Passport. Black Violin. TO CULTURE Teacher s Resource Guide. just imagine

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1 Passport TO CULTURE Teacher s Resource Guide S C H O O L T I M E P E R F O R M A N C E Grades 4-12 S E R I E S S C H O O L Y E A R Black Violin Generous support for Schooltime provided, in part, by just imagine

2 just imagine Arts Education and You The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Arts Education Department presents the 14 th season of the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series. With Passport to Culture, Verizon and NJPAC open up a world of culture to you and your students, offering the best in live performance from a wide diversity of traditions and disciplines. At NJPAC s state-of-the-art facility in Newark, with support from Verizon, the SchoolTime Performance Series enriches the lives of New Jersey s students and teachers by inviting them to see, feel, and hear the joy of artistic expression. The exciting roster of productions features outstanding New Jersey companies as well as performers of national and international renown. Meet-the-artist sessions and NJPAC tours are available to expand the arts adventure. CONTENTS On Stage 3 In the Spotlight 4 Music Talk 5 Musical Hybrids 6 Before and After Activities 7 Teaching Science Through Music Foundation Kid Power! Through energy efficiency and conservation, kids can help preserve our planet s rich natural resources and promote a healthy environment. Tip of the Day A hybrid is something that combines different components to produce the same or similar results. Black Violin, for example, plays hybrid music music that combines different styles. But, hybrids are not limited to music. For example, cars that use both a gasoline engine and an electric motor for power are also called hybrids, and they are playing a large part in the current era of the green transportation revolution. Hybrid cars produce fewer pollutants than comparable non-hybrid cars. By decreasing the amount of hazardous chemicals in the environment, the harmful effects of pollution can be reduced. Made possible through the generosity of the PSEG Foundation. Delving Deeper 8 7 The Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series is one of many current arts education offerings at NJPAC. Others include: Professional Development Workshops that support the use of the arts to enhance classroom curriculum Arts Academy school residency programs in dance, theater and literature, and Early Learning Through the Arts the NJ Wolf Trap Program After-school residencies with United Way agencies In association with statewide arts organizations, educational institutions, and generous funders, the Arts Education Department sponsors the following arts training programs: Wachovia Jazz for Teens The All-State Concerts The Star-Ledger Scholarship for the Performing Arts The Jeffery Carollo Music Scholarship Summer Youth Performance Workshop Young Artist Institute NJPAC/New Jersey Youth Theater Summer Musical Program Students have the opportunity to audition for admission to NJPAC s arts training programs during NJPAC s annual Young Artist Talent Search. Detailed information on these programs is available online at njpac.org. Click on Education. The Teacher s Resource Guide and additional activities and resources for each production in the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Series are also online. Click on Education, then on Performances. Scroll down to Download Teacher Guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and select desired guide. Permission is granted to copy this Teacher s Resource Guide for classes attending the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series. All other rights reserved. To Teachers and Parents The resource guide accompanying each performance is designed to maximize students enjoyment and appreciation of the performing arts; to extend the impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas, activities, and further reading that promote learning across the curriculum; to promote arts literacy by expanding students knowledge of music, dance, and theater; to illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the traditional values, customs, beliefs, expressions, and reflections of a culture; to use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate students own heritage through self-expression; to reinforce the New Jersey Department of Education s Core Curriculum Content Standards in the arts. 2 Passport to Culture Black Violin

3 On Stage Black Violin: Kev Marus on violin and Wil-B on viola As they sit down before a performance of Black Violin, audiences feel curious. What is going to happen? When Wil-B and Kev Marcus, musical innovators and founding members of Black Violin, come on stage with their violin and viola, they only add to the suspense. As Wil-B describes it: These two black guys come out with violins, and people are wondering, What are they gonna do with that? They re gonna play hiphop? Yet the minute this high-energy duo begins to play Wil-B on acoustic viola and Kev Marcus on electric violin audiences are captivated by their explosive and energetic performance. Black Violin s signature sound is an astonishing musical mash-up of styles, beats and melodies. Both Wil-B and Kev met while attending Dillard High School of Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where they were trained in the classical tradition. Although committed fans of hip-hop and R&B in their free time, they devoted their school and practice hours to developing their classical technique, so that today their live concerts are an irresistible hybrid of classical virtuosity, hip-hop pulse, jazz progressions, and the swooping licks of R&B. In the spontaneous sonic dialogue between Marcus, Wil-B and TK, their on-stage DJ, audiences will recognize elements from songs by artists from Puccini to the Temptations, from Coldplay to Johann Sebastian Bach. One of Black Violin s most well-known works, Brandenburg, opens with a melody from the first movement of J.S. Bach s Brandenburg Concerto no. 3, rendered in a propulsive loop. The DJ then enters into the interplay of violin and viola, layering a series of samples into the music. Together the ensemble creates a novel swell of sound and a new perspective on one of the world s best known classical lines. Another song, Jammin, was originally created for the television show CSI New York and is based on a scene that juxtaposes a performance of Puccini s Madama Butterfly with Black Violin playing on a New York City subway. Often, as a concert finale, Black Violin will launch into improvisation with the players casting melodic lines back and forth in an escalating competition of dexterous fingers and furious bow sweeps. It s a wide, wide range a musical journey, Marcus says. It s a long, powerful show (It demonstrates that) the violin is really a catalyst between all genres of music. Passport to Culture Black Violin 3

4 In the Spotlight Photo: Joshua Posamentier Wil-B (viola) and Kev Marcus (electric violin) are the co-founders of Black Violin. Wil-B was born in the Bahamas and immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 11. He joined the school band and hoped to play the saxophone but was accidentally put in the string program, where he made an instant connection with the viola. Encouraged by his mother and his teachers, Kev Marcus started playing the violin at the age of nine. Both artists attended college on full music scholarships. Marcus attended Florida International University, and Wil-B went to Florida State. Black Violin s Kev Marcus on violin and Wil-B on piano Black Violin was born when Marcus, while in college, heard the music of jazz violinist Stuff Smith. Arriving at a lesson prepared to demonstrate his musical knowledge, Marcus was surprised when his professor told him to sit down and listen. Stuff Smith s music was unbelievable according to Marcus, classical violin with soul and fire. I loved it. He passed the tape on to Wil-B, and together they decided to form a band, calling it Black Violin, the name of Smith s album. Inspired by Smith, the two realized that they could synthesize all the styles they loved: classical, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and even reggae and gypsy music. Black Violin found recognition quickly. In 2004, the pair performed with Alicia Keys at the Billboard Music Awards. A year later, Black Violin thrilled audiences at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The duo has toured the world as an opening act for Akon and the Wu-Tang Clan and have worked with stars such as P. Diddy, Kanye West and Fifty Cent. Black Violin has also appeared at the Grammy Awards, in television shows and commercials and on a recent tour of Iraq. Their self-titled CD came out in 2008, and they have just returned to the studio to record a new album, slated for release in Concurrently, Black Violin is committed to a program of outreach to youth through its performances for school-aged audiences. At each performance, the duo includes words of encouragement and advice. Wil-B says they urge young people to dream large, think outside the box and set their own direction. 4 Passport to Culture Black Violin

5 Music Talk Wil-B, TK and Kev Marcus beatboxing - a form of vocal percussion which primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm and musical sounds using one s mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. blues - a musical form created primarily within the African-American communities in the Deep South of the United States at the end of the 19 th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, narrative ballads, shouts, and chants. The genre is characterized by specific chord progressions most commonly a 12-bar progression. composer - a person who writes music. counterpoint - two or more melodic lines combined to create a harmonic relationship while retaining their individual sound. DJ-ing - cutting or looping samples to recreate music using turntables and a variety of techniques: pausing, scratching, back-spinning, speeding up or slowing down, and/or delaying the music. fugue - a composition tool in which one instrument plays a short melody, then another instrument echoes the piece, then another echoes, and so on so that all parts interweave with each other. hip-hop music - a musical genre that began in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. It is defined by four central stylistic elements: rapping, DJ-ing, sampling, and beatboxing. jazz - a musical art form characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. Originating in African- American communities in the early 20 th century, jazz has been called the first original art form to develop in the United States of America. looping (in music) - continuously repeating a small section of sound. melody - a series of notes that form a distinctive sequence. musical score - the written form of a musical composition. Romani - a musical tradition (often called gypsy music) associated with soulful vocals, violin accompaniment and characterized by changes in tempo and slides in pitch. string instruments - Comprising more than half of the orchestra, these musical instruments are named after the strings made of gut, nylon or steel that produce their sound. Except for the harp, all string instruments look similar and have hollow wooden bodies that are played by drawing a horsehair bow across strings of differing size and tension. Both the viola and violin are stringed instruments. A viola is slightly larger than a violin, tuned a fifth lower and has a deeper tone. theme - a melody around which a musical composition is based. Passport to Culture Black Violin 5

6 Musical Hybrids Black Violin Black Violin, with its radical incorporation of divergent styles, represents the contemporary incarnation of a long musical heritage. Growing up, Wil-B and Kev Marcus were musically multilingual. While they listened to the music of Tupac Shakur, Busta Rhyme and the Wu-Tang Clan, they studied and practiced works from the classical string repertoire. The two young men were passionate listeners, and their musical identities were shaped by this hungry listening and a curiosity about an eclectic variety of styles. In college, the two artists realized the powerful possibility of fusing the music they listened to with the music they were studying. The sounds of Stuff Smith offered an awakening that all styles were potential ingredients to combine into a new kind of musical expression. According to Marcus, (Smith) made us think, Wow you can honestly do whatever you want with this violin. When you watch Black Violin live or online or listen to their propulsive scores for television shows or commercials, you can hear that each of their compositions draws elements from many musical idioms. Many songs combine the seemingly polar opposite genres of hip-hop and classical music. For example, their Brandenburg opens with a melody originally written by Bach in 1721, while Dirty Orchestra takes its shape from classical forms by using fugues and counterpoints to create a musical narrative. Other pieces draw from different centuries and styles. Gypsy, for example, takes its cue from the Romani musical tradition, incorporating changes in tempo and slides in pitch. Elsewhere, the group explores old Motown riffs, contemporary hip-hop (the Fugees Ready or Not ) and Coldplay s Viva la Vida. Black Violin Music has always been fashioned by augmenting the features of previous composers and styles. Composers of the Baroque period produced music on commission for patrons. Working to meet deadlines, musicians regularly borrowed melodies or musical forms from other genres or composers. Later composers from Mozart to Duke Ellington, to contemporary musicians like Bob Dylan or Tan Dun all incorporated folk melodies and popular song into their compositions. Early jazz music was a fusion of adopted musical traditions, incorporating spirituals, the blues, Creole music, the European classical style, and the sound of brass bands. Today, jazz performers often quote musical material by using melodies and ideas from other artists as the basis for their improvisations. Hip-hop has formalized the long tradition of sonic recycling into a method called sampling, the technique of copying sections of existing songs and then using them as musical elements that can themselves be processed into new compositions. Every musical expression is shaped by echoes from other times and places. But in the 21 st century, many artists are experimenting with breaking down boundaries to create new forms that expand the possibilities for innovation in contemporary art. Black Violin exemplifies this modern moment by purposefully combining familiar forms into a new and irresistible kind of expression. Their sound is emblematic of what is new in art the exploration of hybrid forms. These hybrid art forms assemble techniques, ideas and materials from mixed origins. Neoclassical crossover music, graphic novels and the art of the video are prime examples as is spoken word, a genre combining elements of poetry, theater, preaching, and political speaking. Many contemporary artists like Black Violin aware that they live and work in a global society with many traditions are interested in this kind of play and experiment. Wil-B notes that this freedom creates unforeseen opportunities to express ideas. Look, we re doing something that no one would think would be possible, he declares. 6 Passport to Culture Black Violin

7 In the Classroom Before the Performance 1. Listen to the first movement of J.S. Bach s Brandenburg Concerto no. 3. Watch Black Violin s performance of Brandenburg on their website. Ask students to identify the musical elements that Black Violin incorporates from Bach. Beyond a simple comparison between the two, what words, feelings or images does each musical selection generate? How does hearing Black Violin s song change how students hear the Bach? (1.1, 1.2)* 2. Black Violin s music was shaped by the lives of its founders, Kev Marcus and Wil-B. Their sound combines the hip-hop and R&B they listened to growing up with the classical tradition in which they were trained. How do the lives of students shape what music they know? What music do they hear at home? Do their families have musical traditions or preferences that inform what students hear or like? Has studying or playing music altered students musical outlook? (1.2) After the Performance 1. Ask students to write a review of the performance by Black Violin. As preparation for writing, review one or several examples of published music reviews to identify components such as the background of the performers, works played and critical response. Ask students to research Black Violin and to recall specifics of their concert experience. Discuss how to go beyond simple statements, such as I liked it, to elicit opinions concerning the dimensionality of sound and the concert-going experience as a whole. (1.4) 2. Black Violin has a message to share with the youth for whom they perform. The message is that with dedication, one can transform a passion into a life s work. Playing their own personal style of music has transformed Kev Marcus and Wil-B into sought after performers. Ask each student to identify one of his or her passions and to consider, in writing, how it could become a profession. What steps would they have to take? What more would they have to learn? (1.2) * Number(s) indicate the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standard(s) supported by the activity. Teaching Science Through Music (Grades 4-12) By Sharon J. Sherman, Ed.D. Environmental advocacy means being proactive in causes that support a clean, sustainable environment. Through advocacy, we attract the attention of policymakers who pass legislation that protects the environment. There are many environmental causes for which to advocate. Clean air, clean water, reducing greenhouse gases, building a sustainable society, and clean energy are just a few. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a website that fosters environmental advocacy. Pick 5 for the Environment highlights water, air, energy, land, and waste (epa.gov/pick5/). Here are some environmentally-friendly actions recommended on the site: Clean water - Advocating for clean water includes such actions as using the least amount of water possible, reusing water, using biodegradable cleaning products, disposing solids and liquids properly, and protecting local water from pollutants, pesticides and garbage. Clean air - Advocating for clean air involves reducing air pollution. Walking and bicycling instead of using other forms of transportation are two ways to accomplish this. Carpooling also saves energy and is better for the environment. Planting trees, eating locally grown foods and reducing indoor air pollution are additional ways to help keep the air clean. Protect the land - Advocating for the land includes reducing pesticide use, composting and reducing waste generation. Reusing and recycling at home and at school are also good strategies. Preserving energy - Using renewable resources such as wind, sun, water, and biofuels when possible is recommended to help preserve energy as is simply using less electricity. Environmental advocates need powerful ways to communicate their causes, so they often use music and art to add impact to their messages and more fully engage their audiences. Have your students use music and art to create environmental advocacy presentations. First, ask them (individually or in groups) to select and research a specific environmental topic. Then, have the students create multimedia Going Green presentations. (To see an example of a multimedia presentation, have the class view the online video of Marvin Gaye s Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) in which a slideshow incorporates the art of photography and music.) Sharon J. Sherman, Ed.D. is Dean of the School of Education and Professor of Teacher Education at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. The Teaching Science Through the Arts content of this guide is made possible through the generous support of Roche. Additional Before and After activities can be found online at njpac.org. Click on Education, then on Performances, then on Curriculum Materials. Scroll down to Download Teacher Guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and select desired guide. Passport to Culture Black Violin 7

8 Delving Deeper Books for Students Parker, Josephine. Music from Strings. Millbrook, Haskins, James. Black Music in America: A History Through Its People. Crowell, Books for Teachers Chang, Jeff. Can t Stop Won t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. Picador, DVDs Marsalis on Music. Sony, Beat Kings: The History of Hip-Hop. Nature Sounds, Music CDs Black Violin by Stuff Smith, BASF Records, Black Violin by Black Violin, Di Versatile, Inc., Websites blackviolin.net - Website featuring everything Black Violin: videos, interviews, live feeds, etc. pbs.org/jazz/classroom/transcend.htm - Educational materials for upper grades that explore poetry, jazz, rap, and hip-hop music. Designed to encourage students to discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music and how the themes and subject matter of the poetry and music reflect the lifestyle of the period. Additional resources can be found online at njpac.org. Click on Education, then on Performances, then on Curriculum Materials. Scroll down to Download Teacher Guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and select desired guide. Acknowledgments as of 8/25/10 NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible by the generosity of: Bank of America, The Arts Education Endowment Fund in Honor of Raymond G. Chambers, Leon & Toby Cooperman, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Amy C. Liss, McCrane Foundation, Merck Company Foundation, Albert & Katharine Merck, The Prudential Foundation, The PSEG Foundation, David & Marian Rocker, The Sagner Family Foundation, The Star-Ledger/Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Verizon, Victoria Foundation, Wachovia and The Women s Association of NJPAC. Additional support is provided by: C.R. Bard Foundation, Becton, Dickinson & Company, The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, Allen & Joan Bildner & The Bildner Family Foundation, Bloomberg, Chase, Veronica Goldberg Foundation, Meg & Howard Jacobs, Johnson & Johnson, Marianthi Foundation, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, The George A. Ohl, Jr. Foundation, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Pechter Foundation, PNC Foundation on behalf of the PNC Grow Up Great program, The Provident Bank Foundation, E. Franklin Robbins Charitable Trust, Roche, TD Charitable Foundation, Target, The Turrell Fund, Lucy and Eleanor S. Upton Charitable Foundation, Walmart Foundation and The Blanche M. & George L. Watts Mountainside Community Foundation. For even more arts integration resources, please go to Thinkfinity.org, the Verizon Foundation s signature digital learning platform, designed to improve educational and literacy achievement. One Center Street Newark, New Jersey Administration: Arts Education Hotline: artseducation@njpac.org NJPAC wishes to thank Kids Entertainment for its assistance in preparing this guide. Writer: Editor: Design: Lea Wolf Laura Ingoglia Pierre Sardain, 66 Creative, Inc. 66Creative.com NJPAC Guest Reader: Josh Balber NJPAC Teacher s Resource Guide Review Committee: Judith Israel Mary Lou Johnston Amy Tenzer Copyright 2010 New Jersey Performing Arts Center All Rights Reserved William J. Marino.....Chairman Lawrence P. Goldman President & Chief Executive Officer Sandra Bowie......Vice President of Arts Education Sanaz Hojreh Assistant Vice President of Arts Education Uday Joshi..... Director of Partnerships and Community Programs Verushka Spirito......Associate Director for Performances Caitlin Evans Jones.... Director of In-School Programs Jeff Griglak Director of Arts Training Natasha Dyer....Administrative Assistant/Office Manager for VP & AVP of Arts Education Laura Ingoglia Editor of Teacher s Resource Guides 8 Passport to Culture Black Violin