TEACHING BOOK By BON DÉBARRAS 1
2010 This document is the sole property of Dominic Desrochers All rights reserved BON DÉBARRAS SKIPS SCHOOL 2
Interactive Performance This whirlwind musical journey stops in various communities where Bon Débarras found their inspiration. Taking turns, each member of the trio tells his own story and introduces his instruments from every angle. They are eager and willing to feed young people s curiosity as they use songs and solo demonstrations to convey their message. Students will also have the opportunity to experience these traditions through rhythmic movements all that under the playful guidance of Dominic Desrochers, who is always delighted to share his experience as a professional body musician. With a variety of songs, tales, lilting and called dances, Bon Débarras unique groovy acoustic atmosphere will not fail to move you. Wandering folk music from America Bon Débarras folk music is deeply rooted in the memory of a French-speaking America. With their guitars, banjo, mandolin, accordion, washboard and harmonicas, integrating foot percussion, and jig and body percussion, the trio creates musical atmospheres that transcend boundaries and ages. Always festive, Bon Débarras shows include jolly turlutes (lilting) and melancholic laments, while often leaning towards acoustic rock groove. The diversity of instruments, the musicians versatility and their unique way of playing as well as the generous mix of musical inspirations all contribute to enrich the group s sound. One can even think that there are more than three musicians on stage! 3
Folklore (from folk, meaning people, and lore, meaning knowledge ) refers to all collective productions that are transmitted by the native people from generation to generation orally (tales, stories, songs) or through example (like music, dance, rites, beliefs, savoir-faire). Folklore defines who we are and traces back our origins. Bon Débarras inspiration comes from their homeland, Montreal, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in North America. While remaining true to their roots, the three musicians, who are equally passionate about music, dance and poetry, are making way for living traditions and various influences to explore new avenues. 4
MUSIC Origins Native Americans who were present at the arrival of the first French settlers played music for several thousand years. Early explorers were amazed by music s many functions in Amerindian societies as well as their musical instruments and dances. Despite this important heritage, they had only a minimal impact on the beginning of colonization s musical trends. Traditional music: Irish and French influences in traditional Québécois music are encountered. Irish jigs mixed with French sing-along songs is generally the result. This culture specific to Québec is passed on through oral tradition. Previously, vigils brought musicians from different parishes to meet and exchange their song versions to answer. Turlutte or mouth reel : The mouth reel is characterized by variations on certain grounds such as "tamtidelam" changes to "tam tidelidelam"). It is also characterized by a tempo removed, whereby mouth reel often takes the shape of impossible tongue twisters; these melodies are usually dancing and joyful. The mouth reel would be a vocal imitation of a musical instrument, such as violin or flute. 5
DANCE This music is imbued with many dances, such as the step-dancing, the quadrille, the reel and line dancing, which developed in the popular festivals since the early days of colonization. Quadrille, the Bastringue and contradance are from the French culture and square set, step-dancing and waltz clog comes from the Anglo- Saxon culture. Various instruments: harmonica (music-of-mouth or ruinlip), fiddle, spoons, jaw harp and accordion. The foot-tapping is an inherent characteristic of traditional Quebec music. It is at the base to run the pace of tic-tac-and with feet on wooden surface. This is the result of the alloy of an English foot and a French foot. 6
Stepdancing Step-dancing started in the eastern provinces of Canada [Quebec, New-Brunswick, Nova Scotia] throughout the 18 th, 19 th and 20 th century. Step-dancing in Quebec was like for the American tap-dancing a cultural mix between the European step-dancing (from Ireland or Scotland), English clogging and culture already present in America. 7
LES INSTRUMENTS DE MUSIQUE Jean-François Dumas The banjo is a stringed musical instrument from North America pinches. With its soundboard membrane. The origin of the modern instrument back to the first years 1830-1840 during which began marketing an older instrument (seventeenth century) used by African slaves brought to the United States. The foot tapping percussion technique is used in traditional Quebec music. It is to produce a sound by typing feet against the ground or against a board. It often accompanies the violin or accordion. Cajón (drawer) is a musical instrument invented in the eighteenth century Peru. It was certainly in its infancy a box for fruit picking or fishing fish, slaves do not have access to anything other than rustic materials. Current cajón generally has one more element, timbre, which makes close to that of the battery. The harmonica is a musical instrument and free reed wind running on the same principle as the accordion is sucked or blown, which is very uncommon for a wind instrument. 8
Dominic Desrochers A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument. The washboard and frottoir (from Cajun French "frotter", to rub) are used as a percussion instrument, employing the ribbed metal surface of the cleaning device as a rhythm instrument. As traditionally used in jazz, zydeco, skiffle, jug band, and old time music, the washboard remained in its wooden frame and is played primarily by tapping, but also scraping the washboard with thimbles. It is played primarily with spoon handles or bottle openers in a combination of strumming, scratching, tapping and rolling. The steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar that descends from the classical guitar, but is strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. It is often referred to simply as an acoustic guitar, though the nylon-strung classical guitar is also sometimes called an acoustic guitar.. The tres is a stringed musical instrument. It is a small rudimentary guitar made from the 17th century in Cuba. It consists of three double strings hence its name of "tres" meaning "three" in Spanish. It then spread to Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Mexico in Latin music. 9
Cedric Dind-Lavoie The bass is a major instrument of the family of stringed instruments. It can be played by rubbing the strings with the bow (arco) or by plucking with the fingers (pizzicato). The bass is widely used in classical music in symphony orchestras, jazz and where it is part of the rhythm section. Jew's harp is a musical instrument using a blade driven by the finger as vibrating element and the mouth of the musician as resonant cavity. In Quebec, the presence of the jew s harp is attested since the 17th century under the name «trump» (in the region of Montreal), bombard, guitar mouth in the early 20th century, and formerly rebuth and snarls. The first instruments come from France and England. In the American colonies, the jew s harp are offered as a gift in negotiations with Indians Accordions is a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven freereed aerophone type, colloquially referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist. The concertina and bandoneón are related; the harmonium and American reed organ are in the same family. The accordion name includes a family of keyboard instruments, polyphonic, using free reeds excited by a variable wind supplied by bellows operated by the musician. 10
ACADIA Pays Type Canada Région culturelle The question of the borders of Acadia is fundamental but only those of Louisiana are recognized. In fact, according to a certain point of view, Acadia would be a nation without explicit recognition. Historical Acadian colony of New France, was founded in 1604 - on Indian territories inhabited for 11 centuries - and populated from the west of France. Conquered in 1713 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, it undergoes the Great Upheaval, the Deportation of the Acadians from 1755 to 1763, and its territory is fragmented. Provinces Île-du-Prince-Édouard Nouveau-Brunswick Nouvelle-Écosse Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador Date de création 1604 Population 500 000 hab. (2009) Langue(s) Groupes ethniques Français Acadiens 11
QUÉBEC Quebec has a population of eight million people composed of various ethno-linguistic and sociocultural groups, a majority of francophone Quebecers, a significant minority of Anglo- Quebecers and eleven Aboriginal nations. The official language is French. Pays Canada Capitale Québec Plus grande ville Montréal Population 8 155 340 hab.1 (2013) 2e Langue officielle Français 12
LOUISIANE French in Louisiana is spoken by its Francophone population. Following in part French Canadian and French ancestry, but also Spanish, German Irish immigrants, Italian, and Haitian Creole and Cajun Louisiana continue to lead the fight against the linguistic assimilation, which has now lasted more than 300 years. Surnom The Pelican State En français : «L'État du Pélican» Devise Union, Justice, and Confidence «Union, justice, et confiance» Pays Capitale Adhésion à l Union États-Unis Bâton-Rouge 30 avril 1812 (18 e État) Population 4 533 372 hab. (20101) " Mixed with extreme from the beginning, the population of Louisiana has no ethnic or linguistic consistency, and it is assumed that the young New Orleans already has a variegated appearance : black slaves, Indians, Germans, French live together more or less harmoniously. When you know how the Indian tribes themselves are heterogeneous, it is considered the confusion which can then prevail in the cultural field. " However, the French retained a place of value among different languages, since it nevertheless remained the language of the colonizing nation. Ville la plus peuplée Langues officielles La Nouvelle-Orléans De jure : Aucune De facto : Anglais (91,3 %) français (7,3 %) créole louisianais 13
CANADA Canadian culture is also partly influenced by recent immigration of people from around the world. Many Canadians value multiculturalism, which suggests to some people's eyes that Canadian culture is itself multicultural. Devise nationale Langues officielles Capitale Population totale (20131) A mari usque ad mare (D'un océan à l'autre) Anglais Français Ottawa 35 056 064 hab. 14
1 Draw me a song ACTIVITIES Listen to a song of Bon Débarras and ask the following questions: Assign one or more colors to the song. What does the song mean? If it s an instrumental track, what does it make you think of? Combine the answers to these questions and let yourself be inspired by the music to make a drawing. 15
2- Craft your favorite instrument Musical instruments: Guitar Tres bass Banjo Washboard Triangle feet tapping Harmonica Cajon Accordion 16
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1. Associate the images that fit with the names of the musical instruments listed above. 2. Try to locate these instrument in songs by listening to the disc 3. Using scissors, cardboard, glue, crayons and / or recycled materials (pin, metal cans, Styrofoam, etc.), and tinker your favorite instrument. 18
3 - Compose an echo song Sing along : A structure in which a soloist or group performs a part of a song, followed by a response from a second soloist or group. Features: Choose a subject. What will your song talk about? It tells a story: we must find a topic where the plot continues from one verse to another in a single phrase which is repeated by a choir. Compose different verses alternated with a chorus that repeats every time. Normally joyful and rhythmic. Some songs have the form of a single repeated phrase and adds an element to list each time. It is also called a cummulative song. Example 1 : Mon père s en va au marché (BIS) C est pour une vache lui acheter (BIS) La vache elle fait : meuuuu! Le cochon fait : groing! Le chien il fait : wouf! Etc, always concluding with a chorus: y en as-tu d l amour mesdames, y en as-tu d l amour pour vous. 19
Example 2 : "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas in the manner of a cumulative song. 20
4 - Send us a postcard Cut a cardboard the dimension of a postcard, draw something the show inspired you and write a note to the attention of the trio. Put a stamp and send it to us at the following address: Bon Débarras 4590, rue Parthenais Montréal, Qc H2H 2G7 21