FLYNN CENTER PRESENTS
A concert that re-imagines
music and events from the
American Civil War through
the artistic language of
jazz; the conflict which set
the stage for the
development of this great
American art form.
Music of the American Civil War:
“The Better Angels of Our
Nature”
We appreciate and value your feedback.
Click here to evaluate our study guides.
Click here for Teacher Feedback Forms for the performance.
Click here for Student Feedback Forms for the performance.
Click here for Parent Forms to help parents engage with their children around the show.
Welcome to the 2015-2016 Student Matinee Season!
Today’s scholars and researchers say creativity is the top skill our kids will need when they
enter the work force of the future, so we salute YOU for valuing the educational and
inspirational power of live performance. By using this study guide you are taking an even
greater step toward implementing the arts as a vital and inspiring educational tool.
We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any suggestions for content or format of
this guide, please contact [email protected].
Enjoy the show!
This guide was written & compiled by the Education Department at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts with materials taken
from Brian McCarthy’s website..
Permission is granted for teachers, parents, and students who are coming to Flynn shows to copy & distribute this guide for
educational purposes only.
The Flynn Center recognizes that field trip resources for schools are extremely limited, thus matinee prices for
schools are significantly lower than prices for public performances. As a non-profit organization, the Flynn is
deeply grateful to the foundations, corporations, and individuals whose generous financial support keeps
matinees affordable for schools.
Thank you to the Flynn Matinee 2015-2016 underwriters: Andrea’s Legacy Fund, Champlain Investment
Partners, LLC, Bari and Peter Dreissigacker, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Forrest and Frances Lattner
Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Tracy and Richard Tarrant, TD Charitable Foundation, Vermont Concert Artists
Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Community Foundation, New England Foundation for
the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Flynn Jazz Endowment.
Additional support from the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation, Green Mountain Fund, Walter Cerf Community
Fund, the Vermont Arts Council, the Susan Quinn Memorial Fund, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The Performance & the Story
The Production
Things to Think About Before/During/After you see the show
Meet Brian McCarthy
Biography of Brian McCarthy
Context & History
House Congressional Resolution 57
Reflection Questions
Activities to Deepen Understanding
Jazz and Creative Writing
Jazz and Visual Art
Bring the Art Form to Life
The Art Form: the Elements of Jazz
Resources
Additional Activities
Your Visit
The Flynn Center
Etiquette for Live Performance
Why is Etiquette Important?
Being a Mindful Audience Member
Common Core Standards
The Common Core broadens the definition of a “text,” viewing performance as a form of text, so your students are experiencing and interacting with a text when they attend a Flynn show.
Seeing live performance provides rich opportunities to write reflections, narratives, arguments, and more. By writing responses and/or using the Flynn Study Guides, all performances can be linked to Common Core:
CC ELA: W 1-10
You can use this performance and study guide to address the following Common Core Standards (additional standards listed by specific activities):
CC ELA: RL 3&7, SL 1-2, WHST 7-9, RH1-10
C3Hist: D2.His.1-5 & 14, & D41
Before you see the show:
Jazz can provide lessons in how to function in a
democratic society. As a jazz musician you have
freedom and responsibility and you must
contribute to your musical surroundings—
sometimes listening to other musicians and
supporting them and sometimes coming forward
and making a statement while always being
sensitive to those around you. What are some
other examples of ways in which music influences
the way that we interact with our surroundings
or provides a metaphor for a broader theme in
our lives?
As you watch the show:
How do the musicians interact with the one
another on stage? Is it always verbal or are they
using other techniques to speak to each other?
What does this say about their relationship on
stage? Do you think this comes naturally or is
this something they had to learn and perfect?
After you see the show:
Why do you think Jazz was the chosen genre for
Brian McCarthy to tell this story? How does jazz
specifically help you understand this era in
history? If you were going to tell your life story
creatively, what medium or genre would you
use? Why would you choose that format as the
ideal way to express your story? Or, pick an
important historical moment. What artistic
medium would most effectively communicate
this moment?
The Production
Writer and battle historian Shelby Foote describes the American Civil War
as "opening us [America] to being what we became...good and bad things."
Though not the only contributor to American culture, this great conflict
reset the stage to allow an eventual flourish of artistic advancement from
the African American community, leading to one of America's most
significant artistic contributions to the world, Jazz. "The Better Angels of
Our Nature" is a quote from Lincoln in his first inaugural address, in which
he pleaded to both Union and what would become the Confederacy to
avoid any conflict with one-another. With six horn players and rhythm
section, this 9-piece ensemble provides all the power and color of a big
band, with the intimacy of a small group. The program material will explore
popular songs of the American Civil War, some of which are very familiar
even today, and introduce original material based around figures and
events of the era. This premiere performance brings together a diverse
group of musicians: Bill Mobley, Trumpet - Brian McCarthy, Alto Sax - Daniel Ian Smith, Tenor Sax -
Stantawn Kendrick, Tenor Sax - Cameron MacManus, Trombone - Linda Little, Bari Sax - Justin
Kauflin, Piano - Matt Aronoff, Bass - Zach Harmon, Drums.
Brian McCarthy: Artist, Musician, Innovator
An accomplished performer and formidable composer and arranger, this saxophonist has emerged
as a prominent example of the modern day jazz musician. Seven Days called him "…a staple of the
New England jazz scene." Jazz trumpet marvel, Ray Vega, called him plainly, "one of the most
important jazz musicians to the Vermont scene," a sentiment echoed by mentor and saxophone
guru Dr. David Demsey, coordinator of the renowned jazz program at William Paterson University,
McCarthy's alma mater, who added, "Brian...has gone on, as expected, to become a major force
and fixture on the New England music scene, as a player and as a teacher." His accomplishments
as a saxophonist were recognized in 2011 by the prestigious companys Conn-Selmer and Selmer
Paris, who saw fit to add McCarthy to their elite roster of endorsed artists.
A 2015 Vermont Arts Council/National Endowment for the Arts Creation Grant recipient for his
project "The Better Angels of Our Nature" has landed a two-night premiere in the November 2015,
which has the Vermont community buzzing in anticipation. His first album as a leader, “This Just
In” (2013), received widespread acclaim. All About Jazz says“ [McCarthy] touches those roads
Joshua Redman travels on with a fresh footing. This band excels at building anticipation…
exciting” and “[McCarthy’s] alto has plenty of fire without surrendering its lighter touch.” John
Barron, of Jazz World Blog says “Saxophonist Brian McCarthy takes a progressive approach to
straight-ahead jazz, demonstrating a strong command of the jazz saxophone lineage.” The album
can be heard from coast to coast on radio stations and syndicated programming like Jazz After
Hours with Jim Wilke.
When he is not headlining, you can find him rounding out the horn section with mogul jazz
trumpeter Ray Vega and his Quintet. And those who frequent Burlington’s most popular night
clubs can catch him with the area’s most popular funk establishment, The Grippo Funk Band. In
2010, bassist Mike Gordon, of the superstar jam band Phish, called upon McCarthy’s talents to
arrange and play on his latest solo release “Moss.”
Offstage, Brian has laid down roots as a central figure in arranging, presenting and education. A
faculty member at the University of Vermont, Johnson State College, and is director of bands at
Saint Michael's College. In addition to his college involvement, he is active with students at the
middle and high school level as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor with the Green
Mountain District Music Festival and Vermont All-State Music Festival. In 2011, Brian also
established and continues to produce Jazz at St. Michael’s College, a concert and educational
series featuring artists such as Mulgrew Miller, Joe Locke, the power-house Brian Blade and The
Fellowship Band, Steve Wilson with Lewis Nash and Nat Reeves, and The New World Jazz
Composers Octet.
Whether reconstructing big band scores for the Thad Jones,
Clark Terry, James Williams archive, or generating sheet
music for bands such as Guster, Mike Gordon, and Trey
Anastasio, Brian's well-rounded skills keep him working with
the best.
Continuing to expand his work as a leader, composer, first-
call sideman, and sought after teacher, the future holds
many remarkable developments from this "major force and
fixture."
House Congressional Resolution 57
Passed by the 100th Congress of the United States of America Introduced by the Honorable John Conyers Jr. (D-MI): Passed by the House of Representatives September 23, 1987 Passed by the Senate December 4, 1987
Whereas, jazz has achieved preeminence throughout the world as an indigenous American music and art form, bringing to this country and the world a uniquely American musical synthesis and culture through the African-American experience and
· makes evident to the world an outstanding artistic model of individual expression and democratic cooperation within the creative process, thus fulfilling the highest ideals and aspirations of our republic,
· is a unifying force, bridging cultural, religious, ethnic and age differences in our diverse society,
· is a true music of the people, finding its inspiration in the cultures and most personal experiences of the diverse peoples that constitute our Nation,
· has evolved into a multifaceted art form which continues to birth and nurture new stylistic idioms and cultural fusions,
· has had an historic, pervasive and continuing influence on other genres of music both here and abroad, and
· has become a true international language adopted by musicians around the world as a music best able to express contemporary realities from a personal perspective;
Whereas, this great American musical art form has not yet been properly recognized nor accorded the institutional status commensurate with its value and importance;
Whereas, it is important for the youth of America to recognize and understand jazz as a significant part of their cultural and intellectual heritage;
Whereas, in as much as there exists no effective national infrastructure to support and preserve jazz;
Whereas, documentation and archival support required by such a great art form has yet to be systematically applied to the jazz field; and
Whereas, it is now in the best interest of the national welfare and all of our citizens to preserve and celebrate this unique art form;
Now, therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that it is the sense of the Congress that jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it is preserved, understood and promulgated.
Reflection Questions:
Why would Congress pass a resolution recognizing the importance of Jazz in our country’s culture and history? What is the significance of Jazz as an art form?
In “Better Angels of Our Nature” how does Brian McCarthy show American history’s impact on jazz, and conversely, jazz’s impact on American history?
Jazz and Visual Art
Listen to a piece of jazz music several times with your class (you might pick something from the Smithsonian website or play something from Brian McCarthy’s website: http://www.brianmccarthyjazz.com/music--video.html
Activity 1—Abstract Drawings
As the students listen to the music have them trace the line of the melody on a piece of paper—they might simply draw a line up and down when the notes are high or low or they might draw smooth or jagged lines depending on the sound and feel of the music, or perhaps they will want to make squiggly lines when the music gets fast or many notes are played quickly together, etc. They should not worry about drawing anything in particular for this part of the exercise but just letting the music move their pencils on the paper. When the song ends have volunteers share their abstract drawings.
Discuss: Can students remember or describe which parts of the song corresponded with certain parts of their drawings?
Activity 2—Cover Art
Next have students listen to a song and encourage them to imagine that they are designing the cover art for the album. Have them sketch or draw as they listen.
Discuss students’ impressions and drawings.
· What did they want to convey through the cover art?
· What colors did the music make them think of and use in the drawings?
· What shapes did they use in response to how the music sounded?
· How did they try to capture the mood of the music in their artwork?
Jazz and Creative Writing
Play a piece of jazz music from one of the recordings listed on the First Grade Jazz site or download and play (for free) one of the great recordings found on the Smithsonian’s Jazz website: http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&Itemid=96
Have students write down words that come to mind as they listen to the music. When the song ends have students look at the words they wrote down and rearrange them/adapt them to create a response poem to the song. Ask for volunteers to share their poems with the class for an impromptu poetry reading session. You might want to play some jazz music quietly underneath the poetry readings to set the mood of a jazzy open mic event!
Discuss: What common themes or ideas that came out in the poems and/or disparate responses. How did the music affect students? What did the music seem to say?
The Art Form: Elements of Jazz
Improvisation
Improvisation means making it up as you go along. People improvise all the time in their daily lives. For instance, you may be improvising when you choose a different way to travel home from school on a particular day. Cooks often improvise when they are preparing a meal. Improvisation or the art of spontaneity really depends on a person’s ability to listen and observe.
Jazz musicians listen and observe carefully when they are improvising and creating music together. The musicians start with a basic idea, usually a tune that has a melody and some repeating chords. Essentially the musicians are “talking” to each other with notes, rhythms, melodic ideas and other sounds as their “language.” A musician’s success at improvising is influenced by how much they have studied the musical forms they are playing and how well they can listen and take in what other musicians in the group are doing. Musicians listen very carefully to how and what the other members of the group are playing in order to create something that sounds good as a whole.
Rhythm
Rhythm is the beat that defines and divides musical space. Rhythms are most recognizable when they are played by percussion instruments (drums, wood sticks, shakers, etc.), but they happen in melodies also. In Jazz, the “rhythm section” is the piano, bass, and drums.
In jazz, a rhythm grows out of a simple, steady beat like that of a heartbeat. This pulse creates the foundation for the music and usually remains constant. Sometimes a pulse is very slow (like in a ballad) and sometimes it is very fast (like in bebop.)
Regardless of the speed (tempo), the pulse helps to anchor the music and provides a basic contrast for other more complex rhythms that occur in the tune. In some musical styles, the beat is subdivided into two equal parts. But in jazz, the beat is divided unevenly in a bouncy fashion, that implies three, rather than two, subunits. Much of the energy in jazz lies in this irregularity of its rhythm and the deliberately unexpected accents. This is known as syncopation. Syncopation involves the shifting of accents from stronger beats to weaker ones.
READ & EXPLORE: Click here for a more in-depth description of jazz history and jazz phrases and terminology.
Resources:
Jazz : the first century. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2000. An illustrated chronicle of jazz in the twentieth century, discussing the origins of the genre and the contributions of some of jazz's most significant musicians; and including articles that look at important songs, landmarks and personalities, conventions of jazz performance and composition, and the mingling of jazz with other art forms.
Ward, Geoffrey C. Jazz : an illustrated history of America's music. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. Brings to life the story of the quintessential American music--jazz. Born in the black community of turn-of-the-century New Orleans, honed by musicians of every color, jazz underscores the history of twentieth-century America.
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/index.htm This website from the Ken Burns Jazz documentary features some great basic information on the art form as well as a variety of lesson plans, and activities.
Activities:
EXPLORE: Get a visual sense of the far-reaching nature of jazz in the U.S. Using the above websites and book, have each student choose a jazz great to focus on. Once students have chosen musicians, have them mark on a map the careers of those musicians—where did they start out, where did they begin to play music, where did they first perform, where did they travel, what other musicians did they play with and where, etc.
RESEARCH/LISTEN: As a class, choose a piece of jazz music—research the time and place of its recording and the musicians involved, create a newspaper from that time and place—what was happening there, what would have been in the news at the time this music was recorded? Can you hear anything in the music that seems to be related to or responding to the major events of the time in which it was composed?
The Flynn Center
The Flynn has been at the center of Vermont's cultural
landscape for over 80 years—from its earliest days as a
vaudeville house through five decades as a movie theater to its
present life as the region's leading performance center and
arts education organization. Today, the Flynn Center for the
Performing Arts is recognized internationally for its significant
artistic, educational, and community outreach activities;
superb technical capacity; beautiful historic setting; and world-
class presentations. At the Flynn, we celebrate a rich legacy of
connecting our community with the arts. The Flynn is
recognized for its stellar artistic programming in theater, dance, and music; and for educational programs
that reach far into the community to advance teaching and learning. For more about the Flynn, click here.
DISCUSS BEING A
MINDFUL AUDIENCE
MEMBER:
How is going to see a live
theatre performance
different from seeing a
movie, going to a
concert, or watching TV?
In small groups, come up
with a list of positive
audience behaviors, and
behaviors that would be
disruptive to performers
and other audience
members. Come
together and create a
master list.
Etiquette for Live Performances
The Essentials
Listen, experience, imagine, discover, learn!
Give your energy and attention to the performers.
At the end of the show, clap for the performers’ time and energy.
Eating, drinking, and chewing gum are not okay.
Talk only before and after the performance.
Turn off wireless devices. No photos, videos, texting, or listening to music.
Why is Etiquette Important?
A good live performance is a powerful communication
between audience and performer. The more the audience
gives to the performer, the more the performer can give
back to the audience. The performer hears the audience
laughing, senses its sympathy, and delights in the
enthusiasm of its applause. Furthermore, each audience
member affects those sitting near him or her, in addition to
the performers onstage. Technological devices (cameras,
phones, etc.) have become so prevalent in our daily lives,
but using these devices is distracting to the performers
onstage and other audience members trying to watch the
show. Even the light from checking the time, or the buzz of a phone on vibrate can pull
the people around you out of the experience. Cell phone frequencies can even interfere
with the microphones in the production, and taking photos can be unsafe for performers.
Additionally, an artist has the right to decide what photos and videos go out into the
world. Phones keep you from being present and fully engaged with the show. Thank you
for turning devices completely off!
We can’t wait to see you at the theater!
Teachers, a few reminders:
Fill out the Seating and Travel Survey, so we can best accommodate your group’s needs in regards to dismissal,
bussing, students with different needs, etc.
Share your experience with us! Use the feedback links, or share your students’ artwork, writing,
responses. We love to hear how experiences at the Flynn impact our audiences.
Explore other student matinees at the Flynn this season. We’ve still got seats in some shows and we’d love to
help you or other teachers at your school enliven learning with an engaging arts experience!
We have some new initiatives to deepen student connection and experience!
Pre or Post-Show Video Chats: Help students build enthusiasm or process their
experience with a free, 5-10 minute video chat before or after the show! We
can set up Skype/Facetime/Google Hangouts with your class to answer
questions about the content, art form, and experience. Contact Kat,
[email protected] to set up your chat!
Autism and Sensory-Friendly Accommodations: The Flynn Center has been
working diligently to break down barriers for audience members with
disabilities, with a particular focus on those with sensory-sensitivities. Social
stories, break spaces, sensory friendly materials, and more are available for all
student matinees. Feel free to let us know ahead of time if any of these would
be useful, or ask an usher at the show!
Make your field trip the most meaningful learning experience it can be with a preparatory
Companion Workshop in your classroom!
An engaging Flynn Teaching Artist can come to your school to deepen students’ understanding of both content and form
with an interactive workshop, enriching kids’ matinee experiences. Funding support is often available. To learn more, check
out this link. To book a workshop, click here. Questions? Contact Sasha: [email protected] or (802)652-
4508
Re-stock your teaching toolkit and reignite your passion with upcoming professional
development opportunities for educators!
Get certification renewal credits, invigorate your teaching, and learn new teaching strategies that can be tailored to most
curricular material. Sponsored by the Champlain Valley Educator Development Center
November 12, 4-6PM: Workshop with Improvised Shakespeare—Chicago’s Improvised Shakespeare company leads a two
-hour workshop specially designed for Middle and High School teachers. This workshop is sure to be rapid-fire fun that
gives you new tools to get kids’ creative and critical thinking juices flowing! 2 credit hours
November 18, 9-3PM: Engaging Active Learners Conference—Now in its 7th year, we are proud to offer a full-day
conference on arts integration for Vermont educators! In collaboration with the Creative Schools Initiative, we’re thrilled to
welcome five of the nation’s top experts on arts integration to the Flynn to work with educators. In addition, choose from
a variety of content- and grade-specific teacher break-outs and hands-on workshops, and snag resources to take back to
your school. Come be part of the conversation and leave inspired! 6 credit hours
Register Now!
Hello from
the Flynn!