SUMMARY
Renowned trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis has launched a new project, a kind of call and response for these times. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown met Marsalis at the Jazz at Lincoln Center for our series Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy, part of our CANVAS coverage.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
News alternative: Check our recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Wynton Marsalis?
- What does Marsalis believe can bring people together?
- When did Marsalis become the first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for music?
- Why does Marsalis believe that music can heal divisions? How does it do so?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- Marsalis states that music is 'the art of the invisible.' Why do you believe that he says this? How does music help provide a voice for the voiceless?
- Does music have an expiration date? Why or why not?
Media literacy: Look over the image below from the video. What do you feel when seeing this cover art for the song "Let Freedom Swing?" Why was it created?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Learn more about the unity music can bring through the article Community Building Through Music. Read over and write down the benefits that come from music in community. Then, jot down your own thoughts on the advantages brought by music. Once you are done with this activity, answers the following two questions.
- Are there any environments that you have been in where music has helped foster an inclusive community? If so, where?
- Why is it important to keep music alive in the world? What benefits does music bring beyond building community?
Written by PBS News Hour Classrooms Intern Justin Vasquez and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio
Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter with Daily News Lessons and community events.
To provide feedback on News Hour Classroom's resources, including this lesson, click here.
