Our Band
Guiding Question: What do you bring to the world?
What to Expect:
- Listen and enjoy a performance video featuring Americana duo Our Band alongside other New York City based musicians.
- Create your own cover or interpretation of Burt Bacharach's Classic "What the World Needs Now" through songwriting, movement, and art.
- Learn breathing methods and movements
Scroll down for performance videos and activities. There are short instructional videos available for each section which can be replayed as much as needed.
Watch and Listen:
"Always Something There to Remind Me"
"Corners of the City" (original song)
"What the World Needs Now"
Something to listen for:
Lyrics to “What the World Needs Now”
What the world needs now is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love No not just for some, but for everyone
Listen to the repetition of Burt Bacharach's lyrics.
The thing that makes a cover or new interpretation for a classic so interesting is what the artist brings to the song that is different
We'll think about what we bring to the world as we make our own covers and interpretations.
Who is Our Band?
The performance video features American duo Our Band alongside other New York City based musicians.
Our Band is made up of husband and wife duo Sasha Papernik and Justin Pointdexter.
In this concert they celebrate the works of Burt Bacharach. Our Band covers some of his acclaimed favorites like “What the World Needs Now” and “Always Something There to Remind Me” by doing their own interpretations of the songs.
What does Our Band bring to the world?
The musicians bring their love of each other and American classics to their music.
Sasha is a first generation Russian-American and brings this part of her identity to her work. She performs a bilingual concert and teaches students.
Justin was born in North Carolina and is the son of a country singer and a schoolteacher. He brings this part of his background into his work as he specializes in American Roots music and leads a large education concert series for students through Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Warm Up
- Take a deep breath in for two counts and out for two counts.
- Take a deep breath in for four counts and out for four counts.
- Continue breathing as you stretch your head and neck. Think about what you bring the world from your head or mind. (Example - a mathematical mind, curiosity)
- Bring your arms to the sides.
- Bring your arms into your chest as though you are giving yourself a hug. Think about what you bring the world from your heart. (Example - care for family, a love for art)
- Stretch and roll your hands. Think about what you bring to the world from your arms or hands. (Example - hands that bake or cook, arms that give strong hugs)
- Pick a part of your body that you feel is really strong or that you feel very connected to
- Move to the music leading with this part of your body.
Reflection & Discussion
Our Band made their interpretation of Burt Bacharach's "What the World Needs Now". Let's write our own interpretation of the song by creating our own lyrics. Consider these refelction questions as you begin to think about your own version of this classic song.
1. What do you bring to the world?
2. What do others around you bring to the world?
3. What does the world need more of?
4. What's missing from the world?
Create your own lyrics by filling in the blanks using your answers to the questions above.
What the world needs now is ___________________.
What the world needs now is ___________________, sweet ___________________.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is ___________________, sweet ___________________.
No not just for some, but for everyone.
Click here to see an example with the blanks completed.
(or)
Here is an Example of a completed Lyric:
What the world needs now is understanding and kindness.
What the world needs now is empathy, and sweet empathy.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is arts for all, sweet art.
Art-making
Now let's make a visual art interpretation fo our song lyrics. This piece of art is not only a representation of the song that we wrote but also a reflection of what we bring to the world.
Materials: Paper, writing or drawing tools.
Step 1: Draw Your World
Write or draw a picture of the world. You can draw it yourself or click here to use the this template
Step 2: Read Your Lyrics
Re-read the song lyrics that you created earlier. You could also sing your lyrics aloud.
Step 3: Put it Together!
Fill the blanks of your world image with words and images from your song.
Here is an example:
Explore More
Go Deeper:
- Warm Up Activity: Take one of the movements and do your own interpretation. For example: instead of simply stretching your hands, add your own flair - maybe you shake and shimmy your fingers or move your hands up and down while you stretch.
Songwriting Activity: All of the musicians involved in this piece worked with others to make their art. Sasha and Justin are a duo who consistently work together and collaborate with others to make their music. Burt Bacharach worked with long time collaborator Hal David to write songs. Work with someone else to create your song lyrics together. You can even perform it together and if you want to, you can perform it to the song in the background.
Art making Acitivity: Garther some small items from around your house (i.e. pictures, small collectibles like postcards or tickets, fabrics) and use them to create a collage of what you bring to the world. Add this to your art piece!
Additional Links:
More About Our Band on their Website: https://www.ourband.org/
More about Burt Bacharach and his legacy in his NY Times Obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/arts/music/burt-bacharach-dead.html
To watch more videos from Lincoln Center at Home clips, click here.
