WB 26th April - International Day of Jazz

International Jazz Day  – 30^th April
International Jazz Day is an International Day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2011 "to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe." It is celebrated annually on April 30.

The idea came from jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock.

“Now more than ever before, let’s band together and spread the ethics of Jazz Day’s global movement around the planet and use this as a golden opportunity for humankind to reconnect especially in the midst of all this isolation and uncertainty.”

Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Here he is performing alongside George Benson on guitar:

Jazz is a type of music which was invented in the United States. Jazz music combines African-American music with European music. Jazz first became popular in the 1910s. It is still a popular music to play and hear because of the different styles.

Some common jazz instruments include the saxophone, trumpet, piano, double bass, and drums.

It is difficult to give an exact definition for "jazz". A singer Nina Simone said, "Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking".
Most jazz is at least partly improvised. This means that a jazz musician composes (makes up) the music while playing it, rather than beforehand.

Soul
This week, the film ‘Soul’ won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The film is built on a foundation of jazz, with the main character Joe, a music teacher and jazz musician  

When accepting the award, director Pete Doctor said,
“We don’t get to control what happens but we can, like a jazz musician, turn whatever happens into something of value and beauty.
Our main character, Joe, is a music teacher and we want to thank music teachers and art teachers everywhere – you make the world a better place.”

Find out more about Jazz:
https://kids.kiddle.co/Jazz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjB5Id_QfsU

Listen to more jazz music:
https://americanhistory.si.edu/smithsonian-jazz/education/groovin-jazz-ages-8-13


School Values - Respect
Our School Value for this half-term is Respect.
We uphold every person as a unique and worthy individual. Each should be empowered to function and thrive in their roles, whatever those may be.

Yacouba Sissoko
Meet Malian traditional artist Yacouba Sissoko. Yacouba was born in Kita, Mali to a long line of jelis. A Jeli, also known as a griot, is a highly trained professional performer/musician whose abilities have been passed down through their family. For centuries, jelis have been the musical storytellers in West Africa, respected as keepers of history, interpreters of current events, advisers to rulers, and connectors of social groups and families.
Jelis hold the highest position of respect and authority for their work and they bring people together and make peace through music.
Yacouba Sissoko was born in Kita, Mali to a well known jeli family; his grandparents, mother, siblings, and many of his cousins are all jelis. Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather at the age of nine. 

In this video you can watch Yacouba playing with another master musician, Jay Gandhi. Gandhi plays the North Indian classical bansuri flute and Sissoko the West African kora. Together they fuse sounds from India and Africa in a soulful musical exploration.

Virtual Big Sing – I feel good!
I Got You (I Feel Good) is one of the songs we’ll be singing in our Virtual Big Sing this summer. The song was first released by American singer James Brown in 1965.
Here is James Brown performing it in 1966.

Ten Piece – Mozart’s Horn Concerto
This month we are listening to Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 (3rd movement).
Find out more: https://www.drake.norfolk.sch.uk/horn-concerto-no-4-3rd-movement-by-mozart/

Tansy Davie’s: Forest (A Concerto for Four Horns)
This is an excerpt of a different horn concerto written by the British composer, Tansy Davies which premiered in 2017 – 231 years after Mozart wrote his Horn Concert No. 4.

Here she is explaining about her inspiration and composing process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i7o5cCBFMk&t=53s

Assembly theme – Conflict resolution
Dragon School Choir – Make me a channel of your peace.

Assembly theme – Online safety
One Direction Parody Song - "Who do you share your details with?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHW6O3Mf0qE

Assembly theme – Local Community and History Month
Frankie Dean known by his stage name Franko Fraize is an independent British rapper from Thetford.