At the age of 5 it was the PBS show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood that spawned the career of jazz phenomenon Esperanza Spalding.
"I saw a program with Yo-Yo Ma," reveals Spalding before a performance at the historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. "I said, mom, I want to do that. You know, whatever that is, I want to do that. And so the first 10 years of my musical life were as a violinist because of seeing Yo-Yo Ma perform."
Now at 25, Spalding is the definition of a multifaceted jazz musician, with godly talents. A bass player, singer and composer, her second studio album, "Esperanza," shot her to international prominence in 2008. Her wildly unique sound weaves together different styles of music--like hip-hop and Latin-- into her jazz compositions.
"When it comes time to write a balanced piece of music, all you are listening for is what sounds right in that moment. It doesn't matter what genre or idiom or anything that it comes from. It's just, what's going to make this piece work," says Spalding.
A favorite of the Obama's, Spalding has performed twice at the White House and also at last year's Noble Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway for President Obama and a host of TV programs.
Growing up in a poverty stricken neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, Spalding played in community orchestras, teaching herself the violin before eventually finding a keen interest in the bass. Following her graduation from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, she became the school's youngest-ever professor at the age of 20.
Spalding's most recent album "Chamber Music Society," has her busy touring the world playing concerts and jazz festivals. Even while on tour, Spalding still manages to toy with new sounds as she's already begun work on her next recording due out in 2011.
Quotes
"I picked it (the bass) up just out of curiosity, and played a note, an open note, an open string. And the sound really captivated me." --Esperanza Spalding
"It's sound. You hear a feel, you hear a groove, you hear a melody shape, and you really absorb it somehow." --Esperanza Spalding, on her music's widely unique sound.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is jazz?
2. What types of music do you enjoy?
3. What are some instruments that can be associated with jazz?
Discussion Questions
1. What is talent? Is it something you are born with, or something that is built from repetition and practice?
2. Is there something that captures you the way the open string of the bass captured Esperanza Spalding?
3. If you could combine certain types of music what would they be? Why?
4. How do you listen to music? Do you go to shows, listen to an iPod, buy from iTunes? How has the music industry changed or stayed the same in the past decade?
Additional Resources
Musical Legend Herbie Hancock Fuses Jazz, Global Rhythms
