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regina carter:simply ella

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TRG_ArtsEd_NJPAC_Regina Carter_Simply Ella .indd 1 10/19/17 9:33 AM

about the performanceIn Simply Ella, award-winning violinist Regina Carter celebrates the music and spirit of her idol, Ella Fitzgerald, in the year of the beloved jazz singer’s 100th birthday.

For more than half a century, Ella Fitzgerald was America’s most popular female jazz singer. With a voice that was as flexible as it was flawless, she sang everything from blues-y ballads to doo-wop, and from pop to pure, soulful jazz. She was a master at “scat singing,” substituting improvised sounds for the words of a song. When Ella Fitzgerald scatted, she could imitate every instrument in the orchestra.

Ella made her debut in an amateur talent contest held at New York City’s famed Apollo Theater in 1934. After enthusiastic response, she started entering and winning every talent show she could find. In 1936, she made her first recording. But it wasn’t until 1938 when, at the age of 21, Ella recorded a jazzy version of the nursery rhyme, “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” The album became a number one hit on the pop charts and made Ella Fitzgerald famous.

Ella’s fans drew from every walk of life: rich and poor, from all races, religions and nationalities. All the jazz greats of her era were eager to work with her, among them Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Dizzy Gillespie. Though the course of her long career, she won thirteen GRAMMY® Awards and sold more than 40 million albums. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded Ella with the National Medal of Arts. And in 1992, President George Bush Sr. honored Ella with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. For all this and much more, she has been dubbed the “First Lady of Song.”

For virtuoso violinist Regina Carter, Ella Fitzgerald is more than a musical icon. She is the number one source of Regina’s musical inspiration. As a classically trained violinist who started studying at age four, Regina is considered the foremost jazz violinist of her generation.

Regina recalls the music that she heard as a child growing up in a music-loving family in Detroit, Michigan. Her older brothers would bring home Motown records and listen to soul. And she would pull album after album from her parents’ treasure trove of jazz, movie soundtracks and more. Combing through all these musical influences, Ella Fitzgerald rang out, reaching deep and capturing Regina’s musical heart.

“Something about her voice made me feel like I had a personal connection,” Carter says. “When she sang, I felt really warm and safe, almost a maternal connection. It just felt like love.”

Musicians often refer to a singer’s voice as their “instrument.” As Regina worked to become a virtuoso on her own instrument, the violin, she began to understand how much technique and practice were required to produce Ella’s warm, exuberant sound. “She had an incredible voice and I gained a lot of respect for her along with the love I had always felt. For years, I would get up and put on an Ella track first thing in the morning. That was the way I needed to start off my day.”

2 Regina Carter: Simply Ella njpac.org/education 3

Like Ella, Regina Carter stretches her musical instrument to its limits, taking the violin beyond the classical realm to explore a myriad of musical forms, cultures and sounds. Regina’s impressive musical scope shines with the deep influences of Ella’s music. She’s worked with modern jazz greats including Ray Brown, Kenny Barron, Wynton Marsalis and Oliver Lake, and recorded with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Faith Evans, Elliot Sharp, Mary J. Blige and filmmaker Ken Burns on his soundtrack for The Civil War. Regina served as one of the Resident Artistic Directors for the SFJAZZ, the San Francisco Jazz Organization, and was San Francisco Performances’ Artist-in-Residence for five years. In 2006, Regina Carter won a prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award.”

Regina’s acclaimed tribute album, Ella: Accentuate the Positive, was released in April 2017, just in time for Ella’s 100th birthday. The album’s uplifting title was taken from one of Ella’s most famous songs. Regina says, “Accentuate the Positive, I thought, was the perfect title considering the mood of the country and the world right now. We need some positive vibes.”

“Something about her voice made me feel like I had a personal connection,” Carter says. “When she sang, I felt really warm and safe, almost a maternal connection. It just felt like love.”

TRG_ArtsEd_NJPAC_Regina Carter_Simply Ella .indd 2-3 10/19/17 9:33 AM

in the spotlight


NJ ARTS STANDARDSNATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS

1. How did you begin playing the violin? When did you realize you wanted to make music your career?

When I was two years old, I’m told that I walked up to the piano one day and started playing a piece one of my brothers had been practicing. When his teacher asked who had taught me the song, my family said, “No one. We didn’t even know she could play.” The piano teacher tested me and said I had “an ear.” I studied piano briefly, but was more interested in playing my own compositions. The teacher, Anna Love, didn’t want to stifle my creativity and love for music so she suggested that I wait until I was older. When I was four, the Suzuki Method for strings was introduced in Detroit, and Mrs. Love thought this method would be perfect for me. And so began my lessons at The Detroit Community Music School with Jeanne Rupert.

I loved performing and being on stage. My mom took me to many Detroit Symphony Orchestra concerts and I would daydream about being a soloist with the orchestra. By age twelve, I knew I wanted to be a professional musician.

2. Why do you like to play so many different styles?

I love a variety of music from around the globe. So many cultures of people migrated to my hometown, Detroit, for work in the automotive and music industries. When visiting some of my classmates’ homes as a child, I was exposed to new cultures of music, food, languages and customs. That piqued my curiosity. Also, because radio stations weren’t run by corporations back then, they could play diverse styles of music. DJs could bring in and play some of their favorite recordings so listeners heard a wide array of great music.

3. What’s different about playing classical music or jazz? Do you adjust the way you play when you approach different kinds of music? How?

European classical and American jazz are different languages, so I approach learning these two genres, and any other, the same way I approach learning new languages. Listening to recordings and live performances is key. I listen for the phrasing, use of vibrato, and learn the grammar. It’s also important to check out the culture, history, and dance associated with the music. The most difficult part of learning a different genre of music is realizing you are a baby with that music and need to be patient with the process. I have to adjust my approach to playing whenever I try a different style. There is no A, B, C to this; it is something that each individual develops with time, practice and experience.

4. What is it like to work with other musicians when you play jazz? Can you explain what it feels like when you improvise?

When playing jazz with other musicians, a musical conversation takes place between the performers. The audience is also a part of that experience. Improvising is very spiritual to me, a way to converse without words.

5. When you play Ella Fitzgerald’s music, is there a connection between how you play your violin and how she used to sing? Do you try to make your violin sound like her voice?

I am honoring Ella Fitzgerald by performing music she wrote and/or recorded. Ella Fitzgerald loved and sang so many different genres of music that there is a wealth of songs to choose from. On my new CD, Ella: Accentuate the Positive, I chose tunes that weren’t necessarily her most popular and attempted to put a different spin on them. I wanted the tunes to have a ’50s-’60s soul/R&B, Otis Redding, Mavis Staples vibe.

6. What did it feel like when you got the chance to play the famous Guarneri Del Gesu violin? Did the instrument sound or feel different from the violin you usually play?

Playing and recording on Paganini’s Guanero Del Gesu was a once-in-a-lifetime dream! Before the concert in Genoa, Italy, where the violin lives, I became very emotional when it was handed to me. Many naysayers felt that my playing jazz on this violin would somehow diminish its value. During intermission, we heard that the audience was thoroughly enjoying the music and our performance. I was thrilled that we won over new fans. That particular Guaneri is much longer and wider than my violin so it was difficult to play. Usually it takes at least a couple of months of continuous playing for me to get used to a new violin. But I only had four hours over two days before the concert. It was a challenge, but a wonderful one.

7. What was it like to win the MacArthur “Genius” Award? How did it affect the course of your career?

When I received the call that I had received a MacArthur Award, I thought it was a prank. I asked the gentleman for his name and number and said I’d call back. After making my coffee, I was curious and called. I don’t remember much after that. The MacArthur was a note from the universe. It afforded me some time and space to sort out my life while my mother was ill. After visiting with her in hospice and seeing so many elderly patients who had no family, I felt a strong urge to do something to be of service. I took an Intro to Music Therapy course online during which I shadowed a couple of therapists who visited hospice patients. After completing the course, I became a hospice volunteer in New Jersey. I also researched and recorded two projects, Reverse Thread and Southern Comfort with the MacArthur Award.

An interview with Regina Carter


inspired ideas in the classroomTeacher Focus Student Activity NJ Student Learning Standards

Prepare for the performance

Prepare for the performancePrepare your students for the performance by listening to “Accentuate the Positive” sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Then listen to Regina Carter’s rendition from her tribute album.

Compare and ContrastListen deeply to the two versions of the song. Discuss how each version is similar and different. How do the artists each bring their own personal interpretation and spirit to the same music? Do you like one better than the other, or like them both? How does each instrument—voice and violin—turn the same essential music into something unique?

RL 8-12.7 English Language ArtsCompare and Contrast

Experience the performance

How to experience the performanceAs you bring your students to the performance, encourage them to let the excitement and energy of the presentation sink in. They should pay close attention the performers and how they work together as an ensemble and also break into solo moments to explore the music in their own ways. Encourage them to observe how each musical selection in the performance affects them.

ObservationListen carefully to each selection in the performance. Do some make you happy, sad, excited, or some other feeling? Do you particularly like one instrument or another? How does each instrument in the ensemble change the way the music sounds? Notice how they work together and break apart into solos to add their own unique interpretation to the performance.

1.4 NJ Arts StandardsAesthetic Response & Critique

Reflect, respond and read

Reflect on and respond to the performanceEncourage your students to discuss the performance. Ask which selections they liked best and why, and which instruments most impressed or excited them. Dig into source material about Ella Fitzgerald, jazz music, and violin to discover how other artists and innovators have explored and transformed the music of Ella Fitzgerald.

Reflect and Read upHow did the music make you feel? What pieces did you like the best? Which instruments really impressed you? Listen to more Ella Fitzgerald recordings and compare them with the music you heard in the performance. You can even find other artists who’ve recorded the same songs to see how they interpreted them. Read up about jazz and see how its style and instrumentation have changed over time.

SL 8-12.1 English Language Arts Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

6.1.12. D.14.f NJ Arts Standards Determine the influence of multicultural beliefs, products, and practices in shaping contemporary American Culture

1.2 NJ Arts Standards History of Arts & Culture

Focus

Revising Well-Known StoriesAsk your students to focus on their favorite song from Regina Carter’s performance of Ella Fitzgerald’s music. Why do they like it best? Is it the lyrics, the melody, the rhythm, a particular instrument or performer? Have them start thinking about a single lyric, musical moment, instrument or idea that could inspire their own creation of a story, poem, artwork, song or dance.

Focus on your favoriteWhat was your favorite song from Regina Carter’s performance of Ella Fitzgerald’s music? Why do you like it? Is it the lyrics, the melody, the rhythm, a particular instrument or performer? How could you use a single lyric or musical moment to create your own story, poem, artwork, dance or song?

1.4 NJ Arts Standards Aesthetic Response & Critique

Originate

Create an original work of artPrepare your students to use their selected idea to spark the beginning of a story, poem, dance, song, or work of art. Encourage them to take that small spark and explore new directions. Even a single lyric can become a theme for an entirely different creative work. Encourage the students to trust their ideas and follow them through

Create something newWrite a story, poem or song, or create artwork or a dance based on that spark of an idea. It can be just a single moment, a few words, or the way the entire song made you feel. Or maybe try working with a memory or thought that the music brought to your mind. Focus on that spark and let it develop into something entirely new. There’s no right way to do this. Taking risks is always part of making art!

SL. 8-12.4 English Language ArtsPresentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Rehearse

RehearsalAsk your students to read aloud their stories, songs, poems, or share their art or dance. Ask students to explain aloud how the music inspired their creations. Invite the other students to discuss what they’ve heard and give constructive feedback to help make each creation clearer and stronger. Have students revise their works and share them again as a kind of rehearsal to build confidence in their presentation.

Practice your performanceShare your poem, story, song, dance, or art and explain what inspired your creation. Ask for feedback from your fellow students and listen to their thoughts with an open mind. Then go back to your creation and try to incorporate some of their comments to polish and improve your work. Reread or share again to build confidence in your work and presentation.

1.1 NJ Arts Standards The Creative Process

Make magic

PresentationSet up your classroom with a performance space in the front or center where students can present their creations. Hang artwork on the walls as a gallery-style backdrop and invite family, friends or other classes to visit, look and listen to the stories, poetry, dances, and songs that the students have made. Encourage visitors to clap or snap their fingers after each reading.

Share your artAfter all your hard work, it’s time to share your creations! Present them aloud with enthusiasm, confidence and pride! After you’ve experienced the thrill of sharing your work, make sure to talk with your audience and listen to their reactions. What did they think? Were they inspired by your creation?

1.3 NJ Arts Standards Performance

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M6 Regina Carter: Simply Ella


curriculum

NJ Arts Standards

1.1 The Creative Process

All students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles that govern the creation of works of art in dance, music, theatre and visual art.

1.2 History of Arts & Culture

All students will understand the role, development and influence of the arts throughout history and across cultures.

1.3 Performance

All students will synthesize skills, media, methods and technologies that are appropriate to creating, performing and/or presenting works of art in dance, music, theatre and visual art.

1.4 Aesthetic Response & Critique

All students will demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment and analysis to works of art in dance, music, theatre and visual art.

National Arts Standards

1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.

6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

new jerseystudent learning

English Language Arts

RL 8-12.7 Compare and Contrast

SL 8-12.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

SL. 8-12.4 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas Social Studies

6.1.12. D.14.f Determine the influence of multicultural beliefs, products, and practices in shaping contemporary American Culture

Find the Standards

For more detailed information on the standards, visit these websites:

NJ English Language Arts www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2016/ela/

NJ Social Studies Standards www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2014/ss/

NJ Arts Standards www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/1.pdf

National Arts Standards www.nationalartsstandards.org

standards

standards

cultural connectionsNJ Arts Standard: 1.2 History of Arts & Culture

When most people think of the violin, orchestras and classical music come to mind. This small, stringed instrument is a fea-tured player in great symphonies by classical composers like Beethoven, Vivaldi and Brahms. But the violin is also known as the fiddle and brings life to traditional folk music like Irish reels, bluegrass and Mexican mariachi. In virtually every form of mu-sic, even rock ‘n roll, musicians have taken full advantage of the violin’s high-pitched thrills and rich, soulful tones.

The violin has four strings tuned in perfect fifths, and is usually played by drawing a bow across its strings or by plucking the strings with the fingers, called pizzicato. Violins are usually made from different types of wood and strung with gut, a tough cord made from the natural fiber found in animal intes-tines. Modern strings can also be synthetic or steel. And the bow is usually strung with horsehair.

In jazz music, innovators like Regina Carter have stretched the violin’s range and flexibility to extremes as they explore the instrument through ensemble and improvisation. The violin as a solo jazz instrument originated in the early 20th century with innovators like Eddie South who drew influences from Hungar-ian and Roma (Gypsy) music and adapted them to jazz. In the 1960s, Jean-Luc Ponty and Stéphane Grappelli experimented with the electric violin, fusing jazz harmonies and improvisation with funk, rock, R&B and Latin jazz to explore what became known as jazz fusion.

The violin as we know it originated in 16th-century Italy, but its true origins reach back much farther in time. In the Middle Ages, stringed instruments had already arrived in Europe, most likely traveling there along the Silk Road and other trade routes that passed through Central Asia. There instruments such as the morin khuur, a traditional Mongolian “horsehead fiddle,” originated. Once in Europe, instrument craftsmen, called luth-iers, learned how these instruments were made and adapted them using European crafting techniques.

Antonio Stradivari, a 16th century luthier from the town of Cre-mona, Italy, was perhaps the greatest, and certainly the most famous, master of the craft. Luthiers from the “Golden Age” of violin making are the most sought-after instruments by both collectors and performers. The luthiers of Cremona included the Amati family, often credited with creating the very first true vi-olin, and the Guarneri family, contemporaries of the Stradivari. It is said that the quality of these centuries’ old instruments are incomparable and that all modern attempts to explain or equal their remarkable sound have failed.

In December 2002, Regina Carter traveled to Genoa, Italy for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of playing the legendary Guarneri Del Gesu, a violin once owned by famous classical music virtuoso and composer Niccolò Paganini. She made history on this trip by being the first jazz musician, and the first African-American, to play this marvel of master 16th century craftsmanship.

Though perhaps not quite as legendary as the Guarneri Del Gesu, Regina Carter has a violin collection of her own, created by New Jersey violin maker R.S. Berkeley in Scotch Plains.



vocabularyApollo Theater A famous music hall on West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, NYC, which is noted as a venue for African-American performers.

Bluegrass A style of country music that is usually played on unamplified stringed instruments like the fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, upright bass and harmonica. The name originates from the Bluegrass region in central Kentucky, famous for its horse farms and fields of bluegrass.

Bow A long rod with horsehair stretched from one end to the other, used for playing a musical instrument in the violin and viol families.

Ensemble A group of musicians, singers or actors working together to create a performance.

Fiddle A musical instrument of the viol family; a violin.

Folk Music A music, usually fairly simple and with an anonymous composer, that is handed down as part of the folk tradition of a country or region.


Websites

Regina Carter Website reginacarter.com/regina-carter-digs-deep-507

Regina Carter Facebook www.facebook.com/Regina-Carter-269977394285/

Ella Fitzgerald Official Site www.ellafitzgerald.com/

American Masters: Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/ella-fitzgerald-some-thing-to-live-for/590/

Regina Carter – MacArthur Foundation Fellowship www.macfound.org/fellows/774/

About Accentuate the Positive and Regina Carter’s celebra-tion of the music of Ella Fitzgerald: reginacarter.com/regina-carter-digs-deep-507

Videos/Audio

Ella: Accentuate the Positive (promo video) – Regina Carter vimeo.com/197792562

Regina Carter - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiCR3z6Gs5E

Ella Fitzgerald - Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_JxgAU84-k

The Creative Life: Regina Carter – A Conversation Series at UAlbany wamc.org/post/creative-life-regina-carter

resourcesBooks

Faber, Toby. Stradivari’s Genius: Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection. Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition. April 4, 2006.

Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz. Oxford University Press. June 30, 2011.

Krohn, Katherine E. Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song (Carter G. Woodson Honor Book). Twenty-First Century Books. March 19, 2001.

Nicholson, Stuart. Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography Of The First Lady Of Jazz. Da Capo Press; Reprint edition. August 22, 1995.

Orgill, Roxane. Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Candlewick Biogra-phies: Ella Fitzgerald. Candlewick Press. December 26, 2012.

Improvise To compose, play, recite, or sing on the spur of the moment and perform or deliver without previous preparation; extemporize.

Jazz A type of music that originated in early 20th century in New Orleans, Louisiana and developed into various increasingly complex styles. Jazz music is known by its intricate, propulsive rhythms, improvisation, scat singing, ensemble playing and virtuoso solos.

Jazz Fusion A musical genre that combines aspects of jazz harmony and improvisation with styles such as funk, rock, rhythm and blues, and Latin jazz. Jazz fusion also employs electric instruments, amplified sound, and synthesizers.

Luthier A maker of stringed instruments, such as violins and guitars.

Morin khuur A traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument, also known as the horsehead fiddle because its scroll is usually carved into the form of a horse’s head.

Pizzicato Playing an instrument by plucking the strings with the fingers instead of using a bow.

Scat Singing Singing in which the singer substitutes improvised nonsense syllables for the words of a song and tries to sound and phrase like a musical instrument.

Stradivarius One of the famous violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied explanation or equal in modern times.

Virtuoso A person who has special knowledge or skill in a particular field, especially a person who excels in musical technique or execution.


(partial lsiting)

John R. Strangfeld, Chair, NJPAC Board of DirectorsJohn Schreiber, President & CEOAlison Scott-Williams, Vice President, Arts EducationJennifer Tsukayama, Assistant Vice President, Arts Education OperationsBetsy True, Senior Director, Artistic Faculty & Curriculum DevelopmentCathleen Plazas, Senior Director, Curriculum and Program EvaluationMark Gross, Director, Jazz InstructionJamie M. Mayer, Director, Curriculum & Professional DevelopmentRosa Hyde, Senior Manager, SchoolTime & AssembliesRoneasha Bell, Manager, On-site and Community ProgramsKyle Conner, Manager, Sales & PartnershipsVictoria Revesz, Senior Manager, School and Community ProgramsAlexis Almeida, Manager, School and Summer ProgramsAshley Miskoff, Coordinator, Faculty Evaluation and TrainingRaven Oppong-Boateng, Coordinator, Program Registration and OperationsDaniel Silverstein, Coordinator, On-site and Community ProgramsPatricia Sweeting, Coordinator, Performances & EngagementDanielle Vauters, Coordinator, School and Summer ProgramsTara Baker, Administrative Assistant/Office Manager, Arts EducationDenise Jackson, Administrative Assistant to the VP and AVP, Arts Education

teacher resource guidesThe Writer’s Circle, LLC: Judith Lindbergh, Michelle Cameron, Scott Caffrey, Chris Knapp

Lia DiStefano, Graphic Design liadidadesign.comthe arts in your schoolIn-School Residencies: Drama + Social Studies. Dance + Math. It all adds up in NJPAC’s In-School Residencies in which professional teaching artists partner with educators to bring the arts into the classroom. Each 7- to 10-week program culminates in a student performance or an interactive family workshop. All programs address state and national standards. NJPAC is the regional provider in New Jersey for international arts programs like the Wolf Trap Institute’s Early Learning Through the Arts Program and Dancing Classrooms Global.

Assemblies: NJPAC presents engaging school assembly programs that are presented by professional artists that invite students into the enchanting world of live performance. NJPAC’s assembly series promotes cultural awareness and invigorates learning by presenting works that are connected to your’s school’s curriculum.

study the arts at njpacSaturday Programs: NJPAC’s Saturday programs are geared towards students at every level—from those who dream of starring on Broadway to those who are still learning their scales. Students work with professional artists to build technique and develop their own creative style in film, contemporary modern dance, hip hop, jazz, musical theater and symphonic band.

Summer Programs: Want to begin to explore the arts? Or immerse yourself in the study of one genre? Then join us at NJPAC next summer in one of seven programs that spark the creativity in every child through the study of music, dance and theater.

njpac staff

NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible through the generosity of our endowment donors: The Arts Education Endowment Fund in honor of Raymond C. Chambers, The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund, Albert and Katherine Merck, and The Sagner Family Foundation

Generous annual support for NJPAC Arts Education Programs is provided by: NJ Advance Media/The Star-Ledger, McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane, John and Suzanne Willian/Goldman Sachs Gives, MCJ Amelior Foundation, Amy Liss, Jennifer A. Chalsty, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, Panasonic Corporation of America, and Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office, Stewart and Judy Colton

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call our education sales team at 973.353.7058 or email [email protected]. Visit www.njpac.org/education

Generous support for Schooltime provided, in part, by

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teacher resource guide schooltime peformance series the performance in simply ella, award-winning...

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