Subway Acrobats Jacob Lawrence Take the A Train Exploring the Jazz Landscape of the Harlem Renaissance Ali Oliver-Krueger InterAct Story Theatre
Today s Itinerary on the A Train We will define some basic elements of music. We will dig into some of the elements that make jazz jazz. We will explore some music, and see if we can uncover how the composers use these elements to draw us into their world. We will apply these elements to create a jazz soundscape.
MCCSS Anchor Standards RL 1/RI 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Migration Series Panel #1 by Jacob Lawrence SP1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
State Music Standards Standard 1.0 Perceiving, Performing, and Responding: Aesthetic Education: Students will demonstrate the ability to perceive, perform, and respond to music. Develop awareness of the characteristics of musical sounds and silence, and the diversity of sounds in the environment. (1.1) Respond to music through movement. (1.3) Standard 3.0 Creative Expression and Production: Students will demonstrate the ability to organize musical ideas and sounds creatively. Demonstrate the ability to improvise music through experimentation with sound. (3.1)
Elements of Music Pitch (low high) Duration (short long) Tempo (slow fast) Dynamics (soft loud) Form (how is it structured or organized?) Texture (how many different voices/instruments? How do they interact with each other?) Tone color (what is the distinctive nature or quality of the sound?)
Key Elements of Jazz Improvisation Syncopation Rhythm Blue notes Melody (the tune) Jazz by Romare Bearden Harmony (the chords)
Syncopation Emphasizing the Weak Beats
Key Elements of Jazz Improvisation Syncopation Rhythm Blue notes Melody (the tune) Jazz by Romare Bearden Harmony (the chords)
Blue Notes and Harmony
Take the A Train Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington Lyrics by Joya Sherrill Recorded by Duke Ellington Orchestra You must take the A train To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem If you miss the A train You'll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem Hurry, get on, now it's coming Listen to those rails a-humming All aboard, get on the A train Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem
Elements of Music Pitch (low high) Duration (short long) Tempo (slow fast) Dynamics (soft loud) Form (how is it structured or organized?) Texture (how many different voices/instruments? How do they interact with each other?) Tone color (what is the distinctive nature or quality of the sound?)
Key Elements of Jazz Improvisation Syncopation Rhythm Blue notes Melody Jazz by Romare Bearden Harmony
Drop me off in Harlem Any place in Harlem There's someone waiting there Who makes it seem like Heaven up in Harlem I don't want your Dixie You can keep your Dixie There's no one down in Dixie Who can take me 'way from my hot Harlem Drop me off in Harlem Duke Ellington Lyrics by Nick Kenny Recorded by Duke Ellington and Adelaide Hall Harlem has those southern skies They're in my baby's smile I idolize my baby's eyes And classy up-town style If Harlem moved to China I know of nothing finer Than to stow away on a 'plane some day And have them drop me off in Harlem Harlem Street Life by William H. Johnson
Elements of Music Pitch (low high) Duration (short long) Tempo (slow fast) Dynamics (soft loud) Form (how is it structured or organized?) Texture (how many different voices/instruments? How do they interact with each other?) Tone color (what is the distinctive nature or quality of the sound?)
Key Elements of Jazz Improvisation Syncopation Rhythm Blue notes Melody Jazz by Romare Bearden Harmony
Subway Acrobats Jacob Lawrence Make the A Train What sound effects would we hear on our train ride through Harlem? How can we make that into music?
The rhythm of life Is a jazz rhythm, Honey. The gods are laughing at us. Lenox Avenue: Midnight by Langston Hughes The weary, weary heart of pain, Overtones, Undertones, To the rumble of the streetcars, To the swish of rain. Lenox Avenue, Honey. Midnight, And the gods are laughing at us. Nightlife by Archibald John Motley, Jr.
Lenox Avenue Midnight Jazzscape Rhythm/Tempo: 4/4 140 beats per minute Form: 12-bar phrases, Trading Fours Main theme twice (8 bars) Each section has a four-bar solo (4 bars) Texture: Everyone doing the same thing? Different voices doing different things? Up to you!
1. The weary, weary heart of pain, 2. Overtones, Undertones, 3. To the rumble of the streetcars, 4. To the swish of rain. Nightlife by Archibald John Motley, Jr.
The rhythm of life is a jazz rhythm, Honey/ The gods are laughing at us. 1. The weary, weary heart of pain, 2. Overtones, Undertones, The rhythm of life The rhythm of life 3. To the rumble of the streetcars, 4. To the swish of rain. The rhythm of life Nightlife by Archibald John Motley, Jr. Lenox Avenue, Honey. Midnight. And the gods are laughing at us.
If it sounds good and feels good, it IS good! Duke Ellington (Don t overthink it. There are no lives on the line here.)
The rhythm of life is a jazz rhythm, Honey/ The gods are laughing at us. 1. The weary, weary heart of pain, 2. Overtones, Undertones, The rhythm of life The rhythm of life 3. To the rumble of the streetcars, 4. To the swish of rain. The rhythm of life Nightlife by Archibald John Motley, Jr. Lenox Avenue, Honey. Midnight. And the gods are laughing at us.
Elements of Music Pitch (low high) Duration (short long) Tempo (slow fast) Dynamics (soft loud) Form (how is it structured or organized?) Texture (how many different voices/instruments? How do they interact with each other?) Tone color (what is the distinctive nature or quality of the sound?)
Key Elements of Jazz Improvisation Syncopation Rhythm Blue notes Melody Jazz by Romare Bearden Harmony
To jazz or not to jazz, there is no question! Louis Armstrong (But really, now s a great time for questions.)
Thank you! Ali Oliver-Krueger InterAct Story Theatre www.interactstory.com ali@interacstory.com