GET JAZZ

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A WebQuest for Advanced Band

Designed by

Beth Cohen

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits

INTRODUCTION

You have been commisioned by YMG Productions to sell a jazz musician to other students in the class (the "Advanced Band Recording Label"). The ABRL (advanced band recording label) are looking for jazz musicians to promote and sell in its cd's, videos and live concerts.  They want to know all about your jazz musician. You will be asked to give a 5 to 7 minute infomercial to the ABRL (the class) where you will try to sell your product, your artist  You must convince ABRL that your particular artist is worth the financial investment to sell to the public.  This infomercial might be used in upcoming promotional videos to the general public if you convince ABRL to sign your musician.

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TASK

You may work in teams of one to three people.  All members of a team must work on all tasks listed in the process section.  Each member of a team is responsible for a one page outline of their aural presentation, a copy of which will be handed in to the ABRL during the presentation.  Each member of a team is responsible for his/her own music information, a personal statement as stated in the process section.

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PROCESS
 
 
Your presentation must include the following items:

Use the Resources section to help your search.

Biographical Information:

  • When and where was the musician born?
  • Where did the musician  live?
  • What is some important information, facts, incidents about the musician's life?
  • Who was the musician personally influenced by?
  • Who was the musician  musically influenced by?
  • Was the musician an important figure in the development of jazz? Why?
  • What was the musician like (get personal)?
  • What was society like when  the musician lived?
  • How did the times that the musician lived in influence his/her life?

Musical Information

    Personal:  How do you personally feel about this music?  What were your own reactions to the music?
Visual Aids Get us into your artist with visual support!

Aural Presentation
A small excerpt of your artists music.  Focus on this excerpt in your talk on the music.

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RESOURCES
 
 
For All Artists use:

Herbie Mann
http://www.eurekaweb.com/hmann.htm

Benny Goodman
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_goodman_benny.htm

Gerry Mulligan
http://www.downbeat.com/sections/artists/text/bio.asp?from=go&id1=7114
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/1724/

Gene Krupa
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Bayou/1707/drum_links_j.html
http://www.downbeat.com/sections/artists/text/bio.asp?from=go&id1=7113

Les Paul
http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/Stories/LesPaul.html

Charlie Christian
http://home.elp.rr.com/valdes/

J.J. Johnson
http://www.jjjohnson.org

Jack Teagarden
http://www.teagardenonline.com

Charlie Parker
http://www.cmgww.com/music/parker/

Lester Young
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_young_lester.htm

Ella Fitzgerald
http://www.geocities.com/meggledy/

Dizzie Gillespie
http://www.downbeat.com/sections/artists/text/bio.asp?from=go&id1=7103
Music Clip:  http://www.unb.ca/web/clubs/abs/dizzy.htm
General Info:  http://www.duke.edu/~fdp/
More General Info:  http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Square/2073/index.html

Miles Davis
Biography, Pictures, Music, and more: http://www.aramagic.com/lounge/music/miles_davis/index.html
More Info: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/2822/miles_davis.html

Count Basie
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_basie_count.htm
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/5491/cbasie.html
 

Mary Lou Williams
http://kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/womeninjazz/1stlady.html
http://www.duke.edu/~lmr/
http://www.ratical.org/MaryLouWilliams/Mission.html
http://www.duke.edu/~aen3/marylou.html

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EVALUATION
 
 

You will be graded on the following criteria:
  • Content
    • biographical
    • social and musical history
    • musical analysis
    • personal opinions on music
  • Presentation
    • Aural
    • Visual
  • Written
    • Outline of presentation from each member of the production team
    • Written personal opinions on music (see Content)


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CONCLUSION

YMG productions hopes that through this project, you have learned not only about your artist but have gained essential skills towards your future success in life.  Have you learned how to be a detective and track down what you want to know about a subject?  Have you learned how to work with others in your production team, even those with different work habits or opinions?  Have you learned how to make a clear and exciting presentation to others that sells them your idea, your dream, your interest?  Have you learned how to take on a project that you are not neccessarily interested in and have you learned how to become more involved, more informed, and therefore, more excited about it?  Ask yourselves these questions.  If you have responded yes to each one then, congratulations, you have sold your artist!

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CREDITS

Thank you to the Media Workshop New York.

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