解放军文职招聘考试 Louis Armstrong 路易斯．阿姆斯壮

 Louis Armstrong

路易斯．阿姆斯壮

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong (1900—1971), an African-American musician, is one of the most important figures in the history of jazz. In the 1920s, this trumpeter, singer and bandleader began exploring the boundaries of jazz technique and style. Masters of jazz today admit their debt to this pioneer.

Armstrong’s gift was obvious from the start of his career. His earliest recordings first with a band led by his former teacher, Joe “King” Oliver, and then with his own band earned Armstrong international fame for technical originality. He freed his playing from the ordinary rhythms (节奏) of early jazz by creating musical phrases that seemed to go against the pulse of a song, only to combine them in the place later. His deep and rough voice became as special as his cornet (短号） playing, especially in his scat performances. Scat is a singing style in which meaningless syllables (音节) are repeated without preparation. Armstrong’s scat was among the earliest ever recorded.

By 1930, Armstrong had turned to more commercial, less experimental jazz. Some musicians criticized him for this. But others insisted that the real power of Armstrong’s art lay in its grace and sensitivity, fine qualities of the heart which remained in his music.

In the following years, Armstrong traveled around the world as the leading “goodwill ambassador” of American jazz music. The gentleness and great attraction of “Satchmo” filled his music and made him one of the world’s most beloved performers for over forty years.

 

I Aims and Demands（教学目的和要求）

To learn a passage about Armstrong, the pioneer of jazz and let the students know what contributions Armstrong made to jazz.

ⅡKey Points and Special Difficulties（重点和难点）

Key points: the contributions Armstrong made to the development of jazz

Special difficulties: the reasons for his popularity

Ⅲ Teaching Aids and Approaches（教具及教学方法）

Multi-media, Task-based approach and the integrated approach

 

Ⅳ Brief Teaching Procedures（教学过程）

Step1 Lead-in（导入新课）

Have you ever heard about Louis Armstrong?

Step2 Fast reading（快速阅读）   

Read fast and answer（快速阅读并回答下列问题）:

1) Why was Armstrong called “pioneer of jazz”?

2) Why was “Satchmo” criticized by some musicians in the 1930s?

3) What made Armstrong the “good will ambassador” of American jazz music?

Keys（参考答案）:

1) He created musical phrases and freed his playing from the ordinary rhythms of early jazz.

2) For turning his attention away from making changes.

2) His attraction and sensitivity.

Step3 Careful reading （细读）

1. What is the passage mainly about? 

(A praise of Armstrong’s contribution to jazz.)

2. Pick up some words from the passage to describe Louis Armstrong.

(one of the most important figures in the history of jazz, bandleader, pioneer, grace and sensitivity, fine qualities of the heart, gentleness and great attraction, one of most beloved performers…)

3. Translate the sentences below.

1) Masters of jazz today admit their debt to this pioneer.

Masters of jazz today think that Armstrong made a lot of contributions to the development of jazz and that they should thank him for this.

2) By 1930, Armstrong had turned to more commercial, less experimental jazz.

By 1930, Armstrong had turned his attention away from making changes and his music had become more commercial.

Step4 Classroom activities（课堂活动）    

Work in groups of four and discuss:

What were the reasons for Armstrong’s success?

(His early experiences in “King” Oliver’s band, his technical originality and his personality.)

What qualities should a successful musician have?

Step5. Homework （作业）

Rewrite the passage. (Around 150 words.)

Step6 Assessment（评价）

Words and expressions（词和短语）

1. explore  v. 探索                                          2. boundary   n. 边界，界线

3. former  adj. 原先的，前面的                     4. originality  n. 创造力，独创性  

5. commercial  adj. 商业的                             6. criticize  v. 批评

7. grace  n. 优雅                                            8. ambassador  n.大使

9. go against 违背，违反                                10. turn to 转向