Dylan Keiser

MUSE353 Gerrity
Venn Diagram of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”

 Andrews Sisters Version

o With a Big-Band Jazz group (no drum set)

o Band accompaniment and interjections

o 3 Female Singers

o Consistent sound quality

o Large section in middle sung only by one of the sisters (solo)

o Beginning and end sung all with close harmony

o Band closes song

 In common

o Harmonies are nearly identical

o Lyrics and Melody are identical

o Voice is prominent feature

o Jazz Style

o “Walking Bass” line (either played by upright or sung by bass singer)

 Pentatonix Version

o A cappella Group (4 voices, one beat boxer)

o Beat boxer

o Much heavier percussion emphasis

o Times when sound quality is changed to emulate original sound of piece

o Switches between lead voices with close harmony intermittent (no extended solo)

o Voice emulating trumpet closes song

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Cultural/Historical Essay

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

that aired their music and a positive American pride.

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
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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

quintessential sister act.

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Letter

Dear Colleague of indeterminable identity,

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

wildly influential today.

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

idiom known by today’s students could not be left without.

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
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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
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Glossary

1. A Cappella – (with reference to choral music) without instrumental accompaniment.

2. Accompaniment – a musical part that supports or partners a solo instrument, voice, or

group.

3. Balance – the relative volume of various sources of sound.

4. Beat-Box – imitate the sounds of a drum machine with the voice.

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.

6. Chart – musical score, or particularly a special score used by Jazz musicians

7. Close Harmony – harmony in which the notes of the chord are close together, typically in

vocal music.

8. Cover – record or perform a new version of (a song) originally performed by someone

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.

10. Genre (music) – a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized

by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

11. Idiom – a characteristic mode of expression in music or art.

12. Instrumentalist – a player of a musical instrument.

13. Interjection – an abrupt remark, made especially as an aside or interruption.

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14. Interlude – a temporary amusement or source of entertainment that contrasts with what

goes before or after.

15. Jazz – type of music of black American origin characterized by improvisation,

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,

swing, bebop, and free jazz

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

rhythm and blues and rock and roll.

17. Melody – a sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying.

18. Performance – an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of

entertainment.

19. Piece – a musical work that has been created

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

21. Rendition – a performance or interpretation, especially of a dramatic role or piece of

music.

22. Rhythm – the systematic arrangement of musical sounds, principally according to

duration and periodic stress.

23. Setting (music) – a piece of vocal or choral music composed for particular words.
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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.

26. Sound Quality – typically an assessment of the accuracy, enjoyability, or intelligibility

of audio output from an electronic device.

27. Style (musical) – a way of painting, writing, composing, building, etc., characteristic of a

particular period, place, person, or movement.

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

become weak and vice versa.

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

a certain piece of music.

33. Vocals – a part of a piece of music that is sung.

 Dylan Keiser
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Lesson Plan

Content and Achievement Standards

 Standard 4: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines

a. compose short pieces within specified guidelines, demonstrating how the elements of
music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance
c. use a variety of traditional and nontraditional sound sources and electronic media when
composing and arranging
 Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
a. describe specific music events in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology
 Standard 7: Evaluating music and music performances
a. develop criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music performances and
compositions and apply the criteria in their personal listening and performing
 Standard 9: Understanding music in relation to history and/or culture
a. describe distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a
variety of cultures

Class Goals and Objectives

 Enable students to aurally identify distinguishing characteristics of Swing Jazz

o Swing Rhythm
o Close Harmony
o Walking Bass
o Syncopation
 Students will perform swung and syncopated rhythms that they create

Materials

 Recording of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” as performed by the Pentatonix

 Perception Chart
 Rhythm Chart

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
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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 Goals and Objectives

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.
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Lesson Tool

“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”

As performed by the Pentatonix

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

2 (:13) More than one voice enters One Voice enters

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

7 (1:54) Clap with voices Click tongues to beat

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?