DUKE ELLINGTON’SCOMPOSITION

S[Mary Donahue]

What Inspired Ellington??

1.

Personality-Heightened sense of emotion

- Good people- reader

- His 1500 compositions covered all human emotions

Life Experiences

Reminiscing in Tempo-Written after Ellington’s mother passed away

Members of His Orchestra

• Inspired by differences in musician’s styles, personality, culture, and musical upbringings• Players from New Orleans, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Boston, and Alabama

• New Players would keep compositions fresh– Ex. Caravan (Tizol)

• Turn Riffs into entire Songs2

Members of His Orchestra

• Used players faults to his advantage

• Names at the top of charts

Billy Strayhorn • Incredibly strong

link in musicianship– Band members usually couldn’t

tell the composer’s music apart

• Most famous song from the collaboration: Take the “A Train

3

Your Turn!Follow Ellington’s lead and find

inspiration for your music throughout your life!

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Attribution:Pictures1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ky_olsen/4945931340/2. http://images.google.com/imgres?

q=trumpet&hl=en&biw=1079&bih=735&tbs=sur:fmc&tbm=isch&tbnid=KF9rsT3vAm99bM:&imgrefurl=http://nopsa.hiit.fi/pmg/viewer/photo.php%3Fid%3D1505453&docid=CirSeyhdL8vexM&imgurl=http://nopsa.hiit.fi/pmg/viewer/images/photo_2981907015_6627efc1ba_t.jpg&w=334&h=500&ei=w57iTpmPH4bh0QGVhPnwBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=286&sig=109812571183540826725&page=4&tbnh=143&tbnw=104&start=46&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:46&tx=36&ty=92

3. http://images.google.com/imgres?q=train&hl=en&biw=1079&bih=735&tbs=sur:fmc&tbm=isch&tbnid=J_6tW8w5MOV3eM:&imgrefurl=http://www.cehwiedel.com/booklists/2005/11/Booklist.20051118.htm&docid=TubMG9fE3L2IhM&imgurl=http://www.cehwiedel.com/booklists/2005/11/image/AustinSteamTrain.gif&w=238&h=156&ei=YZ_iTuW8Dsb50gHz9q3NBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=299&sig=109812571183540826725&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=190&start=0&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0&tx=52&ty=40

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/timypenburg/5915364622/