HOMECOMING

Lesson 7

Teaching Artist: Ruaridh Pattison

SUMMARY

This is the seventh lesson of Recorders Without Borders, where students will build upon their recorder playing skills. Students will explore a style of jazz from South Africa known as Cape jazz. Students will then perform “Homecoming” by Abdullah Ibrahim as a class, and share it with peers, friends, and family. 

OBJECTIVE

  • Students will be able to summarize important information about Cape jazz music.

  • Students will be able to set up, hold, and make a sound on the recorder.

  • Students will be able to play the notes “High C*,” “B,” “A,” “G,” “Low F#,” “Low E,” and “Low D” on the recorder.

  • Students will be able to perform “Homecoming” by Abdullah Ibrahim.

    *The recorder has three Cs! Low, high, and highest.

MATERIALS

EXPLORE

  1. Display the Google Slides: Homecoming. Introduce students to a type of music from South Africa called Cape jazz. Explore Map of South Africa by asking students to identify neighboring countries on the African continent, pausing occasionally to ask questions: Where is the country South Africa located on the map? Where is the Middle East region on the map? What do you know about South Africa in relation to our location? 

  2. Introduce students to Cape jazz by playing these recordings:

    Abdullah Ibrahim - The Homecoming Song

    Abdullah Ibrahim - Water From an Ancient World

  3. Tell students: During both of those songs we heard from a number of musical instruments! You may have recognized the sound or look of these instruments. Then ask: Can you name these instruments? [Piano, double bass, drums, saxophones, flute]. Do any of these instruments sound like a recorder? Explain that although they sound different to one another, the saxophone, flute, and recorder belong to the same family of instruments: the woodwind family. They are played similarly to each other, using the breath and fingers to change the sounds from low to high. In music, the word “pitch” refers to how high or low a note sounds. Have students pantomime playing the flute, then saxophone, then recorder, and note the similarities and differences between the act of playing each instrument.

  4. Explain to students: Both of the songs we listened to are by a South African musician called Abdullah Ibrahim, who is an important composer and performer, and a pioneer of Cape jazz. Cape jazz blends jazz ‘ingredients’ with local South African musical elements, including a type of rhythm called Ghoema (pronounced like ‘goo-mah’). Even though the Ghoema rhythm is from South Africa, it is very similar to a rhythm from the Arab world that we learned about previously, called the Maqsum (pronounced Mahk-soohm).

  5. Recap The Maqsum Rhythm, and remind students: the Maqsum has two main sounds - low (or dum/doohm) and high (or tek). Encourage students to use these two vocal sounds to recreate the Maqsum rhythm with these vocal sounds: dum tek tek dum tek, dum tek tek dum tek, dum tek tek dum tek etc. See if students can keep the Maqsum rhythm at a faster tempo.

6. Watch The Ghoema Rhythm  explanation video, and encourage students to participate using the same syllables as they used when learning the Maqsum - dum or doohm for low, and tek for high. Explain to students: the Maqsum and Ghoema rhythms are almost the same, but the Ghoema omits the first tek from the Maqsum: dum [rest] tek dum tek, dum [rest] tek dum tek, dum [rest] tek dum tek etc.

LEARN

  1. Instruct students to set up their recorders. If a student is using an adaptive tool or instrument, please follow the instructions accompanied with the product.

  2. Remind students of the three recorder positions: Resting Position, Ready Position, and Playing Position. 

  3. Remind students that when playing the recorder, they should blow gently into the instrument! Using the palms of their hands, have students blow cool air over the palm of their hand and imagine cooling down a cup of hot chocolate without spilling it. Then, with recorders in Playing Position, have students play a “B” with a beautiful, soft sound.

  4. Have students sit in a circle, facing each other, and then demonstrate the fingers for a “B” in resting position. Then, start a game of Pass the Note: play a “B” and pass it to a student in the circle. That student then passes it to their neighbor and continues passing the sound throughout the class. Encourage the kids to communicate without talking and to only have one student playing the “B” at a time but to keep the “B” continuous. 

    • Repeat with “A,” starting at a different point in the circle.

    • Repeat with “G,” starting at a different point in the circle. 

    • Repeat with “Low E,” starting at a different point in the circle.

    • Repeat with “Low F#,” starting at a different point in the circle.

    Optional: Repeat the same exercise but with each student playing one full iteration of the Goema rhythm playing a single note on the recorder: dum tek dum tek

  5. Use the above game to check that each student is holding their recorder with proper technique, with their left hand on top, and right thumb supporting the bottom of the recorder in the correct position. Instruct students that today they will learn another new note that uses fingers from both hands!

  6. Ask students to demonstrate the fingers for the notes “B,” “A,” “G,” “E,” and “Low F#.” If necessary, replay the videos How to Play the Note “B,” How to Play the Note “A,” How to Play the Note “G,” How to Play the Note “Low E,” How to Play the Note “Low D,” and How to Play the Note “Low F#,” pausing when appropriate to make sure each student has their correct fingers sealing the topmost holes of the recorder’s body, and their right thumb supporting the bottom half in the correct position. Remind students of the “Cheerio” test: press the correct fingers into the holes of the recorder, then inspect the fingertips to see whether “Cheerios” have developed on the pads of the fingers. 


    Optional: Review the previously learned songs by viewing Learn The Sioux Lullaby and Learn Ala De'Lona. They can then perform with the backing tracks using the following links: 

    (Backing Track) Songs to Play: The Sioux Lullaby

    (Backing Track) Songs to Play: Ala De'Lona

  7. Tell the students they are now ready to learn the next note on the recorder: the note “High C.” Play the video How to Play the Note “High C,” and pause to make sure each student has their left thumb and middle fingers sealing the holes of the recorder’s body, and their right thumb supporting the bottom half in the correct position. The thumb and middle finger of the left hand will look like a “C”!

  8. Tell the students they are now ready to learn their next song on the recorder: “Homecoming” by Abdullah Ibrahim, which uses the Goema rhythm. Play the video Learn Homecoming. Pause as necessary to ensure each student is building confidence playing the recorder, and their new song. Repeat any of the above steps as necessary to reinforce understanding and develop routine skills for future lessons. 

PERFORM+SHARE

  1. Once students have participated in the entirety of the Learn Homecoming video, and are comfortable with each of the above steps, tell them they are ready to perform their next song on the recorder. Prepare students to be in “playing position” with correct technique, then play the backing track video Songs to Play: Homecoming.

  2. Record a video or audio version of your  students’ performance, then upload it to the S'Cool Sounds Padlet.