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Artsource
MUSIC
®
The Music Center’s Study Guide
to the Performing Arts
TRANSFORMATION
ENDURING
VALUES
TRADITIONAL
ARTISTIC PERCEPTION (AP)
CLASSICAL
CREATIVE EXPRESSION (CE)
CONTEMPORARY
HISTORICAL & CULTURAL CONTEXT (H/C)
EXPERIMENTAL
AESTHETIC VALUING (AV)
MULTI-MEDIA
CONNECT, RELATE & APPLY (CRA)
FREEDOM &
OPPRESSION
THE POWER
OF NATURE
THE HUMAN
FAMILY
Title of Work:
About the Artwork:
Cello Man
Cello Man is a solo performance by cellist Eugene
Co-Creators: EugeneFriesen, Composer/Performer
Friesen created in collaboration with Faustwork
Robert Faust, Director/Mask-Maker
Mask Theater. In a show designed to portray the
Background Information:
Eugene Friesen has created a unique voice among the
cellists of the world. Drawing on a childhood filled with
the great masterworks of Western music, as well as the
influences of hymn, ethnic and popular music, Eugene
uses cello and voice to create new music which is accessible
and personal. Eugene’s father, a choral conductor and
voice teacher, chose the cello as an instrument for
Eugene when he showed a high aptitude in music as a
young boy. At age eight Eugene began playing the cello,
pulling it in a little red wagon to school for orchestra
practice. In high school and college, Eugene played in
school and community orchestras and began experimenting in rock and blues styles on an amplified cello.
many facets of a serious artist and a soulful instrument, Eugene weaves a spellbinding fabric with stories, songs, masks and inventive techniques on cello
and electric cello. Repertoire for Cello Man features
Friesen’s original music in a variety of styles: blues,
contemporary, folk, electronic and pop, and includes
a duet with the recorded song of a humpback whale.
The use of masks designed and created by director
Rob Faust adds a dramatic element to the performance. During segments of the show, Eugene transforms himself with masks and costumes, integrating
the character with the music he is playing. The
results, surprising and often comic, physically illuminate the humanity present in each piece of music.
A graduate of the Yale School of Music, Eugene takes the
Creative Process of the Artist or Culture:
cello out of its traditional classical realm, propelling it
Eugene Friesen and Robert Faust met in 1983 when
forward as an exciting instrument with immense powers
they collaborated on an off-Broadway theatre piece
of free expression. Mr. Friesen has been a member of the
by Martha Clark entitled Garden of Earthly Delights
acclaimed Paul Winter Consort since 1978 and with the
inspired by the painting of the same name by
Consort, he won a Grammy award in 1994. He has also
Hieronymous Bosch.They had
toured and recorded with Trio Globo and with such
always wanted to work together
diverse artists as Dave Brubeck, Betty Buckley and Toots
again and in 1995, had the
Theilmann. Distinguished cellist Yo-Yo Ma says of Mr.
opportunity. The two went into
Friesen, “The music is beautiful and so is the playing.”
Robert’s studio and began
Eugene tours internationally from a home base in
Vermont where he lives with his family.
Photo: Craig Schwartz
improvising.
“Any musical instrument
is a tool for expressing the
personal values and many
facets of a player’s personality.”
Eugene Friesen
Vermont
Discussion Questions:
After the video has been viewed:
• What character or musical segment of Cello Man
did you find most memorable? Why?
• What kinds of feelings did you experience as you
watched the performance? Did certain parts make
you feel joy? Sadness? Why?
• What was Eugene trying to convey by having
various mask characters play the cello?
• What does the term improvisation mean as it
relates to playing a musical instrument?
• In what ways did Eugene allow himself to become
transformed by the masked characters? How did
the characters dramatically change the style of
Eugene’s playing?
• If you could create a mask, what character would
you choose to be?
Creative Process Continued:
Eugene put on masks created by Robert and began
playing his cello in the spirit of the characters
represented in the masks. Each character seemed to
have its own “cello song.” This artistic collaboration
became the series of pieces which comprise Cello
Man. Robert’s extensive experience working with
young audiences through Faustwork Mask Theater
was instrumental in creating and fine-tuning the
script and partnering the two art forms.
Multidisciplinary Options:
Eugene uses a recording of a humpback whale made
by an underwater microphone called a hydrophone.
Sound travels well in water, and the oceans can be
noisy places. Dolphins use whistles and clicks when
hunting for food, male humpbacks sing to attract
females, and large orca whales make sounds by slapping
the ocean’s surface or breaching – leaping out of the
water and coming down with a splash! The most
sophisticated use of sound is in echolocation, a skill
perfected by toothed whales and bats.
Have
students select a species of whale and in cooperative
groups, research and report on the whale’s life cycle,
its skeleton and anatomical features, social life, mating,
and the method by which it hunts or gathers food.
Suggested topics: blue whale, killer whale, humpback
whale, dolphin, porpoise, or sperm whale.
Audio-Visual Materials:
• Artsource® video excerpt of Cello Man. Courtesy of
Earth Vision.
Additional References:
• Tuchman, Maurice. Masquerade. Chronicle Books,
San Francisco, CA: 1993.
Sample Experiences:
Level I
• Listen to music of diverse styles - classical, jazz, folk,
rock, rap, world music, pop and new age. Choose one or
two musical selections and have students paint a picture
while listening, using the music as a source of inspiration
for their artwork.
• Look at pictures of masks from cultures around the
world. Have students select a country or culture and
write a report illuminating the historical, psychological
and artistic aspects of the mask tradition.
* • Explore the concept of vibration in an exercise using an
oven rack, string and a variety of strikers/mallets.
Level II
* • In pairs, have students explore the concept of improvisation. First have each student create a sound pattern
using body percussion: slaps, claps, stomps, clicks, etc.
Once their patterns or phrases are established, have them
communicate back and forth, altering the rhythm and
dynamics they ‘converse’ with sounds.
• Research specific string instruments found in Egypt,
Greece, Israel, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Mali, South
Africa, etc. noting the instruments’ commonalities.
Level III
Make a wearable and expressive mask using a variety of
materials. Study and analyze the mask you have made.
What kind of character might it be? What emotions
seem to dominate the mask? Put the mask on. Select a
posture, walk or movement that expresses its features.
* • Write a story that has a musical instrument as a main
character. The instrument characters may employ
human traits and emotions, or they may appear as key
elements in a story’s plot or action. Think about the
materials used in making the instrument.
*
Indicates sample lessons
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NOTES ON THE CELLO
String instruments, as a whole, produce sound when their strings are made to vibrate. By pressing down
on the strings with one hand, the vibrating length of the string is altered producing a multitude of tones
by either plucking or bowing. The strings are attached to each end of the instrument and stretched over
an arched bridge which transfers the vibrations to the hollow, wooden instrument. There, the vibrations
are amplified and colored by the unique combinations of instrument size, type of wood, shape and varnish. The strings themselves are made from a variety of materials: nylon, metal wire, animal gut or a combination of these.
String instruments are important in many of the world’s musical cultures. In ancient Egyptian, Greek and
Hebrew cultures, plucked string instruments such as the lyre and the harp predicated the advent of the
bow, which necessitated an arched bridge and allowed for greater musical expression. Ancient Oriental
and Near Eastern cultures, however, enjoyed both bowed and plucked instruments. String keyboard
instruments, such as the clavichord, harpsichord, and piano, technically members of the percussion family of musical instruments, evolved later in European history.
The cello is a member of the string ‘family.’ Other members of this family, the violin, viola and double
bass, all share the same evolution from ancient, plucked instruments, like the harp and the lute. Other
‘ancestors’ of modern string instruments are viola da gambas, string instruments with a soft, earthy tone
which are rested on the player’s legs (gamba is an Italian word meaning leg). The best quality string
instruments are made primarily by hand as they have been for centuries. The wood most used is pine for
the top face of the instrument, maple for the side and back and ebony for the fingerboard. The finest
bows are usually made from pernambuco wood from the rainforests of South America. Though the shape
of modern string instruments is excellent for its acoustical properties, the shape was originally chosen to
honor the female form, revered for its life-giving abilities.
Eugene Friesen
Photo: Craig Schwartz
3
Eugene Friesen
Musings on Masks:
Historical and Cultural Perspective
Masks have been an important aspect of the religious and social life in cultures all over the world. In
Africa a mask is far more than a facial covering. It includes the costume and adornments worn on the
body as a bond between a group of people and their ancestors. The tradition of using masks goes back to
time immemorial, according to scholars, but since most masks were made of perishable materials, only
those which were made of bronze and terra cotta date back several centuries. Within the Indian cultural
sphere, Ceylonese masks represent demons of sickness. It is believed that by some mysterious means, the
demons can be driven away once they have been made visible in the form of masks, and the illness is then
cured. The American continents are also rich areas for masks. The Eskimo and the Indians of the
Northwest coast of the United States made masks of extremely high artistic quality. Masks often take the
form of animals, sometimes representing a totemic ancestor or the ‘spirit helper’ of a shaman (a type of
medicine-man). In the ancient civilizations of Mexico and Peru, death-masks were fastened to the mummies
of the dead. The gods, too, were often depicted as masked figures. As a device for theatre, masks evolved
from religious practices of ancient Greece. The first masks were used to impersonate a god and were made
primarily of animal skins. As these ceremonies became more theatrical, the masks became more elaborate.
The traditional masks depicting Tragedy and Comedy are derived from Greek theatrical traditions.
4
MUSIC
VIBRATION EXPLORATION
TRANSFORMATION
LEVEL I Sample Lesson
INTRODUCTION:
Musical instruments produce sound by vibrations which resonate in a sound box. The strings of the cello
vibrate when they are plucked or bowed, resonating in the hollow body of the instrument producing the
cello’s unique sound. This lesson uses everyday things from the kitchen to explore this sound sensation.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
• Demonstrate and discuss the concept of vibration in an exercise using an oven rack, strings and a variety of kitchen utensils as strikers or mallets. (Artistic Perception and Aesthetic Valuing)
• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer to
Assessment at the end of this lesson. (Aesthetic Valuing)
MATERIALS:
• An oven rack, scissors, kite string, ruler.
• Strikers of different materials: wooden spoons, metal spoons, whisks of different sizes, plastic spatula,
rubber knife, silver fork, etc.
PROGRESSION:
• Have students pick a partner. Each pair should have one oven rack and four or five different kinds of
strikers.
• Measure and cut two pieces of kite string two feet in length each. (For younger students the string can
be pre-cut).
• Tie one end of each piece of string to two corners of the oven rack. Tie small loops to the other end of
each piece of string.
• In pairs, have one child slip the loops of the two strings on his/her two index fingers so that the oven
rack hangs. Next have them put their fingers into their ears. The other partner should gently strike the
oven rack with different kitchen utensils. After a few minutes, the partners should switch roles.
• Try the exercise again, but this time have the child holding the oven rack close his/her eyes.
• Using descriptive words, have the partners exchange ideas expressing what they heard.
5
EXTENSIONS:
• Write a short poem or haiku capturing the essence of the sounds you heard.
• Bring in toys or household gadgets that illustrate the concept of vibration.
VOCABULARY: vibration, resonate
ASSESSMENT: (Aesthetic Valuing)
DESCRIBE: This is done in the ‘Progression’ under the sixth bullet (•).
DISCUSS: Talk about what participants expected to hear, as opposed to what they actually did hear.
ANALYZE: Explain how the vibrations from the strikers created the sounds you heard. Did the different
materials (wood, rubber, silver, etc.) produce different sound qualities?
CONNECT: Examine the string family of instruments - violin, viola, cello and double bass - and use
what you have learned from the oven rack exercise to describe how sound travels from the instruments’
strings to the sound boxes. What role does the size of the instrument play in the range of pitch?
6
MUSIC
PERCUSSION IMPROVISATIONS
TRANSFORMATION
LEVEL II Sample Lesson
INTRODUCTION:
Although Eugene Friesen was taught to play the cello by learning traditional classical music, he also enjoys
making up his own music, or improvising. Improvising has a history as long as music itself. It has only
been in the past 150 years that classically trained musicians in our culture have not been encouraged to
develop this skill. Before that time, musicians were able to look at a rough sketch of a musical idea and
improvise melodies and harmonies as modern jazz musicians do today.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
• Improvise, creating sound patterns using body percussion.
(Creative Expression)
• Improvise with their patterns, communicating back and forth. (Creative Expression)
• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer to
Assessment at the end of this lesson. (Aesthetic Valuing)
MATERIALS:
• None.
PROGRESSION:
• Introduce the concept of improvisation and discuss points in the Cello Man performance when Eugene
Friesen made up his own music. Discuss ways that emotions or moods might affect musical dynamics
and phrasing.
• Talk about how our bodies can be musical instruments of sorts by using body percussion: slaps, claps,
stomps, clicks, etc. Have each student create a sound pattern using a combination of body percussion
elements.
• Once their patterns or phrases are established, have them pick a partner and communicate back and
forth. Encourage them to alter the rhythm, dynamics or percussion components as they ‘converse’ with
sounds.
• Ask selected pairs to ‘play’ their improvisations for the class.
7
EXTENSIONS:
• Add voice as a musical element to the improvisation.
• Listen to recordings of scat singing and/or improvisation by jazz artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny
Rollins, Keith Jarret, Dexter Gordon or others.
VOCABULARY: improvisation, body percussion, scat singing
ASSESSMENT: (Aesthetic Valuing)
DESCRIBE: Describe the sound pattern you created noting the variety, pacing and dynamics of your
musical phrase.
DISCUSS: Talk about the mood or feeling of the various improvisations.
ANALYZE: What did you need to do to successfully ‘converse’ back and forth and improvise with a partner?
(listen carefully, focus, concentrate)
CONNECT: List ways that we use the concept of improvisation in our daily life: cooking, the way we
put our outfits together, talking, making a homemade card or gift, etc.
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MUSIC
MUSICAL FICTION
TRANSFORMATION
LEVEL III Sample Lesson
INTRODUCTION:
In Cello Man, Eugene Friesen creates some fanciful characters, such as a squirrel and a bear who play
the cello. This creative writing exercise explores the idea that musical instruments can be characters in
imaginative tales.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
• Write an original story that has a musical instrument as a main character. (Creative Expression)
• Illustrate their stories using a variety of media. (Creative Expression)
• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer to
Assessment at the end of this lesson. (Aesthetic Valuing)
MATERIALS:
• Paper, pen, pencils, markers, crayons, water color, tempera paint, collage elements, etc.
PROGRESSION:
• Introduce the term personification, the giving of human qualities to an inanimate object. Share some
examples such as The Gingerbread Man, or the teapot, teacup and candlestick in Disney’s “Beauty and the
Beast”.
• Brainstorm a list of musical instruments on the classroom blackboard.
Task:
• Have students select a musical instrument to write about in an original story. Next have students complete
the character analysis checklist, on page 11, filling it in for their selected instrument.
Suggested ways to complete the Task:
• Students do some research on their musical instrument. From what materials is it mad? Is it made by
hand or manufactured? From what culture does it originate? Bring in pictures or models.
• The instrument characters may be personified, employing human traits or emotions, or they may appear
as key elements in a story’s plot or action.
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• Students can write their stories using any style: fairy tale, folktale, fantasy, fable, journey story, mystery,
myth, science-fiction, personal history story, etc.
• Students illustrate their stories choosing a variety of media: markers, crayons, watercolor, tempera paint,
collage, etc.
• Share their creative writing and illustrations in a classroom storytime.
• Act out the stories in story theatre style using a narrator and simple costumes and props.
EXTENSION:
• Repeat the character analysis checklist, using another category such as tools, kitchen utensils, modes of
transportation, etc.
• Compile the stories and publish them in a class book.
VOCABULARY: personification, character analysis, story theatre, pitch, timbre
ASSESSMENT: (Aesthetic Valuing)
DESCRIBE: Describe the instrument you chose in detail - color, shape, line, age, cultural aspects, pitch,
timbre, etc.
DISCUSS: Talk about the kinds of characters developed in the stories. Do the characterizations seem to
match the actual instruments? In what ways?
ANALYZE: Analyze the reasons why you made the choices you did for your particular instrument character.
CONNECT: Find published stories about musical instruments and read them to the class, such as The
Voice of the Wood by Claude Clement (which is also the subject of an Artsource ® unit).
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CHARACTER ANALYSIS CHECKLIST
Instrument: _____________________________________
Character Name: _________________________________
Age: ______________
Environment (where it lives): __________________________
Special Quality or Ability: _____________________________
Best Friend: __________________________________________
My favorite thing in the world is ___________________________________________________
I am really afraid of _____________________________________________________________
The worst thing that ever happened to me was ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
My secret ambition is ____________________________________________________________
11
rtsource
A
The Music Center’s Study Guide
to the Performing Arts
A Project of the
Music Center
®
135 North Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.musiccenter.org
© 1995 - 2012, The Music Center of Los Angeles County. All rights reserved.
Artsource® written units, audio, video and slides/photographic materials are subject to the provisions of copyright
law, and are to be used for educational purposes only. Individuals or institutions are prohibited from broadcasting
over the air, charging admission or receiving direct compensation for the exhibition of the video, audio or
photographic materials accompanying the Artsource® units.
The Music Center does not sanction the illegal use or unauthorized duplication of someone else’s work in any form.
Individuals who willfully violate the Music Center’s policy do so at their own risk and are liable to the Music Center
in the event of a loss resulting from litigation.
Introduction
A RTSOURCE ®: T HE M USIC C ENTER’ S S TUDY G UIDE
TO THE
P ERFORMING A RTS
Artsource® highlights works of art and artists of stature from diverse cultures.
It represents early to contemporary art forms in the disciplines of
dance, music and theatre
and complements the programs and performances
of the Music Center’s resident companies and artist roster.
The arts are ancient, enduring and universal forms of communication.
Artists present their perceptions, reflections, and points of view which
influence, and are influenced by, the culture and period of time in which they exist.
Artsource Contributors
®
Project Director
Melinda Williams
Project Coordinator
Susan Cambigue-Tracey
Writers:
Dance
Susan Cambigue-Tracey
Diana Cummins, Carole Valleskey, Madeleine Dahm, Deborah Greenfield,
Barbara Leonard, Melinda Williams
Music
Rosemarie Cook-Glover
Ed Barguiarena, Susan Cambigue-Tracey, Barbara Leonard,
Connie Hood, Annette Simons, Marilyn Wulliger,
Diana Zaslove, John Zeretzke
Theatre
Barbara Leonard
Kathryn Johnson
Technical Production donated by
Layout and Logo* Design
Paul Tracey
Maureen Erbe Design
*Received the LULU AWARD for excellence in graphic design and advertising,
sponsored by the Los Angeles Advertising Women (LAAW)
Additional Artwork & Artsource® Logo Graphic
H. P. Law & Partners
The Music Center of Los Angeles County wishes to thank
the artists featured in this publication for their outstanding artistry and
their generosity in allowing us to share their creative spirit
in the classroom.
Sincere appreciation is also extended to the members of the Center’s
Board of Directors and Education Council for their guidance in developing
these resource materials,
Music Center volunteers for their help in organizing, proofing and editing
Artsource® units; the professionals who provided field review;
and the dedicated teachers who tested the
Artsource® units in their classrooms.
Mark Slavkin
Vice President for Education
Melinda Williams
Director of Education