A Reflection On Version One Of My Ten Minute, Eighth Grade General Music Lesson On Louis Armstrong

When planning for my "mock" ten minute, eighth grade general music lesson on Louis Armstrong, there were countless ideas, thoughts, factors and questions, which crossed my mind. Louis Armstrong is arguably the first "giant" or "titan" of the jazz world, considering that there are currently no known recordings of Buddy Bolden, a man whom many consider to be the first tried-and-true "jazz musician". I think that frequently, the passion that an enthusiastic music educator possesses for his or her art form can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, students absolutely need to feed off of this positive energy, particularly when we find ourselves in an educational climate ripe with standardized testing, curriculum overhaul, teacher burnout and widespread frustration at all levels. It is an honor to be able to "specialize" in something that you are deeply committed to, whereas many general education classroom teachers have settled for a subject, either because it is an area of need or, if they are at the elementary level, they are forced to throw their proverbial hat into the ring of each "core subject" respectively. As a music educator I have the utmost honor of being able to focus on what sincerely matters the most to me, day in and day out. However, because I have such a deep love for music, particularly jazz, I think I frequently forget that most people whom I come into contact with are not on this exact wavelength. Regardless of the age group in question, students need to be given a taste of someone like Louis Armstrong in bits and pieces. The full pie is not meant to be dealt out all at once, but rather in small slices, so that it ultimately is that much more enjoyable, boasts a longer shelf life and proves to be as rewarding and engaging as possible. There is so much to say about the genius of Louis Armstrong and yet as the saying goes, "Less is more". Professor Schneider made an excellent point by reminding our class that we need to focus on only one or two objectives that we wish to accomplish in the course of our individual ten minute lessons. The point of any form of instruction should always be clear to the students participating in said class, especially when you consider that if your class doesn't understand the message you are trying to communicate, chances are observers who may be evaluating you will not follow either. I love the picture below, because despite being known as a clown and perpetual joker, Louis Armstrong was a consummate professional and an incredibly deep and profound human being. 

As I started my lesson off, having the class take part in a "call and response" or "echoing" exercise with the song "When the Saints Go Marching In", I found myself wondering if I should proceed with the Prezi that I had created on the life, music and career of "Satchmo". I wanted to begin by engaging my classmates, which I felt quite successful at during the aforementioned activity. From there, I fell back on the Prezi, because I felt that having a variety of materials was necessary to sustain interest in the topic at hand. Once again, I have to remind myself that not everyone, particularly not eighth grade students in 2015, will be as taken with Louis Armstrong as I am. Truth be told, I am not the best at incorporating the wide expanse of technology currently available, into the classroom environment. This aspect of my teaching is something that I undoubtedly strive to get better at, which is why I was thrilled to read Dr. Scott Watson's book Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity, along with absorbing Professor Schneider's expertise in this area. I figured that I would try my best at compiling at Power Point Presentation or Prezi, considering that I had recently utilized the latter for an assignment in my "Educating the Exceptional Learner" class at the University of Bridgeport, with rather positive results. While Professor Schneider and several of my classmates complimented me on my use of technology, along with incorporating audio clips of Louis Armstrong performing "When the Saints Go Marching In", "West End Blues" and "Hello, Dolly!", I think that the general consensus was that I should have continued along the path of vocal, improvisational and performance/participatory activities, which I began on at the beginning of my lesson. The possibilities in this regard are endless, but I plan to come up with a concrete sketch of how to proceed, through incorporating improvisation, phrasing, harmony, arranging, vocal techniques, scat-singing and perhaps "gag effects". I would love to have each student come up with his or her own interpretation of the melody to a song such as "St. James Infirmary", which Louis Armstrong recorded countless times over the course of his career. The class could sing this song as a round and continue the theme of "call and response", by having one student improvise over the first four measures of either the chord progression or simply the melodic line, followed by an answer from the next student in the circle, etc. The following clip showcases Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars, live in Berlin, Germany in 1965 and features Eddie Shu on clarinet, Tyree Glenn on trombone, Billy Kyle on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass and Danny Barcelona on drums. Even at the age of nearly 65, Louis Armstrong never ceased to epitomize finesse, innovation and polish. 

One observation of each student who presented his respective lesson earlier this evening is that there was a tendency to cram as much in as possible, consequently talking far more than necessary and frequently at a frenzied pace. Finding the right moments to insert a bit of dialogue is a constant balancing act, because referring back to Peter Loel Boonshaft, even though as teachers, we don't want to talk too much, there are certainly moments that require discourse between students and teacher(s). Professor Schneider also makes a critical statement concerning the need for student directed learning. Regardless of the content area in question, the present educational climate emphasizes the notion of a learner taking more responsibility and ownership for his or her education, learning and understanding of material. As with any idea, there are certainly aspects of this concept that need to be examined more closely, but by and large I concur with the notion that a student should develop the intrinsic motivation to be the pilot of his or her own vessel. I look forward to the challenge of building on my initial lesson plan and re-presenting three weeks from now, when the final exam in Music in the Secondary School rolls around. I am excited to read comments and receive feedback from my colleagues at large!