Drum, Singer, Song, Storyteller
Essential Understandings
Essential Understanding 1 Indigenous peoples have maintained their diverse and dynamic identities through the continued practice of their lifeways and artistic expressions. These lifeways adapt and change in response to social, economic, and environmental factors and changes.
Essential Understanding 2 Indigenous peoples have created music since Time Immemorial but have often been intentionally excluded from music/arts education despite much contemporary music having Native influences.
Essential Understanding 3 “Understanding artwork provides insights into individuals’ own and others’ cultures and societies, while also providing opportunities to access, express, and integrate meaning across a variety of content areas” (Arts CAS Conceptual Framework).
Overview
This introductory set of lessons will give students a foundational awareness of Native American musicians and their influence on and creation of various music genres. It is important that teachers emphasize that students can explain that Indigenous peoples have lived on this land since Time Immemorial and that Native people are part of vibrant modern communities (both mainstream and tribally specific communities). A study of Native American musicians can serve to deepen students’ musical comprehension, broaden their awareness of genres Native people perform in, and to “provide insights into individuals’ own and others’ cultures and societies” (Arts CAS Conceptual Framework).
Essential Questions
- How have Native American cultures and music-making influenced popular music over time?
- Who was Jim Pepper and why is he important in music history?
- What genres of music have roots in and connections to Native American music?
- What instruments and techniques often appear in Native American music?
Logistics
Where does this activity take place?
Classroom
How are students organized?
Whole class, pairs, or trios
Time Required
Depending on school schedule, this can be completed in five 45-minute class periods or three 90-minute class periods.
If using three 90-minute class periods, then Lesson #3 and Lesson #4 can be combined into one class. Remaining lessons can allow more time for listening to music genre examples, discussions, and individual presentations.
Assessment Outcomes
Students will research a Native American musician and create a slideshow that includes visual imagery and a short example of their music. It should also answer the following questions:
- What is their tribal heritage(s)?
- What life experiences have influenced the musician?
- What historical context or cultural traditions influence the music?
- What genre(s) of music have they played over time?
- What instrument(s) does this musician play?
- How does this musician generate their ideas for the music?
- What messages do you hear in this artist’s music?
- What impact has this musician’s work had or/intends to have on their society and the field of music?
Oregon Standards
Music Composition and Theory
MU.CT.1.CR1.HS1 “Describe how sounds and short musical ideas can be used to represent personal experiences, moods, visual images, and/or storylines.”
MU.CT.6.PR3.HS3 “Share live or recorded performances of works (both personal and others’), and explain and/or demonstrate understanding of how the expressive intent of the music is conveyed.”
MU.CT.5.PR2.HS3 “Using established criteria and feedback, identify the ways in which performances use compositional techniques and convey the formal design, style, and historical/cultural context of the works.”
MU.CT.8.RE2.HS2 “Develop and support interpretations of varied works, demonstrating an understanding of the composer’s intent by citing the use of elements of music (including form), compositional techniques, and the style/genre and context of each work.”
Background for Teachers
- Contemporary music has been influenced by Indigenous peoples and many genres of music have roots in Indigenous cultures.
- Native American influence has reached most genres of music and survived despite genocide and continued oppressive tactics, such as failing to identify artists as Native American.
- Most YouTube videos have ads before and during a video, but with YouTube Premium videos can be watched without interruptions by ads, including video overlay ads. You will also not see third-party banner ads and search ads.
Read and Listen
Read the linked document titled Biographies of All Native American Musicians and listen to the following works, which can help with understanding Indigenous people and the link they have to music and arts within society:
- The Role of Music in Assimilation of Students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School
- RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World? A Film Critique
Link Wray (Shawnee)
- RUMBLE 1974 live performance
Joy Harjo (Muscogee)
Jim Pepper (Kaw/Creek)
- Remembering Jim Pepper: Interview with Ra Kalam Bob Moses
- Senate Joint Resolution 31 (2005)
- House Concurrent Resolution 8A (2015)
Key Ideas to Be Aware of and Keep in Mind
- Native Americans have lived in all regions of Oregon and North America since Time Immemorial.
- Native American cultural and artistic contributions have often been suppressed and devalued.
- Indigenous peoples have ancient traditions of music-making which have influenced many musical genres.
- Native American musicians create and perform in most genres of music.
- Jim Pepper’s contribution to American jazz music is significant, and his unique blending of jazz and Native American musical styles is also noteworthy.
Before Delivering These Lessons
- Watch/listen to each suggested recording in its entirety to check for school and age-appropriate content.
- Consider using a tool such as SafeShare to provide access to video clips if YouTube is problematic.
- Familiarize yourself with the range of musical genres and contributions of Native musicians at the Speak/Sing Native Archive.
- Remember that this unit serves as an exploration but is not intended to be the only exposure music students have to Native American musicians and music.
- Consider the size, technical capabilities, and logistical demands of your class and classroom.
Materials
- Online access to the Speak/Sing Native Archive
- Biographies of All Native American Musicians: List (w/links) of Native American musician examples for slideshow presentation
- Speak/Sing PowerPoint slides each lesson (for your optional use). These can be found at the beginning of each lesson.
- Projector and speakers
- Thinking Organizers for Lessons #1 #2, and #5 (1 copy of each per student)
- Exit Ticket Lesson 1, 2 (1 copy of each per student)
- Native American Musician Slideshow Assignment Sheet (one copy per student)
- Homework Music Vocabulary Worksheet and the Advanced Version
- Student access to Google Slides, Powerpoint, or similar
- Headphones for students
Unit Learning Targets
- I can recognize that Native American musicians have contributed, and continue to contribute, to many genres of music.
- I can describe how musicians are influenced by their social and cultural backgrounds.
- I can design and present a slideshow about a Native American musician that answers these questions:
- What is their tribal heritage(s)?What life experiences have influenced the musician?
- What historical context or cultural traditions influence their music?
- What genre/s of music have they played over time?
- How do you think this (these) musicians generate their ideas for their music?
- What messages do you hear in this artist’s music?