Was The Re-Presentation Of My Ten-Minute, Eighth Grade General Music Lesson On Louis Armstrong More Successful Than The Initial Iteration?

Exactly one month ago, I presented a ten minute lesson on Louis Armstrong, geared towards an eighth grade general music class. My peers in Professor Brant Schneider's Music in the Secondary School (MSED 544) class served as the students in this hypothetical middle school environment. The first section of the initial lesson consisted of students learning "When the Saints Go Marching In", a gospel hymn of American origin, whose specific composer(s) and/or lyricist(s) is not known. The song was first recorded on May 13, 1938 by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra. I decided to teach the tune in a call and response manner, using only "scat" syllables ("ba", "da", "be", "bop", "spa" and "spwe") before introducing the lyrics. My goal in making this choice was to have students connect and latch onto the melodic and harmonic content of the selection before concerning themselves with words. My colleagues handled this rather easily, although the comment was made that the manner in which I chose to break up the phrases was somewhat awkward. My aim was to not interrupt any of the individual ideas until they were complete. Throughout the course of my own musical education, I have had numerous teachers tell me that when it comes to phrasing, articulation and transitions, the goal should be to have as much continuity, cohesion and connectivity as possible. This allows the average audience member to follow a melody from beginning to end, without any hiccups in-between. I wish that I had more opportunity to receive feedback from my classmates on what about the phrasing confused them, but I think that a sizable portion of the problem may have been the fact that they already knew "When the Saints Go Marching In" and were being left "metaphorically" hanging in limbo, anticipating each subsequent phrase after I had sung its predecessor. I attempted to incorporate as much enthusiasm and outright joy in my vocalization as possible, which the class responded well to. I posed several questions to the group such as, "What do you think of when you hear 'New Orleans'?", "What is the style of 'When the Saints Go Marching In'?" and "Do you know anything about brass bands?" I briefly touched upon the major role that the "brass band" plays in the culture of New Orleans and had my colleagues march while singing "When the Saints Go Marching In". I had the class eating out of the palm of my hand so to speak, but from there I made the decision to sit them down and brought up a Prezi on Professor Schneider's laptop, which was connected to the classroom SMART board. I spent a good deal of time compiling this component of my lesson and was pleased with the results upon viewing them on my own home desktop computer. For any number of reasons, it did not occur to me that such a drastic change of pace in my "teaching" would suck the energy right out of the room. I fell back on the "lecture" or "stand and deliver" model of instruction that so many of us grew up exposed to. People of my generation and above find comfort in constant talking and excessive verbal explanation. In the Prezi, I tried to include as much biographical and discography-based knowledge on Louis Armstrong as possible. I augmented the text with several audio clips of Louis Armstrong performing songs such as "When the Saints Go Marching In", "West End Blues" and "Hello, Dolly!". I also included numerous images of "Pops", which I found to be particularly compelling and complimentary to the written material within each "slide". One thing that I neglected to take into consideration when planning the first incarnation of my ten minute, eighth grade general music lesson on Louis Armstrong is the fact that not everyone will "geek out" over the biographical, discography-based and historical details of the life and career of "Satchmo" to the extent that I do. Eighth graders in 2015 are probably going to know little to nothing about the life, career, music and significance of Louis Armstrong within the development of modern music as we witness it today. Consequently, even in a full forty-five or ninety minute eighth grade general music class, there must be one clear objective for a lesson on Louis Armstrong. Less talking is always ideal, because the current generation is not programmed to receive constant lecture positively. The average attention span has waned significantly, and as such students need continual interactivity and hands-on participation-based tasks. Transitions can be a music educator's best friend or worst enemy, depending upon how they are used. Although I did not read directly from the text that I had on each Prezi slide, I based the majority of my "lecture" off of this reference point. My speech was a bit rushed and frantic, in an attempt to cram in all of the details that I felt were relevant to the subject of Louis Armstrong. Even with cohorts of my generation, above and below in the class, I was amazed by how lackluster the environment was as I finished just when Professor Schneider called "time". The video clip below is the original May 13, 1938 Decca 78 rpm recording of "When the Saints Go Marching In" by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra, featuring Louis Armstrong on trumpet and vocals, Shelton Hemphill on trumpet, J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, Rupert Cole on clarinet and alto saxophone, Charlie Holmes on alto saxophone, Bingie Madison on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Luis Russell on piano and also as the arranger, Lee Blair on guitar, Red Callender on bass and Paul Barbarin on drums. 

Going into the re-presentation of my ten minute, eighth grade general music lesson, I knew that there were a number of sections that I wanted to modify and rework. As proud as I am of the Prezi that I created, I opted to exclude this resource from the presentation, along with technology of any kind. I felt that staying "old school", if you will provided me with more room to interact with my "hypothetical" students, in a manner that was concrete and tangible for all parties concerned. I began the lesson by writing and underlining Louis Armstrong's name on the white board in Room 307 of the Arnold Bernhard Arts and Humanities Center. Beneath this, I added six keywords that I indicated "epitomize the essence" of Louis Armstrong, including trumpet, cornet, vocal, blues, swing and conviction. My classmates were definitely taken aback by this approach and I attempted to seize the moment by having them stand up to begin learning "Saint James Infirmary". The aforementioned tune is an American folk song of anonymous origin, but can frequently be found credited to Joe Primrose, better known as Irving Berlin, one of the most revered songwriters of the twentieth century in America. I opted to follow the same instructional format for this portion of my re-presentation as I had utilized in the initial incarnation of the lesson, hence using call and response and initially omitting the lyrics to "Saint James Infirmary". I wanted the students to see the parallels between Louis Armstrong the instrumentalist and Louis Armstrong the vocalist. I used a growl-like effect, as generated through a plunger when playing the trumpet or cornet, while my cohorts were learning the melodic line to "Saint James Infirmary". I simulated the in and out motion of the plunger, which would subsequently create the "growl" or vocal-like effects, by holding my hand in a cupped position in front of my mouth and moving it backwards and forwards. The class seemed to find this a bit silly at first, but followed suit nonetheless. I moved through the melody in a phrase-by-phrase manner, following this pattern when bringing the lyrics in as well. My goal remained identical to the first incarnation of this lesson, in terms of establishing continuity, cohesion and connectivity. After the class had sung through the first verse of the tune a couple of times, with and without the lyrics, both call and response and unison, I began switching between a phrase without lyrics and a phrase with lyrics. My objective for this practice was to demonstrate both the connection between the sung lyric and the played melodic phrase, as well as the strong parallels that existed in Louis Armstrong's trumpet/cornet playing and his singing. Professor Schneider's comments for this portion of my re-presentation centered around what specifically I was assessing. I would have to say that pitch recognition would be the easiest skill to assess during this portion of the lesson, but one could also justify evaluating aural reproduction during this activity as well. The concept that I was thinking of when designing this task was the idea of singing through one's horn. Jazz music is a genre where horn players are thinking of vocalizing through a saxophone, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, flute and oboe, while vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae would strive to emulate the likes of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. The voice is the first true instrument. We are all born with the potential to sing or use our voice in other musical ways, should we harness and train this intrinsic ability. Professor Schneider was also curious about why I chose to not include piano accompaniment during this section of the lesson. I wanted to focus strongly on developing the students' ears without the aid of an instrument. The piano can certainly be helpful for establishing a key/tonal center for students to refer to when learning a song of any type, but being that I have perfect pitch, I wanted the class to harness their own intonation through only a vocal reference point. In my opinion, this will strengthen their aural skills going forward, particularly if practiced from an early age. The picture below features Louis Armstrong and legendary trombonist Jack Teagarden. It was taken by noted jazz photographer William P. Gottlieb, some time between the years 1938 and 1948. Dig how hip "Pops" is to the gorgeous sounds coming out of Jack Teagarden's trombone. This image resonates the six keywords that I attempted to outline in my re-presentation: trumpet, cornet, vocal, blues, swing and conviction.

Within his feedback, Professor Schneider remarked that the activity of singing "Saint James Infimary", both with and without lyrics would have to be built up to when working with an eighth grade class. I agree with this sentiment, particularly considering that in the context of a general music classroom, the majority of the students are most likely not members of the band, orchestra, choir or jazz ensemble at a particular educational institution. When we keep that factor in mind, our approach to instruction is greatly altered, because the beginning skill set(s) or lack there of that students are working with will impact their ability to quickly absorb new material or not. I asked my classmates the question, "Was Louis Armstrong a trumpeter or vocalist first?" I wanted to see what their answers would be in an attempt to articulate that "Satchmo's" trumpet playing and vocalizing were extensions of one another. Louis Armstrong began singing before he picked up the cornet, but it is quite difficult to answer the above question, if one has not done a bit of research. When "Pops" sings, he might as well be playing the trumpet or cornet and vice versa. Professor Schneider remarked that students probably should have sat down at this point in time, because they were no longer doing any "performing", which is a valid point and one that I honestly overlooked, because of how engaged I found myself to be in the content of and responses to the lesson. I began to discuss the concept of conviction and how important it is to make the audience believe that you believe, comprehend and relate to what it is that you are playing, even if you don't know the particular selection all that well. I used the example of how Louis Armstrong invented "scat singing", which describes a recording session where "Satchmo" was singing, when suddenly his sheet music fell off of the music stand. Instead of allowing this minor mishap to completely derail the proceedings, Armstrong opted to sing using "nonsense" or "scat" syllables that he made up on the spot. This method of vocal improvisation would quickly become a staple within the modern jazz canon and was adopted by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, Chet Baker, Jon Hendricks and countless others. One of my classmates asked if the group could sit down while we were having this brief exchange. Professor Schneider remarked that transitions would impede my progress with an eighth grade class during the course of this lesson. That is something that I will have to continue to reflect upon, because although I used significantly less dialogue during the course of my re-presentation, I wonder how I might make any "down time" more productive and tranquil. The next question that I posed to the class was if anyone had ever heard of the blues scale. My reasoning for this was the fact that "Saint James Infirmary" is a song that is based almost exclusively on a concert "D" blues scale. Louis Armstrong is rooted completely within the blues traditions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. I sang a concert "D" blues scale and had the class echo or repeat after me. It took several attempts for them to latch on to the altered tones (blue note) within this scale. I then sang several basic "scat"-based, improvised phrases using the concert "D" blues scale and had the class mimic what I came up with. We then engaged in a tried and true call and response activity, where I sang a "scat"-based, improvised phrase using the concert "D" blues scale and each student had to finish my idea or respond with their own creation. This worked out fairly well, although as Professor Schneider pointed out, every individual ended their respective phrase on the tonic of the concert "D" blues scale, because of course the ear is going to gravitate towards the root before any other note. If I had to guess, I would wager that other than myself, no one in class has extensive experience with vocal improvisation in a jazz context. I was about to have the group improvise vocally, using only one or two notes contained in the first chord of "Saint James Infirmary" when my time expired and ten minutes had elapsed. Below is a clip of "Saint James Infirmary" as recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra on December 12, 1928, featuring Louis Armstrong on trumpet and vocals, Jimmy Strong on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Fred Robinson on trombone, Mancy Carr on banjo, Earl "Fatha" Hines on piano and Arthur "Zutty" Singleton on drums.

Professor Schneider commented on the overabundance of concepts within my re-presentation. I think that he makes a very valid point in this statement, because I am frequently guilty of trying to communicate too much information in the context of a short amount of time. Particularly with a topic as broad as Louis Armstrong, I had a plethora of ideas that I wanted to articulate to my colleagues and I think that this overwhelmed me during the course of planning for both the initial and re-presentation versions of my lesson. The basics are an important building block for any individual, regardless of what the task at hand might be. We all have to start somewhere and why not begin from the actual beginning, at least relatively speaking. My objective was for students to demonstrate the parallels between Louis Armstrong's trumpet and/or cornet playing and his singing as witnessed through his foundation in the blues, deeply rooted sense of swing and unwavering conviction. This objective was overly ambitious and would have been much more compelling had I focused on Louis Armstrong's immersion in the blues. Professor Schneider complimented my demeanor in addressing the class, which I greatly appreciate, because professionalism, enthusiasm, joy, passion, focus and command are the principles that I strive to constantly project in any classroom that I enter. One of the final comments that Professor Schneider gave me was in the form of a question, wondering how I would respect the fact that not all students in an eighth grade general music class would be able to sing or find pitch. I would look to accompany these students on piano to give them a solid foundation and safety net to lean on. Also, I would continue the theme of "chunking" or breaking the song down, perhaps into even smaller two or one bar sections, so that the material would become more feasible and manageable for a student who struggled to maintain or even find pitch. I feel that I made significant strides in the re-presentation of my lesson, but my learning objective could have been simpler and clearer on multiple levels. These two assignments were particularly invaluable, because as Professor Schneider articulated, that was the only time where we will have the opportunity to workshop a lesson for our peers, subsequently receiving ample chance to adapt, modify, rework or downright overhaul the formatting and concepts contained therein. I intend to hang onto this lesson for future instruction, but will continue to refine and develop the layout and subsequent delivery. 

The Need To Build An Audience And Why This Is Of The Utmost Importance To The Future Success Of Any Music Program

As a music educator in the making, one of the main concerns that I see any band, orchestra, choir or jazz ensemble director having is how to maintain and build on the audiences that are turning out for any of the concerts, recitals, performances or public presentations that their respective ensembles are putting on. During my tenure in the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford's Hartt School, as a student, staff and adjunct faculty member, this was an ever present and pressing issue of concern to all involved parties. For all intensive purposes, the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz would put on five concerts per semester. These included: two "jazz combo ensemble" concerts, which were typically held on back-to-back Thursday and Friday evenings respectively, a "big band" concert, which might be staged anywhere from Wednesday to Friday of a given week, and two "jazz vocal ensemble" concerts, which were usually held on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, back-to-back, with one each for underclassmen and upperclassmen respectively. These events were usually spread out over a three to four week period, with the big band leading off the festivities, followed by the aforementioned two jazz vocal ensembles, perhaps during the same calendar week or in the week immediately following the big band's performance. The jazz combo ensemble concerts were always seen as the culminating events of the semester in the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when evaluating the success of these events from the stand point of audience size. The first item of information that is important to know, is that a weekly jam session has been ongoing at a barbecue restaurant called Black Eyed Sally's, located in downtown Hartford. This event takes place on Monday evenings from 8:00 pm. - 11:00 p.m. and represents a gathering spot for musicians and aficionados alike. The "die-hard" jazz fans in the Greater Hartford area frequent this "happening" from week to week. Consequently, it is rather difficult to count on them as willing to venture out multiple nights during the course of any given week, after they have already made an evening appearance following the beginning of their work week. Several faculty members from the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz have tried to establish jam sessions at other venues across the city of Hartford, but without sustainability. Even when these alternative events were scheduled during the second half of the week, the audience would be nowhere near the numbers seen at Black Eyed Sally's on Mondays. I think that it is important for us to take people's lives and obligations into consideration, as we attempt to plan concerts and public performances, be they school sanctioned or otherwise. Frequently, I feel that our passion for the art form, which we hold so near and dear to our hearts, blinds us to certain realities of the world around us. I am absolutely in favor of the idea of staging multiple events throughout the week, but I think that they need to be scheduled strategically. In the case of Black Eyed Sally's and "secondary" venues in Hartford that might be open to having a weekly or bi-weekly jam session, if the "jazz" community would like to maintain the Monday night "happening", then perhaps they would be wise to establish another regular or semi-regular presentation on Friday or Saturday evenings. The You Tube clip below is from a Monday night jam session at Hartford's Black Eyed Sally's Blues and Barbecue, which took place in February of 2011. The video features the following musicians interpreting trombonist Curtis Fuller's "Arabia": Josh Bruneau on trumpet, Haneef Nelson on flugelhorn and trumpet, David Wilson on cornet, Yunie Mojica on alto saxophone, Kris Jensen on tenor saxophone, Peter Greenfogel on tenor saxophone, Raynel Frazier on trombone, Brian Simontacchi on trombone, Kyle Aaron on piano, Matt Dwonszyk on bass and Rob Griffith on drums.

Another aspect of the above discussion about the Black Eyed Sally's jam session, which is particularly relevant to the task of maintaining and building one's audience is the idea of a musical community, regardless of the specific genre(s) in question. Earl MacDonald is a phenomenal pianist, composer, arranger, educator and chair of the jazz department at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. Through his website www.earlmacdonald.com, he maintains an active blog entitled Ever Up and Onward. On December 30, 2012, Earl's posting "Rethinking Concerts" provided band, orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble directors everywhere with many thought-provoking talking points to take into consideration as concerts, gigs, public performances and presentations of all sorts pop up on the ever expanding calendar of a music teacher. One of the first areas that Earl touched upon, which caught my attention was the idea of a community, in this case within the confines of what we call "jazz". He expressed concern that perhaps the UCONN community and surrounding area was being saturated with too many performances from the jazz department, throughout the course of any given academic year. Prior to sharing this thought, Professor MacDonald related a tactic that he had been experimenting with for several years, in an effort to build the average size of an audience at any given UCONN Jazz performance. Through connections that he already had, along with going out on a limb and contacting directors he did not know personally, Earl decided that he was going to bring in high school ensembles to open up various UCONN Jazz concerts. This idea sounds extremely logical, simple enough and frankly, quite obvious when mulled over a bit. However, Professor MacDonald quickly found that the increased numbers he had been expecting to fill the seats of von der Mehden Recital Hall simply weren't materializing. Frequently, the high school groups would have one or two adult chaperones along to assist the director and students in any way that they could. Besides these additional persons, many of the adolescents would not have a parent present to watch their performance, particularly if the high school in question was not so close to Storrs, Connecticut geographically speaking. In addressing Earl's first concern, that being that UCONN and surrounding communities were being saturated with too many performances from the jazz department during the course of each academic year, I don't think that this is particularly true. As music educators, we want to provide as many opportunities for our students to perform as possible. Being that Professor MacDonald is teaching at the collegiate level, almost all of the students that he comes into contact with have aspirations to make music a part of their life in the future, either predominately or secondarily. These learners should absolutely be challenged to learn as much repertoire as possible during the course of every semester that they study at the University of Connecticut, subsequently meaning that they need to perform on a regular basis. Before my time as a student at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, along with the jam session in downtown Hartford, which at that time was held at a restaurant called Kenny's (now known as the Red Rock Tavern) located on Capitol Avenue, there were weekly gigs held on campus at a dining facility known as the Hawk's Nest. Starting in the 1990's there were also alternative performance ensembles in the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, which put on one or two concerts per year, depending on their numbers and overall skill level. These groups included jazz trumpet, saxophone and trombone ensemble. Even though most students at the high school level do not aspire to become professional musicians, the more that they are able to showcase the work that they have put in throughout the course of in-school rehearsals, sectionals, practice sessions and potential private lessons, the more enthusiastic they are going to be about music in general. In talking about a musical community, I think that Earl MacDonald has brought up another relevant concern for any performing organization, that being geographic location. Although Storrs, Connecticut is not that far off the beaten path, many people view it as being a "haul" from most major metropolitan areas. Although Storrs is an actual community with public schools and businesses, the majority of the "village" is the University of Connecticut itself. Making connections with area high schools and teaming up to not only build one's audience, but also to staff the ranks for future generations of a program, be it at the middle school, high school or collegiate level is an absolute must for any director, but might it not be wiser for someone like Earl MacDonald to bring the music into the schools, as opposed to having the schools come to him? The same could be said for a high school director who makes contact with his or her middle school colleagues and potential future students. I understand the idea of wanting to showcase one's facilities or making students feel welcome in their future home, but I firmly believe that there is a lot to be said for making the effort to literally "come down" to the level, stage or step below you, offering a nurturing mentor-like experience for the younger steeds in the process. Below is a picture of pianist, composer, arranger and educator Earl MacDonald, chair of the jazz department at the University of Connecticut. Earl has built a terrific program, which features many accomplished artists, such as bassist Gregg August, saxophonist John Mastroianni and guitarist Doug Maher.

After perusing the aforementioned blog posting "Rethinking Concerts" a bit more, I happened to stumble upon an invaluable resource put out by David P. Miller, conductor of the Mississippi Community Symphonic Band, entitled Building Your Audience To Standing Room Only, which he assembled in December of 2010, after receiving multiple requests for copies of a presentation that he had delivered at the 2010 Association of Concert Bands convention in Plano, Texas. Miller's "e-book" is summed up quite nicely in the following five points:  1. We set a goal for audience size. At first, our goal was to always have

more people in the audience than on the stage, and later, to overflow

our venue. We made it.

2. We realized we needed to get new people to each concert, and to make

sure the ones that do come will want to come back. To make them

want to come back, we knew we had to make our concerts appealing.

We did this by (a) having fun – both in rehearsals and in the concerts;

(b) playing music people love hearing, music they want to come back

and hear more of; and (c) having a personable narrator and good narrator

notes.

3. To get more new people to the concerts, we made concerted efforts

(did I intend that to be a pun? I’ll let you decide) to let people know

about the concerts. The first of these efforts was appointing a publicity

chairman, to ensure we have press releases for each concert in all

possible publications, and setting up spots on radio and TV. We also

boosted this by printing up 500 concert flyers for each concert, by encouraging all band members to distribute them everywhere they can,

and by printing concert schedule cards for everyone to hand out. We

make sure retirement homes, nursing homes, and other governed living

facilities, particularly their recreation directors, know about our

concerts well in advance, and we publish our season’s schedule on our

website as soon as we know it.

4. We stay in touch with our audience by gathering their names and contact

information into a list. We do this through “stay in touch” forms in

our concert programs and a signup form on our website. We actually

do stay in touch with them by sending them, by email or postal mail,

an excitement-building notice in advance of each concert.

5. Finally, we make it a point to say “Thank You” for all donations, no

matter how small.

I think that many of these notions connect quite nicely to the sentiments expressed by Professor MacDonald in his blog posting from Ever Up and Onward. We always need to have a goal, because if there is not a tangible milestone for one to work towards, then many are going to quickly wonder what the point of engaging in preparation, practice and the actual execution of an activity itself actually is. Music educators at any level of academia would be wise to remember the notion of working with that which we have. From the moment that a band, orchestra, choir or jazz ensemble director accepts his or her position, observation should begin as to the culture behind performances, both in and outside of school. If there are only ten people in the audience at the first concert, then we have to build from there. Perhaps the second concert will have twenty, thirty, forty or even fifty people. While we need to be realistic in our expectations, I think that it is also ideal to aim high, as opposed to underestimating the potential of drawing an audience that exists. It is crucial that we develop an environment that concertgoers feel comfortable in, enjoy and want to come back to. David Miller is absolutely right when he asserts that if the musicians on stage are having fun, the audience will respond with the utmost enthusiasm to the energy that is subsequently generated. As music educators, it is our job to develop a love and joy for our art form in students. If we show learners that we are passionate, dedicated and deeply connected to that which we teach and pass on, they are bound to pick up on this state of being and run with it. One need look no further than Conrad O. Johnson, better known as "Prof.", who I discussed in my previous blog posting. If you have not seen the documentary Thunder Soul, I highly recommend that you watch it immediately! Choosing to program music that audiences will relate to, understand and connect with is not nearly as difficult as we make it out to be. I think that there needs to be a distinct compromise between teacher and students. In order for students to be receptive to that which we like, they in turn need to recognize that we are open to what they are listening to. The savvy music educator needs to consider the demographics of his or her audience, so that as Miller alludes to, they too are given a bit of what they want, subsequently opening their ears to unfamiliar sounds. The concept of a concert narrator offers a bit of variety to the potential for mundane routines that can inadvertently crop up in performance-based settings, such as the director always being the speaker, audiences having no background information concerning what they are listening to, etc. This added element can lighten the mood a bit, injecting humor into the concert when utilized effectively and drawing the audience in, by making them feel more connected to the creative process. I believe that the other strategies outlined by Miller speak for themselves, and while a public school music program would not be in a position to take direct donations, a parents or friends for music organization would be an extremely effective ally in not only collecting concertgoer information, but informing audience members about any fundraising that may be taking place during a given academic year. Below is a video of the Mississippi Community Symphonic Band, directed by David Miller, featuring tenor Steve Hyland in a performance of Maestro Miller's arrangement of the standard "O Holy Night" from the annual MCSB Christmas Concert held on December 15, 2012 at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi.

Between the two resources shared above, I think we see that there is much to be taken into consideration by the ambitious band, orchestra, choir or jazz ensemble director, as to how to maintain and build his or her audience at annual performances. Clearly, there is no definitive solution to this quandary, but the important thing to remember is that being proactive will never do a disservice to one's institution or organization. The technology that exists in 2015 makes publicity a much more streamlined process, and with a bit of ingenuity, along with help from one's friends (pun intended!), the task of keeping people interested in what your ensemble has to offer becomes infinitely more tangible and realistic. Where there is live music, there will always be an audience of some sort. Although many people have acquiesced to accessing concert footage from the comfort of their own homes, a contingency will continue to exist that demands live performance in all its deserved glory. 

Conrad O. Johnson, The Kashmere Stage Band And That Which Truly Matters In Music Education

As a music educator in the making, one of the thoughts that crosses my mind on a regular basis is, "How will I generate a sense of pride within the community of my program, so that students will learn to love music with the same sense of passion and reverence that I have for the art form?" My own journey on the path to becoming a public school music educator has taken many twists and turns. While growing up in both Windsor and Simsbury, Connecticut, music was something that I always enjoyed, which had a varying degree of presence in my life. Prior to picking up the violin in fourth grade, I had always participated in school choirs and truly enjoyed the act of singing as part of a large ensemble. My choir teachers were quite complimentary of my abilities and insisted that I participate in additional groups such as "Special Chorus" and "Boys Ensemble". I even had a teacher who recommended that I audition for the part of Winthrop in The Music Man during the summer following my fifth grade year. However, during the previous months I had begun learning the alto saxophone and was eagerly looking forward to summer vacation, when my parents had consented that I could begin taking private lessons, where I planned to switch to the tenor saxophone. My Dad played this very same horn during high school and after seeing a picture of him as a member of the New York Military Academy Stage Band and hearing of the performance opportunities he was given, I had made up my mind that this was the instrument I too was destined to play. When one of my choir teachers found out that I wore this additional music-related hat, she posed the following question to my Mom, "Do you want him to be stuck in the pit orchestra for the rest of his life, when he could be taking center stage?" Little did I know that this rapport that I was building with the tenor saxophone would lead me to the position that I currently sit in, poised to become a public school music educator, with specific sights set on high school band. One thing that I have found in life is that more often than not, it is these little, seemingly unrelated occurrences that shape who it is that we ultimately become. As much as I enjoyed playing the tenor saxophone, it wasn't until I began attending the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts that I truly fell in love with music and decided that I wanted to pursue the art form for the remainder of my life. Throughout middle school and early high school, I didn't practice my instrument and the accompanying applicable skills sets nearly as much as I should have. I was constantly listening to music, particularly that of the Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Phish, the Rolling Stones, the Doobie Brothers, Steve Miller Band, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and countless other classic rock and/or jam band icons. These artists represented some of my very first forays into the realm of "improvisational music". It was from this jumping off point that I would discover the wonderful world of jazz in its many variations. In previous blog postings I have documented the close-minded, snobbish phase that ensued, where for a year or so, I did not want to listen to anything other than recordings from the bebop and hard bop eras respectively, ranging from 1945 - 1960 or so. However, upon breaking out of this intellectual and creative prison, my ears had never been more open to the many sounds around me. I could not get my hands on enough music. Any recording, artist, genre or ensemble that came my way had to be given a listen. My sonic palette had suddenly ceased to have limitations. I felt that all music, regardless of its origins, had something to offer, and that if I ever wanted to create a voice that was truly my own, I needed to have as many diverse influences as possible. The You Tube clip below comes from the Jimi Hendrix album "Live at Woodstock" and is a prime example of some of the first improvisational listening experiences I had as a junior high school student in the late 1990's and early 2000's. The first part of this clip is a radio documentary chronicling the thirtieth anniversary of the "Live at Woodstock" album, which was recorded on Monday, August 18, 1969, featuring Jimi Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Billy Cox on background vocals and bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums, Juma Sultan on percussion, Larry Lee on guitar and Jerry Velez on percussion. 

One of the main reasons why I recount the experiences in question is because I was able to access new repertoire, artists and genres through music that I was already familiar with. Although I had been a part of jazz band and jazz combo in the Simsbury Public School System from fifth through tenth grade, I didn't actively listen to so-called "jazz music" until much later in my musical development. One of my teachers tried hipping me to Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon, but I was not quite ready to embrace the sounds of these masters at the age of twelve. My ears needed to absorb textures, harmonies and rhythms that were more familiar to the environment that I was a part of on a day to day basis. During my seventh grade year, it became a routine for my classmates and I to come home after school and turn on MTV at 3:00 p.m., so that we could watch  Total Request Live (TRL) with Carson Daly, getting a sneak peek at what songs were "hot" on the charts at that time. In the documentary Thunder Soul music educator Conrad O. Johnson, better known as "Prof.", discusses how in the early to mid-1970's, he came to the realization that he needed to allow his students to express themselves as they were, "I had to teach them how to play funk. You could just hear the difference. It wasn't just playing, it was what you put into it." Students at Kashmere High School in northeastern Houston, Texas were constantly surrounded by a blend of what some might call soul, r&b and funk put together. The sounds of James Brown, Earth, Wind and Fire, The Bar-Kays, Parliament Funkadelic, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, The Commodores, Kool and the Gang and Sly and the Family Stone were everywhere for the ear to pick up and the spirit to latch on to. Prof. Johnson knew that it was time for a radical change within the canon of Kashmere Stage Band's material. The ensemble started off playing selections such as George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward's "Summertime", but as a ballad, meaning that the tempo was going to be rather on the slow side. Students enjoyed this song, but they wanted to tackle something that spoke more to their generation. The kids had high energy and once rehearsal was over, they would have informal jam sessions in the funk vein. Observing this, Prof. Johnson took the jazz, which was the band's base, and proceeded to combine funk and jazz in his own original compositions. A terrific example of this concept is demonstrated in the You Tube audio clip below, which features the Conrad O. Johnson original "Head Wiggle". In the words of Kashmere Stage Band alumni percussionist Donald Compton, "Don't die and go to heaven until you hear this song called 'Head Wiggle'." 

The height of the Kashmere Stage Band was from 1972 - 1978, a time when the African-American community was thriving on the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement. In the words of several alumni members of the ensemble, "There were a lot of good things happening and pride was strong. People felt as though anything was possible. Our parents had fought long and hard to give us more freedom and opportunities. Black power was pervasive across the country. Afros, fashion and girls were everywhere at Kashmere High School." Conrad O. Johnson was able to embrace the cultural, social and political developments in both his local community and across the United States, to create a musical community that blossomed in ways that no one had previously thought possible. His goal was to build a band of young people that was the equivalent of professionals in both sound and appearance. Former members of the group recall how, "He reached into our souls. He could see the future inside of us." The Kashmere Stage Band gave the community part of its identity. Everyone could be proud of the band, because they were kickin'. In the words of the director from a competing high school, "They were the baddest band in the nation and they made their statement. When they were at their peak, they were better than any funk band, professional or otherwise in the country." Prof. Johnson felt that the most exciting part of being a band director is introducing people to all of the things that a band can do, and how well they can do it. One of the most intoxicating aspects of the Kashmere Stage Band was their deep groove and driving pulse. Prof. Johnson asserted that this feeling came from his demanding it, "You have to develop first in his mind that he can do it. Once he realizes that he can play with the same quality of sound that a professional has, then he'll stick with it and he'll strive for that, but this has to be developed in his mind, and that's the first thing I work for." Each alumni member of the Kashmere Stage Band profiled in Thunder Soul has their own fond memories of Conrad O. Johnson. The loyalty, camaraderie, focus, dedication, support and unwavering commitment that he was able to develop in all of the young people whom he crossed paths with is particularly incredible. Pianist Craig Baldwin talks about how if it was not for Prof.'s mentorship, he probably would not be alive today. "You came into the room with your focus ready to play. Do not come into this room late, do not talk, do not interrupt, do not this, that, I don't care if it's chewing gum." Johnson stated that, "My whole desire is to train and shape the mind of each individual that I come in contact with, from the stand point of teaching him. When they first come to me, regardless as to what kind of tone they have, I work to develop that tone and that's the first step, learn to play the instrument, then the music." This philosophy is fantastic in that it teaches students to truly love their given instrument, before they are thrust head long into the wonders of performing recognizable songs. With my own background in jazz, when I think about someone like Jackie McLean, I am struck by the parallels with Conrad O. Johnson's mantra. If Jackie McLean had not known the alto saxophone inside and out, there is no way that he would have been able to execute the impeccable ideas that he turned out in solo after solo, recording after recording. The picture below epitomizes the meeting of culture, music and learning that Prof. Johnson was able to achieve at Kashmere High School in Houston, Texas during the late 1960's through the end of the 1970's. 

Prof. Johnson made it a point to form a special bond with all of his students, over half of whom were young men that came from home environments that lacked a strong male presence. These students came to rely heavily on Johnson, who "didn't just teach us the music [,but] taught us how to be men." Craig Baldwin recalls walking up to Prof., "...and it was all about the thug attitude, the thug language, you know, you don't talk to me like that. I don't care if I understand what you're saying, you don't talk to me like that. 'Cause you never know who you're gonna be talking to out in the field, and you're representing me. You're representing the Kashmere Stage Band, you're representing Kashmere High School and you're representing your community. Don't come in here with your thug personality." Prof. was clearly a very honest, straight-forward and confident person. Through his unwavering vision, he was able to create one of the most memorable, talented, progressive and powerful public school music ensembles of the twentieth century in America. He believed that there was no limit to a child's ability to play music and subsequently set incredibly high standards for his students. He inspired them to put everything that they had into the art form. Johnson said that, "When I'm teaching young people, I feel that I'm giving them something that they can lean on all the rest of their lives." It is my belief that if a music educator is able to communicate this love for passing on knowledge to future generations, then he or she will have a student populace that is ready and willing to follow, no matter where the path to knowledge might travel. The outpouring of support and participation shown by Prof. Johnson's former students in coming together to celebrate his legacy, despite thirty plus years of separation is a testament to the impact that this man had on countless adolescents over the course of his thirty-seven year teaching career. Students under Johnson's watchful eye knew that they were getting every ounce of everything that he had to give on a daily basis, within and outside of school. Although the community that Prof. worked in was low-income and stricken with much poverty, this did not stop him from expecting the absolute best from his students, each and every time that they walked into his classroom. In the early 1970's someone wrote a newspaper article about how when students entered the Kashmere High School band room, it was as though they were setting foot inside a temple or cathedral. The students knew that Prof. Johnson was not going settle for anything less than one hundred percent, but the rigor and regimen of the Kashmere Stage Band created a family, which was able to pick up right where they left off, as they all came together to celebrate Prof. in February of 2008. The clip below features the Kashmere Alumni Stage Band performing their theme song "Kashmere" live at the Ford Amphitheater on June 26, 2010 for a screening of Thunder Soul.

I think that Thunder Soul and Conrad O. Johnson teach music educators some extremely important lessons about building meaningful relationships with students and establishing a love for music within each learner who crosses our respective paths. If a student knows that the standards are consistently going to be high, then we hope that they will rise to the occasion in an effort to continually meet this mark, if not surpass the expectation. Learners want to be challenged by feeling that we always expect them to succeed. Prof. proves that the capabilities of a child are limitless and each student can do anything that they set their mind to. A pupil who sets foot in our classroom needs to know that as educators and musicians we are extremely open-minded. We are constantly examining a wide array of repertoire and our ears are tuned into what sounds students are gravitating towards. The musicians in the Kashmere Stage Band grew up with funk, soul and r&b. Conrad O. Johnson was able to incorporate these elements into an already established jazz foundation, to create a hybrid where the joys of both students' and his respective worlds met in perfect harmony. Through embracing the stylistic elements of James Brown and other funk icons, perhaps Johnson was able to open his students ears to the sound of Duke Ellington, a man who meant everything in the world to him. Before we hope to accomplish anything "academic" with our students, they need to be receptive to who we are as people. Prof. Johnson was clearly able to show his students that he was constantly in their corner and had their best interests as adolescents/young adults in mind. This gave them the self-confidence to excel under his tutelage, but most importantly it developed trust between teacher and student, which is critical if any real learning is to take place. The children in the Kashmere Stage Band knew that they could depend on Prof., which in turn meant that he could depend on them. Prof. Conrad O. Johnson is a true inspiration, not just for music educators, but teachers across the content areas and around the globe. The legacy that he leaves behind and all that he accomplished throughout his storied career, as well as in life is something that should motivate anyone privileged enough to learn the story of the Kashmere Stage Band. I recommend Thunder Soul to all reading this posting and advise you to hip friends and family alike to the documentary. The power of music knows no boundaries!