1900 - 1940 Lesson 1
Remind them that they will be presenting a blues song of their own composition as well as a brief presentation on their historical period in two classes.
Lay out the major periods in pre-war American history for the students (The Progressive Age, Roaring 20's, Dirty 30s).
Have them break into groups and research one of these periods each.
Play selections from country and urban blues, as well as dixieland jazz and swing bands, in chronological order.
Have the children learn to sing Handy's "Memphis Blues" (1912) from sheet music.
Assessment
The children will continue to write in their listening log. Remind them to leave room to take notes when they do class presentations. Circulate among the students as they work in groups and help as needed, take anecdotal notes.
Historical Notes
1900 - 1912 Progressive Age
1909 - NAACP formed
1916 - 1930 The great migration and Harlem renaissance
also south side of Chicago became a major destination.
1912 - 1918 WWI
1920 - 1930 Prohibition, Post War boom
1929 - 1940 Great Depression
Blues
First popularized in 1911 - 1914 by the black composer W.C. Handy (1873-1958).
Became a craze in the '20s. Blues influence on jazz brought it into the mainstream, and allowed Bessie Smith and Billy Holiday in the 30's to become big stars
Memphis' best blues artist lfet the city when "Boss" Crump shut down Beale Street to stop the prostitution, gambling, and cocaine trades Blues migrated to Chicago, where it became electrified, and Detroit.
Developed into a 12-bar style, featuring the flatted third, fifth and seventh of the associated major scale. These specialized notes are called the blue or bent notes.
Jazz
Jazz is hard to define because it spans the gamete from 19th C ragtime waltzes to modern fusion. The style's West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note. One of the key elements are improvisation.
1910s Dixieland Jazz, performers took turns playing the melody while the other musicians improvised a counter melody. 1930's and and 1940's swing bands, however, relied more on set arrangements
During prohibition, jazz bands became very popular in the illegal speakeasies.
Resources
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ftvhtml/ftvhome.html - Now What a Time - Blues and Gospel from the Fort valley music festivals 1938-1943
www.wikipedia.com
www.youtube.com