The Evolution of Black Music in America
(suggested Grades 8 - 12)
The year is 1922 and you are
listening to the debut performance of Louis Armstrong with King Oliver
and his Creole Jazz Band, or you are jitterbuggin' to an R&B tune
by Louis Jordan, you pick up your harmonica and play a tune under a
big old poplar tree, or maybe today is Just Another Day with
Queen Latifah.
The Radio Hour: BMIA (The Evolution of Black Music in America) is an
exploration of the struggles and musical contributions of freed slaves
through the development of the urban music. It's about great musicians
leaving their mark on history just like the musicians we listen to today.
Students learn that these songs were an expression of pain, joy, frustration
and triumph from 1900-2000 and why. Students are asked to find connections
between music and the culture, politics, and people of twelve different
musical styles from Blues to Rhythm and Blues, from Disco to Hip Hop..
The Radio Hour: BMIA curriculum covers the historical contributions
of 40+ musicians and their music using resources from a variety of texts
and interactive website activities. Students will analyze key representative
works while identifying musical textures using my visual/aural pedagogy
called call charts which actually helps students to "hear"
with their eyes!
The Student Workbook has over 150 pages full of music analysis, facts,
vocabulary, hands-on activities, review puzzles, rubrics for self-assessment
and it is fully organized to keep even the most difficult on task. All
of this is supported by my website which includes music analysis reviews,
composer overviews, links to research sites, and on-line flash quizzes.
Click here to try
one.
The Teacher's Workbook contains all the lessons from the Student Workbook
with all the answer keys.
In addition it comes wth a wealth of support
1. Lesson plans for Era Units, Unit Activities
2. Power Point presentations for Open House / Back to School Night.
3 . Unit introduction Power Points to open dialog with your students
about what each era was about.
4 . Easy to locate and afford media (approximately $50) No need to spend
hundreds on an extensive music library.
5 . A easy to Plug-in electronic gradebook on Microsoft Excel. Input
grades and it will calculate your averages.
6 . Ready made Sub plans.
In other words, you receive the benefit everything that I have been
teaching, testing, assessing, and modifying for the past nine years.
I know how much time it takes to be a great teacher, but the most time
consuming part is collecting the materials and organizing them into
a usable, multi-level approach that will reach every child while meeting
state and national standards.
About
the Author . . . Steven Chetcuti is a Instrumental/General Music teacher in
Somers, New York (USA), where he conducts two middle school concert
bands, a jazz ensemble, the high school marching band, and teaches two
to three sections of General Music to seventh and eighth graders. Recently
a presenter at the 14th Annual International Music Technology Conference
and Workshop at School of Music, Indiana University at IUPUI, he has
also been an invited clinician at the International Association of Jazz
Educators(IAJE) Conference, as well as presenting for the Summer and
Winter Conferences of New York State.
Mr. Chetcuti was formerly the Director of Summer Winds for the Danbury
Music Center, where he conducted elementary through high school ensembles.
A Graduate of Western Connecticut State University, Steven completed
his administration degree from the College of New Rochelle with a concentration
in Staff Development. He is a member of MENC, the New York State School
Music Association, the Westchester County School Music Association,
Phi Mu Alpha, Pi Lambda Theta, and IAJE.