. Listen to a little more of “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue” (Track 5) and marvel
4 with the students at the fact that these players are improvising the music they are playing together. Because the music was improvised, you didn’t have to be educated to play jazz. This meant anyone with talent could be great at jazz, regardless of if they were rich or poor. An example of this is found in the life and career of Louis Armstrong (Slide 12): He was born in a deeply poor and violent part of New Orleans. He had a rough upbringing, but was given a trumpet as a teenager. He started practicing all the time and playing with groups in New Orleans. Soon, he became famous for his amazing trumpet improvisations and his very distinct singing voice. He traveled the world playing and singing, starred in movies, and is known as one of the great jazz musicians of all time. Play just a minute of “What a Wonderful World” (Track 6). Louis famously said, “Never play anything the same way twice!” Ask the students what he might mean by that. Help students to complete their Jazz! Worksheets with the information you covered. For Etienne Charles School Performance: Proceed to Slide 13 and play a bit of “Madera Latino” (Track 7). Have the students listen for the trumpet playing. This is Etienne Charles —River City Jazz Master. He also plays the trumpet, just like Louis Armstrong! And, like Louis, he and his band improvise their music. Have students look around the class and pick two new friends to write a fictional, improvised conversation about, this time with “Madera Latino” as their inspirational background music. An example could be: Annie: Hi, Beth! Beth: Hey! How are you? Annie: I’m okay. A little nervous for my science project today. How about you? Beth: I’m good! I understand about your project, though. Mine was due last week and it was easier than I thought it would be. You’ll be fine! (etc.)
OR
For Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour Open Sound Check: Proceed to Slide 14 and play a bit of “Dear Joe” (Track 8). Have the students listen for the tenor saxophone playing. This is Melissa Aldana from the Monterey Jazz Festival. She plays a brass instrument like Louis Armstrong! And, like Louis, she and her band improvise their music. Have students look around the class and pick two new friends to write a fictional, improvised conversation about, this time with “Dear Joe” as their inspirational background music. An example could be: Annie: Hi, Beth! Beth: Hey! How are you? Annie: I’m okay. A little nervous for my science project today. How about you?
5 Beth: I’m good! I understand about your project, though. Mine was due last week and it was easier than I thought it would be. You’ll be fine! (etc.)
(This can be completed in class or finished at home as an additional assignment.) River City Jazz Reflection Lead students in a discussion about how they enjoyed the concert. Which was their favorite instrument? Did they hear conversations in the music between the players? Could they tell that the players were listening to each other? Have students respond to one of the following prompts: Write an opinion piece arguing successfully which instrument they would choose to play and why their choice is the best jazz instrument. Write a short story about a jazz musician in 1920s Louisiana who wants to become world-famous. Why do you think we study the history of jazz? What can we learn from it? How did jazz develop? Who performed it and, in your opinion, why did they do it?
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