The backbeat is one of the foundational rhythmic elements of Black American music. In this session, participants will learn a pedagogical approach for teaching this rhythm through the lens of three key genres: jazz, techno, and hip-hop. Concurrent with this history of the backbeat, this session will also analyze the preservation and erasure of the musical history of Detroit, giving educators a set of tools to help students make meaningful, deep connections with the musical history of Detroit.
Student-centered inquiry and historical investigation will be at the heart of this presentation. First, a bit of scaffolding knowledge of music theory and music history will be provided to the attendees. Educators in this session will get a hands-on, kinesthetic approach to teaching the music theory behind the backbeat (read: there will be stomping and clapping) that can easily be applied to students in a classroom setting. This analysis of the backbeat will serve as a springboard into music history, viewing how the backbeat is used in songs both inside and outside the Black American musical lineage and/or the music of Detroit. Specific listening examples will be given to show how elements of the backbeat (and all of the histories wrapped up inside of it) have been preserved, rewritten, and/or erased. Ultimately, these activities can be used by educators to help drive students into inquiry-based learning and make meaningful, deep connections between the modern popular music they listen to and the genres in the Black American musical lineage (How does the music I listen to connect to Detroit musical history? How is this history preserved or erased in the pop music of today?).
