UMS in the Classroom: John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring
Interested in using a UMS performance in your university classroom? For each performance on the season, we provide suggested curricular connections, links to contextual material online, citations for scholarly material, and prompts for classroom discussion. For additional resources and individualized curricular support, please contact Shannon Fitzsimons Moen, UMS Campus Engagement Specialist, at skfitz@umich.edu or (734) 764-3903.
UMS is also committed to making our performances an affordable part of the academic experience. Our Classroom Ticket Program provides $15 tickets to students and faculty for performances that are a course requirement. Please email umsclasstickets@umich.edu to set up a group order.
Connect:
This performance may connect meaningfully with courses in the following schools and disciplines:
- Afroamerican and African Studies
- American Culture
- Sociology
- Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation
- Strings
- Winds & Percussion
Explore:
- Learn about the musical and spiritual influences on John McLaughlin’s artistry.
- Ted Gioia, the founder of Stanford’s jazz studies program, introduces readers to the genre in The History of Jazz (Oxford University Press, 2011).
Reflect:
- How did the musicians interact with each other and with the audience? What context did they provide for each piece, and how did that impact your listening experience? What kind of an environment did they create in the hall?
- Jam bands are known for their fan culture and extended improvisation during live performances. They often mesh different genres as they use extended techniques to create rich sounds and textures in their music. Since the beginnings of the American jam band movement in the 1960s, how have the musical styles and fan cultures evolved?
