a rockapella Holiday Rockapella

Passport
TO CULTURE
Teacher’s Resource Guide
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A Rockapella Holiday
Rockapella
just imagine
Generous support for
Schooltime provided,
in part, by
Arts Education and You
just imagine
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Arts Education Department presents the
12th season of the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series.
With Passport to Culture, Verizon and NJPAC open up a world of culture to you and
your students, offering the best in live performance from a wide diversity of traditions
and disciplines. At NJPAC’s state-of-the-art facility in Newark, with support from
Verizon, the SchoolTime Performance Series enriches the lives of New Jersey’s students
and teachers by inviting them to see, feel, and hear the joy of artistic expression. The
exciting roster of productions features outstanding New Jersey companies as well as performers of national and international renown. Meet-the-artist sessions and NJPAC tours
are available to expand the arts adventure.
The Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series is one of many current
arts education offerings at NJPAC. Others include:
• Professional Development Workshops that support the use of the arts
to enhance classroom curriculum
• Arts Academy school residency programs in dance, theater and literature,
and Early Learning Through the Arts – the NJ Wolf Trap Program
• After-school residencies with United Way agencies
In association with statewide arts organizations, educational institutions, and generous
funders, the Arts Education Department sponsors the following arts training programs:
• Wachovia Jazz for Teens
• The All-State Concerts
• The Star-Ledger Scholarship for the Performing Arts
• The Jeffery Carollo Music Scholarship
• Summer Youth Performance Workshop
• Young Artist Institute
• NJPAC/New Jersey Youth Theater Summer Musical Program
Students have the opportunity to audition for admission to NJPAC’s arts training programs during NJPAC’s annual Young Artist Talent Search.
Detailed information on these programs is available online at njpac.org. Click on
Education. The Teacher’s Resource Guide and additional activities and resources for
each production in the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Series are also online.
Click on Education, then on Performances. Scroll down to “Download Teacher Guide
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format” and select desired guide.
CONTENTS
On Stage
3
In the Spotlight
4
Music Talk
5
Singing the Praises
of Vocal Music
6
Before and After Activities
7
Teaching Science
Through Music
7
Delving Deeper
8
2
Permission is granted to copy this Teacher’s Resource Guide for classes attending the
2008-2009 Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series. All other rights
reserved.
To Teachers and Parents
The resource guide accompanying each performance is designed
• to maximize students’ enjoyment and appreciation of the performing arts;
• to extend the impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas,
activities, and further reading that promote learning across the curriculum;
• to promote arts literacy by expanding students’ knowledge of music, dance,
and theater;
• to illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the traditional values,
customs, beliefs, expressions, and reflections of a culture;
• to use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate
students’ own heritage through self-expression;
• to reinforce the New Jersey Department of Education’s Core Curriculum Content Standards in the arts.
Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
On Stage
Rockapella
The members of Rockapella are
critically acclaimed masters of a
cappella, the art of singing without
instrumental accompaniment. Since the
1980s, they have been making musical
magic by taking elements of rock, jazz
and rhythm & blues and blending them
together in a truly singular style.
A contributing factor to Rockapella’s
global appeal has been the ensemble’s
ability to employ the element of
surprise, thereby always keeping fans
delighted and on the edge of their seats.
Tapping into a seemingly bottomless
well of creativity, Rockapella never
performs the same show twice. What
is consistent at every show is a varied
repertoire of original songs and cover
tunes, versatile voices and an uncanny
knack for connecting with the audience.
This five-man powerhouse of vocal
talent sweeps through sold-out venues
across the country year round. With
an ever-expanding fan base, they are
known as “the Kings of Contemporary
A Cappella.”
The song selections for A Rockapella
Holiday capture the heart of the season
with Rockapella-cized arrangements
celebrating Kwanzaa, Hannukah and
Christmas as well as classic favorites.
Included in the group’s crowd-pleasing,
spirited NJPAC performance are:
“Matunda Ya Kwanzaa” - a new,
original Rockapella song honoring the
annual celebration of African culture;
“The Dreidel Song” - a Hannukah
favorite like you’ve never heard it sung
before;
“Angels We Have Heard On High” - a
new, funky version of the traditional,
beloved Christmas carol;
“Little Mary Snowflake” - a New York
City holiday classic and one of many
originals that help define the warm edge
that makes Rockapella’s holiday
concerts so unique; and
Rockapella’s combination of tight
ensemble singing and virtuosic
solo voices is notable. The unique
personality of each member’s voice
creates the flawless blend of the
group’s sound as well as diversity
and excitement in the solos. Pushing
the limits of the first instrument —
the human voice — group members
evoke a spectrum of sounds from
musical instruments to insects in
motion. They also play with changes
in tempo, dynamics and mood, and
their vocal versatility enables them to
tell an eclectic mix of musical stories.
Rockapella performances engender a
genuine sense of community. The group
draws its energy and inspiration as
much from the connection they create
with the audience as they do from each
other. The audience is not a passive
spectator but an important collaborator
in setting the tone of the show.
“The Chipmunk Song” – described by
Rockapella as “That’s my jam,
homey!”
Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
3
In the Spotlight
Rockapella started out as a group of
four young Brown University alumni
brought together by the sheer love of
performing. The ensemble’s membership
fluctuated in the early years. Then, in
1992, ever-innovative Rockapella added
a full-time mouth drummer — or vocal
percussionist — to the group. Since
then, this vocal quintet, whose sound
had become an infectious blend of soul,
rock, R&B and jazz, has performed
throughout the country and appeared
widely on radio and television.
John K. Brown (baritone) began singing
in church at the age of nine and never
stopped. He grew up in Louisville, KY
and attended performing arts schools
up through college, graduating from
the New World School in Miami. After
seeing Ben Vereen in the musical Pippin,
he said, “Mom, that’s what I want
to do!” Since then, he has performed
across the country, on Broadway and
Off Broadway, and has shared the stage
with greats such as Phil Collins, Tina
Turner and Julie Andrews.
Scott Leonard 4
Kevin Wright (tenor) has a smooth tenor
voice that lights up Rockapella’s upper
range sound. Kevin grew up in Winter
Haven, FL where he sang his first solo
in church at the age of two. Before
joining Rockapella, he co-starred with
George Wendt, Cleo Laine, Lauryn Hill,
Betty Buckley, and others on and off
Broadway and on tour.
Scott Leonard (high tenor) grew up
in Indianapolis, IN. He was a voice
major at the University of Tampa. Scott
sang in rock groups for Disney in both
Orlando and Tokyo for two years and
released two solo albums in Japan.
Scott’s soaring vocals and songwriting
prowess have played major roles in
shaping Rockapella’s characteristic
sound.
George Baldi (bass) hails from
Philadelphia, PA. His rich, soulful voice,
remarkable solo range and top-notch
musicianship are a great fit for the
group. Rockapella found him when he
was performing at Universal Studios’
theme park in Osaka, Japan. Before
joining Rockapella, George was a
member of Boyz II Men.
Jeff Thacher (vocal percussion) started
his musical life playing classical piano
and French horn and then added choral
and musical theater experience. A
graduate of Boston’s renowned Berklee
College of Music, Jeff joined Rockapella
after working in the recording, radio
and television industries.
Kevin Wright John K. Brown Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
George Baldi Jeff Thacher
Music Talk
Rockapella
arrangement - a new adaptation and
orchestration of an already existing
musical piece.
falsetto - a male voice in an upper
register beyond its normal range.
baritone - middle vocal register for a
male singer.
harmony - the combination of certain
musical intervals or chords that relate to
each other and sound pleasing.
bass - lowest vocal register for a male
singer.
improvisation - performing or
composing music extemporaneously.
call-and-response - a musical
conversation, often highly repetitive,
in which a lead voice or instrument is
answered or echoed by other voices or
instruments.
melody - an organized succession of
single musical notes arranged in a
related and recognizable pattern.
chord - three or more tones having a
harmonic relation to each other, and
played or sounded together.
chorus - the part of a song or piece of
music that is repeated at intervals.
cover - a reinterpretation of a song
previously recorded by another artist in
which the arrangement, instrumentation,
tempo, and/or lyrics may be altered.
dynamics - the interplay between
loudness and softness, and smoothness
and “choppiness” of notes that are
played or sung.
meter - the basic recurrent rhythmical
pattern of note values, accents and beats
per measure in music.
polyrhythms - two or more different
rhythms played or sung simultaneously.
register - the range between the lowest
and the highest tone capable of being
produced by a voice or instrument.
rhythm - a regular pattern produced by
the length of strong and weak musical
sounds at a particular speed or tempo.
solo - a performance by one person that
may or may not be accompanied by
supporting voices or instruments.
technique - skill displayed in the basic
elements of playing or singing music.
tempo - the speed at which music is
played or sung.
tenor - highest vocal register for a male
singer.
vocal percussion - the use of the voice
and mouth to mimic sounds created
by the beating or striking of a musical
instrument, or the clapping, tapping, or
snapping of one’s fingers.
repertoire - all of the plays, dances,
or musical works available for a
performance by an individual or group
at a given time.
Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
5
Did You Know?
Vocal music is among the oldest and most
universal art forms. Since ancient times,
cultures around the world have revered
the human voice’s ability to soothe, ruffle
and rouse the mind, the body and the
soul. This ability originated and evolved
without dependence upon instrumental
accompaniment. Musically, the voice can
stand alone. Drawing its power — as well
as its mass appeal — from the singular
nature of the human voice, contemporary
a cappella has many musical antecedents as
an American pop culture phenomenon.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
barbershops were an important gathering
place for men of all ages in Euro-American
communities. Barbershops were the site of
heated socio-political discussions as well as
musical fun and games. As clients waited
for their shave and haircut, they would
improvise to popular songs and the term
“barbershop singing” was coined.
The more formalized barbershop quartet —
usually all male — became an increasingly
popular source of entertainment among
Euro-Americans. These ensembles
were noted for their close harmonies,
unconventional vocal arrangements and
spirited improvisation — all done without
instrumental accompaniment. Each
member of the quartet sang a specific part:
one person sang the lead melody supported
by the tenor who sang the harmony line
above the melody, the bass who sang
the harmony line below the melody and
the baritone who sang the harmony line
between the tenor and the bass parts. In
the 1920s and 1930s, at the height of
Prohibition and the Great Depression,
the formal barbershop quartet as well as
community barbershop singing declined in
popularity.
Rooted in the African-derived musical
styles of jazz and rhythm and blues, doowop music became a popular a cappella
music craze in the 1940s and 1950s in
urban centers. Like barbershop quartets,
doo-wop groups emerged as a community
phenomenon with creative arrangements
6
fayetteconcerts.org
Singing the Praises
of Vocal Music
The Platters, a popular and influencial singing group of the 1950s and early 1960s.
and vocal improvisation characterizing the
style. However, these four-to-five-member
groups took to the streets, preferring busy
corners and back porches to test their
musical ideas. The lead singer, falsetto/
first tenor, second tenor, baritone, and
bass voices all worked together to create
rich harmonies. A signature technique of
doo-wop groups was the use of the voice
primarily as an instrument. The bass
singer mimicked bass lines and a tenor
sang saxophone lines while the lead singer,
often singing in his silkiest falsetto voice,
entertained listeners with lyrical adventures
in love.
Unique to doo-wop music was its use of
invented lyrics, consisting of assorted,
strung-together syllables like “doobedoo-be,” “sh-boom, sh-boom” and
“doh-beh-doh-doh-doh.” This trademark
echoed the current improvisational scatsinging of jazz vocalists of the bebop era.
As the commercial success of doo-wop
groups grew, minimal instrumentation was
used to enhance their sound. Groups like
The Impressions, The Platters, Frank Valli
& The Four Seasons, and The Drifters
made musical history in the doo-wop style.
Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
Singular in its widespread appeal across
color lines in the segregated 1950s, doowop grew to become part of the musical
matrix — along with jazz, rhythm & blues,
country, and gospel — that spawned the
emergence of rock & roll in the late 1950s
and 1960s.
In the 1980s, evolving a cappella groups
like Rockapella, Take 6, The Bobs, and
The Nylons honored their hybrid musical
roots while developing even stronger, more
musically diverse branches of Christian,
rhythm and blues, pop/rock, and jazz a
cappella. These ensembles contributed
to the resurgent popularity of a cappella
music, paving the way for chart topping
“boy bands” like Boyz II Men and ’N Sync
to add to the ever-evolving conversation.
Although not adhering to a purely a
cappella sound, such bands have been
influenced by a cappella roots, as evidenced
by their harmonies, vocal arrangements
and repertoire. Rockapella artfully waters
these musical roots while harvesting new
possibilities for contemporary a cappella
ensembles by further popularizing vocal
percussion as a distinct voice part or
making unusual meters swing.
In the Classroom
Before the Performance
1. To help students to explore a cappella
sound-making, select one student to lead the
group in a call-and-response exercise. Have
the students create a steady beat by marching
in place. Invite the leader to experiment with
making sounds from a category, e.g., animals,
modes of transportation, household machines,
while keeping the steady beat established
by the group. As the leader calls with his/
her sound, the group repeats it, imitating the
call. After the group has explored mimicry
of sounds, invite another student to lead the
call. This time, however, one student at a
time will respond and, instead of repeating
the call exactly, he/she will make one change
to the leader’s call. This will introduce the
group slowly to improvisation. As the students
become more comfortable, they may change
the call completely when giving their response,
while staying within the theme or category of
sounds established by the leader. Progressively,
the students may be encouraged to improvise
more freely and experiment with improvising
two or three variations at a time to see what
range of sounds and rhythms is created. (1.2)*
After the Performance
1. Have the students brainstorm their
responses to the concert onto a word wall.
Invite each student to characterize what he/she
saw, heard and felt during the concert using
one noun, one verb and one adjective until the
word wall is filled with their impressions via
these parts of speech. Ask the students to write
one sentence (or story, poem, etc.) about their
theater experience using the word wall for
vocabulary and content ideas. Then, have the
students draw pictures that further elaborate
their response. (1.1, 1.3, 1.4)
Teaching Science Through Music (K-8)
By Timothy & Katrina Macht
Music originates as sound, and all sound is produced by vibration. Inside our
larynx (voice box) are two folds of tough elastic tissue called vocal cords,
which can either hang in a relaxed state or be stretched tightly. Air is constantly
flowing in and out of our lungs and through the voice box and vocal cords.
When we are not making sound, the vocal cords are relaxed. For sound to be
made, the brain sends a signal to the muscles to pull the cords tightly, so there
is only a narrow opening between them as the air passes through, thus causing
vibrations. Stretching the cords makes them vibrate faster and produce sound of
a higher pitch. If the cords are further apart, the sound produced will be lower.
To turn the spoken word into singing, a sustained flow of air is required. The
length of air flow is determined by the strength of the diaphragm. When we
breathe, the diaphragm pulls the base of the chest down. When air is being
forced out, the diaphragm controls the rate and volume. Sounds are louder
when the diaphragm pushes greater amounts of air more quickly over stretched
vocal cords. When the air flow is less and pushed out more slowly, causing little
vibration, sounds are softer. Singers learn early in their training to breathe from
the diaphragm, not the chest. The diaphragm holds a large amount of air, taken
in one quick breath. Once trained properly, the diaphragm allows a singer to go
for long periods without taking a breath, giving the performer the ability to hold
a note or string words together in a musical phrase.
NJ Core Curriculum Content Science Standards state that all students will “gain
an understanding of natural laws as they apply to motion, forces and energy
transformations.” For exercises that support the Standard and investigate the
human body as a sound producing musical “instrument,” see the website pages
of additional activities and resources that accompany this guide. Go to njpac.
org. Click on Education, then on Performances, then on Curriculum materials.
Scroll down to “Download Teacher Guide in Adobe PDF format” and select
desired guide.
Timothy Macht is an actor with extensive stage and commercial credits. When not
performing, he works as a public speaking instructor and coach. Katrina Macht is a fifth
grade teacher in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District and the Director of Outreach for
Professional Resources in Science & Mathematics (PRISM) at Montclair State University.
The Teaching Science Through the Arts content of this guide is made possible through the
generous support of Roche.
*Number(s) indicate the NJ Core Curriculum
Content Standard(s) supported by the activity.
Additional Before and After activities can
be found online at njpac.org. Click on Education,
then on Performances. Scroll down to “Download
Teacher Guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format”
and select desired guide.
Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
7
Delving Deeper
Books
Hoffer, Charles R. Introduction to Music
Education. Waveland Press, 2001.
Kastin, David. Hear America Singing:An
Introduction to Popular Music. Prentice
Hall, 2001.
Selected Recordings by Rockapella
Live in Japan. Shakariki Records, 2004.
Comfort & Joy. Amerigo Records, 2002.
Smilin’. Amerigo Records, 2002.
In Concert. J-Bird Records, 2001.
Rockapella 2. J-Bird Records, 2000.
Christmas. J-Bird Records, 2000.
Don’t Tell Me You Do. J-Bird Records,
1999.
Websites:
rockapella.com – Official website
of Rockapella with biographical
information, discography, performance
schedule, music clips, and photos.
casa.org – The Contemporary A
Cappella Society’s website with
information about its services and links
to other a cappella sites.
Additional resources can be found online
at njpac.org. Click on Education, then on
Performances, then on Curriculum Materials.
Scroll down to “Download Teacher Guide
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format” and select
desired guide.
Acknowledgments
as of 07/22/08
NJPAC Arts Education programs are made
possible by the generosity of: Bank of
America, Allen & Joan Bildner & The Bildner
Family Foundation, The Arts Education
Endowment Fund in Honor of Raymond G.
Chambers, Leon & Toby Cooperman, The
William Randolph Hearst Foundations, The
Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Johnson
& Johnson, Lehman Brothers Inc., McCrane
Foundation, Merck, Albert & Katharine
Merck, The Prudential Foundation, Richmond
County Savings Foundation, David & Marian
Rocker, The Sagner Family Foundation,
Schering-Plough, The Star-Ledger/Samuel I.
Newhouse Foundation, The Turrell Fund,
Verizon, The Victoria Foundation, Wachovia,
and, The Women’s Association of NJPAC.
Additional support is provided by:
Advance Realty Foundation, The Atlantic
Philanthropies, The Frank & Lydia Bergen
Foundation, Bloomberg, The Bodman
Foundation, The Citi Foundation, The
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Veronica
Goldberg Foundation, Independence
Community Foundation, Meg & Howard
Jacobs, Kraft Foods, The MCJ Amelior
Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation,
New Jersey Cultural Trust, The New Jersey
State Council on the Arts, New Jersey
Department of State, National Endowment for
the Arts, Pechter Foundation, Pennsylvania
Performing Arts on Tour, PSE&G, E. Franklin
Robbins Charitable Trust, Roche, SanofiAventis, The United Way of Essex & West
Hudson, Andrew Vagelos, The Edward W.
& Stella C. Van Houten Memorial Fund,
and The Blanche M. & George L. Watts
Mountainside Community Foundation.
For even more arts integration resources,
please go to Thinkfinity.org, the Verizon
Foundation’s signature digital learning platform,
designed to improve educational and
literacy achievement.
Arthur Ryan ……………..........................…………………………………………………………………….Chairman
Lawrence P. Goldman ………..................…………………………………..President & Chief Executive Officer
Sandra Bowie………………….....................……………………………………..Vice President for Arts Education
Sanaz Hojreh ……………..................….……………………………..Assistant Vice President for Arts Education
Donna Bost-White……......................….……………………………….Director for Arts Education/Special Projects
Jeffrey Griglak………......................……………….………………………………..……..Director for Arts Training
Verushka Spirito……......................…………………………………………...Associate Director for Performances
Ambrose Liu………………........................……………………………………....Associate Director for Residencies
Caitlin Evans Jones………….......................………………………………….…Associate Director for Residencies
Faye Competello……………........................…………………………………....Associate Director for Arts Training
Mary Whithed………....................………..………………………………….....Program Coordinator for Residencies
Marie Thompson ……....................……………..…….Arts Education Sales Associate and Program Administrator
Joanna Gibson.......................................................................................Manager of Wachovia Jazz for Teens
Mary Louise Johnston & Laura Ingoglia……………................………......Editors of Teacher’s Resource Guides
8
Passport to culture • A Rockapella Holiday
One Center Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Administration: 973 642-8989
Arts Education Hotline: 973 353-8009
artseducation@njpac.org
NJPAC wishes to thank Rockapella for
assistance with this guide.
Writers: Marshell Kumahor
Laura Ingoglia
Editor: Laura Ingoglia
Design: Pierre Sardain,
66 Creative, Inc.
www.66Creative.com
NJPAC Guest Reader:
Debra L. Volz
Curriculum Review Committee:
Judith Israel
Amy Tenzer
Copyright © 2008
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
All Rights Reserved