ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

Transcription

1 ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

2 ABOUT OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS RESIDENT ORGANIZATIONS Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society Children's Theater of Madison Forward Theater Company Kanopy Dance Company Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company Madison Ballet Madison Opera Madison Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Academy s James Watrous Gallery Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra RESOURCE GUIDE CREDITS Executive Editor Writer/Designer Overture Center for the Arts fills a city block in downtown Madison with world-class venues for the performing and visual arts. Made possible by an extraordinary gift from Madison businessman W. Jerome Frautschi, the center presents the highest-quality arts and entertainment programming in a wide variety of disciplines for diverse audiences. Offerings include performances by acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and folk performers; touring Broadway musicals; quality children s entertainment; and world-class ballet, modern and jazz dance. Overture Center s extensive outreach and educational programs serve thousands of Madison-area residents annually, including youth, older adults, people with limited financial resources and people with disabilities. The center is also home to ten independent resident organizations. Internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed the center to provide the best possible environment for artists and audiences, as well as to complement Madison s urban environment. Performance spaces range from the spectacular 2,250-seat Overture Hall to the casual and intimate Rotunda Stage. The renovated Capitol Theater seats approximately 1,110, and The Playhouse seats 350. In addition, three multi-purpose spaces provide flexible performance, meeting and rehearsal facilities. Overture Center also features several art exhibit spaces. Overture Galleries I, II and III display works by Dane County artists. The Playhouse Gallery features regional artists with an emphasis on collaborations with local organizations. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters Watrous Gallery displays works by Wisconsin artists, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art offers works by national and international artists. Alanna Medearis Jim Burling

3 Black Violin Overture OnStage 1 Dear Teachers, In this resource guide you will find valuable information that will help you apply your academic goals to your students performance experience. We have included suggestions for activities which can help you prepare students to see this performance, ideas for follow-up activities, and additional resources you can access on the web. Along with these activities and resources, we ve also included the applicable Wisconsin Academic Standards in order to help you align the experience with your curriculum requirements. This Educator s Resource Guide for this OnStage presentation of Black Violin is designed to: Extend the scholastic impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas, activities and further reading which promote learning across the curriculum; Promote arts literacy by expanding students knowledge of music, science, storytelling and theatre; Illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the values, custom, beliefs, expressions and reflections of a culture; Use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate students own heritage through self-reflection; Maximize students enjoyment and appreciation of the performance. We hope this performance and the suggestions in this resource guide will provide you and your students opportunities to apply art learning in your curricula, expanding it in new and enriching ways. Enjoy the Show! Table of Contents About Black Violin... 2 Influences: Hip-hop History... 3 Influences: Classical Music...4 The Violin vs. the Viola...5 Pre-Show Activities:...6 Hands on Activity: Loop Machine... 7 Education Categories Arts Social Emotional Social Studies Post-Show Activities...8 Books to Read...9 Academic Standards About Live Performance...11 We Want Your Feedback! OnStage performances can be evaluated on-line! Evaluations are vital to the future and funding of this program. Your feedback educates us about the ways the program is utilized and we often implement your suggestions. Survey:

4 Black Violin Overture OnStage 2 About Black Violin Wilner Wil B Baptiste and Kevin Kev Marcus Sylvester are classically trained viola and violin players who first met playing in the high school orchestra in Fort Lauderdale, FL. After graduating college they worked with several different hip-hop acts before returning to their roots and fusing it with classical and jazz music. The group is named after an album by preeminent African-American swing era jazz violinist Stuff Smith. This collaboration has produced an incredibly successful career that has lead to them playing their music for a wide variety of audiences, from troops in Iraq to the President s Inaugural Ball and the Kids Inaugural in Washington, DC. Since starting Black Violin a decade ago Wil B and Kev have performed an average of 200 shows a year in 49 states and 36 countries as far away as Dubai, Prague and South Africa, while appearing at official NFL celebrations for three Super Bowls and last year s U.S. Open in Forest Hills with Jordin Sparks. The pair has played with the likes of Linkin Park member Mike Shinoda s side project Fort Minor, while opening for Fat Joe, Akon and the Wu-Tang Clan. Individually and together, Black Violin has collaborated with the likes of P. Diddy, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin and The Eagles. Kev supplied strings for a track on Lupe Fiasco s Grammy-nominated Food & Liquor 2 album, Kev Marcus (left) and Wil B and appeared on the Meek Mill cut Maybach Curtains with John Legend, Rick Ross and Nas. Wil and Kev also scored an episode of CSI: New York, adapting the finale of Puccini s Madame Butterfly. Black Violin remains particularly committed to turning young fans on to their own potential through a tireless schedule of appearances at schools, where they constantly stress the importance of arts education. We re passionate about it because we realize how fortunate we were to grow up having access to that, explains Wil B. It s something in which we take a great deal of pride. We encourage kids to think creatively, to take what they love doing and try to come up with something no one has ever done before. And that doesn t just apply to playing violin or even music, but whatever it is you decide to do. Expand your mind. Once we get their attention with the music, that s the message we want to deliver.

5 Black Violin Overture OnStage 3 Influences: Hip-hop History Dicussion: What is hip-hop? How do you define the term hip-hop? Share and discuss these definitions in small groups. Next, share the definitions with the class. Can the class come to a consensus? Don t force it. People do not all agree. Where did you learn what hip-hop is? What sources have shaped your perspectives? Have your conceptions of hip-hop changed? Why or why not? Continue to refer back to this discussion at different points while you study hip-hop. The South Bronx: The Birth of Hip-hop Hip-hop rose almost literally out of the ashes and rubble of the Bronx, New York, which was burning and crumbling in the 1960s and 70s. With the building of the Cross-Bronx Expressway in the 1950s, the homes of more than 60,000 Bronx residents were bulldozed. The aim of the expressway was to shorten the commute time into Manhattan and aid in making it the center of commerce in New York. Thousands of Bronx residents were displaced. Many of the lower-middle-class white families moved to white-only suburbs like Levittown, Long Island. This phenomenon, known as white flight, left mostly African-American and Latino families to struggle in the urban decay created in the wake of the bulldozers. More than 600,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in the South Bronx, and family incomes dropped to less than half of the national average. By the late 60s and early 70s, gangs and drugs ruled the streets of the South Bronx. Left with few economic or educational opportunities, young people turned to gangs for protection, and a sense of belonging and value. But the drive to be creative cannot be denied, even in the worst conditions. Young people in the Bronx started channeling their energy and creativity in new, more positive ways that provided an alternative to gang life. DJs, Disc Jockey, or deejays A recognizable element of what was later to be labeled hip-hop emerged as young people took to the streets of the South Bronx to create their own fun. Public parties in school gyms, at parks, or on street corners became a common and much anticipated occurrence throughout the city. Loosely organized and modestly funded, early deejays like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Master Flash would simply tap into the electricity at the base of streetlights to power their equipment. Aside from just rocking the party, these deejays wanted to participate in creating a new sense of community in the Bronx, based on unity and peace. DJ Kool Herc Hip-hop is the voice of this generation. Even if you didn t grow up in the Bronx in the 70s, hip-hop is there for you. It has become a powerful force. Hip-hop binds all of these people, all of these nationalities, all over the world together. (DJ Kool Herc, from the introduction of Can t Stop Won t Stop) The origins of Hip-hop are often linked to the Jamaican DJ style of toasting, consisting of boastful commentaries, chants, half-sung rhymes, squeals, screams and rhymed storytelling. One of the earliest eamples of this is hip-hop s founding father, Kool Herc, who would play the latest hits on a traveling sound system, adding his toasts to the beat of the music. You can listen to Kool Herc recall the early days of hip-hop in a 2005 NPR interview with Terry Gross: story/story.php?storyid=

6 Black Violin Overture OnStage 4 Influences: Classical Music The classical period was from around 1750 to Today, one of the ways Merriam-Webster defines classical is of, relating to, or being music in the educated European tradition that includes such forms as art song, chamber music, opera, and symphony as distinguished from folk or popular music or jazz. Wil B and Kev Marcus are classically trained in viola and violin, respectively. What about Jazz? While Black Violin appears at first to be a merging of classical music and hip-hop, the group cannot be put in this simple box. They utilize a variety of musical styles, influences, and techniques in their performances. Another significant influence is jazz. Jazz emerged in the early 1900s when African American musicians combined European traditions with the blues, ragtime, marching band music and many other elements. During the 1920s many young Americans were disheartened by the destruction of World War I and began to challenge the oldfashioned attitudes of their parents. At the same time African Americans were migrating to northern cities like Chicago and New York and brought jazz and blues music with them. Jazz was one of the first styles of music to be played internationally over the radio directly into people s homes. Periods of Classical Music Music historiographers classified the six periods of music by stylistic differences: Before 1400: Medieval includes Gregorian chant, mostly religious : Renaissance increase of secular music, madrigals, and art song : Baroque known for its intricate ornamentation : Classical balance and structure : Romantic emotional, large, programmatic Beyond 1900: 20th Century Experimentation Who influenced Black Violin? Wil B and Kev Marcus chose to name their group after Stuff Smith, a jazz violinist from the swing era. Smith s final and most soulful album was titled Black Violin. His work inspired Wil B and Kev so much that they decided to name their band in honor of him. You can listen to Stuff Smith s album here: WvR4RvAQHqM

7 Black Violin Overture OnStage 5 The Violin vs. the Viola How is a violin different from a viola? What s the difference? The instruments are similar in many ways, having roughly the same shape, color, and even similar sounds. However, they each produce a unique set range of tones, and fulfill different roles in an orchestra or band. A violin (top) and a viola (bottom) The Violin Kev Marcus is featured in Black Violin s Virtuoso: Strings: The most important different is the difference in strings. The violin has an E string, but no C string. Size: The violin is lighter, and has a lighter bow. Pitch: Smaller, the violin players a higher pitch. Notation: Violin music is notated in a treble clef, as on the left. Location: In an traditional orchestra, the violins will be sitting on the left (from the audience s perspective). The Viola Wil B s Viola stands out in Black Violin s A Flat: Strings: The most important different is the difference in strings. The viola has a C string, but no E string. Size: The viola is larger, and uses a heavier bow to play Pitch: Larger, the viola players a lower pitched part in most music Notation: Violas read mainly an alto clef, as on the left Location: In an traditional orchestra the violas will be sitting just right of center, typically next to the cellos.

8 Black Violin Overture OnStage 6 Pre-Show Activities: GRADES K-5: Performance Play a piece of violin music and ask the students to either draw or write (or both) whatever comes to mind while they are listening to it. Bring in a violin and/or a viola to show your students and point out the various parts of the instrument. Have a student studying the instrument play for the class. GRADES 6-8: Research Create an internet treasure hunt. Make a list of questions about classical music and hip-hop. Topics can include facts about composers, and hip-hop songs that have sampled classical music. Students could choose a famous classical composter, and find out what earlier composers influenced them, or write a short description of a composer s country and city of origin, and how that affected their music. Photograph by Brian Stollery Afterwards, ask your students the following questions: 1. Did you hear different types of music in the performance? Describe what you heard. 2. Do you feel that the music that Black Violin played fit with the music being played in the background? Why or why not? 3. If you were a professional musician, and you could blend different musical styles (e.g., classical, country, rock and roll), which ones would you choose, and why? GRADES 6-12: Self-Exploration Who influenced Black Violin? Wil B and Kev chose to name their group after Stuff Smith, a jazz violinist from the swing era. Smith s final and most soulful album was titled Black Violin. His work inspired Wil B and Kev so much that they decided to name their band in honor of him. Ask your students: Who influences you? Ask your students to think of someone who influences or inspires them. Write the following questions on the board, and have students respond on their own paper: 1. What do you admire about this person? In what ways does this person influence or inspire you? Be specific. 2. Do you feel that you and this person have similar goals? If so, what are they? 3. What are some things you could do to achieve these goals? Have your students take turns sharing their responses with the class.

9 Black Violin Overture OnStage 7 Hands on Activity: Loop Machine Ages 5-11 Purpose: Introduce and practice the concept of looping and musical rounds. Objectives: Each student will have an opportunity to invent a rhythm, and to contribute to a total performance of rhythmic sound and motion. Materials: None, though you could use drums, tamborines, etc. Procedure: 1. Start with one student making a simple repeatable gesture or noise. 2. When the student has a rhythm set and repeated it a few times, have the next student choose a new movement or sound that connects to the first gesture. Have them join in and continue to repeat alongside. 3. Each student joins in with a new noise or gesture and connects to the others in some way until all students are involved in creating a loop machine. Variation: Decide ahead of time what kind of sounds to make, and try to begin all at the same time. As a group, choose a theme, subject, or emotion, and try to express that with just the rhythms produced by the group. dirty dirty pedals of doom. Flikr. June com/photos/nothingatall/ on instagram.

10 Black Violin Overture OnStage 8 Post-Show Activities: Discussion Questions 1. Which songs did you recognize during the performance (both pop/hip-hop and classical)? 2. What did you think of the music? Did the different styles mesh effectively and sound harmonious, or was it more jarring and discordant? 3. If you have been to a traditional classical music concert and/or hip-hop concert, how did this compare? What were the differences? What were the similarities? GRADES 3-5 Tell your students that the violin and fiddle are actually the same instrument. The difference is the style of music that is played by the instrument. While the name violin refers to the string instrument heard in classical music, fiddle is the name given to the same instrument that is used to play folk or bluegrass music. Play the following clips for your students: Violin: Fiddle: (Performance begins around 1 minute 45 seconds into the video) Compare and contrast the two types of music they heard. What differences did they see/hear in the two types of performances? What similarities did they see/hear? GRADES 6-12 Lead a discussion with students about the performance. Ask the following questions: 1. Did you recognize any of the songs in the performance? If so, which ones? 2. What was your favorite part of the show, and why? 3. Did you like the blend of classical and contemporary music? Why or why not? Be specific. 4. Have you ever created something that you felt was different or unique? Explain. Photograph by Brian Stollery

11 Black Violin Overture OnStage 9 Books to Read Baraka, Amiri. Digging: The Afro-American Soul of American Classical Music. Berkeley: U of California, Baraka blends autobiography, history, musical analysis, and political commentary to recall the sounds, people, times, and places he s encountered. Essays on the famous Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and on those whose names are known mainly by jazz aficionados Alan Shorter, Jon Jang, and Malachi Thompson. Chang, Jeff. Can t Stop, Won t Stop: A History of the Hip-hop Generation. New York: St. Martin s, Jeff Chang chronicles the early hip-hop scene from the Bronx to Kingston. Cooper, Martha, and Akim Walta. Martha Cooper - Hip-hop Files: Photographs Berlin: From Here to Fame Publ., Cooper followed people who would one day become icons: the Rock Steady Crew, Fab 5 Freddy, DURO and DONDI, LADY PINK, and Afrika Bambaataa. Hoffman, Miles. The NPR Classical Music Companion: Terms and Concepts from A to Z. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, A compendium of key terms in classical music. Myers, Marc. Why Jazz Happened. Berkeley: U of California, A social history of jazz. It provides an intimate and compelling look at the many forces that shaped this most American of art forms and the many influences that gave rise to jazz s post-war styles. Stanley, Diane. Mozart, the Wonder Child: A Puppet Play in Three Acts. New York: Collins, Using beautiful illustrations, Diane Stanley portrays Mozart s turbulent life as a marionette show, inspired by the famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre, using an innovative artistic approach to present the life of a renowned musical genius.

12 Black Violin Overture OnStage 10 Academic Standards Theatre D4.1 Explain strengths and weakness of their own work and that of others D.4.2 Identify strengths (what worked) and weaknesses (what didn t work) in character work and scenes presented in class D.4.3 Identify what they need to do to make their character or scene more believable and/or understandable D.4.4 Share their comments constructively and supportively within the group Music C.4.5 Echo simple rhythmic and melodic patterns F.4.2 Identify simple music forms upon listening to a given example F.4.3 Demonstrate perceptual skills by listening to, answering questions about, and describing music of various styles representing diverse cultures F.8.1 Describe specific musical events upon listening to a given example, using appropriate terminology F.12.4 Analyze and describe uses of the elements of music in a given work that make it unique, interesting, and expressive Social Studies A.8.7 Describe the movement of people, ideas, diseases, and products throughout the world B.8.2 Employ cause-and-effect arguments to demonstrate how significant events have influenced the past and the present in United States and world history C.4.1 Identify and explain the individual s responsibilities to family, peers, and the community, including the need for civility and respect for diversity C.4.6 Locate, organize, and use relevant information to understand an issue in the classroom or school, while taking into account the viewpoints and interests of different groups and individuals English Language Arts B.8.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes C.8.1 Orally communicate information, opinions, and ideas effectively to different audiences for different purposes F.8.1 Conduct research and inquiry on self-selected or assigned topics, issues, or problems and use an appropriate form to communicate their findings F Demonstrate the ability to perceive and remember music events by describing in detail significant events occurring in a given example F Compare how musical materials are used in a given example relative to how they are used in other works of the same genre or style

13 Black Violin Overture OnStage 11 About Live Performance Theater, unlike movies or television, is a LIVE performance. This means that the action unfolds right in front of an audience, and the performance is constantly evolving. The artists respond to the audience s laughter, clapping, gasps and general reactions. Therefore, the audience is a critical part of the theater experience. In fact, without you in the audience, the artists would still be in rehearsal! Remember, you are sharing this performance space with the artists and other audience members. Your considerate behavior allows everyone to enjoy a positive theater experience. Prepare: Be sure to use the restroom before the show begins! Find Your Seat: When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for the artists and the audience to put aside conversations. Settle into your seat and get ready to enjoy the show! Look and Listen: There is so much to hear (dialogue, music, sound effects) and so much to see (costumes, props, set design, lighting) in this performance. Pay close attention to the artists onstage. Unlike videos, you cannot rewind if you miss something. Energy and Focus: Artists use concentration to focus their energy during a performance. The audience gives energy to the artist, who uses that energy to give life to the performance. Help the artists focus that energy. They can feel that you are with them! Talking to neighbors (even whispering) can easily distract the artists onstage. They approach their audiences with respect, and expect the same from you in return. Help the artists concentrate with your attention. Laugh Out Loud: If something is funny, it s good to laugh. If you like something a lot, applaud. Artists are thrilled when the audience is engaged and responsive. They want you to laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at the theater. Discover New Worlds: Attending a live performance is a time to sit back and look inward, and question what is being presented to you. Be curious about new worlds, experience new ideas, and discover people and lives previously unknown to you. Your open mind, curiosity, and respect will allow a whole other world to unfold right before your eyes! Please, don t feed the audience: Food is not allowed in the theater. Soda and snacks are noisy and distracting to both the artists and audience. Unplug: Please turn off all cell phones and other electronics before the performance. Photographs and recording devices are prohibited.

14 STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE Series funder American Girl s Fund for Children with additional support from the DeAtley Family Foundation, Kuehn Family Foundation, A. Paul Jones Charitable Trust, Promega Corporation, Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, Stoughton Trailers, LLC, Nancy E. Barklage & Teresa J. Welch and by contributions to Overture Center for the Arts. Help make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people at o v e r t u r e. o r g / s u p p o r t SPONSORS