The Music Center's Study Guide to the Performing Arts
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MUSIC TRADITIONAL ARTISTIC PERCEPTION (AP) ® CLASSICAL CREATIVE EXPRESSION (CE) Artsource CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL & CULTURAL CONTEXT (H/C) The Music Center’s Study Guide to the Performing Arts EXPERIMENTAL AESTHETIC VALUING (AV) MULTI-MEDIA CONNECT, RELATE & APPLY (CRA) ENDURING FREEDOM & THE POWER THE HUMAN TRANSFORMATION VALUES OPPRESSION OF NATURE FAMILY Title of Works: importance was her ability to coach, teach and accompany McFerrin to the Power of Three (video) Robert. Their children, Brenda and Bobby were naturally Scat-Singing (excerpt) very involved in music. Just a year and a half apart in Vocal Improvisation (excerpt) Ich Grölle Nicht - Dichter Liebe Cycle (Schumann) age, they were literally making music together and Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) individually when mere toddlers. Bobby’s life was in My God Is So High (Spiritual) jeopardy during his mother’s pregnancy when she I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ (excerpt - Gershwin) contracted a rare form of polio and had to be placed in Keep-a-Inchin’ Along (Spiritual) an iron lung. It is believed that her concern for the life Creators: of her unborn child helped to sustain her fight to Robert McFerrin, Sr., opera and concert artist, vocal coach, survive. Robert (Sr.) was Artist-in-Residence at the university lecturer and artist-in- residence (1921-2006) Bobby McFerrin, recording and concert artist, composer, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Sara was professor conductor (b. 1950) emeritas of Voice and Chair of the Music Department Brenda McFerrin, vocal recording artist, vocal coach, music at Fullerton Community College in California, Brenda teacher, (b. 1951) pursues a successful singing career in Hollywood and Background Information: Bobby enjoys international fame in a musical career The McFerrins are a family of singers. Although musical which is as varied as he is talented, creative and families are not unique, the McFerrins are special. versatile. Frequently, singing families function as ensembles and About the Artwork: feature a particular style. The McFerrins, however, have The works represent a variety of styles which showcase pursued successful careers individually. Robert Sr. broke the many-sided talents of the McFerrins. In the video, racial barriers by becoming the first African American to McFerrin to the Power of Three, Bobby and Brenda win the Metropolitan Opera “Auditions of the Air” in provide a rousing scat-singing 1953. He made his debut on the Met stage in 1955 as introduction. For the first section, Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida. In later years his contributions Bobby, in his inimitable fashion, to opera continued in Europe where he became the first improvises with exceptional voicings. African American baritone to perform in two of Secondly, his father, Robert, adroitly Europe’s leading opera houses. Sara, a trained musician interprets a selection from the in her own right, met Robert when she was a paid Schumann Dichter Liebe Cycle. soloist at St. Mark’s Methodist Church in New York (Continued p. 2.) “My goal was to become City. Married in 1949, Sara’s university training, California NewYork as fine an artist as my Missouri professional experience, and deep interest in and capabilities would permit, commitment to her husband’s career served to provide and to perform the great roles support, encouragement and inspiration. Of equal of the baritone repertoire... and to concertize.” Robert McFerrin, Sr. About the Artwork: (continued) Discussion Questions: In the third selection Bobby provides an unprecedented After viewing the video: vocal accompaniment for his father’s impressive • In comparing the following selections, performance of Gounod’s Ave Maria. In it Bobby what were the stylistic differences? recreates the accompaniment which is usually a) scat-singing and I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ performed instrumentally. Next, performing a spiritual b) Ich Grölle Nicht and the solo in concert style, Robert further demonstrates his improvisation artistry and stylistic sensitivity as he solos on My c) Ave Maria and My God Is So High God Is So High. The spiritual is followed by an d) My God Is So High and Keep-a- excerpt of a selection from Porgy and Bess, the solo Inchin’ Along. I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’, effectively sung by Robert Sr. Describe any similarities you may have Finally, Brenda, Bobby and Robert merrily collaborate found in the above pairings? on an unaccompanied, ‘down-home’ rendition of a folksy spiritual, Keep-a-Inchin’ Along. • In Bobby McFerrin’s solo improvisation he produces a variety of sounds. Can Creative Process of the Artist or Culture: you describe some of the sounds you Each of the performances draws upon the artists’ heard? Can you make some of the same knowledge, training, talent and experience. sounds? Can you improvise unique sounds of your own? Likewise, each selection demonstrates their • Can you describe the differences in the musical periods versatility in performance styles. In addition, there represented by three compositions by Schubert, Gershwin is the special interaction of familial warmth and and McFerrin? camaraderie which naturally flows among them. The performances are punctuated with humor, and Audio-Visual Materials: exhibit their obvious enjoyment of and respect for • Artsource® videotape excerpt: McFerrin to the Power of each other. The sum total of these attributes provides a Three. Footage courtesy of Instructional Technology rare collection of beautifully performed numbers. Center, University of Missouri, St. Louis, and the McFerrin family. Ain’t Got Plenty O’Nuthin’ courtesy of Multidisciplinary Options: the Gershwin Estate and Warner Chappell Music Inc. • Conduct research to discover the significant historical events that occurred during the lives of Additional References: composers Robert Schumann (1810-1856), • Bobby McFerrin: Medicine Music, Capitol Records, George Gershwin (1898-1937) and Robert ‘Bobby’ Inc., EMI-CDP 792048-2 McFerrin (b. 1950 ). Discuss how the periods during • Thomas, Dr. Naymon Elijah. Robert McFerrin: The which each composer lived (or lives) may have had First Black Man to Sing at the Metropolitan Opera. A some impact on their works. Doctoral Dissertation. The University of Oklahoma, • Prepare Program Notes for the video, McFerrin to Graduate College, School of Music, 1988. the Power Of Three. Summarize information about • Robins, Cynthia. Note Perfect Bobby McFerrin. Vis a the composers, where appropriate, and briefly Vis Magazine, East/West Network, Inc., Los Angeles, describe each composition. Share the video and 1990, (page 88). Program Notes with another class. Catalf, Phil. Medicine Man, New Age Journal. Brighton, 2 MA: Rising Star Associates, Ltd. Partnership, began to imitate the sounds of instruments. Learn March/April, 1991 (pp. 30-33, 94-96). about scat-singing. View the Artsource® video and listen to the “Scat-Singing” in order to learn more Sample Experiences: about its sound and style. LEVEL I • Experiment with making sound patterns using your LEVEL III voice and/or body percussion. Try making patterns that * • Since Robert McFerrin’s historic debut with the others can echo. Metropolitan Opera in 1955, he has been succeeded by numerous young African American singers who * • Bobby McFerrin and his Voicestra perform many have firmly established their careers in the world of songs by imitating instrumental sounds and creating opera and on the concert stage. Starting with unusual combinations of sounds. Sing a familiar song McFerrin, create a timeline to indicate the and add several different kinds of appropriate sounds as emergence of these stars and name some of their an accompaniment. famous opera roles. • The McFerrins demonstrate the importance of the • Choose a familiar song and create a scat interlude. expressive qualities of music in their performances. Listen to and sing several songs which clearly demonstrate • In the late nineteenth century composers began to the significance of dynamics, tempo, rhythm and style. write concert arrangements of African American (Refer to a music textbook to learn more about the spirituals. Gradually, these arrangements began to be mentioned qualities/elements in bold.) heard in concert halls worldwide. Discover who wrote many of these arrangements. Name some of • Form small groups. Give each group a different short the artists of the past who popularized the practice of poem, or a stanza of a longer poem. Create vocal sounds singing these spirituals in concert. Name some of to enhance the meaning of the poem. today’s artists who continue the practice. LEVEL II • Listen to each of the Artsource® selections and • In Bobby McFerrin’s improvisation (video) he sings a enjoy the style and musicality of each one. melody and accompanies himself vocally. Describe the sounds made in the accompaniment. How are they different from the melody? Surmise which instruments he is imitating in his accompaniment. • Bobby McFerrin based his improvisation on simple, everyday topics. Listen to Bobby’s improvisational sounds. Take a line of poetry and improvise off of the words in a similar way to Bobby McFerrin. Make individual choices in selecting topics for solo improvisations. * • Scat-singing grew out of the jazz style when singers * Indicates sample lessons 3 MUSIC CLASSROOM VOICE-ORCHESTRA TRANSFORMATION LEVEL 1 Sample Lesson INTRODUCTION: Although Bobby McFerrin began formal music lessons (piano) at a very young age, he did not seriously consider music as a profession until he entered college. His post-college jobs included arranging, accompanying on piano and performing as a background singer for various groups and events. His first job as a solo vocalist began in 1977. Although audiences responded positively to his creative vocal acrobatics, Bobby felt his body language was stilted. Encouraged and advised by his dancer-friend, Tandy Beal, Bobby learned body movements which enhanced his vocal delivery. Now he has formed a group called Voicestra. He states that he did not want to present performers who only sang songs. “I wanted everything to be amplified by some visual aesthetic. So that not only do people have an aural experience, but they have a visual one too.