Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
MUSE353 Gerrity
Venn Diagram of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”
o 3 Female Singers
In common
o Jazz Style
Pentatonix Version
o Beat boxer
o Switches between lead voices with close harmony intermittent (no extended solo)
The Andrews Sisters, born in Mound, MN to immigrant parents between the years 1911
and 1918, was the most successful female vocal group of the first half of the twentieth century
(in the U.S. that is). The sisters’ names were LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty Andrews. From
1938-1951 the sisters record a little over six-hundred tunes. The big-band era could hardly be
represented better than by this sister act, a group that sold well over seventy-five million records.
Their influence captivated the popular music scene of the forties and fifties and can still be seen
today through current pop idols adopting the style of the sisters.
Optimism, upbeat, joyful, and humor defined the Sisters’ style. Donning their iconic
military uniforms, their performances featured precise close-harmony singing and syncopated
dance. They were an instant sensation after the release of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” in 1937, and
continued to release smash hit after smash hit up through the early fifties. They provided an
uplifting musical escape for the United States once the Second Great War began, and starred in
many a morale-boosting musical movie (such as “Private Buckaroo” in 1942). They toured all
across the U.S. and in allied forces locations performing with many of the leading big-band jazz
ensembles. They campaigned particularly to raise the spirits of the American people and the
troops. They also, at a couple of times throughout their careers, owned their own radio shows
The girls brought about a couple innovations in their time working in the jazz idiom.
Singing at the top of their lungs, the girls created a full harmonic blend tantamount to the blare of
three harmonizing trumpets. Many big bands resented the Sisters for taking the focus away from
the band. As the legacy and numbers tell, however, the populace definitely loved the new
emphasis on vocal performance in jazz. Their piece “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” is an early
Dylan Keiser
MUSE353 Gerrity
example of Jump Blues. While they specialized in swing and boogie-woogie, they also recorded
multiple major productions in the jazz, ballads, folk, country-western, and religious idioms.
They were the first Decca artists to produce a record of gospel standards in the year 1950.
The Andrews Sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group hall of fame in 1998, and
hold quite the number of records still unmatched today. They charted one-hundred and thirteen
“Billboard” hits with forty-six of those reaching top 10 status; this is more than either Elvis or
even the Beatles! They helped to define the American Spirit during the Second World War and
the decade after. They championed other ethnic music styles with melodies in various tunes
originating from Brazil, France, Ireland, Israel, Russia, and more. They were such a success that
even the Germans during WW2 adopted multiple of their songs (they were of Jewish decent,
too!). These women swept the nation world off its feet, and are still revered today as the
You sent me two versions of “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy” in your previous letter and
presented me with a question; “which rendition of this Jump Blues tune would be better to use in
the middle school classroom?” After a brief analysis of the recordings, I hope to be able to best
provide a sound argument to the logical winner (as, in my opinion, there is one). As to the
quality of the piece regardless of version, this is a song ripe with fantastic teaching opportunities.
Jazz from the 40’s and 50’s created a cultural phenomenon that never quite went out of fashion.
I do not know a soul that hasn’t heard, if just in passing, at least one of the quintessential swing
big-band charts. This music genre fostered the core American music experience, and jazz is still
The original setting, performed by the Andrews Sisters, albeit an exceptional recording
from the 1940’s, is limited by the recording technology of the time. The sound quality of the
recording may make it difficult for students to hear the aspects of the music necessary for the
lesson you have in mind. The piece was an absolute hit upon release in the 40’s, but taste has
changed since then. The big-band accompanying the famous gals is limited to syncopated
interjections and short interludes when voice is not present. This is the Andrews Sisters’ style;
prominent vocals rather than instrumentalists. There is not a drum set present in this recording, a
choice probably made for balancing and style. This makes for a lack of drive that the popular
The Pentatonix’s cover of the song is a throwback to the original style created by the
Andrews Sisters. However, there are a few differences that I think would really impact the
potential acceptance of this piece in the classroom. This version, A cappella style as the
Dylan Keiser
MUSE353 Gerrity
Pentatonix group is known for, includes a fantastic inclusion of jazz influenced beat-boxing. The
driving rhythms provide the song with a twist from the modern day pop scene, yet it does not
change the style of the song. It definitely has a higher appeal to ears that are used to strong
rhythm sections. The humorous inclusion of voice actually emulating a trumpet (as the Andrews
Sisters singing style usually was described as “trumpet-esque”) adds an interest factor beyond
familiarity. The lack of extended solo voice in this version, as well as intermittent close
harmony during the section in question, generates more interest over time. The fact that the
members of the group have distinct vocal timbres and that they often trade melody also helps to
create a more engaging listening experience. This recording was published in 2017, and the
clarity of sound would definitely help students hear and identify intricacies within the
performance.
My choice of version, as can be garnered from above, is the Pentatonix version. The
addition of influence from current day pop tunes, better sound quality, and a higher rate of
interest generating material in this recording will probably be a better fit for the middle school
classroom. I hope my letter helps you decide which one to drop the needle on.
Best Wishes,
Dylan Keiser
Dylan Keiser
MUSE353 Gerrity
Glossary
group.
5. Big-Band – type of musical ensemble that usually consists of ten or more musicians with
four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Originated during
early 1910’s.
7. Close Harmony – harmony in which the notes of the chord are close together, typically in
vocal music.
else.
9. Drum Set – a set of drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments used with
drumsticks in jazz and popular music. The most basic components are a foot-operated
bass drum, a snare drum, a suspended cymbal, and one or more tom-toms.
syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm, emerging at the beginning of the
20th century. Brass and woodwind instruments and piano are particularly associated with
jazz, although guitar and occasionally violin are also used; styles include Dixieland,
16. Jump Blues – an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring
saxophone or brass instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of
entertainment.
20. Recording – the action or process of recording sound or a performance for subsequent
reproduction or broadcast, or a disc or tape on which sounds or visual images have been
recorded
music.
23. Setting (music) – a piece of vocal or choral music composed for particular words.
Dylan Keiser
MUSE353 Gerrity
24. Solo – a piece of vocal or instrumental music or a dance, or a part or passage in one, for
one performer.
25. Song - a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung.
27. Style (musical) – a way of painting, writing, composing, building, etc., characteristic of a
28. Swing – a style of jazz or dance music with an easy flowing but vigorous rhythm.
29. Syncopation – displace the beats or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats
30. Timbre – the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch
and intensity.
31. Trumpet – a brass musical instrument with a flared bell and a bright, penetrating tone.
The modern instrument has the tubing looped to form a straight-sided coil, with three
valves.
32. Tune – a piece of popular music (informal), or a melody, especially one that characterizes
Materials
Procedures
1. Students and Instructor will discuss family members or people they know who are in the
armed forces: instructor talks about the draft and makes connection to song “Bugle Boy.”
2. Students, after receiving a perception chart and reading the directions, will listen to a
recording of “Bugle Boy”: Instructor plays whole piece
Dylan Keiser
MUSE353 Gerrity
3. Students and Instructor will first discuss the “extra-credit” question, “what kind of music
do you think this is?”: no right or wrong answers, get some impressions then go through
chart.
4. Students and Instructor will go through the answers to the perception chart.
5. Students will, once “swung rhythms” has been discussed, perform swung rhythms and
syncopation in echoes after the teacher (by clapping or singing/speaking) and then
perform them during the song.
6. Students will compose short, eight beat rhythm patterns utilizing swung rhythms and
syncopation: teacher will model compositions for class when a student finishes.
7. Students will perform compositions while other students clap/speak/tap/whatever
“walking bass”
Assessment will be informal and achieved by having students perform rhythm compositions in
swing style. Compositions should contain an instance of syncopation, and students should
perform them with swing style.
Follow up Lessons
Future lessons will include listening to different sub-genres of jazz and blues, learning chord
progressions, and eventually having students complete simple improvisatory performances.
Dylan Keiser
MUSE353 Gerrity
Lesson Tool
Directions:
Listen to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” as performed by the Pentatonix and circle the statement in either
column A or B that best describes what you are hearing.
NUMBER A B
1 (:00) The song begins with voice The song begins with a trumpet
3 (:34) The quality of sound changes The quality of sound stays the same
4 (:50) Tap finger on desk to the beat Tap toes to the beat
5 (1:12)There is a voice singing the beat There is not a voice singing the beat
6 (1:38) The music gets distorted The music does not get distorted
8 (2:13) Song ends with trumpet There is only voices at the end
Extra Credit Question: What kind of music do you think this is?