Afro/Music 356 On-line class Dr.

Breckenridge

Lesson Plan: African American Music Appreciation Lesson Plan Outline:

30 Minutes - Introduction to African American Music Appreciation.

a) Go over the origins of popular African American music from the American Colonial

Period. b) Give an understanding of the importance of music for African slaves and workers. c) Explain the varieties of entertainment with black artists.

1 Hour - African American Music Before WWII

a) Popular Entertainment Music such as Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, and Marching Band. b) Jazz Music New Orleans Jazz, Chicago Jazz, New York Jazz, and Big Band Jazz. c) Blues Classic Blues and Country / Folk Type Blues

2 Hours African American Music After WWII

a) Blues Urban / City Blues b) Jazz Traditions - Bebop, Cool Jazz, Jazz Rock / Fusion and Free Form c) Popular Youth-Culture Music: i) Rhythm & Blues: Boogie-Woogie, Urban/Chicago/City, and Doo-Wop ii) Rock & Roll d) Black Music in the 1960s i) Soul Music Basic Soul, Motown Soul ii) Funk Music iii) Disco Music e) Black Social & Political Activism Music i) Reggae Music ii) Hip-Hop Music iii) Neo-Soul Music f) Mainstream Black Music Through the 1980s, 1990s & Today

30 Minutes Song Analysis and Group Discussion / Questions

African American music appreciation demonstrates to students the background and understanding of African American Music. In the introduction I chose to go over music during the slave days to show its importance in the foundation of music. Music was a preferred past time for many slave workers. In a time with hard labor working conditions and much isolation, music was something that could be enjoyed and was a way for slaves to escape their troubles of life. However, it was also believed to keep slaves healthy and provided much needed

entertainment to relieve stress. The other important factor is the way slaves used singing as a way of communication among each other. Finally, music was used for worship in which it brought hope and faith for a better life. I feel that teaching this is important for students because it allows them to understand the transition from African tribal music to the American colonial music. Early popular African American music was performed in a number of ways. The most popular form of entertainment, before and during the civil war era, was minstrel shows. Later on, traveling road shows became popular before the rise of vaudeville. Vaudeville consisted of performances where they often had blackface like in minstrel shows but they also contained singing, dancing, juggling, acrobats, comedy acts, and ventriloquists. This is where many artists got their start and what lead to later on being musical theater acts. This is important because it is how entertainment has evolved. It began by doing these small local shows and after time they became very popular and grew into larger acts. Then, once the larger acts became widespread they eventually wanted this popular music to be recorded so it would be more available and further the growth of the industry. Ragtime was a popular type of music for social gatherings and public entertainment. It was considered proper dance music during the late 19th and early 20th century. The sound of ragtime is most closely related to the sound of the piano. Most of these songs were not sung and contained only instrumental, therefore, the piano often provided the melody, the harmony, and the rhythm. As we learned from the text, syncopation is the foundation of ragtime. When, listening to ragtime one artist stood out as the King of Ragtime, which was Scott Joplin. A prime example of rag time can be heard in the piece Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. This song is a good example because it is typical of many ragtime pieces and is one of the most popular ragtime songs of all time. To discuss the beginning of the jazz era I would start with the importance the south had in influencing black music. Specifically, the most culturally diverse city in the south was New Orleans, Louisiana. This city brought together a blend of different cultures and heritage. The music of this region was known as Dixieland Jazz or New Orleans Jazz. The music of New Orleans Jazz was usually performed by a brass band and was broken into two sections. The front line had the instruments doing a polyphonic texture while the rhythm section did the harmony and rhythm. The performance was often done in an ABA format and this was recognized in much of Dixieland jazz. The performer most recognized for New Orleans Jazz is the artist Louis Armstrong. He has done popular songs such as Potato Head Blues and "Basin Street Blues". Jazz was spread to other big cities as well to spread their own distinct style of jazz such as Chicago Jazz and New York Jazz. There is also the distinction of Big Band Jazz which is played by large sized bands and often used for theatre. The style of the blues was evolved from those songs that existed during slavery. The lyrical content is similar to the depressed woes of the slave songs and common themes in blues music. They also used vocal articulations like melisma, guttural, bending, falsetto, and bluenotes for added texture. The blues were influenced by many different factors form the past yet there are many similarities which continue. There are three main types of blues which are country, classic, and urban. One of the first published blues songs is by W.C. Handy titled Memphis Blues in 1912. He would be categorized as country blues because of his folk like sounds he was used to. His popular works included St. Louis Blues and Yellow Dog Blues. Other

well known country blues artists are Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, and Leadbelly. While artist like Mamie Smith are known for classic blues hits. Female singers dominated the classic blues genre with their vocals. War has had a big impact on the music industry. Specifically WWII was a big political and social changing conflict in the world. One of the things to note is that with WWII females became more involved with things in America because so many men were fighting the war. There was a new found freedom of musical taste after the war and new forms of Jazz began. One of these new approaches to jazz was bebop. Bebop was lead by artists such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. This type of jazz was new, bold, progressive, and intellectual. This music differed from other jazz because it was made for listening, had a faster tempo, different texture, it had modality as well as tonality, melodic contour, and harmonic sonorities. The song titled Shaw Nuff by Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Quintet is a good example of the bebop style. I chose this style of music because it is showing how the newer ideology of music was forming during this time period. It was a time of change for America with so many political / social movements happening and people were looking for new ways to express themselves. Cool jazz, Jazz Rock, and Fusion were all new jazz traditions that began and moved away from the traditional forms of jazz. Youth Popular Culture music became a growing market as more people had access to music thanks to technology. More black sounding music came into the mainstream and it was influencing other types of genres as well. Rhythm & Blues was the term used for urbanized style of blues music. The performers were appealing to a wider range of audiences than before and the ideas of jungle music were fading away. An increase in the buying power of African Americans after WWII helped shaped a new social structure in America. The style of Rhythm & Blues referred to as Chicago Blues or city blues were all considered to be urban type of rhythm & blues as we learned in the text. While boogie-woogie was often called jump blues it was music that often talked about the speakeasy and fish fries. The third type of rhythm &blues was known as doo-wop. Doo-wop is unique in that it uses three distinct linear parts which are lead, background accompaniment, and bass spoken or sung passages. My favorite doo-wop song which is a good example of this is Tears On My Pillow by Little Anthony & the Imperials. This song has all the elements of a doo-wop song. The music referred to as soul music is a blend of rhythm & blues mixed with gospel. It is the expression of emotions such as love, peace, harmony, freedom, equality, and ethic tolerance as we learned from the book. Soul music came from the 1960s where civil unrest and uncertainty of the future. Soul music was regarded as secular gospel music because of the amount of gospel like characteristics it has. Things like the emphasis of emotionalism in the lyrics, vocal articulations, and the instrumentation are what make it similar to gospel. On the other hand, the influence of rhythm & blues are the use of brass and woodwind instruments, instrumental solos in a vocal performance, and emphasizing current social themes. Soul music is very important in the understanding of African American music appreciation because it is a part of music where so much of the black talent has come from. Numerous Award winning artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, Gladys Knight, and The Temptations have come from soul music. Soul music can be

broken down into two groups. The first group is basic soul music which includes a wide range of performers and styles of soul. The second group is Motown soul artist. Motown records, which was started by Berry Gordy, refined soul music to make it more appealing to a variety of audiences. This was successful because he used less rhythmic complexity than basic soul. Some very popular Motown soul songs are My Girl by the Temptations, I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye, and Come See About Me by the Supremes. I think these songs show how Motown soul really stood out in its time compared to basic soul and more common black sounding music. Some good examples of basic soul music is the songs Ive Got A Woman by Ray Charles which has a more gospel like presentation to it and the song What A Wonderful World by Sam Cooke which had a more mainstream appeal. The 1970s was known for its psychedelic and hippie movement which relates to the music of funk and disco. Funk music was all about the rhythm. The rhythm could be from the voice, bass, keyboard, drums, guitar, brass and woodwinds, or the tambourine. Combining each parts riff created the groove. James Brown was funk artist who used vocal stylizations like guttural sounds, raspy and shouts especially to add to the rhythm. He would also shout to direct the band when changing sections. An example of this is heard in the song I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown. One other unique thing about funk is the lyrical content which was unusual in black music such as science fiction. The 70s was also a dance crazed era which is why disco emerged in popularity. With the help of Disc Jockeys clubs could now play a number of songs for a low cost without having to hire a band for an event. This allowed more music to be heard from different artists and added to the dance craze. Disco was considered a grey music which means it was with the times in conforming to both blacks and white alike. Disco had simpler dance beats than funk did therefore making it appeal to wider audiences. Disco especially appealed to the youth with songs from the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer who sang about love, sex, and womens empowerment. Some of her hit songs were Last Dance and She Works Hard for the Money. These songs are common of the disco era. With the success of funk and disco music they became the foundation for the development of hip-hop music. Hip-hop is more than just music; it is a way of life. It is a culture that developed in the Bronx in the urban neighborhoods of poor socioeconomic conditions as a way to escape the troubles of the hood. Its musical aspect consist of rhymed storytelling accompanied by highly rhythmic, electronically based music (430) which were also influenced by the funk and disco beats to create a style of music unlike those of the past. This type of music did not appeal to the mainstream until the 1980s after the hit Rappers Delight by The Sugar Hill Gang was released and showed the nation was rapping was all about. This song was followed by other good examples of rap music such as The Breaks by Kurtis Blow. Big artists who formed hiphop music are performers like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Dr. Dre, NWA, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, KRS-ONE, L.L. Cool J. and Snoop Dogg. One of the newer categorization of black music is in the formation of Neo-soul. Neo-soul is considered to be a mix of different styles of music such as rhythm & blues, hip-hop, soul, and sometimes jazz. They are usually female artist and they usually use a symphonic orchestra. Much like soul music neo-soul have themes of love and freedom. It also speaks of womens

empowerment. Some ideal Neo-soul artists include Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, D Angelo, Floetry, Lauryn Hill, India.Arie, Angie Stone and Alicia Keys especially with her older songs because she is more rounded as an artist now. In conclusion, I would try to teach this class the basics of African American music appreciation. These are the things I felt were most significant to understanding and appreciating the music. I feel it is also important for students to understand the historical context of the music and the times they were developed in. To try and fit everything about African American music in a four hour class is impossible. It can take an entire semester to just understand one genre of music completely. The main idea is to understand the roots of African American music and to be able to categorize and understand the different genres of black music.

Categorizing Songs
1. Un-Break My Heart by Toni Braxton: Adult Contemporary

This is an Adult Contemporary song because it falls under the category of songs that are ideal for adult listeners between the ages of 25-55. Adult contemporary songs can be from different genres of music however they usually are from older classic style songs. This song is considered mainstream and was topped on the Billboard charts. The artist Toni Braxton is considered to be an Adult Contemporary artist as she is very popular on adult contemporary radio stations. This is a song about a broken hearted lover who wishes she could go back to the one she loves. This song has a wide spread appeal to most audiences which is one of the reasons for its success.
2. Night In Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie: Bebop

This song is considered a bebop song because it fits into the sounds and similarities of jazz with the instruments. One of the main elements of bebop that is displayed in this song is the emphasis that is placed on the solo performances of the artists. The brass instruments are featured in this song. There are no vocals in this song and the rhythm is provided by the instruments. It has a faster tempo which is indicative of bebop.
3. Minnie The Moocher by Cab Calloway: Big Band Jazz

This is a Big Band Jazz song because it has the features of Big Band Jazz or Swing as it was also called. As we learned from the text a big band would be considered between nine to eleven members in those times. This song is popular because Calloway uses nonsense scat lyrics in the song. He does so in a call and response matter and example of these syllables he uses are Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi Ho-deho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-oh.
4. Rabbit Foot Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson: Blues (country/folk type)

This song is categorized as country/folk type blues because he sung in a Texas milieu style which was a very lyrical style of singing rather than the style of the Mississippi delta blues as we learned from the readings. This song had a guitar instrumental which was heavily used in country blues.
5. Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith: Blues (classic)

This song is a classic blues song because it was sung in matter that was the female vocalist accompanied by a small jazz band. This song was dubbed as the first blues song to be recorded in the year 1920. Mamie Smith started the classic blues craze which

inspired other similar artist such as Gertrude Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, and Memphis Minnie.
6. Got My Mojo Working by Muddy Waters: Blues (urban/city/electric)

In this song by Muddy Waters it is categorized as urban or city blues because it is a song that features the Chicago style sound. This type of music is performed in an urban setting for an adult audience. Muddy Waters was considered the Father of Chicago Blues and he was a very popular blues artist. This song is considered a classic and is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. This song utilized the 12-bar progression and the AAB song form.
7. Moonlight In Vermont - (Live) by Chet Baker: Cool

This is a cool jazz song because it expressed the individual artist rather than the band. This was a feature in cool jazz, bebop, and New Orleans jazz. The term cool meant not showing a lot of emotion. This song has no vocals on it and the main instrument is the piano. This type of music reflects an idea of individualism.
8. Heaven Knows by Donna Summer: Disco

This is a song by the Queen of Disco Donna Summer. She created this dance hit and it is ideal of the dance craze of the disco era in the 70s. This song has an upbeat tempo and is made for disco dancing. It is a love themed song like many of Donna Summers songs. This song appealed to a large audience because it was simple rhythm which could be easily danced to. The lyrics are also grey and appealed to both black and whites.
9. Love Rollercoaster by Ohio Players: Funk

This song is considered a funk song because it is all about the rhythm and groove. It has all the breaks usually seen in funk music. It has a theme of love which was also prominent of the hippie era and funk music. The saxophones are one of the main instruments in this song. An interesting thing to know about this song is that there is an urban legend with it that says the scream that can be heard in the middle is the scream of someone being murder during the recording.
10. Be With Me Jesus by The Soul Stirrers: Gospel

The category of this song is gospel because it has the Christian based lyrics of praise and worship. This song is very similar to a soul song except for the lyrics which speak directly of God. This group is lead by the famous soul singer Sam Cooke who led on a solo career as we learned from the text.
11. I Like Them Girls by Tyrese: Hip-Hop

This song is categorized as hip-hop because it contains a highly rhythmic harmony with lyrics that are a rhymed poetic story being told. The lyrics of this song are about the ideal

type of girl for a man. It has a dance beat to it and it is almost a blend of rhythm & blues with this song. The artist of this song Tyrese is a LA born native who grew up in Watts and has the feel of West coast artists.
12. Forgive Them Father by Lauryn Hill: Neo-Soul

This song by Lauryn Hill is considered a neo-soul song because it is a song that mixes some elements from soul, gospel, hip-hop, and rhythm & blues. Lauryn Hill is a known neo-soul artist who helped with the development of the genre. This song has lyrics that include the some of the prayer Our Father. This song is highly spiritual and also has some political stigma. The instrumental on this song sounds like rhythm & blues yet the lyrics are closer to hip-hop on most parts.
13. Copenhagen by Louis Armstrong: New Orleans Jazz

This song would fall under the category of New Orleans Jazz because it has the main elements of Dixieland jazz like being performed a brass band and is presented in two sections. This song is only instrumentals and this is common in New Orleans Jazz. The tempo is moderate throughout most of the song. There are a few instrumental solos which the rhythm section does a stop time for them. This is also one of the familiar elements in New Orleans Jazz.
14. Twilight Rag by James P. Johnson: Ragtime

This song is recognized as a ragtime song from the beginning because of its piano instrumental. Ragtime is known for the sheet music publications for piano. This is the only instrument in this song so it controls the melody, the harmony, and the rhythm. There are no vocal in this song and it is one of the earliest songs on this list.
15. Proceed by The Roots: Rap

This song by The Roots is a rap song because of its elements of hip-hop heard throughout it. To begin it sounds like a beat boxer in the intro and through some parts within the song which is a big element of hip-hop. Beat boxing is the vocal percussion which makes beats and sounds from an artists mouth or lips. The song has lyrics that tell a story of a young man who is inspired m hip-hop. Typical of rap is themes of making money, partying, and having a good time.
16. Speedoo by The Cadillacs: Rhythm & Blues (doo-wop)

This song is categorized as Doo-Wop Rhythm & Blues because it featured a bass singer, multiple vocal nuances by background singers, and a main lead singer. This type of rhythm & blues song is distinct with three linear parts of the song such as lead, background accompaniment, and the bass spoken or sung passage.
17. 5-10-15 Hours by Ruth Brown: Rhythm & Blues (urban)

This song is an Urban Rhythm & Blues song because it has that urbanized city sound in it. This song has a piano accompaniment of the female vocalist. She sings of love which

is a common theme in many of these songs. The voice is precedent over the instruments in this song. This is a common element of urban rhythm &blues.
18. Think by Aretha Franklin: Soul (basic)

This Aretha Franklin song is a basic soul song because this song has the gospel like presentation that is in many basic soul songs. Franklin sings of freedom and hope which is a common theme in soul music. Her voice is quite a significant part of the song which helps establish the tempo. She also sings with a guttural sound in this song. Aretha Franklin is often called the Queen of Soul. This song uses the piano as it is a common instrument in soul music.
19. Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes: Soul (Motown)

This song is made by the Motown group, The Marvelettes. The song is more appealing to the mainstream because it has a simplified rhythm and melody. It has a really upbeat melody and a moderately fast tempo but kept a smooth sounding performance. The main instrument in this song is the piano just like basic soul. This Motown group was signed by Berry Gordys label and reached success with this hit single. Unlike, basic soul Gordy wanted his music to appeal to massive audiences and kept themes less religious.
20. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons by Nat King Cole: Vocal Jazz

This song is categorized as a vocal jazz song because Nat King Cole has a soft baritone voice, which goes very smoothly with his piano accompaniment. The tempo of this song is very slow and is reflective of Coles style. He singings of love in this song and as we learned throughout this book it is probably one of the most common themes in music.