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Essential Question
Why is Chuck Berry often considered the most important of the early Rock and Rollers?
Overview
“If you tried to give Rock and Roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.’”
— John Lennon
Chuck Berry burst onto the Rock and Roll scene in 1955 with the release of “Maybellene” on Chess Records. It shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 5 on the Pop chart, establishing Berry as an artist with appeal to black and white audiences alike. By the end of the decade, Berry had released a string of iconic songs – “Roll Over, Beethoven,” “Schools Days,” “Rock and Roll Music,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Back in the U.S.A.” – that would be covered by everyone from the Beach Boys to the Grateful Dead. Distinct from Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Fats Domino – all piano players – Berry was a guitar player whose guitar was a central component of his recordings. Gone were the horns, central to much R&B, and gone was the piano as focal point. Guitar-based Rock and Roll had its founding father.
In this lesson, students will analyze several of the elements that combined to make Berry such an important and influential artist. They will examine his pioneering guitar riffs, his carefully crafted lyrics that spoke directly to the emerging market of white, middle-class teen listeners, his blend of R&B and Country and Western influences, and his energetic performance style, which helped pave the way for a generation of guitar-playing showmen.
Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students will:
- Know (knowledge):
- Chuck Berry’s role in solidifying the electric guitar as a central instrument in early Rock and Roll
- How Berry built an audience by writing and performing songs that spoke directly to the emerging audience of white, teenage music listeners
- Berry’s role as a “crossover” artist with appeal to both black and white audiences
- How Berry combined Country and Western and Rhythm and Blues influences
- Berry’s role as a showman who helped create a Rock and Roll performance style.
- Be able to (skills):
- Evaluate Berry’s role as a Rock and Roll pioneer
Activities
Motivational Activity:
- Display the following quotes on the board:
“There’s only one true king of Rock and Roll. His name is Chuck Berry.”
— Stevie Wonder
“If you tried to give Rock and Roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.'”
— John Lennon
“There’s not a lot of other ways to play Rock and Roll other than the way Chuck plays it; he’s really laid the law down.”
— Eric Clapton
“Chuck Berry is the greatest of the rock and rollers.”
— Music critic Robert Christgau
- Briefly discuss with students:
- What do these quotes suggest about Chuck Berry’s role as a Rock and Roll pioneer?
- Have students heard of Chuck Berry? Briefly discuss what they may already know about him, and where they may have learned this information.
Procedure:
- Explain to students that in this lesson they will investigate why Chuck Berry is considered such an important figure in the early history of Rock and Roll. They will work in groups of 4-5 students to create elements of a class museum exhibit on Berry as a Rock and Roll pioneer. Each group will investigate one aspect of Berry’s influence, as follows:
- Group 1 – Guitar Riffs/Solos. Required video: Guitar Solos
- Group 2 – Berry as Songwriter: Lyrics. Required video: “Johnny B. Goode”
- Group 3 – Country Music Influences. Required videos: “Ida Red” & “Maybellene“
- Group 4 – Performance Style. Required video: “Johnny B. Goode”
- Divide students into groups; if necessary, duplicate groups to accommodate class size. Explain that each group will be given a packet of source materials addressing their specific topic. They must work within their groups to read through the materials, view the video clips, and discuss the related questions. They will then work together to create a poster that will be part of the class museum exhibit on Chuck Berry. The poster must include:
- A paragraph summarizing this aspect of Berry’s contributions to early Rock and Roll
- At least two visual elements that illustrate the contribution. These may be photographs found on the Internet or original drawings created by members of the group
- The name of one Chuck Berry song that illustrates this contribution, with a one- to two-sentence explanation of why that song was chosen
- Any additional elements that students believe would help viewers better understand the contribution on which they are focusing
- Proper citation for sources used
- Distribute the Museum Exhibit Poster Worksheet and handouts of materials to each group.
- If possible, arrange separate viewing stations for each group, at which they may view the specified video clips. If an Internet connection is available, students may use the computer at the viewing station to locate visual elements for their posters. If this is not possible, play the videos for each group in succession, and assign the research of visual elements for the poster as homework.
- Allow students sufficient time to read through the source material in their packets and watch the video clips.
- After students have viewed and discussed the material, allow additional time for them to write a paragraph summarizing their topic, as described in the group handout.
- Circulate among groups as they are working, reading over the paragraphs they are writing and offering suggestions for improvement.
- After approving each group’s paragraph, distribute poster board or construction paper, markers, tape, etc.
- In the remaining time, have students continue working in their groups to assemble the elements of their posters.
Summary Activity:
- Each group will present its poster to the class, highlighting its central themes.
- After each group has made its presentation, discuss the following with the class as a whole:
- Think back to the quotes at the beginning of the lesson. Does what you have learned about Chuck Berry in this lesson support those statements?
- Does one specific aspect of Berry’s career seem especially key to his status as a Rock and Roll pioneer? Or are they all equally important?
Writing Prompt:
Music critic Robert Christgau has called Chuck Berry “the greatest of the rock and rollers.” Is this description justified? What specific contributions support this statement?
Extensions:
- A Chuck Berry documentary and concert film, Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll, directed by Taylor Hackford, was released in 1987. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was a driving force behind the film, and is one of several artists interviewed for it. Ask students to watch the documentary and write a review, detailing the important contributions Berry made to the history of Rock and Roll.
- View the clip “Chuck Berry: Influences“and then research the two major influences mentioned, Louis Jordan and Muddy Waters. How is their impact evident in Berry’s music? Write a two-page research paper, using examples to support your argument.
Standards
Common Core State Standards
College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and Informational Text
- Reading 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
College and Career Readiness Writing Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 in English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
- Writing 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
- Writing 8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12
- Speaking and Listening 5: Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language for Grades 6-12
- Language 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
- Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
National Standards for Music Education
Core Music Standard: Responding
- Select: Choose music appropriate for a specific purpose or context.
- Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
- Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
- Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Core Music Standard: Connecting
- Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.
National Core Arts Standards
Responding
- Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Connecting
- Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
- Anchor Standards 11: Relate artistic ideas and work with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
Career Technical Education Standards (California Model) – Arts, Media and Entertainment Pathway Standards
Design, Visual and Media Arts (A)
- 1.0 Demonstrate ability to reorganize and integrate visual art elements across digital media and design applications.
A1.1 View and respond to a variety of industry-related artistic products integrating industry appropriate vocabulary.
A1.4 Select industry-specific works and analyze the intent of the work and the appropriate use of media.
A1.5 Research and analyze the work of an artist or designer and how the artist’s distinctive style contributes to their industry production.
A1.9 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work. ia, and Entertainment |
A3.0 Analyze and assess the impact of history and culture on the development of professional arts and media products.
A3.2 Describe how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence and are reflected in a variety of artistic products.
A3.3 Identify contemporary styles and discuss the diverse social, economic, and political developments reflected in art work in an industry setting.
A3.4 Identify art in international industry and discuss ways in which the work reflects cultural perspective.
A3.5 Analyze similarities and differences of purpose in art created in culturally diverse industry applications.
A4.0 Analyze, assess, and identify effectiveness of artistic products based on elements of art, the principles of design, and professional industry standards.
A4.2 Deconstruct how beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence commercial media (traditional and electronic).
A4.5 Analyze and articulate how society influences the interpretation and effectiveness of an artistic product.
A5.0 Identify essential industry competencies, explore commercial applications and develop a career specific personal plan.
A5.3 Deconstruct works of art, identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images and their relationship to industry and society.
Performing Arts (B)
- B2.0 Read, listen to, deconstruct, and analyze peer and professional music using the elements and terminology of music.
B2.2 Describe how the elements of music are used.
B2.5 Analyze and describe significant musical events perceived and remembered in a given industry generated example.
B2.6 Analyze and describe the use of musical elements in a given professional work that makes it unique, interesting, and expressive.
B2.7 Demonstrate the different uses of form, both past and present, in a varied repertoire of music in commercial settings from diverse genres, styles, and professional applications.
B7.0 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of multiple industry performance products from a discipline-specific perspective.
B7.3 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of the musician in the professional setting.
B8.0 Deconstruct the aesthetic values that drive professional performance and the artistic elements necessary for industry production.
B8.4 Use complex evaluation criteria and terminology to compare and contrast a variety of genres of professional performance products.