Black History: The Jazz Music of the Harlem Renaissance (Ages 11-14)
A one-time class about the jazz music of the Harlem Renaissance, a flowering of the arts centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the 1920s and 30s.
Helen Dixon MA, BA (Humanities), BS (English Ed.)
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(7)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursAssessment
The class will include formative assessments (thumbs up, thumbs down, flash of five).Class Experience
This class will focus on the jazz of the Harlem Renaissance, an African American arts movement in Harlem during the 1920s and 30s. At this time and place, there was an outpouring of all forms of artistic creativity. The class is for musicians and non-musicians alike. We will cover topics including the Harlem Renaissance in general, jazz origins, styles, combos and bands, dancing, great musicians, and jazz vocabulary. There will be a slide presentation, discussion, musical recordings, video clips, and a guided imagery activity. The class will follow a set structure but will be flexible enough to accommodate discussion. I enjoy teaching with creativity and enthusiasm and look forward to having your learner in class.
Learning Goals
The learner will gain an understanding of the Harlem Renaissance, early jazz, and the jazz of the Harlem Renaissance specifically.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The class will include discussions of black American rights, which for some parents may be a sensitive topic. We will downplay the political aspects and focus more on the music. I use the term "black" to mean "African American" because of its prevalence and the label "Black History Month." If for some reason you prefer "African American" over "black" or "black" over "African American," please contact me, and I will do my best to accommodate. Additionally, I will be using YouTube clips. YouTube is on the Outschool approved list of third-party tools. But, I do not ask the student to leave the site to go to YouTube. I simply share my screen in Zoom.
Supply List
Pen/pencil and paper.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
I have consulted or plan to use selections from the following in a slide presentation: All media are copyright-free.
Books Consulted
America's Musical Landscape (Jean Ferris)
Listen (Joseph Kerman)
Encore! A Guide to Enjoying Music (Jack Boyd)
Selected Poems of Langston Hughes (Vintage)
Websites Consulted
jazzinamerica.org
nationalhumanitiescenter.org
ushistory.org
https://jazzfuel.com/harlem-renaissance-songs/
nationalbluesmuseum.org
history.com
YouTube (clips from a selection of the following)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX8HhdRUFe0 Scott Joplin Maple Leaf Rag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEm5CRI2Gow&t=178s Bessie Smith Spider Man Blues /Put it Right Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIRX4yeySIg Louis Armstrong Basin Street Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsXsBDx2moU&t=417s Cab Calloway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUxrpPv3A60 Ella Fitzgerald
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myRc-3oF1d0 Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW68aoblELM Fats Waller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9LUg-UJVc4 Eubie Blake Shuffle Along
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZKWXG94KE0 St. Louis Blues with sheet music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSxTHSuA1_E&t=122s Duke Ellington and Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GATT4uEnGRw Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x02lJ023tJ4 Duke Ellington and Orchestra “Take The 'A' Train”
Music recording clips taken from Internet Archive (a selection)
Maple Leaf Rag Scott Joplin/Ethel Smith
Alligator Crawl Fats Waller
Don't Be That Way Benny Goodman Orchestra
Don't Be That Way Chick Webb Orchestra
Passionette Will ('The Lion') Smith
My Sweetie Went Away Fletcher Henderson Orchestra
Rosetta Art Art Tatum
Spider Man Blues Bessie Smith
Joined June, 2020
4.9
7reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
3 Degrees
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Brigham Young University
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Brigham Young University
Bachelor's Degree in English from Utah Valley University
I have taught the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance in middle school and high school settings, so I know this movement well. I have never taught the jazz of this movement, but I have extensive education in music (one of my emphases in my Humanities degrees and through personal instrument lessons) and have taught music, including jazz, at the university level. I feel confident that I will be able to adjust the music to the right level for middle school, especially since we won't cover the really technical aspects of jazz, given the non-musicians in the class. I love listening to jazz and have enjoyed listening to and analyzing early jazz lately.
Additionally, I have taught Humanities, history, and ESL courses (both high school and university levels) in which we discussed the rights of minority groups. I teach classes that are inclusive. Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$15
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 9 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
1-6 learners per class
