Strike Up the Band! Video Series Vhs Video: The Jazz Band

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The Concert Band
Enjoy one of the richest group sounds in music-the concert band. The program initially focuses on the three major groups of instruments used-percussion, brass, and wind-and traces their development from roots in Europe, Africa, and Asia through their present-day forms. Numerous musical excerpts, including selections from the Renaissance, Handel, early U.S. bands, Sousa, and contemporary composers, highlight this comprehensive celebration of the concert band.The Jazz Band
Grab your students' attention with this foot-tapping introduction to that distinctly American-born medium, the jazz band. The program explores the interchangeable roles of the three sections-reeds, brasses, and rhythm-to analyze how jazz is created. Key elements in jazz are also explained, including the call-and-response pattern first found in Africa, the syncopation of polyrhythms common to both African and Caribbean music, and later developments of blue notes and improvisation. Many jazz greats-including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman-may be seen and heard throughout the program. Outstanding contemporary and historical footage as well as photographs of key events in the evolution of jazz leave the viewer with an indelible impression of the incomparable jazz band.The Marching Band
Celebrate the spectacle and pageantry of one of America's most beloved musical groups, the marching band. The program traces the band's broad military history, covering the globe from its earliest roots in Asia and Europe to the American colonies and the world wars, and even to today's national band competitions. Rousing marching tunes and bands from all eras, including footage of Sousa and his band, showcase the development of the marching band.