The Human Beatbox

Cuesheet

After the Show

Performance Guide

Hello Teachers and Grownups!

We hope you enjoyed The Human Beatbox. Here are a few ways you can help your young concertgoers get the most out of the experience.

Rap It Out After the performance, explain how Christylez tells stories through rap, which is basically poetry performed to a beat with music. Ask young concertgoers to write a poem with rhythm and rhyme and add musical beats to it. Ask for volunteers to share their work with their classmates, families, and friends.

Try This Out Ask the children to…

■ t hink of their favorite kind of music or their favorite song.

What could they add to it to make it new and different?

Try out their ideas with a friend.

■ m ake their own instruments. Bring them to class.

Choose a familiar song to play, then use their homemade instruments to improvise to the tune.

Djembe

Guitar

Explore More!

Visit Strike Up the Band: Creating Homemade Instruments. goo.gl/8VjEH4

Beatbox Out After the concert, have children create their own vocal percussion.

2

3

First, have them try three basic sounds a beatboxer makes:

1

1. Bass drum — think of the letter B without vocalizing it while pushing air out.

They want to make a short, low, forceful sound.

2. High hat — say the letters T and S together, and vocalize while tapping their tongue against their teeth

with Christylez Bacon human beatbox and multi-instrumentalist

3. Snare drum — relax the lips and suck air in while saying the letter K Then, visit https://www.incredibox.com/ to create their own compositions by combining sound effects, beats, melodies, choruses, and voices. Or, choose a few of the sounds that Christylez made and beatbox them out.

And remember, good audiences listen carefully and clap politely.

David M. Rubenstein

Additional support for Music for Young Audiences is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Deborah F. Rutter

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Mario R. Rossero

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

Chairman President

Senior Vice President Education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2018 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences

The Amazing Human Voice

Good to Know Before the Show

Mouthing Music

Some History on Hip Hop Inside the Human Beatbox

CYMBAL

SNARE DRUM

TURNTABLE BASS DRUM KEYBOARD

LOUDSPEAKER

Hip Hop is a type of music, dance, poetry, and art that started about 40 years ago in New York City. Over time, it has become a powerful way for young people to express themselves. It’s also a worldwide movement that promotes understanding and working together.

Hip Hop music has heavy beats, electronic sounds (from a record turntable, digital sampler, etc.), and often incorporates rap—which is spoken-word poetry set to rhythm. But Christylez had an idea and took Hip Hop even further. He realized beatboxing and rap could accompany any type of music—from soul, pop, folk, and disco to jazz.

YTanou Photography

Instruments make incredible sounds, but actually, all you need is your own voice and body to create music.

Really! Think of instruments that are struck or plucked.

How do they sound? Maybe you’re thinking of the boom, boom, boom of a bass drum. Or perhaps you’re imagining clanging cymbals or the ting of the high hat on a drum kit. Amazingly, the human voice — including mouth, lips, and tongue—can make these sounds, too. It’s called beatboxing. Beatboxing started with Hip Hop music in the 1970s, but more on that later. First, let’s meet Washington, D.C.’s own human beatbox, Christylez Bacon.

Speaking of Jazz

Leanila & Yung Photos

Meet the Human Beatbox Christylez (pronounced chris-styles) is a Hip Hop artist who uses music to tell stories. He grew up near the Kennedy Center, and though he always loved music, his family couldn’t afford lessons or instruments. But Christylez soon discovered he didn’t need an instrument—he had his mouth and his voice. And so…the Human Beatbox was born.

Christylez eventually picked up a few instruments to accompany his voice including: The guitar is an acoustic instrument—that means it’s played without any electronic help. Guitars have a wooden body, strings, and raised strips on the neck called frets. Musicians pick or strum the strings with one hand while the other hand presses the strings against the frets to make different chords.

The djembe (JEM-bay) is a drum from West Africa.

The body of the drum is made of wood and is carved in one single piece.

The drumhead is made of animal skin. Djembe drums are used with singing and dancing at public celebrations and tribal rituals.

During the performance, Christylez uses these instruments, along with his own body and voice, to tell stories through song.

Listen for…

■

t he differences (and similarities) in the instruments and voices used to make music.

■

t imes when Christylez combines rap and beatboxing to sound like he’s using two different instruments.

Jazz is an American musical form which developed about 100 years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana. This seaport city was home to people of African, French, English, Caribbean, and other backgrounds. African American musicians fused elements of ragtime, blues, classical, and big brass band sounds to create a distinct new type of music.

Before the performance, discover more about jazz by learning these music terms: r hythm — a repeated pattern of sounds (notes) and breaks in sound (rests) ■ l yrics — the words to a song, either spoken (rap) or sung ■ i mprovisation —music that is composed in-the-moment, or live ■ c all and response —a musical pattern from the African tradition where one part responds to another; for example, Christylez sings a phrase and the audience sings it back ■

During the performance listen for: ■d ifferent types of music,

including Hip Hop, jazz, and classical.

Is it easy to tell the different styles apart? Do any of the styles sound alike?

■ rhythm and improvisation as Christylez plays and sings. What emotions come through his improvisation?

The Amazing Human Voice

Good to Know Before the Show

Mouthing Music

Some History on Hip Hop Inside the Human Beatbox

CYMBAL

SNARE DRUM

TURNTABLE BASS DRUM KEYBOARD

LOUDSPEAKER

Hip Hop is a type of music, dance, poetry, and art that started about 40 years ago in New York City. Over time, it has become a powerful way for young people to express themselves. It’s also a worldwide movement that promotes understanding and working together.

Hip Hop music has heavy beats, electronic sounds (from a record turntable, digital sampler, etc.), and often incorporates rap—which is spoken-word poetry set to rhythm. But Christylez had an idea and took Hip Hop even further. He realized beatboxing and rap could accompany any type of music—from soul, pop, folk, and disco to jazz.

YTanou Photography

Instruments make incredible sounds, but actually, all you need is your own voice and body to create music.

Really! Think of instruments that are struck or plucked.

How do they sound? Maybe you’re thinking of the boom, boom, boom of a bass drum. Or perhaps you’re imagining clanging cymbals or the ting of the high hat on a drum kit. Amazingly, the human voice — including mouth, lips, and tongue—can make these sounds, too. It’s called beatboxing. Beatboxing started with Hip Hop music in the 1970s, but more on that later. First, let’s meet Washington, D.C.’s own human beatbox, Christylez Bacon.

Speaking of Jazz

Leanila & Yung Photos

Meet the Human Beatbox Christylez (pronounced chris-styles) is a Hip Hop artist who uses music to tell stories. He grew up near the Kennedy Center, and though he always loved music, his family couldn’t afford lessons or instruments. But Christylez soon discovered he didn’t need an instrument—he had his mouth and his voice. And so…the Human Beatbox was born.

Christylez eventually picked up a few instruments to accompany his voice including: The guitar is an acoustic instrument—that means it’s played without any electronic help. Guitars have a wooden body, strings, and raised strips on the neck called frets. Musicians pick or strum the strings with one hand while the other hand presses the strings against the frets to make different chords.

The djembe (JEM-bay) is a drum from West Africa.

The body of the drum is made of wood and is carved in one single piece.

The drumhead is made of animal skin. Djembe drums are used with singing and dancing at public celebrations and tribal rituals.

During the performance, Christylez uses these instruments, along with his own body and voice, to tell stories through song.

Listen for…

■

t he differences (and similarities) in the instruments and voices used to make music.

■

t imes when Christylez combines rap and beatboxing to sound like he’s using two different instruments.

Jazz is an American musical form which developed about 100 years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana. This seaport city was home to people of African, French, English, Caribbean, and other backgrounds. African American musicians fused elements of ragtime, blues, classical, and big brass band sounds to create a distinct new type of music.

Before the performance, discover more about jazz by learning these music terms: r hythm — a repeated pattern of sounds (notes) and breaks in sound (rests) ■ l yrics — the words to a song, either spoken (rap) or sung ■ i mprovisation —music that is composed in-the-moment, or live ■ c all and response —a musical pattern from the African tradition where one part responds to another; for example, Christylez sings a phrase and the audience sings it back ■

During the performance listen for: ■d ifferent types of music,

including Hip Hop, jazz, and classical.

Is it easy to tell the different styles apart? Do any of the styles sound alike?

■ rhythm and improvisation as Christylez plays and sings. What emotions come through his improvisation?

Cuesheet

After the Show

Performance Guide

Hello Teachers and Grownups!

We hope you enjoyed The Human Beatbox. Here are a few ways you can help your young concertgoers get the most out of the experience.

Rap It Out After the performance, explain how Christylez tells stories through rap, which is basically poetry performed to a beat with music. Ask young concertgoers to write a poem with rhythm and rhyme and add musical beats to it. Ask for volunteers to share their work with their classmates, families, and friends.

Try This Out Ask the children to…

■ t hink of their favorite kind of music or their favorite song.

What could they add to it to make it new and different?

Try out their ideas with a friend.

■ m ake their own instruments. Bring them to class.

Choose a familiar song to play, then use their homemade instruments to improvise to the tune.

Djembe

Guitar

Explore More!

Visit Strike Up the Band: Creating Homemade Instruments. goo.gl/8VjEH4

Beatbox Out After the concert, have children create their own vocal percussion.

2

3

First, have them try three basic sounds a beatboxer makes:

1

1. Bass drum — think of the letter B without vocalizing it while pushing air out.

They want to make a short, low, forceful sound.

2. High hat — say the letters T and S together, and vocalize while tapping their tongue against their teeth

with Christylez Bacon human beatbox and multi-instrumentalist

3. Snare drum — relax the lips and suck air in while saying the letter K Then, visit https://www.incredibox.com/ to create their own compositions by combining sound effects, beats, melodies, choruses, and voices. Or, choose a few of the sounds that Christylez made and beatbox them out.

And remember, good audiences listen carefully and clap politely.

David M. Rubenstein

Additional support for Music for Young Audiences is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Deborah F. Rutter

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Mario R. Rossero

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

Chairman President

Senior Vice President Education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2018 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences