ASSEMBLY COORDINATOR: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE/POST/ANNOUNCE!
Assembly date: _____________
Assembly time: _____________
For: _____________________________
Kevin Gift
Presents
“Jazz Piano Masters”
Pianist Kevin Gift began his studies in Caracas, Venezuela at the age
of four and first performed publicly at the age of seven. Mr. Gift
received his Masters Degree in piano performance from the
Northwestern University School of Music where he was a scholarship
student under the tutelage of renowned pianist Ursula Oppens. Mr. Gift
has performed recitals in Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington D.C., and
recently performed in Annapolis at the Naval Academy Ministry Center
and at St. John's College. An avid sports enthusiast Mr. Gift currently
resides in Baltimore and enjoys playing basketball and soccer and
listening to jazz.
- Prep Information For Assembly Coordinator -
Kevin Gift
Presents
“Jazz Piano Masters”
PLEASE PASS ALONG THE ATTACHED TEACHER PROGRAM GUIDE TO
ALL PARTICIPATING CLASSROOMS.
SET-UP REQUIREMENTS:




A tuned piano
Folding chair
Microphone, if available
Audience limited to 250
ARTIST ARRIVAL TIME: 20 minutes prior to performance
SUGGESTED INTRODUCTION:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, today we will view, and listen to, a performance by a professional musician who began studying music at the age of four
in Venezuela, and who first performed publicly at the age of seven! Please welcome Young Audiences of Maryland Artist… Mr. Kevin Gift!”
YAMD CONTACT NUMBER: 410.837.7577
INCLEMENT WEATHER: DON’T WORRY! Artists will follow school closings/delays.
They will work with you to reschedule the performance if necessary.
AFTER HOURS/EMERGENCY NUMBER: Call 410.837.7577 and follow the
prompts to be connected with a staff member on call.
Teacher Program Guide
“Jazz Piano Masters”
A r t i st : K ev in G i f t
GRADE
LEVEL:
6-8;
9-12
Artist Bio
Inside this guide:
Artist Bio
Performance
Description
SC Connectors
Vocabulary
List of Resources
Post-Performance
Activities
Contact Young
Audiences for more
information on this
and other programs.
410.837.7577
www.yamd.org
Pianist Kevin Gift began his studies in Caracas, Venezuela at the
age of four and first performed publicly at the age of seven. Mr.
Gift received his Masters Degree in piano performance from the
Northwestern University School of Music where he was a scholarship student under the tutelage of renowned pianist Ursula
Oppens. Mr. Gift has performed recitals in Atlanta, Chicago, and
Washington D.C., and recently performed in Annapolis at the
Naval Academy Ministry Center and at St. John's College. An avid sports enthusiast Mr. Gift currently resides in Baltimore and enjoys playing basketball and soccer and listening to jazz.
Performance Description
Opening: Kevin follows a short jazz piece with a personal introduction. Questions are then posed to the audience members
concerning their participation in the arts. Do they play, or
have they ever played, an instrument? Have they ever sung?
Do they enjoy listening to music?
Body: Kevin introduces the music of jazz pianists ranging from
Thelonius Monk and Art Tatum to Keith Jarrett and Kevin Gift
himself. Kevin explores the art of improvisation in jazz with the
use of both familiar and original music examples. He also
demonstrates how improvisation can make practicing music
fun and personally satisfying.
Finale: Kevin engages students in a question and answer
session.
Maryland State Curriculum Connectors
Fine Arts Content Standards in MUSIC
2.0 Historical, Cultural, and Social Context: Students will demonstrate an understanding
of music as an essential aspect of history and human experience.
1. Develop the ability to recognize music as a form of individual and cultural expression
through experiencing music as both personal and societal expression
Vocabulary
Improvisation: something
performed without any
preparation
Chord: two or more
musical notes played or
sung simultaneously
Composer ornamentation Ornamentation: the
piano: meaning play softly addition of a note or set
of notes that embellishes
a melody or harmony
Piano forte: meaning 'soft
loud', pianos were the first Scat: jazz singing with
keyboard instrument that nonsense syllables
could do both
Piano: a musical
instrument made of a
wooden case with wires
stretched inside of it and
a row of black and white
keys or softly and quietly
Kevin Gift
List of Resources
For Teachers

Great Black Americans
by Ben Albert Richardson

Lives of the Musicians
by Kathleen Knull (classical
composers)

Music, Music for Everyone
by Vera B. Williams

Sweet Notes, Sour Notes
by Nancy Smiler Levinson

Striders to Beboppers and
Beyond: the Art of Jazz
Piano by Leslie Gourse

Yolanda’s Genius
by Carol Fenner
Post-Performance Activities
1. Use the Vocabulary Resource Sheet to define and
discuss key concepts from the program.
2. Use the Venn Diagram Handout: Ask students to
compare and contrast Jazz vs. Hip Hop or another music style selected by student/teacher.
3. Ideas/Questions for Discussion
A. What is Jazz?
B. How did Jazz develop?
C. How did the music express the culture?
Contact YAMD for more information about this and other programs · 410.837.7577 · www.yamd.org
Vocabulary Resource Sheet
Kevin Gift
“Jazz Piano Masters”
Improvisation: ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Composer ornamentation piano: ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Piano forte: _________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Piano: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Chord: _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Ornamentation: ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Scat: _______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________
Post-Performance Activity: Kevin Gift — “Jazz Piano Masters”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________