Lesson 9: Queens of Improvisation

My daughter is constantly making up songs or singing variations on songs- either because she has another idea, or, more likely, because she just doesn't remember the tune (good luck getting her to admit it!).  I wanted to show the children that this is a kind of improvisation, and that famous singers have been doing it for ages.

The Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum (1898(?)-1975) is also called the "Star of the East"- with an extensive career, she had a great influence on the world's understanding of Arab music for most of the 20th century.  I had to choose a short segment of the song "Enta Oumry" إنت عمري, you are my life to play for the children because most of her songs are quite long: 25-90 minutes! Her technique of improvisation is a style of old classical arabic song- she repeats a section over and over, improvising each time. Concerts could be hours long, and her voice was so strong, apparently she was famous for singing without a microphone. "Enta Oumry" was composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab and written by Ahmad Sahafiq Kamel. The recording that I shared was made in 1964 in Egypt.

In the United States we have our own master of improvisation- the great Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), who bears the moniker "First Lady of Song". I played a recording that is particularly rich in its demonstration of her scatting virtuosity: How High the Moon, performed live in Berlin in 1960. I tried to point out her quoting other songs while improvising, even though I knew the children weren't familiar with them. Her scatting is so unique that it gives an idea of the special acrobatics she is performing vocally, even without the background knowledge of the great American songbook.

I loved sharing these artists side-by-side: two women who came to define the best of their genre, one celebrating something old and exquisite, and the other creating something fabulously new.

Enta Oumry, Umm Kulthum
How High the Moon, Ella Fitzgerald

Here is the lesson plan.
Here is the drawing sheet.
Here are the visual aides.

Enjoy!