Jazz Band
Instructor: Mr. Darryl Kniffen
Student Work Showcase
Soul Man- By Porter and Hayes- Arr. by Lopez
“Soul Man” was a hit single by the soul duo Sam & Dave. Isaac Hayes was inspired to write this song in 1967 after watching a television broadcast of the 12th street riot in Detroit, Michigan. Hayes noted that the buildings that remained after the riot had the words “soul” marked on them. Hayes said “It’s a story about one’s struggle to rise above his present conditions.” The jazz band students have been learning about improvisation while working on “Soul Man.” As Ricky Davis is improvising on the tenor saxophone, I encourage you to listen for repeated patterns and how he builds excitement.
I'll Be Home For Christmas- Arr. by Mantooth
Originally recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was written to honor soldiers who longed to be home for the holidays. This instrumental arrangement of the popular Christmas song is in the style of bossa nova, a genre of Brazilian music that was popularized in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Bossa nova, meaning “new trend”, blends the styles of jazz and Brazilian samba to create a cool, relaxed and mellow sound. As Gracie Smith improvises on the keyboard, I encourage you to listen to how she repeats musical ideas using the C major scale in order to create an interesting and logical solo.
"The piano ain't got no wrong notes." - Thelonious Monk
Course: Jazz Band
Instructor: Mr. Darryl Kniffen
Syllabus
Course Overview:
This course is designed to develop students’ understanding of various musical big ideas and develop students' musical knowledge and skills. Some of the big ideas students will be exploring include: 1) music is a tool for expression 2) music has structure. During the course, students will participate in a variety of musical learning experiences in order to gain meaningful and relevant musical knowledge and skills. Students will be given the opportunity to share what they have learned with the community during live performances and online.
ADDRESS
Arlington Memorial High School & Middle School
529 East Arlington Road
Arlington, VT 05250
802.375.2589
Fisher Elementary School
504 East Arlington Road
Arlington, VT 05250
802.375.6409
© 2014 Arlington School District
Music Program