Teacher's Guidelines
Let's face it... I know how valuable your time is to you, so I'll try to make this as short as possible.
OPTION ONE - One Segment - one period long.
1) My Presentation.
This is my usual presentation in which I talk about the Blues and the Great Migration. During this show I will demonstrate various instruments used in Blues music and with a slide presentation, tell stories of my travels throughout Mississippi where I studied the music and the lives of blues musicians.
Requirements:
One computer hooked up to the internet.
Projector and a screen or smartboard.
I'll need you to operate the computer, clicking on the link to the slide show. Please click on this link, so the students can see my smiling face when I arrive. It's the 'Blues in the Schools Slide Show page, which is also located above in the drop down menu under 'Gigs.'
http://www.littletobywalker.com/blues-in-schools-slide-show.html
I'll need you to manually click through the slides as I go through my presentation. I'll cue you as to when you need to change slides.
Last thing - I open up my presentation with a song about how all these women kept getting away from me. I would like to use one of your male student's name in the last verse. It comes as a total surprise to all the students and it really draws them into my show!!! The person you pick needs to be pretty popular with a great sense of humor. Trust me, he'll LOVE this!!
That's pretty much it for Option One.
OPTION TWO - three segments, each one period long.
1) My presentation
2) The song-writing and music workshop
3) The concert.
First, you'll do all of the above, PLUS the following:
Please encourage any of the students that play a musical instrument to bring it in that day. If they are guitar players, they'll need to also bring a small amp with them as well. Also, please have on hand two music stands.
Segment 2: The song-writing and music workshop
After my 40 minute opening presentation, some the the students will move on to their classes and some will remain for the next two segments: the song-writing and music workshop, and the final concert.
During the song-writing and music workshop, some of the students will be busy writing songs in a Blues style while I'm teaching the musicians how to play in the Blues Style. What I would like you to do prior to the day of my performance is play them this You Tube video 'Dust My Broom' as performed by Elmore James. You can either click and save the link or just play the video below for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKo80b-QfK0
It has the format that the students will use to write their songs: AAB
A)I’m getting up soon in the morning, I believe I’ll dust my broom
A) I’m getting up soon in the morning, I believe I’ll dust my broom
B) I”m with the best gal I’m lovin’, now my friends can get my room
A) I don’t want no woman, want every downtown man she meets
A) I don’t want no woman, want every downtown man she meets
B) She’s a no good phony, all out on the streets
Don't worry, I'll go over all of the songwriting with your students in the beginning of this second segment. But it would be great if they had an idea ahead of time as to what to do.
During this segment you’ll divide your students into groups of 4 to 6 students. Each group will be given a topic in which they will write their own blues songs in the AAB structure. They should write a minimum of 4 verses to complete their song. Here are some ideas for topics:
My Computer Crashed Blues
Too Much Homework Blues
I Hate School Lunch
Monday Morning Blues
Boyfriend or Girlfriend Blues
While those students are busy writing their songs, I'll be teaching the musicians how to play the blues. Those students will then become my new 'back-up Blues band during the last segment - The Concert!!!
Segment 3: The Concert!!!!!
Here's where it all comes together!! Now that each group has completed their songs and the musicians have been taught how to play the blues, each group will come to the front of the room where there will be two music stands with my own microphones placed in front of them. The group will place their lyrics on the stand and on my cue, my newly formed back-up Blues band will start playing the Blues. I'll then cue the students to start singing. If there's any time remaining after all the groups have finished their songs, I'll play some great sing-along blues at the end.
This is what the Concert will look like!!!
During this segment you’ll divide your students into groups of 4 to 6 students. Each group will be given a topic in which they will write their own blues songs in the AAB structure. They should write a minimum of 4 verses to complete their song. Here are some ideas for topics:
My Computer Crashed Blues
Too Much Homework Blues
I Hate School Lunch
Monday Morning Blues
Boyfriend or Girlfriend Blues
While those students are busy writing their songs, I'll be teaching the musicians how to play the blues. Those students will then become my new 'back-up Blues band during the last segment - The Concert!!!
Segment 3: The Concert!!!!!
Here's where it all comes together!! Now that each group has completed their songs and the musicians have been taught how to play the blues, each group will come to the front of the room where there will be two music stands with my own microphones placed in front of them. The group will place their lyrics on the stand and on my cue, my newly formed back-up Blues band will start playing the Blues. I'll then cue the students to start singing. If there's any time remaining after all the groups have finished their songs, I'll play some great sing-along blues at the end.
This is what the Concert will look like!!!
Optional, but oh so cool.
Here's a fabulous video you can show to your students prior to my arrival.