What is Jazz?

TOPICS:

1. Course Introduction
2. What is Jazz
3. Jazz, an Integral Part of American History and Culture

1. draw upon visual, literary, and musical sources. (Historical Comprehension Standard 2i)
2. compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions (Historical Analysis and Interpretation Standard 3a)
3. consider multiple perspectives (Historical Analysis and Interpretation Standard 3b)
4. hypothesize the influence of the past (Historical Analysis and Interpretation Standard 3j)
5. obtain historical data (Historical Research Capabilities Standard 4b)

1. analyze how social change and ethnic diversity has affected artistic expression and popular culture
2. explore the international influence of American culture

1. classify by genre or style and by historical period or culture unfamiliar but representative aural examples of music and explain the reasoning behind their classifications
2. identify sources of American music genres, trace the evolution of those genres, and cite well-known musicians associated with them
3. identify various roles that musicians perform, cite representative individuals who have functioned in each role, and describe their activities and achievements
4. identify and explain the stylistic features of a given musical work that serve to define its aesthetic tradition and its historical or cultural context.
5. identify and describe music genres or styles that show the influence of two or more cultural traditions, identify the cultural source of each influence, and trace the historical conditions that produced the synthesis of influences

1. gain an understanding of the course requirements
2. gain a basic understanding of why jazz is included in the study of American history/social science
3. listen to portions of several recordings from The Instrumental History of Jazz and/or the web site
4. gain a fundamental understanding of what jazz is (and what it is not), how, where, and by whom it originated, musics it has influenced (and been influenced by), and its universal appeal
5. consider the disparity between American ideals and realities with regard to civil rights in American history
6. become acquainted with Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk

1. CD player
2. chalkboard (with chalk and eraser)
3. overhead projector (optional)
4. computer logged onto www.jazzinamerica.org (optional)

1. The Instrumental History of Jazz (IHJ)
   1. two CDs
   2. accompanying booklet
2. Student Handouts (one per student)³
   1. Course Introduction (course description/requirements/syllabus)
   2. two American History (AH) handouts: Jazz Musicians as Cultural Intermediariesand The Disparity Between American Ideals and Realities
   3. Jazz Biographies (JB) handout (Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington)
3. Overhead projector transparencies⁴

1. distribute student handouts
2. introduce the course and its requirements
3. play six diverse jazz recordings (30-90 seconds each), discussing with the students what they heard
4. have students read and discuss the student handouts, Jazz Musicians as Cultural Intermediariesand The Disparity Between American Ideals and Realities
5. examine the biographical sketches of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington
6. discuss the basics of jazz and its relationship to American 20th century history and culture, giving the students a point of departure for the remainder of the course

1. Multiple Choice
2. Fill in the Blank
3. True-False
4. Matching
5. Essay