Passport. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. 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 7-12 S e r i e s S c h o o l Y e a r The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Major support for the performances has been provided by PSE&G. Photo: oikoumene.org just imagine Generous support for Schooltime provided, in part, by

2 just imagine Arts Education and You The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Arts Education Department presents the 12th 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. 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. CONTENTS On Stage 3 In the Spotlight 4 Music Talk 5 Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Struggle for Civil Rights Before and After Activities 7 Teaching Science Through Music Delving Deeper 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

3 On Stage Richard Smallwood with his vocal group, Vision. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is NJPAC s annual tribute to the civil rights leader who gave his life so that others could have the freedom, justice and equality guaranteed to them in the Constitution of the United States of America. This commemorative program recalls past intolerance but also seeks to inspire the whole community toward a better future where all people will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. NJPAC s 2008 homage to Dr. King features internationally acclaimed composer, pianist and arranger Richard Smallwood. This Grammy and Dove Award-winning artist has helped to change the face of gospel music by blending classical music with the rousing spirit of traditional gospel to create an innovative musical mix that is all his own. Smallwood appears with his vocal group, Vision, to share and celebrate Dr. King s dream of encouraging self-respect and urging worldwide peace and unity. Among the selections they will perform are the energetic Anthem of Praise, whose lyrics call for everything that has breath to praise the Lord, and the moving Total Praise, a song declaring that the Lord is the source of our strength and praising God not just partially but totally for the peace that comes from this knowledge. The Arts Center s tribute to Dr. King also features New Jersey s own critically acclaimed Jubilation, a choir of more than 100 singers under the direction of Rev. Stefanie R. Minatee. The choir s repertory for the concert will include Keep the Dream Alive, a song of affirmation and hope, and the African freedom song, Siyahamba ( We are marching in the light of God ). Suffused with life, love, belief, and good will, the African-American music offered by Richard Smallwood and Vision and Jubilation underscores Dr. King s dream of healing, hope, unity, and peace. At both the SchoolTime and FamilyTime performances, Marc Hayden Morial, president of the National Urban League, will address the legacy, philosophy and accomplishments of Dr. King and their importance for America and Americans. Richard Smallwood 3

4 In the Spotlight Richard Smallwood fuses classical music with traditional gospel to create a mix that is invariably his alone. He has achieved many awards including Dove, Grammy and Stellar awards. He was honored by the Smithsonian Institution as a gospel innovator and songwriter, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Howard University. Richard graduated cum laude from Howard University with degrees in both vocal performance and piano in addition to doing graduate work in the field of ethnomusicology. In 2003, he received a Masters of Divinity from Howard s School of Divinity and was ordained in Smallwood s music has never been confined to a specific artistic genre. His song I Love the Lord crossed onto the big screen when Whitney Houston sang it in the film The Preacher s Wife. The same song was used in the tune Dear God by R&B artists Boyz II Men on their CD titled Evolution. His music has also been recorded by artists such as Destiny s Child, Yolanda Adams and Karen Clark-Sheard. Smallwood began his recording career in 1982 and to date has achieved an almost unparalleled string of consecutive top-10 albums. He recorded his 25 th album, Journey! Live in New York, with Vision, the vibrant 21-voice choir he formed in the mid-1990s. In this doubledisc CD, a musical biography of his work, Smallwood celebrates his journey with several of the industry s most wellknown vocalists. The music of Rev. Stefanie R. Minatee and Jubilation mesmerizes audiences of all ages, creeds and colors. This 100-voiced aggregation of singers, ranging in age from 25 to 90 years old, celebrates 10 years of sharing the history of African-American sacred music (with an emphasis on gospel music) with listeners near and far. The choir s vast repertoire includes hymns, spirituals, anthems, message songs, and gospel music. Jubilation lives by the motto Gospel music should never be used to entertain, but to enlighten. It is good news for bad times. Jubilation has toured Japan twice and was featured at the funeral of jazz great Lionel Hampton. The choir has also ministered with Pastor Shirley Caesar, Isaac Hayes, Michael Bolton, Wycliffe Gordon, Walter Hawkins, Cissy Houston, Vickie Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Kurt Carr, Tramaine Hawkins, and many others. Jubilation was established in October 1998 under the auspices of NJPAC. In 2004, the choir became an independent entity. As Jubilation celebrates its 10 th anniversary, a new association with NJPAC has been formed. The Arts Center now serves as the official home of Jubilation. Marc Hayden Morial Marc Hayden Morial (Speaker), President and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation s largest civil rights organization, is one of America s most visionary and accomplished political and civil leaders. As the mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002, Morial transformed New Orleans into a model for the nation s urban cities. As president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2001, he developed and advocated a united national urban policy. After leaving the Office of Mayor in 2003, Morial was named President and CEO of the National Urban League. His energetic and skilled leadership has expanded the League s work, redefining civil rights in the 21 st century with a renewed emphasis on closing economic gaps between whites and blacks as well as rich and poor Americans. Morial is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics and African-American Studies. He also holds a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. as well as numerous honorary degrees. He serves as a member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Black Leadership Forum and Leadership 18. He is a board member of the Muhammad Ali Center and NJPAC. 4 Rev. Stefanie R. Minatee Morial has been recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine and one of the Top Nonprofit Executives by The Nonprofit Times.

5 Music Talk Rev. Stefanie R. Minatee and Jubilation anthem - a hymn of praise or loyalty; a choral composition having a sacred or moralizing text. arrangement - the new adaptation of an already existing musical piece. call-and-response - a communication pattern where one party sends forth a message or call and another party responds. This pattern is very common in African and African-descended music and dance. choir - a group of singers. choir director - the person who leads the choir. chord - three or more tones having harmonic relation to each other and played or sounded together. composer - a person who writes music. dynamics - the interplay between loudness and softness and smoothness and choppiness of notes that are played or sung. gospel - a form of vocal music that developed in African-American churches, especially in urban areas. It incorporates elements of African rhythm and music, African -American song forms, expressive singing, and, often, musical accompaniment. harmony - the result of certain simultaneously sounding musical intervals or chords which relate to each other and sound pleasing. in unison - in complete agreement; harmonizing exactly. lyrics - the words of a song. melody - an organized succession of single musical tones arranged in a related and recognizable pattern. music - the resonant tones and vibrations that emanate from one or more voices and/or instruments. musician - a person who plays a musical instrument, especially professionally. obligato - a persistent but subordinate motif; a recurring theme. phrase - a melodic sequence that forms a complete unit. Jubilation pitch - the property of sound that changes with variation in the frequency of vibration. polyrhythm - simultaneous use of contrasting rhythmic patterns, common when blending musical styles. rhythm - a regular pattern produced by the length of strong and weak musical sounds at a particular speed or tempo; frequently called the beat. solo - a performance by one person that may or may not be accompanied by supporting voices or instruments. syncopation - stressing the normally unaccented beats, often used in Africanderived music. tempo - the speed at which music is played. 5

6 Did You Know? Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Struggle for Civil Rights Martin Luther King, Jr. In the late 19 th and into the 20 th century, Southern whites had established a system of authority that protected the privileges of white society and generated tremendous suffering for African Americans, controlling them economically, politically and socially. This climate characterized the era before and after the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA. In 1944, at the age of 15, he was admitted to Morehouse College. At 19, following graduation from college, he was ordained as a Baptist minister. In 1953, he married Coretta Scott, and in 1955, he received a doctorate in theology from Boston University. Radical changes Rude awakenings The Bus Boycott in Baton Rouge, LA in 1953 was a mass movement guided by the United Defense League in which African-American citizens banded together to fight the segregated seating system on city buses. Though seldom talked about, historians believe it set the stage for desegregation in the Deep South. Brown vs. the Board of Education, which has come to be known as the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, was the culmination of an attack on segregation in education by the NAACP. On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. A Backlash by pro-segregation groups throughout the South followed the court ruling in favor of the NAACP. African Americans as well as the few whites who supported the civil rights cause were killed, maimed and starved. Among these was the highly publicized killing and mutilation of the 14-yearold African-American Emmet Till, a Northerner visiting Mississippi. Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement The Montgomery Bus Boycott ( ), led by Dr. King, was sparked by the arrest of black seamstress Mrs. Rosa Parks for refusing to take her place at the back of a city bus. The boycott ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. The protest propelled the Civil Rights Movement into national consciousness and Martin Luther King, Jr. into the public eye. The philosophy of non-violence practiced by Indian political leader Mohandas Gandhi was adopted by Dr. King after visiting India in Dr. King, as well as other civil rights activists and organizations throughout the U.S., initiated examples of widescale mass resistance to injustice in the form of sit-ins, boycotts, marches, and speeches. President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, led by Dr. King in 1963, was the largest civil rights protest of the era. It was during this march that Dr. King delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech that underscored the need for a society where people would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, and Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize. However, brutalities continued in the South. The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. King during his imprisonment for participating in a Birmingham, AL march in In summary, the letter stated that he had come to Birmingham because of the injustice prevalent there. For Dr. King, injustice anywhere led to the possibility of injustice everywhere. Dr. King s last march led him to Memphis, TN in support of the city s African-American sanitation workers. In a stirring speech on April 13, 1968, he delivered his I Have Been to the Mountaintop sermon. The following day, an assassin s bullet snuffed out his life. In 1985, Martin Luther King, Jr. s birthday was designated a national holiday, celebrated annually on the third Monday in January. Although the life of the dream keeper has ended, his legacy and spirit live on, leading all to a more profound understanding of the unquestionable need for human dignity and peace among all people. 6

7 In the Classroom Before the Performance 1. Ask students why Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s birthday is celebrated. What are the things he stood for? How does this celebration connect African Americans to their heritage? How does this celebration connect all Americans to their heritage? Why do students think that it is important to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? (1.5)* 2. Prepare the class for watching a live performance. Talk about proper audience behavior. Good audiences listen attentively and react appropriately to both funny moments and scary or serious ones. Bad audiences react too loudly, talk during the performance, fidget in their seats, eat, drink, or fall asleep. Discuss when it is appropriate to applaud. Stress that talking during a performance is rude and distracting both to performers and others in the audience. (1.1, 1.5) After the Performance 1. The following activity is an arts integrated resource of Verizon s Thinkfinity.org. In this lesson, from ReadWriteThink, students explore the ways that powerful and passionate words communicate the concepts of freedom, justice, discrimination, and the American Dream in Martin Luther King, Jr. s I Have a Dream speech. Have students pay attention to the details of King s speech as they read and as they gather words to use in their own original poems. The lesson, which places special emphasis on Dr. King s use of literary devices such as symbolism and repetition, can be accessed at readwritethink.org/lessons/ lesson_view.asp?id=258. (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5) 2. Discuss with students how the songs of Richard Smallwood and Vision and Jubilation helped the audience understand some of the things for which Dr. King stood. Verizon s Thinkfinity.org provides useful links to the different styles of music that the group performed, including information on spirituals from Edsitement at edsitement.neh.gov/view_ lesson_plan.asp?id+318. (1.1, 1.4, 1.5) Teaching Science Through Music (Grades 7-12) by Sharon J. Sherman, Ed.D. Arts education allows students to refine their perceptual, physical and technical skills by creating music, theater, dance, and visual arts. The NJ Core Curriculum Content Visual and Performing Arts Standards say that by the end of grade 12, students will be able to demonstrate originality, technical skills and artistic expression in the creation, production and performance of music. They will create music that communicates personal opinions, thoughts and ideas. Integrate science and music by teaching about sound. Early elementary students should understand that differences in sound can be produced by varying the way in which objects vibrate. In secondary school, pupils should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how sound moves through materials. The following activities will help students understand these concepts. Explain that sound is made when an object receives energy and begins to vibrate. Students can tap pencils on their desks to create a drum-like sound. Point out that when they tap on their desks, the energy they supply causes air molecules to vibrate. The vibrations move through the air as sound waves which are picked up by the ears. Then, explain that musical instruments cause air to vibrate. Have students think about how different musical instruments (e.g., strings, brass, percussion, woodwinds) create sound. Ask students who play musical instruments to demonstrate how different instruments produce sound. By changing frequency and amplitude, different tunes and rhythms are created. Students can demonstrate these changes by creating music. Discuss four voice types: soprano, the highest female voice; alto, the medium female voice; tenor, the high male voice; and bass, the lowest male voice. Have students who sing demonstrate these. Ask students to use their knowledge of science to explain what makes the voice types differ. Play recordings of each voice type in random order and have students identify each. Can they name accomplished vocalists of each voice type? You can also integrate science and music by having students study a science topic and write lyrics to show their understanding of a particular concept. There are many web sites where students can find science songs written by others. At tranquility.net/~scimusic/lyrics.html, you can find songs about space, energy and motion, weather, topics in biology, chemistry, and more. Additional websites include ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/arts/music, heptune.com/geosong.html, teachers.net/lessons/posts//221.html, and teachers.net/lessons/posts//1484. html. Or after studying a science topic, have your students compose a song to show what they have learned. They can critique each other s work in a class discussion. Sharon J. Sherman is a science and mathematics education professor at The College of New Jersey and co-author of Science and Science Teaching: Methods for Integrating Technology in Elementary and Middle Schools (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004). The Teaching Science Through the Arts content of this guide is made possible through the generous support of Roche. *Number(s) indicate the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standard(s) supported by the activity. Additional Before and After activities can be found online at njpac.org. Click on Education, then on Performances. Scroll down to Download Teacher Guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and select desired guide. 7

8 Delving Deeper Books for Students and Teachers King, Martin Luther, Jr. Stride Toward Freedom. Harper and Row, Strength to Love. Harper and Row, Mfume, Kwesi and Ronald Ii Stodghill. No Free Ride. One World/Ballantine, Teacher Resources State of NJ Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission CN 456, Trenton, NJ Recordings Richard Smallwood Recordings with Vision Journey! Live in New York. Verity, 2007 Praise & Worship Songs of Richard Smallwood With Vision. Verity, 2003 Persuaded: Live in D.C. Verity, 2001 Healing: Live in Detroit. Verity, 1999 Rejoice (Christmas Project). Verity, 1997 Adoration: Live in Atlanta. Verity, 1996 Jubilation CDs The Launch Out Project. Recorded live. Jubilation, Inc., 2006 Spirit. Jubilation s debut CD. New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 2002 Acknowledgments as of 10/20/08 NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible by the generosity of: Bank of America, Allen & Joan Bildner & The Bildner Family Foundation, The Arts Education Endowment Fund in Honor of Raymond G. Chambers, Leon & Toby Cooperman, The William Randolph Hearst Foundations, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Johnson & Johnson, Lehman Brothers Inc., McCrane Foundation, Merck, Albert & Katharine Merck, The Prudential Foundation, Richmond County Savings Foundation, David & Marian Rocker, The Sagner Family Foundation, Schering-Plough, The Star-Ledger/Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, The Turrell Fund, Verizon, The Victoria Foundation, Wachovia, and The Women s Association of NJPAC. Additional support is provided by: Advance Realty Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Frank & Lydia Bergen Foundation, Bloomberg, The Bodman Foundation, The Citi Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Veronica Goldberg Foundation, Independence Community Foundation, Meg & Howard Jacobs, Kraft Foods, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New Jersey Cultural Trust, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, New Jersey Department of State, National Endowment for the Arts, The George A. Ohl, Jr., Trust Foundation, Pechter Foundation, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, PNC Foundation on behalf of the PNC Grow Up Great program, PSE&G, E. Franklin Robbins Charitable Trust, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, The United Way of Essex & West Hudson, Andrew Vagelos, The Edward W. & Stella C. Van Houten Memorial Fund, and The Blanche M. & George L. Watts Mountainside Community Foundation. CD/DVD Ray Charles Celebrates Gospel Music with the Voices of Jubilation. Original release: 2003; Deluxe Edition CD/DVD. Edited by Robert E. Ball, Jr.; directed by Stuart Benjamin. Urban Works, 2004 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. 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. Arthur Ryan....Chairman Lawrence P. Goldman.....President & Chief Executive Officer Sandra Bowie.....Vice President for Arts Education Sanaz Hojreh......Assistant Vice President for Arts Education Donna Bost-White.....Director for Arts Education/Special Projects Jeffrey Griglak Director for Arts Training Verushka Spirito......Associate Director for Performances Ambrose Liu......Associate Director for Residencies Caitlin Evans Jones.... Associate Director for Residencies Faye Competello......Associate Director for Arts Training Mary Whithed Program Coordinator for Residencies Marie Thompson......Arts Education Sales Associate and Program Administrator Joanna Gibson...Manager of Wachovia Jazz for Teens Mary Lou Johnston & Laura Ingoglia......Editors of Teacher s Resource Guide 8 One Center Street Newark, New Jersey Administration: Arts Education Hotline: artseducation@njpac.org NJPAC wishes to thank Thomas Becker of the Alliance Agency which represents Richard Smallwood, Rev. Stefanie R. Minatee, director of Jubilation, and Tina Pizzimenti, executive assistant in the National Urban League s Office of the President, for assistance with this guide. Writers: Zadie Ife Laura Ingoglia Mary Lou Johnston Editor: Laura Ingoglia Design: Pierre Sardain, 66 Creative, Inc. 66Creative.com NJPAC Guest Reader: Jeffrey Norman Curriculum Review Committee: Judith Israel Amy Tenzer Copyright 2009 New Jersey Performing Arts Center All Rights Reserved