The Life and Music of Louis Armstrong
Lessons 018 - 020
DATES Jan. 4- 20, 2012 (2 classes)
Lessons © www.musictechteacher.com
Each Music Technology student in the 2nd - 5th grades will receive one 30-45 minute lesson per week. The class structure is ‘work-at-your-own-pace’ because students are not required to have any materials or music equipment to participate.
Lesson 18 – We will not have music technology classes this week (Jan. 4-8, 2012). Ms. Garrett is at the national music technology conference in Louisville, KY. (www.ti-me.org)
Lessons 19-20 - ‘The Life and Music of Louis Armstrong’
Essential Questions: Who was Louis Armstrong? What type of music was he famous for writing and performing? What does it mean to improvise music?
Objectives:
* Students will study the life of a famous jazz musician – Louis Armstrong.
* Selected students will start working on ‘What a Wonderful World.’
* Students will complete a quiz about Louis Armstrong on our website.
* Students will complete one or two pages in the Alfred Basic Piano Library Level 1A (varies based on student level).
Materials:
Alfred 1A Piano Books, keyboards and related equipment, computers with our website posted, recording of a composition by Louis Armstrong, worksheets – Unit 1 – Louis Armstrong, from Meet the Great Jazz Legends (Alfred).
Standards:
National MENC Standards:
(2) Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
(6) Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
(9) Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
TI:ME Technology Strategies:
(4) Technology-Assisted Learning
(5) Multimedia and Digitized media
Procedures:
1) The teacher will introduce Unit 1 – Louis Armstrong (1901-1971). Students should read aloud the story of the life of Louis Armstrong. The teacher will play a selection of music from Louis Armstrong (What A Wonderful World - MP3 - iTunes). Show a brief video clip of Louis Armstrong (filmed in 1933) from Jazz: A Multimedia History or from YouTube (advertising cut).
2) The students will complete the ‘Quiz on Louis Armstrong’ quiz on our website. (Louis Armstrong Quiz). Record the grade for each student or have the student print the score if a printer is available. Students that receive a high score may get a reward (music pencil, stickers, buttons).
3) Selected students who are interested in playing more difficult music may start working on ‘What a Wonderful World’ on the keyboard. This could be one of our selections to play for the All City Band Evaluation in April/May if students can play it well. Music handouts are available and the music is also posted in students’ Noteflight accounts.
4) Students will complete various pages in the Alfred Basic Piano Library Book 1 based on individual student progress. Video (digital camera) some of the students and post it immediately using the projector for review and feedback. They also may choose to play songs from our website (Flash piano practice pages).
5) If time allows, students may play some of the other quizzes on our website related to other jazz musicians. A Jazz Musician Help Page is available on the site to read about other jazz musicians and listen to clips of music by each musician. Students may also work on Sibelius or Noteflight music notation projects.
Ask students to notice...
- From reading the story about Louis Armstrong….Armstrong was known as the first improviser of jazz music. What does the word ‘improvise’ mean? (Music that is created spontaneously.)
- Name some of Armstrong’s famous compositions – (Heebie Jeebies, Potato Head Blues) – and his bands (Hot Five and Hot Seven).
- Do you think that it takes a lot of (hard) work to be in a band or orchestra today? (Yes! Musicians have to work together and practice their instruments or singing alone and with group practice for many hours to be able to perform the music in concerts.)
Evaluation…
- Students read aloud and answer questions successfully demonstrating knowledge about the life of Louis Armstrong.
- Students will complete the Louis Armstrong quiz with a score of 80 or higher.
- Students complete the assigned pages in the Alfred Basic Piano Book with understanding of concepts and performance of the songs for the teacher. (Example: Pages 26 - 33 – C Position).
- Selected students show an understanding of how to play the first line or two in ‘What a Wonderful World.’
Essential Questions:
Who was Louis Armstrong? What type of music was he famous for writing and performing? What does it mean to improvise music?
- Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was a very famous jazz musician known for playing the trumpet, singing and leading
bands. He had a deep, ‘gravelly’ singing voice. He was known as the first improviser of jazz music. ‘Improvise’
means to create the music spontaneously (or make it up as you play it).
- One of the most famous recordings that Louis Armstrong is known for playing is ‘What a Wonderful World.’ Our students always recognize the song immediately when they hear it played. They have heard the song in movies, on TV, in advertisements and on the radio before. We will be learning to play the song in our music technology class over the next few months.
- Do you think that it takes a lot of (hard) work to be in a band or orchestra? Yes! Musicians have to work together and practice their instruments or singing alone and with group practice for many hours to be able to perform the music in concerts. Louis Armstrong started working hard and practicing his music at a young age to eventually become a great musician and band leader.
Extension:
- Use your Noteflight account to practice ‘What a Wonderful World’ along with the keyboard.
- Print and complete the Louis Armstrong maze from our Worksheets page on musictechteacher.com.
- Make your own Louis Armstrong quiz using Hot Potatoes software and the handout worksheets about Armstrong.
- Research additional information about Louis Armstrong on the Internet.
