Lesson Plan 5 – Fusion, Texas Style

Full PDF Lesson Plan – Lesson 5

Pre-Class

Watch this video. Cheaper – Bob Schneider

Mastery Objectives:

Students will be able to:

  • Discuss how the steel drum enhance or detract from this performance.
  • Discuss which of the rhythmic patterns used earlier in the week would line up with this piece.
  • Add an individual interpretation of which parts would fit over the top of the existing material.
  • At the conclusion of the practice time, have students explain their perspective, then play their interpretation.

On Your Own

As class starts, have students listen to a Bob Schneider performance clip, called Cheaper, on my YouTube channel.

  • CLASS QUESTION: Which instrument does not fit? Why or why not? Reflect in a blog post.

Show the clip once more as class starts, and blog posts are done.Add to your blog post, using one or more prompts listed below.:

  • How does the steel drum enhance or detract from this performance?
  • Which of the rhythmic patterns used earlier in the week would line up with this piece?

Divide students into strong groups of four, spreading out any weaker students. Using materials from earlier in the week, have students add their interpretation of other instrument parts that would fit over the top of the existing material. At the conclusion of the practice time, have students explain their perspective, then play their interpretation. Use drum apps or GarageBand for instruments to add to the work.

 Cultural Connection

Puerto Rico is noted in the text as having the strongest correlation to the Spanish influence. Moore uses the term “música jíbara” to describe a style referred to as “Puerto Rican country music.” (Moore, 34) He describes the ensemble as a vocalist being supported by a number of string instruments, including the cuatro. The cuatro (four) is a lute or guitar-like instrument that has five sets of strings, which are doubled, such as on a twelve-string guitar. Other instruments he describes that add to the Spanish-derived folk style are “the bandurria, a mandolin-like instrument with six pairs of doubled strings, the laúd, also with six doubled strings, and the guitar.” (Moore, 34) These instruments are used to perform the most common style of música jíbara, the Puerto Rican seis, string-based music incorporating sung poetry, played either for listening or dancing. (Moore, 36) Moore details several types of seis, including detailed directions about the dancing vocabulary.

When discussing music of the rural farmer in Cuba, the term “música guajira” would be the equivalent to the Puerto Rican música jíbara. (Moore, 41) Moore details differences in the ensembles, “…the tres (a folk guitar with three double courses of strings), and other local instruments. These days, some Afro-Cuban percussion (maracas, clave, even conga drums) may be used by música guajira groups as well.” (Moore, 41) He also notes that the most famous piece is “La guajira guantanamera,” which was made famous in the 1940s in the US. (link to video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiJhDO8Tb_Y) This work is the subject for Lesson 3 this week, focusing on chord progression similarity across cultural lines. I found an interesting comparison being made in Moore’s discussion, as he compares, “Singers of Spanish-derived folk music often improvise the words they sing on the spot, similar to what freestyle rappers in the United States might do.” (Moore, 41) His assertion lends another world music connection to the East Coast derivative of rap and hip-hop.