schooltime peformance series

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1 teacher resource guide schooltime peformance series recycled percussion

2 about the performance in the spotlight A conversation with band members from 1. What exactly is junk rock? What are its origins? Did you or someone else come up with the name? There is no official definition for junk rock and it isn t a specific genre of music. But think about drum riffs played on buckets, ladders or even the kitchen sink, and the noise from power tools, grinders, and more. ally, the gritty sounds of this dirtier version of a traditional drum kit sound great. That s what creates the junk rock sound. 2. How did you and your group members get together? We wanted to take typical street performing to another level, so we entered our high school talent show. In our performance, we took some ideas from the New York City street performers and embellished them. It was something that our hometown hadn t seen before. We thought it was going to be a one-time deal, but then we got a gig, then another and another. It s been like that for over twenty years. 3. What are your musical backgrounds and influences? is a band that for 20 years has been making rock-n-roll music out of a pile of junk. Its high energy performances are a dynamic mix of rock drumming, guitar smashing and DJ-spinning, all blended into the recyclable magic of what the band calls junk music. s immersive show expands the boundaries of modern percussion, combining the visual spectacle of marching band-style beats with the rhythmic musical complexity of the stationary drum set. Then they give their music a truly wacky twist by using everyday objects like power tools, ladders, buckets and trash cans, and turning them into rock instruments. Since its humble beginnings, and its junk rock music have become a national phenomenon, starting with the band s smash hit performances on America s Got Talent in The four-man band was featured on the cover of USA Today and voted National Act of the Year a record-breaking six times. Since then, has gained worldwide recognition, performing over 4,000 shows and events in more than fifteen countries. Along with nightly performances on the Las Vegas Strip at The Quad Resort and Casino, the band has appeared on Carson Daly, Today, China s Got Talent, the Latin GRAMMY Awards and at the 2017 Super Bowl. Current members of include: is more than just performance. It s an interactive experience where each audience member has the chance to get in on the act. If you ve even clapped your hands to the beat of a song, or picked up a pencil and tapped out a rhythm on your desk, then you ll know what to do. Grab the drumstick or unique instrument you ll be handed when you come to the show and be ready to play your own special beat with. Justin Spencer ( Mr. Red ) Lead Percussionist, Group Founder began in 1995 when drummer Justin Spencer formed the band to perform in his high school talent show in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Justin was looking for a way to be really creative and decided to riff on the idea of playing on plastic buckets like he d seen in the subways of New York City. For his own band, Justin kept adding more and more instruments, expanding on the New York style of street percussion. Jason Davies ( Mr. Green ) DJ, Percussionist, Dancer 2 Ryan Vezina ( Mr. Blue ) Lead Percussionist, Body Percussion Specialist Matt Bowman ( Mr. Black ) Guitar player, Percussionist, 80s Primal Screamer, Slinky Master Beyond its intense and inventive musical style, Recycled Percussion is committed to social responsibility. The band gives back to its community through outreach to the homeless, and brings its positive message to children to pursue their dreams. Whatever you may have thought about drum music before, be ready to have your mind expanded by the explosive, kinetic and brain-rattling excitement of. Justin s dad is a drummer, so he grew up with music around the house. After attending his first concert, The Ramones at age four, his parents bought him his own drum kit. As a kid, he wanted to be like his dad; and his dad was in a band. Justin practiced so that he could also be in a band, too. Aside from his typical man crushes on bands like Rush, Van Halen and Led Zeppelin, it was all about being just like his dad. Ryan s father was also a drummer, and he followed that path, too. 4. How do you prepare for the physical demands of your high-energy performances? We spend a lot of time in the gym. We are straight-edged guys, so we don t drink or do drugs. It is important to us to focus on our health so that we can maintain the performance level our fans expect. We use that energy to keep the show new, fresh, and exciting. 5. What was it like to be on America s Got Talent? America s Got Talent was a really cool experience for us because it challenged us creatively. We weren t a singing or comedy act. We didn t have the material. If you re singing, all you have to do is think, What song am I going to sing next week? Every time you advance on America s Got Talent, you had seven days to come up with another wow factor. That s what that show is based on. It forced us to dig down deep and think of something really cool that we could do. and children from all over by constructing the world s largest anti-bullying sign, facilitating an insane toy drive across four states, delivering cookies to patients with cancer, our organic acts of kindness, and much more. We are dedicated to creating insanely cool life experiences for those in need, and we highlight our mission on our self-produced WMUR TV Show, Chaos & Kindness. Our ultimate goal is to inspire people everywhere to give back within their own communities and to make the world a more prolific place. 6. Tell us about your commitment to social responsibility. What charities and other activities are you involved with and how do you use your band to support them? 7. What do you want your young audiences to take away from the performance? What can they learn from your wild-and-crazy approach to music-making? We have our own Foundation, which is focused on creating a more positive environment by making a difference within communities across the country. When the chaotic world of a rock and roll band meets kindness, incredible things happen. The foundation has helped families Don t let anyone convince you that you have to conform to society. Whatever your dreams are, pursue them and never waver until you achieve them. Just don t over think the process. Go for it and believe in it. If you believe, you ll keep going. Nothing is guaranteed, but don t give up. njpac.org/education 3

3 inspired ideas in the classroom P Prepare for the performance Teacher Focus Student Activity NJ Student Learning Standards Let s Hear it for the Drums Prepare your students for the performance by familiarizing them with different typesof percussion. Listen to online videos or recordings of drums, cymbals, rattles, xylophones and more. Listen to drumming from different cultures, from familiar American rock-and-roll to African traditional drums and the rhythms of China (video links provided in Resources). Rythm from Around the World There s more to percussion than a drum kit. Check out all the different sounds we can make with percussion instruments, from cymbals to rattles, xylophones to bass drums. Notice how the multiple rhythms of African drumming are different from the familiar beat of most hip hop or pop music. Also listen to the gongs and thunder of Chinese and other Asian drums. With percussion, expect the unexpected. Think about how each percussion instrument is played in different cultures. English Language Arts SL Interpret information presented in diverse media Social Studies D.20 Describe why it is important to understand the perspectives of other cultures in an interconnected world. E Experience the performance Feel it in Your Soul Take your students to the performance and encourage them to really let the experience sink in. They should listen, view and feel the music of Recycled Percussion s high energy performance. There s no reason to hold back during this exciting, full-on percussive experience. Immerse yourself! Be ready for some fun, because s going to blow you away! Their music is more than sounds. It s lighting and movement and tons of energy. Really allow the performance to move you. Clap, sway, bang your feet to the beat. And get ready to add your own percussion to the performance with the drumsticks they ll give you when you arrive A.1 Generate observational and emotional responses to diverse culturally and historically specific works of dance, music, theatre and visual art. 1.4 Aesthetic Response & Critique R Reflect, respond and read How did the performance make your students feel? Was it exciting to hear, view and join the band as they made music in such an unexpected, energetic way? Was there a particular song or moment in the performance that really wowed them? What ordinary object was most surprising to hear used as a percussion instrument? Are your ears ringing? Is your body vibrating with the power of percussion? What did you like best about the performance? Was it a particular performer, an awesome song or some ordinary object used to make music like you ve never heard before? Did you like pitching in to add your own rhythms to the performance? Could you imagine making music this way yourself? A.6 Differentiate between traditional works of art and those that do not use conventional elements of style to express new ideas English Language Arts SL Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions F Focus Focus on making the Ordinary, Extraordinary! Ask your students to start finding ordinary objects to use for percussion. Look around your classroom: find books, empty boxes, maybe the metal cover of a heating unit or some Venetian blinds. Encourage students to bring an object from home that they could use to make unique, percussive sounds. Shake, Shake, Shake! Look around and find objects in your classroom or at home that might be used to make music. An empty cardboard box sounds different from a plastic one, doesn t it? And what about tapping on the top of your desk or on its metal legs? What might you find in your kitchen cabinets or drawers that could be used to make music? And what about a half-full box of cereal as a rattle? Almost anything makes an interesting sound if you tap or shake it in rhythm. 1.1 The Creative Process O Originate Experiment with Sounds Your students should take the objects they found in your classroom or brought from home and use them to create their own rhythms. Use the How to Play Drums activity in this guide to play simple whole, half, and quarter note rhythms together. Then ask half the class to take a different rhythm. Split the groups again and have each take a different beat. Or try playing in rhythm with a favorite song of the students choosing. Make your own Now it s time to make your own music. Take the objects you found around your classroom or brought from home and start working on rhythm. Begin playing together with a simple whole note beat. Then break it into half and quarter notes. Break into groups and have each take a different rhythm. Or try syncopation, where one group plays on the downbeat and another on the upbeat. See how layered and interesting your rhythms can become. Or just play along with a favorite song and see how your rhythms enhance the music. 1.1 The Creative Process 1.8.B.2 Compare and contrast the use of structural forms and the manipulation of the elements of music in diverse styles and genres of musical compositions. R Rehearse Practice Makes Perfect! Once they ve come up with some ideas for their rhythms, it s time to practice and polish them. Your students may have improvised and experimented at first, but now they should practice what they ve created. Rehearse in the classroom to solidify their percussion composition. Then record and watch or listen to the recording together and discuss the performance. Consider what works and where things might have fallen apart. Then practice again, fixing what doesn t work and refining their ideas. To the Beat of Your Own Drum Now that you ve had some fun experimenting with rhythm and different percussion instruments, t s time to put it all together for a performance. Rehearse the rhythms you liked the best. Decide who s playing which rhythms and make it into a song. Then record your work and see what you think. Is everyone playing in time? Can you perform with lots of energy the way did? After you ve watched your recording, practice again, fixing what didn t quite work. It takes time and practice to get any creative work right, so keep refining and practicing until you re r eally happy with your performance 1.1 The Creative Process M Make magic Drum Roll Please! Set up your classroom with a performance space in the front or center where students can present their percussion performance. Invite family, friends or other classes to attend and enjoy. After the performance, encourage the audience to share their thoughts about the sounds, instruments and experience they had. You can even encourage the audience to join in the fun with their own rhythms by clapping, slapping their thighs, stomping their feet and more. You ve Got Rhythm After all your hard work, it s time to share your music! Present your performance for other classes, friends and family. Then ask your audience about their reactions. Where they moved by your music? Were they surprised by the instruments you used? Ask them to join in by clapping, slapping their thighs, stomping their feet, and more. Percussion music is easy to make, and like any great drum circle meeting in a town square or a park, the more the merrier! Visual and Performing Arts Standard 1.3 Performance Standard 1.4 Aesthetic Response & Critique

4 curriculum standards cultural connections NJ Arts Standard: 1.2 History of Arts & Culture Every human being is surrounded by rhythm. Think about our own bodies the rhythm of our heartbeats, our breath, the easy pace of a walker s footsteps, or the heavy pound of a racer s run. And there are the rhythms of life day and night, the cycles of the moon, the seasons of the year. Perhaps this is why early humans were inspired to create drums. NJ Visual and Performing Arts Standard 1.1 The Creative Process All students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles that govern the creation of works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art Standard 1.2 History of Arts & Culture All students will understand the role, development, and influence of the arts throughout history and across cultures. Historians and anthropologists believe that the drum may have been mankind s earliest musical instrument. Ancient humans probably created the first rhythm simply by banging on an object with a stick. Standard 1.3 Performance All students will synthesize skills, media, methods, and technologies that are appropriate to creating, performing, and/ or presenting works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. Standard 1.4 Aesthetic Response & Critique All students will demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. National Arts Standards 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work. 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding. English Language Arts SL Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions SL Interpret information presented in diverse media SL Presentation of knowledge and ideas RL Compare and Contrast D.20 Describe why it is important to understand the perspectives of other cultures in an interconnected world. new jersey student learning standards A.6 Differentiate between traditional works of art and those that do not use conventional elements of style to express new ideas 1.8.B.2 Compare and contrast the use of structural forms and the manipulation of the elements of music in diverse styles and genres of musical compositions. Technically, drums are membranophones, a term used for any musical instrument which makes sound primarily by means of the vibrations of a tightly stretched membrane, or skin. Percussion instruments, including drums, cymbals, maracas and many more, are a subset of this musical family because their sound is made by being struck, scraped, or rubbed by hand or a beater. Whatever the material or object used, striking that membrane will make a loud, resonant sound which can be heard a long way off. Most scholars believe that the original purpose of the drum was to communicate, especially over long distances as a warning or signal. The first drums appeared around 6000 BCE when Neolithic cultures living along the Yellow River in what is today China started experimenting with membranes, including alligator skins, that they stretched over a sturdy shell like a pottery water vessel or a hollowed out wood. Excavations in Mesopotamia (the modern day Middle East) unearthed small cylindrical drums dating from 3000 BCE. Native Americans and the indigenous people of Peru used gourd and wooden drums for their rituals. Some early drums had bronze membranes, technically making them gongs. Most drums, including the snare drum, bass drum, tom-toms and cymbals, are unpitched instruments because they only make a single tone, no matter how they are played. There are also pitched percussion instruments which can be tuned to a scale and produce different tones. Some of these are the xylophone, marimba, timpani and glockenspiel. The modern day drum set, also called a trap set or drum kit, evolved in the early 1900s where it first appeared as a collection of drums to accompany Vaudeville acts. Before the 1900s, drums and cymbals were played separately by more than one percussionist. Virtually every culture from ancient to modern times has used drums for a multitude of purposes, including religious rituals, social dances, sporting events, feasts and special ceremonies. Perhaps the most significant use of drums throughout history was in preparation for war. The percussive din of battle drums epitomized the power and threat of oncoming battle. Ancient armies used percussion to terrify their enemies and rally their troops. Over time, army commanders developed sophisticated rhythms using drums and percussion to signal maneuvers and send messages to distant commanders and their troops. The sounds of war drums could actually shape the outcome of a battle. In the 18th and 19th centuries, percussion was used to keep soldiers in step as they marched into battle. Today, modern military ceremonies and high school and college marching bands echo back to those ancient drumbeats. The power of drums and percussion has even found its way into our everyday language. Think of familiar idioms like walking to the beat of a different drummer, drumming up support and drumming something into someone s head. Drumming and percussion have become momentous symbols in human life, encouraging us to move forward, pay attention and take charge A.1 Generate observational and emotional responses to diverse culturally and historically specific works of dance, music, theatre, and visual art Find the Standards For more detailed information on the standards, visit these websites: NJ English Language Arts NJ Social Studies Standards NJ Arts Standards National Arts Standards 6 njpac.org/education 7

5 resources websites books Blades, James. Percussion Instruments and Their History. Bold Strummer Ltd; 4th ed.; Interview with s Justin Spencer Nelson, David Erik. Junkyard Jam Band: DIY al Instruments and Noisemakers. No Starch Press, Drum Corps International A Brief History of Drums Niemi, Patti. Sticking It Out: From Juilliard to the Orchestra Pit, A Percussionist s Memoir, ECW Press, Schick, Steven. The Percussionist s Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams (Eastman Studies in ). University of Rochester Press; HAR/COM edition; Drum Sounds and their Meanings (Smithsonian Folkways) folkways.si.edu/drum-sounds-their-meanings/world/music/article/smithsonian How to Play Drums video Promo Videos Chaos and Kindness Episode 1: rehearses for its Super Bowl 2017 appearance and brings a deserving guest to the game vimeo.com/ vocabulary Bar A bar (or measure) is a segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in a piece of music. In music notation, the boundaries of the bar are indicated by vertical bar lines. Beat In music, the beat is the basic unit of time. The beat is often described as the rhythm that listeners would tap their toes to when hearing a piece of music. Downbeat The first beat of a measure in music. Drumhead A drumhead, or drum skin, is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets or hands so that it vibrates, making the sound resonate through the drum. Membranophone Any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane like animal skin. Percussion The striking of one object against another with some sharpness; impact; a blow. Pitch The degree of height or depth of a tone or sound, depending upon how quickly a vibration is produced relative to the other tones or sounds. Time Signature A notation in music that tells you how the music is to be counted. Time signatures consist of two numbers written like a fraction. For example, 4/4 time signature means that there are 4 beats in a measure and the quarter note gets the beat. Syncopation A variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected which can make part or all of a piece of music off-beat. performs for Super Bowl crowd Halftime Performance (Texans vs Patriots 12/13/15) NYC Street Percussion Artist International Drumming Examples Kodo O-Daiko Japanese Drummers: Ghana, West Africa Kusun Djembe Drum circle Jigu! Thunder Drums of China Upbeat The last beat of a measure in music. Metronome A device that produces an audible beat a click or other sound at regular intervals. It can be adjusted to different beats per minute (BPM) to help musicians practice playing to a regular pulse. 8 njpac.org/education 9

6 njpac staff (partial lsiting) John R. Strangfeld, Chair, NJPAC Board of Directors John Schreiber, President & CEO Alison Scott-Williams, Vice President, Arts Education Jennifer Tsukayama, Assistant Vice President, Arts Education Operations Betsy True, Senior Director, Artistic Faculty & Curriculum Development Cathleen Plazas, Senior Director, Curriculum and Program Evaluation Mark Gross, Director, Jazz Instruction Jamie M. Mayer, Director, Curriculum & Professional Development Rosa Hyde, Senior Manager, SchoolTime & Assemblies Roneasha Bell, Manager, On-site and Community Programs Kyle Conner, Manager, Sales & Partnerships Victoria Revesz, Senior Manager, School and Community Programs Danielle Vauters, Manager, School and Summer Programs Ashley Miskoff, Coordinator, Faculty Evaluation and Training Raven Oppong-Boateng, Coordinator, Program Registration and Operations Daniel Silverstein, Coordinator, On-site and Community Programs Patricia Sweeting, Coordinator, Performances & Engagement Tara Baker, Administrative Assistant/Office Manager, Arts Education Denise Jackson, Administrative Assistant to the VP and AVP, Arts Education teacher resource guides The Writer s Circle, LLC: Judith Lindbergh, Michelle Cameron, Scott Caffrey, Chris Knapp the arts in your school Lia DiStefano, Graphic Design liadidadesign.com In-School Residencies: Drama + Social Studies. Dance + Math. It all adds up in NJPAC s In-School Residencies in which professional teaching artists partner with educators to bring the arts into the classroom. Each 7- to 10-week program culminates in a student performance or an interactive family workshop. All programs address state and national standards. NJPAC is the regional provider in New Jersey for international arts programs like the Wolf Trap Institute s Early Learning Through the Arts Program and Dancing Classrooms Global. Assemblies: NJPAC presents engaging school assembly programs that are presented by professional artists that invite students into the enchanting world of live performance. NJPAC s assembly series promotes cultural awareness and invigorates learning by presenting works that are connected to your s school s curriculum. study the arts at njpac Saturday Programs: NJPAC s Saturday programs are geared towards students at every level from those who dream of starring on Broadway to those who are still learning their scales. Students work with professional artists to build technique and develop their own creative style in film, contemporary modern dance, hip hop, jazz, musical theater and symphonic band. Summer Programs: Want to begin to explore the arts? Or immerse yourself in the study of one genre? Then join us at NJPAC next summer in one of seven programs that spark the creativity in every child through the study of music, dance and theater. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call our education sales team at or artseducation@njpac.org. Visit Generous support for Schooltime provided, in part, by NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible through the generosity of our endowment donors: The Arts Education Endowment Fund in honor of Raymond C. Chambers, The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund, Albert and Katherine Merck, and The Sagner Family Foundation Generous annual support for NJPAC Arts Education Programs is provided by: NJ Advance Media/The Star-Ledger, McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane, John and Suzanne Willian/Goldman Sachs Gives, MCJ Amelior Foundation, Amy Liss, Jennifer A. Chalsty, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, Panasonic Corporation of America, and Atlantic, Tomorrow s Office, Stewart and Judy Colton