Interdisciplinary Jazz Unit

And All That Jazz...

Lower School Specials Collaborate to Make Music & Beauty

Michelle Andrade Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications Grade 1 and 2 students moved through an Interdisciplinary Jazz Unit in the 20212022 school year with guidance from Nashville’s new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). The Roots and Streams of Jazz fused musical influences with history, art, culture, language, and a spirit for social change. Lower School faculty explored this fantastic new museum to integrate exhibit themes into a unit that would create a deep appreciation for jazz and jazz musicians.

Lower School faculty Caitlin Harris, Hope Moeller, and Heidi Wolter initially conceived the jazz unit for Grades 1 and 2. The idea grew with support from Director of Curriculum and Instruction Bobby Mirzaie and Head of Lower School Heather Caponi and a meeting with Nikki Walker, NMAAM’s Director of Education & Programs. The three toured the museum with books and resources as they brainstormed essential questions and student learning goals. The collaboration expanded as Lower School Spanish, Library, and Art faculty contributed to the planning for this unit. Specials teachers and Grade 1 teachers also visited NMAAM, and each teacher on the collaborative team brought their own expertise and excitement to make the unit more meaningful.

The advent of the unit was timed to coincide with the celebration of Black History Month in February and continued through early April. The study exposed students to wonderful exhibits, events, places, and resources in our community at large. Students learned how jazz music influenced history, art, culture, and the pioneering spirit of using your voice to impact change. Students learned the roots and legacy of jazz music, influential musicians, and their impact on American history and culture. They explored literature on artists, world changers, and civil rights leaders who embodied the pioneering spirit of creativity, self-expression, improvisation, individuality, and speaking up to bring positive change. The students enjoyed the opportunity to jam with visiting artists from NMAAM, including the legendary Lucius “Spoon Man” Talley. Furthermore, the Arts faculty facilitated student projects inspired by Alma Thomas, a barrier-breaking African American artist influenced by jazz music who was the subject of a recent exhibit at the Frist Arts Museum called Everything is Beautiful. The first graders also created a “Jazztown” based on the Nashville Public Library puppet show, Ellington.

This project culminated in a joint presentation with music and art on April 5, 2022, at the Grades 1 and 2 Music Concert, where students performed a tribute to the history and impact of jazz music on the world. Some of the output from this project included further collaboration across grade levels, a deeper dive into the work transpiring at NMAAM, and a strong appreciation for jazz history and the work happening all over Nashville.

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A) “Ellington” Puppet Show Grade 1 students enjoyed Ellingtown as a part of their continued study of jazz music and its impact on the world. NPL’s Puppet Truck brought the story of Duke Ellington, the great master of Jazz, through a musical journey with puppets of all sorts.

B) Rhythm & Drums Things got a little drum-atic. When Professor Thomas Spann brought “Drums and Shakers” (not to mention drum sticks for every student). Professor Spann brought the beats to continue Grade 1’s interdisciplinary study and appreciation of Black History and Jazz music. Professor Spann is a former professor at TSU, current Music and Percussion teacher at Fisk University, and an National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) artist in their From Nothing to Something program, “Rhythm and Drums.”

C) Mr. Lucius “Spoonman” Talley Mr. Talley taught students to play spoons. This was a continuation of students’ study of Jazz and came to us through a program at the NMAAM, From Nothing to Something (FN2S). FN2S highlights musical innovations of early African Americans created by memory and with limited resources.

Jefferson Street Sound Museum (see pg. 13) Grade 2 visited the Jefferson Street Sound Museum and learned about the musicians who gave “Music City” its name—the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, and Jimi Hendrix—all from curator Lorenzo Washington. The museum shares the rich musical history known as the “Golden Age” of Jefferson Street. Our old friend Mr. Tally even came by to visit!

D) Books about Jazz Music Students read biographies of influential jazz musicians while bolstering their reading comprehension skills through text connection. Change-maker musicians include Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson, and Louis Armstrong.

In Spanish, students learned about Tito Puente, the Latin Jazz genre, and the Afro-Cuban tradition of the mambo and other dance styles in an immersive way.

E) Alma Thomas Artwork In Art, students studied the art of Alma Thomas, a barrier-breaking Black artist influenced by jazz, who was the first African-American woman to have a solo show at the Whitney. The art classrooms were filled with music as students created their own artwork inspired by Alma Thomas and jazz music.