VH1 Lesson for Music Classes, Grades 7-12 Behind the Movie Chicago VH1 Music Studio Cable in the Classroom Lesson 1

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• Students will be introduced to the genre of the musical film.
• Students will be aware of the music and dance trends of the 1920s.
• Students will identify musical motive as a basis for unity in composition.

Materials

• VHS VCR Player
• Television
• Audio playback equipment (CD Player)
• VH1’s Behind the Movie Chicago, Act One
• Web-based lesson materials
• Copies of “WordSplash” worksheet (included with lesson) for students
• Copies of “Razzle Dazzle” lead sheet (included with lesson) for students (see
  Supplemental resources for MIDI version)
• Pencils (students)
• Chicago: The Movie soundtrack, Epic Records, 2003
  
  
  Prior Knowledge:
  Students are familiar with basic music notation.
  Students have experience aurally identifying melodic and rhythmic passages.
  
  
  

Procedures

1. As students enter the room, play “Overture” from Chicago: The Movie soundtrack. Instruct them to listen specifically for any repeated melodic and/or rhythmic patterns. Distribute copies of Chicago “WordSplash” worksheets while students are listening.

2. Ask students if they are familiar with the music they have just heard, and what era it might represent. If they are not familiar with the music, have them comment on the style of the music, and explain that the music is from Chicago, a popular stage musical recently adapted to film.

3. Instruct students to discuss the words and names on the “WordSplash”
worksheet with a partner, and predict how they might be associated with Chicago: The Movie. They should attempt to describe a relationship between the terms and the movie, and note their ideas on the worksheet.

4. Show VH1’s Behind the Movie Chicago, Act One. As students watch the segment of the program, they should check and revise their initial answers as needed.

5. Lead students in a discussion of their findings after viewing the program segment.

6. Ask students to recollect listening to “Overture” in step 1. Did they hear any recurrent themes? What purpose could these themes serve? Share the following with students:

The center of jazz moved from New Orleans (1900s Dixieland) to Chicago in the 1920s. Much like what is seen and heard in the opening speakeasy scene of Chicago: The Movie, early jazz groups consisted of a rhythm section (piano, string bass, drums, and sometimes a banjo) that kept the beat and provided the harmonies over which a soloist played or sang. The main solo instruments of jazz were typically trumpet, saxophone, piano, clarinet, and trombone. As with popular songs of today, there was often a catchy chorus or phrase which drew in the listener. This motive, or “hook”, is usually easy to remember melodically and rhythmically.

(For additional lessons pertaining to Jazz, see the “Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America” and “Live From the White House: Jazz, an Expression of Democracy” lesson series.)

7. Play “Razzle Dazzle” from Chicago: The Movie soundtrack for students. Ask them if they can identify the use of a “hook” in this piece as they listen. Listen to verse 1 again, and sing along. Did the repetition of motives help make this song easy to learn after one or two hearings?

8. Distribute copies of the “Razzle Dazzle” lead sheet and play “Razzle Dazzle” for students again. Have students, using a pencil, circle and connect repeated musical motives. Compare answers with the rest of the class.

9. Guide students in discussing the purpose of having a musical motive. Throughout Chicago: The Movie, the song “Razzle Dazzle” appears as underscoring for instances where Billy, Roxie’s lawyer, is leading onlookers astray from the truth. Upon hearing the repetitive, upbeat nature of this tune, one can’t help but follow along - even the viewing audience! How can a musical motive contribute to character development within a plot? Have students discuss the ways in which music and music motives can help to develop and communicate a storyline.

Curriculum Connection:
Social studies- Research the following terms and their possible relationship to 1920s Chicago: bootlegging, flapper, prohibition, speakeasy, Vaudeville.

Physical education - The Charleston was the popular social dance in the mid-1920s. The steps are thought to have originated with the blacks living on a small island near Charleston, SC. The wild heel kicks and up-and-down movement to the syncopated rhythm of ragtime jazz were expressive of the reckless daring and restlessness of the flappers. Learn the popular dance steps to the Charleston. A reproducible PDF of instructions can be found at www.homesteadmuseum.org/jtt/1920s%20charleston.pdf.

“WordSplash” Worksheet

Supplemental resources:
• “Razzle Dazzle” lead sheet MIDI file, courtesy of Christopher Fitzpatrick, Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA.
• MIDI file accompaniments of songs from Chicago: www.geocities.com/Broadway/4902/midi.html
• www.chicagothemovie.com
• www.chicagothemusical.com
• Marshall, Rob and Bill Condon. Chicago: The Movie and Lyrics. Newmarket Press, 2003.

National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.