Learning Objectives

• Experience a performance and demonstration by Nite Bjuti, a trio of musicians who create improvisatory music together.
• Explore the influences that inspire music and other art forms.
• Learn the importance of storytelling and how it builds connections within yourself and with others.
• Understand musical devices and techniques such as improvisation, call-and-response, and sampling and looping.

Education Standards Alignment

• Music—Creating (MU:Cr3): Refine and complete artistic work.
• Music—Responding (MU:Re8): Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
• Music—Connecting (MU:Cn10): Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Common Core Standards

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4 (Writing Grades 9-10 #4): Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.S-L.9-10.1 (Speaking & Listening Grade 9-10 #1): Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

(Social and Emotional Learning)

• Self-Awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values, and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.
  • Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets
• Social Awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others; understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings; and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
  • Recognizing strengths in others

What to Expect

Performance

• This presentation is approximately 70 minutes long and includes a question-and-answer session.
• This presentation features three musicians playing a combination of instruments, including percussion, double bass, electronics, and vocals.
• The musicians will interact and speak with the audience throughout the presentation.
• During the presentation, the musicians will explain and demonstrate improvisation, call-and-response, drumming, and sampling and looping.

Performers

• The music will be performed by Val Jeanty, percussionist and beat maker; Candice Hoyes, vocalist and sampler controller; and Mimi Jones, double bassist.
• Sometimes, the musicians play on their own; and sometimes, the musicians play together.

Sound

• Live music is played throughout the show.
• Sometimes, the music is fast and exuberant; other times, the music is slow and calm.

Lighting

• There is both general stage lighting and audience lighting throughout the performance.

Audience Interaction

• At times, the performers will engage the audience in discussion and ask questions. You may participate if you would like to.
• At times, the performers ask the audience to participate in group activities such as rhythm and drumming exercises and call-and-response. You may participate if you would like to.
• The presentation will conclude with a question-and-answer session. You may participate if you would like to.

What to Bring

• Please bring any tools that will help make the experience comfortable for you! Some suggestions are: noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses or visors, fidgets, and communication devices. If you need to borrow a pair of headphones or a visor, a limited number will be available for use in the REACH lobby outside of Studio K.

Resources

• Visit the “Explore the REACH” webpage to learn more about this part of the Kennedy Center campus, which includes Studio K (where you’ll see the performance).

Look and Listen for

Before you watch the performance, check out this list of important moments and ideas:

• For the performance and demonstration, the members of the trio will introduce each piece and talk about its background, structure, and explain what to listen for. They’ll do some of the comparing between pieces for you, but you should pay attention to what you hear, see, and feel, too. At the end of the concert, you’ll have an opportunity for a question-and-answer session or “Q&A.” What would you like to ask the musicians? Perhaps ask them about their lives as professional musicians, or how they got started playing an instrument, or what inspires them as artists.
• Notice how Nite Bjuti creates music using both acoustic and electronic instruments.
• There may be moments when the artists will include the audience or crowd in music making. Notice if the trio asks you to participate in repeating something or answering something. This is called call-and-response.
• Sometimes, musicians will create music spontaneously. They use their instruments and voices to listen to each other and respond like a musical conversation. This is called improvising or improvisation.
• You can review our for other jazz words and definitions.

Think About

After you’ve experienced the performance, consider these questions:

• In learning about Nite Bjuti’s musical influences, think about the many sources of inspiration they featured. Was there one that resonated more with you and your own experiences? What brings you inspiration?
• Music celebrates the uniqueness of each culture. In this presentation, there was music that was influenced by and celebrated Afro-Caribbean culture. How exactly does music define a culture? How does music break barriers to help cultures understand one another?
• Each of the performed instruments has unique characteristics. They require different techniques, have different sound qualities, and bring their own role to the ensemble. Think about each instrument featured in the performance and demonstration. Which one stood out to you the most and why? Was it the most prominently heard, or the most constant, or the most fascinating?

Discover More About Nite Bjuti

Visit to learn more about the trio, their accomplishments, and what impact they hope to have as artists. Watch to listen to a sample of their music.

Dive Into an Introduction to DJing

Watch the Kennedy Center Education video series DJ 101 to learn the basics of turntablism, including cueing a record, scratching, and looping and sampling.

Pass It On: How Do Artists Inspire Each Other?

Watch this video and read the guide from the series Moonshot@Home to see how a dancer, jazz vocalist, and visual artist inspire each other to create a collaborative work. The Moonshot Studio is a space in the REACH of the Kennedy Center. It offers hands-on, art-making activities for people of all ages, and is generally open to the public on weekends.

Tell Your Story

In this performance and demonstration, Nite Bjuti shared the importance of storytelling in their music, and how as a society, storytelling is vital for us all. Think about the stories you would like to tell. They can be stories from your own life, from your ancestors, or any story that interests you. How would you tell this story? In writing, in pictures, in music, or in spoken word? Start by writing a short story in a few paragraphs. You may need to conduct some research by interviewing people, reading materials, or watching videos. Once you have a draft of your story, reflect on what you have written and take it a step further by revising the writing or adapting it into a different form of expression, such as music, dance, spoken word, or visual art. If you are interested in sharing your story through spoken word, learn more about the art form through our resource, “How to Perform Spoken Word” and video from teaching artist Deborah Magdalena. Once you have a revised draft of your story in whichever chosen form of expression, share with others for their feedback and suggestions.

Kennedy Center Education

The Vice President of Education is generously endowed by the

Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.