DEVELOPING
A BACKGROUND
Activity One
1. Go to the following Web sites and have students listen to jazz
music:
http://www.wbgo.org/
http://datadragon.com/education/genres/moonlite.mid
Activity Two
1. In order to begin to understand the richness of jazz, have each
student ask ten different people the question, "What is jazz?" and
record their answers.
2. Create a chart based on the responses that the students have collected
and post it in the classroom.
3. Discuss the similarities and differences among the results.
4. Have students conduct an Internet search at www.yahooligans.com
to collect five new interesting facts about jazz and jazz musicians.
5. Share the results of the small group research with the class.
Activity Three
1. Have the class brainstorm reasons why New York City is considered
the jazz capital of the world. Suggest and discuss the following attributes
of the city as discussion starters:
• diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds of New Yorkers
•vibrance of New York City
•pace of city life
•large number of musical and artistic performances which are
available
2. Ask the students to decide whether they think it is necessary for
a jazz musician to live in a city. Focus on the advantages and disadvantages
city vs. country life may have for musicians.
STEPS
Activity One
1. Listen to following recordings and have each student vote
on their favorite:
a) Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader": http://www.miles-davis.com/kindofblue.html
b) Charlie Parker's "Oh, Lady Be Good": http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/rev-archive/parker.htm
2. Divide the class into pairs and have them share what they liked
about their favorite song. Lead a class discussion about how people
react differently to music.
3. Invite other students, teachers and staff in your school to participate
in this activity with your class.
4. Create a poll based on your discussions and post the results where
they can be shared with the larger school community.
5. If the class has a webpage, post the results there. You may also
want to set up an email penpal project with another class. To find
keypals, go to www.epals.com or www.stolaf.edu/network/iecc/index.html.
Activity Two
1. Write the word "IMPROVISE" on the board in the center of a circle.
Ask the class to brainstorm possible meanings. Write their suggestions
down.
2. Lead a class discussion about things that can be "improvised."
Begin with the following questions:
•How do you improvise while cooking a recipe?
•How do you improvise a dance step?
•How do you improvise when you are writing?
3. Ask the students to discuss the following question:
•Is improvising a positive or a negative process?
Divide the students into pairs and ask them to share their opinions.
Ask each group to think of one example when it would be good to improvise
and one example of when it would not be good to improvise. (Example-
Positive: when creating a story, while adding spices to a stew; Negative:
when following the steps in a science experiment, when following a
blueprint)
4. Visit the following Web site which allows students to improvise
using the computer: http://www.pbs.org/jazz/kids/improv_station/jazz-remix.html
Allow the students ample time to experiment with improvising at this
site.
5. Read the following descriptions of improvisation to the class:
a) "No single word in jazz terminology is more misunderstood than
improvisation. 'Making it up' fails to convey the meaning of this
complex yet natural process. When jazz musicians improvise, they do
so largely using an existing melody, harmony, or rhythm as a natural
springboard . . . and because it was improvised, the same sequence
of sounds will never be repeated. That is why jazz is so special:
each improvisation is unique to that performance." -Simon Adams IN
JAZZ: A CRASH COURSE 1999 New York (The Ivy Press)
b) "...to perform, deliver, or compose without previous preparation"
-RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER'S SCHOOL & OFFICE DICTIONARY 6. Ask the class
the following question based on what they have heard: Do you think
the dictionary definition adequately captures the meaning of improvisation
in jazz? Why or why not? Write a written response stating your position
and your reasons for it.
7. Have each member of the class share their statements with another
student.
Activity Three
1. Divide the class into small Research Groups. Each group will be
responsible for finding information about one of the following instruments:
Saxophone Trumpet Trombone Clarinet Bass Drums
2. Share the results of the small group research with the class.
3. If possible, provide students with the experience of hearing or
playing the different instruments.
Activity Four
1. Send students on a Musical Scavenger Hunt. Find out the meaning
of the following jazz/music words: riff free jazz gig cool jazz chord
swing
2. Have students search for other slang jazz terms, and share their favorite expressions.
3. Use the results and create a word wall for Jazz. You may want to
include pictures of different jazz musicians, or student creations.
A good site for jazz photos is http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wghtml/.
Activity Five
1. Play jazz music and have students draw while they listen.
2. Ask for student volunteers to share their creations and their thoughts
as they worked with the whole class. Discuss the power that music
has to evoke emotions. |
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