Rhythm and Blues of the 1960’s
Assigned reading
: Assign pages 3-35, “Soul Music: An Old Sound of New Significance,” from
The Sound of Soul
by Phyl Garland.
Audio-visual materials
: Albums of records previously recorded on cassettes. James Brown (single recordings)
Say it Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud, Don’t Be a Drop-Out
,
Open Up the Door
; The Impressions,
Sixteen Greatest Hits
; Curtis Mayfield,
Curtis.
Cassette video show utilizing major hits of the sixties with scenes from New Haven neighborhoods, (to be available by January from Institute).
Vocabulary Words
: improvise, cultural, industry, market, significance, psychedelic, duo, trio, technique, phenomena: 1) definitions, 2) phonetical pronunciation, 3) use in good sentences 4) spell correctly
Procedure
: Try to begin lesson by assigning vocabulary words. Discuss reading assignment. Ask students to listen to records and try to write down lyrics of at least one complete group. Discuss political activity of Black community on national level in the 1960’s. Look and listen to cassette-slide show. Discuss pictures and music.
Assign reports
: Write a one to two page essay on each singer. James Brown and Curtis Mayfield
Activity
: Scrapbook—Talk with parents about their favorite artists and recordings of the seventies. Collect pictures and information on Rhythm and Blues singers.
Songbook—Write your own original songs. Lyrics and if possible, the music. For each song that you compose write a pre-statement as to why you choose or created this song in particular.
Report—The song “We Shall Overcome,” became the “theme” song for the civil rights movement. Research this song. Can you remember its original version?