Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin: Finding Her Voice | ARTrageous Online
Born in Baltimore, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin has been delighting audiences as a singer since she was a young girl belting out songs to please her grandmother and lady friends. After moving to Utah after high school, singing turned into a career. She expanded from rock, pop, and R&B to singing jazz and acting after landing the lead role as Billie Holiday in Lady Day and performing to sold out shows for the Salt-Lake based Pygmalion Theater Company. People have been lining up to see her perform ever since.
In this unit, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin talks about how her career as an artist took shape. Aside from downright hard work, she shares her candid insight on what it takes, and what it means. She believes that being a performer comes with a responsibility to speak to her captive audiences to address important social issues. But this wasn’t always the case. She had always been told to ‘stay in your lane, and just entertain.’ Once she defined what success was to her, she began to cross lanes, overcome fear, and gracefully speak her mind.
Topics: Influential Art and Artists; Civic Responsibility; Art and Current Events
Class: English, Social Studies, Library Media, Art, Film Study
Grades: 7-12 | Time: 2.5 Hours
Platform: Online Learning Management System (LMS) with synchronous learning option (e.g., Zoom, Google Classroom)
Tech Tools: Internet, Google Sheets or Excel
Quick Links
Watch Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin on YouTube
MODULE ONE CURRICULUM MAP: Includes Core Standards and Learning Intentions
MODULE TWO CURRICULUM MAP: Includes Core Standards and Learning Intentions
Part I: Artistic Expression: A Sign of the Times
Part II: The Pursuit of a Career As An Artist
Strange Fruit: Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin
Introduction
Salt Lake jazz singer, playwright, and actor Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin is an artist who soon realized that while she entertains, she can also educate. She says the intersection just happens because it's authentic; it's everyday life. Darby-Duffin agrees with black singer Nina Simone who said, “It is an artist's responsibility to reflect the times.” Highly influenced by musicians such as Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Gil Scott Heron, and Marvin Gaye who used the stage to address important issues of the time, Dee-Dee found her rhythm and began using her vantage point as an artist to increase social consciousness. One of Dee-Dee’s biggest influencers, Billie Holiday, first sang Strange Fruit 1939, about lynching and violence towards blacks at the time. Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin has taken Holiday’s torch, singing Strange Fruit at nearly every performance, sending out a message still relevant today.
Salt Lake jazz singer, actor, playwright Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin takes students on a candid journey into her pursuit of a career as an artist. Darby-Duffin has always been a singer, she said, though “I haven’t always been getting paid to sing.” Her specialties were rock — she once fronted a Stevie Ray Vaughn cover band — as well as pop and R&B. It wasn’t until later that she got into acting and found herself brazenly auditioning for the lead role of jazz legend Billie Holiday. Director Teresa Sanderson said of Darby-Duffin, “If this girl has as much voice as she does mouth, then she is my Billie.” She got the role.
Darby-Duffin shares her journey to believing in herself, the barriers she faced, and the hard work it takes, “It’s not one, but a few full time jobs and it's a crock when people say do what you love and you’ll never have to work another day in your life!” But she loves the company of other artists, and the way her career as an artist allows her both to entertain and educate. Her daughter, well on her way to a career as an artist, is one of her biggest fans.
Quotes to Use Throughout Curriculum:
“I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about... Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.” Nina Simone
I don’t think I ever sing the same way twice. The blues is kind of a mixed-up thing. You just have to feel it. Anything I do sing is part of my life.” Billie Holliday
“Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something.” Gil Scott Heron
“I sing about life.” Marvin Gaye
“I didn’t choose the guitar; the guitar chose me, and it was my job to use that divining rod for truth and justice.” Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine
“We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle
“The barrier to connection is risk.” Luther Mallory
“We have art in order not to die from the truth.” Nietzsche
What’s included in the course?
Module 1
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Essential Questions
Do artists have a responsibility to use their platform to address important social issues?
What does it take to be an influencer?
What does art from a certain time period tell us?
Learning Intentions – In this Module, students will:
Recognize the importance of the risk and sacrifice some artists have made to change the world;
Understand the significance of art as a sign of the times;
Explain how art is an important mode for communicating our human experience.
Employ art as an aesthetic tool to communicate messages about important historical and contemporary issues.
Success Criteria
Through storytelling and film, share the contribution of an artist in raising social consciousness around a significant issue of their time.
Learning Outline
This 3.5-hour module is on the Artistic Expression: A Sign of The Times video presentation by Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin. It can be used as a whole learning experience, or in chosen sections as time allows.
35 minutes: Launch Activity–Art and Artists Changing Hearts and Minds
15 minutes: While Viewing– Artistic Expression: A Sign Of The Times
20 minutes: Post-Viewing– Strange Fruit
75 minutes: Demonstration– Researching And Storyboarding Influencers
60 minutes: Making Connections–Arts Integration Short Film Project - Artist Influencers: A Sign Of The Times
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Suggested Videos:
Strange Fruit Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin singing Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit.
Strange Fruit Billie Holiday singing (1959)
Articles
BBC article on Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit
Supplies for Demonstration: Storyboarding Influencers Activity
Low Tech Modality: Print Storyboard Templates
High Tech Modality: PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Other
Supplies for Arts Integration Short Film Activity: Artist Influencers: A Sign Of The Times
Appendix A: ‘Sign of the Time’ Artist Influencers
Low Tech Modality: Poster Board, Markers, Ruler, Glue, Printed Images, Magazines
High Tech Modality: Internet access and online tools: Adobe Creative Cloud Express
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Launch Activity–Pre-Viewing: Art and Artists Changing Hearts and Minds
[35 min]
[Learning Intention 3]
Procedures:
Hook: Show students a piece of art (music, poetry, literature, film, a painting, etc.) that’s message has influenced your heart and mind. Share who created the art, how you came across it, and why it impacted you.
(Optional) You can present Picasso’s Guernica as one of the world’s most influential pieces of art. One of the most famous 20th century paintings, Guernica was created by Picasso to express his outrage over and bring attention to the Nazi bombing of a Basque city in northern Spain, ordered by General Franco. Since then, this monumental black-and-white canvas has become an international symbol of genocide committed during wartime.
Think-Pair-Share
Ask students: What work of art (music, poetry, literature, film, a painting, etc.) has influenced your heart and mind?
Think: Give students 5 minutes to free write on art and an artist who has influenced them.
Pair: Put students into pairs and for 7 min let them discuss and share the artist and art (find an image or song online to share) that influenced them.
Share: When the class comes together, invite volunteers to share.
Discuss: Ask students: What do you feel about artists who use their platform to raise social consciousness about a current issue or event? Do you think it is out of place, or rather a responsibility? Does it ruin the entertainment, or does it make it better? Explain.
Introduce the video
Tell the students they are going to watch an interview with Salt Lake performer Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin. If this is their first introduction to Dee-Dee, read the introduction at the start of this module.
While Viewing- Artistic Expression: A Sign Of The Times
[30 min]
[Learning Intention 1, 2]
Procedures:
Tell students: As you watch, reflect on the following questions, which we will discuss as a class:
What does Dee-Dee say about an artist’s responsibility?
How does her slogan, “Action Overcomes Fear” impact you?
Share anything Dee-Dee said that you found interesting, surprising, or otherwise affected you.
Post-Viewing: Strange Fruit
[20 min]
[Learning Intention 1]
*It is up to your discretion as to whether you think this post-viewing section is appropriate for your students.
Procedures:
Tell students: Dee-Dee uses the stage to both entertain and educate. On stage, in front of an audience, she feels a responsibility to address social issues important to her. When she chooses to sing the song Strange Fruit, she is bringing awareness to the continuing violence against people of color. Many people in her audience recognize this song (it was first sung by Billie Holiday in 1939). Part of Darby-Duffin’s impact lies in the fact that the song’s topic is still relevant.
Play Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin singing Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit). As they listen, ask students to jot down how they think the song speaks to our current times. (Optional: Show students the original version of Billie Holiday singing Strange Fruit in 1959.)
Round Robin Reading: Taking turns, have students read this BBC article out loud on the impact and significance of the song Strange Fruit.
Discussion: Ask students:
How did you feel hearing/ watching Dee-Dee sing Strange Fruit?
Why do you think Dee-Dee sings this at every performance? (Optional: Share this quote by Aristotle: “We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence is not an act but a habit.” Discuss how this speaks to what Dee-Dee is doing.)
How does this song relate to current events?
Demonstration: Researching And Storyboarding Influencers
[75 min]
[Learning Intentions 1, 2,3]
Procedures:
Tell students: For our Arts Integration Project we will create short films (Low Tech option- story poster board) profiling an artist as an influencer. You will introduce an artist and a piece of their art that aims to raise awareness about an important social issue and the impact this has had.
Have students work in pairs. Tell them that they are first going to storyboard their short film (or story poster board) by creating a slideshow presentation using PowerPoint, google slides, etc. (or drawing storyboards). Include text, images and media such as audio or video. This will serve as a roadmap/outline for their final film or poster project.
The slideshow/storyboard presentation should include:
An introduction to the artist.
An introduction to the piece of art that brings awareness to an important social issue.
The significance of the art with relation to current events. How is it a ‘sign of the times?’
The impact of this art on you and others.
The potential of this art to catalyze change.
Provide students with Appendix A: Artist Influencers. Tell student pairs to research the artists on the list (some of which can be found on Green Hub) or select another artist of their choice. Have them choose one piece of art by this artist as the focal point for their project.
Presentation: Each student pair presents their artist influencer.
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Artist Influencers: A Sign Of The Times
[60 min]
[Learning Intention 4]
Procedure:
Remind students: You are going to make a short film (5 min max.) (low-tech modality- story poster board) about an artist influencer and a piece of art that changed your heart and mind.
Tell students: You will use your slides/ storyboards as a roadmap to feature your artist influencer. Your short film (5 min max.) or story poster board should include:
An introduction to the artist.
An introduction to the piece of art that brings awareness to an important social issue.
The significance of the art with relation to current events. How is it a ‘sign of the times?’
The impact of this art on you (how you experienced it and what has resulted) and on others
The potential of this art to catalyze change.
Creating the Films (30 minutes or complete out of class)
High Tech Modality: Students will use (Adobe Creative Cloud Express) to create their short films. [Adobe Spark is a free tool for making films with images, video clips, voice over, and music. It is easy to use. Watch this brief tutorial and/or read these guidelines for teachers. *Recommended: Make your own short film as a model for students of what is expected. This will also help you be prepared to help them navigate the program.
Low Tech Modality: As above, only students will create a compelling story using visuals (drawings, collage from magazine images).
Showcasing the Films
Option 1 - Asynchronous: Use Padlet to showcase students’ videos using the Shelf Template. Students’ names are the header of each column with their video linked below. Peers can view outside of class and post written or oral responses to peers’ videos. (Low Tech Option - Students can add pictures of their posters to Padlet.)
Option 2 - Synchronous: Create time in class to show each film and allow peers to share reactions and reflections. (Low Tech Option - Students present their poster/visual stories orally to peers in class.)
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Invite students to “dig deeper” on these topics by providing additional options for research and reflection about how artists use their platform to raise social consciousness.
TED Talks
Why is Art Important? Katerina Gregos- A TEDx talk about the importance of art, not for art’s sake but for the role of art in the socio-political arena.
Articles
The Story Behind Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’- PBS (American Masters)
Film
The US vs Billie Holiday Hulu Film Trailer (2:05) Billie Holiday (Andra Day) recounts the reasons why her career was attacked by the US government over performing the song, "Strange Fruit."
The Hurricane- (Trailer) A Martin Scorcese film starring Denzel Washington about middleweight boxer Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, who was convicted of committing a triple murder in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey. Bob Dylan also popularized this story in his song, Hurricane.
Module 2
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Essential Questions
What is a ‘real’ job?
Why is it important to know your definition of success?
What does pursuing a career as an artist involve?
Learning Intentions – In this Module, students will:
Be more aware of what it takes to pursue a career as an artist;
Recognize the importance of creating your own definition of success;
Understand roles and collaboration in the creative process;
Be able to conduct and process professional style interviews.
Success Criteria
I commit to creating my definition of success for 3 areas of my life (eg. career, health, spirituality, friends and family, etc.).
Learning Outline
This 3-hr module is on the Pursuing A Career As An Artist video presentation by Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin. It can be used as a whole learning experience, or in chosen sections as time allows:
35 minutes: Launch Activity– State of the Artist
15 minutes: While Viewing–How To Make It As An Artist
25 minutes: Post-Viewing– Interview Simulation–What Are Your Definitions of Success?
40+ minutes: Demonstration– Interviewing Career Artists
60+ minutes: Making Connections– Arts Integration Project - Online Interview Magazine Web Design on Career Artists
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Suggested Videos:
TEDx Talk by Luther: How To Make It As An Artist (14:06min)
Supplies for Post-Viewing Interview Activity:
Indie Plus Music- Online magazine with interviews of musicians
The Talks Interviews with Artists
Interviewing Tips and Strategies
Adobe Spark Page- (Now Adobe Creative Cloud Express) free web-based software to create a magazine-style aesthetic with photos and text.
Setting up Adobe Spark for the Classroom to create a free account and do a quick tutorial.
Supplies for Arts Integration Activity:
Low Tech Modality: Paper, Markers, Letter Stencils (Optional)
High Tech Modality: Internet access; design tools - Photoshop, Canva, Pixlr
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Launch Activity–Pre-Viewing: State of the Artist
[20 min]
[Learning Intention 1]
Procedures:
Hook: Ask students what they think a “real” job is. Follow up this question by asking them where did this idea of a “real” job come from? With regards to career, what does ‘making it’ mean to you?
Show this TEDx Talk by Luther: How To Make It As An Artist (14:06min) Prior to watching, review the following questions and have students jot down responses as they watch, to discuss afterwards.
What does Luther say about ‘making it?’
In what ways can you relate to Luther when he talks about starting to wear jeans as the moment he sold out and gave up his individuality?
Luther says, “We are all artists when we choose to share and risk rejection for the chance at connection.” By this definition are you an artist? Explain.
Tell the students they are going to watch a video featuring Salt Lake performer Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin about her journey to a career as an artist. Share the introductory blurb at the beginning of this module.
While Viewing: How To Make It As An Artist
[15 min]
[Learning Intention 1]
Procedures:
Have students read this quote from Luther’s TEDx Talk How To Make It As An Artist:
“The only way to control is to let go; let go of the critic; come back to feeling; remember what it feels like to be free; and risk everything for the chance at connection. That’s how you make it as an artist.” Give students 3 minutes to paraphrase and rewrite this quote in their own words. Have volunteers share. Discuss as a class.
As they watch Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin’s video on The Pursuit of A Career As An Artist, have students take notes on how Dee-Dee’s experience speaks to Luther’s quote about how to make it as an artist.
Put students into groups of 4 to share their ideas.
Come back together as a class and ask students to share what they have learned from both Luther and Dee-Dee with regards to what it takes to be an artist.
Post-Viewing: What Are Your Definitions of Success?
[25 min]
[Learning Intention 2]
Procedures:
In the video, Dee-Dee defined what success meant to her. Ask students to recall what she said. Acknowledge responses and emphasize that for her it isn’t being rich or famous (though if that happened that would be a bonus! ) But rather for her “success looked like people calling me to do shows without me having to hustle.” She goes on to explain that as people started calling her to be in a play where she doesn’t even have to audition, she started feeling successful.
Option Replay segment where Dee-Dee is talking about defining success for her as an artist (from 16:50- 18:30) Or tell students: Dee-Dee’s advice to her daughter who wants to be an actress, “If you're gonna be in this business at all, even peripherally, even around the edges, you have to figure out what success looks like for you. Everybody can't be Beyonce or Ariana Grande. If you really wanna be an actor then you need to look at that in terms of what is success for you?”
Tell students that defining success isn’t confined to career artists, but can help in all areas of life. What is your definition of success as a student? In a sport? What is your definition of success when it comes to your health? Spiritual life? Relationships with friends and family?
Give students 5-7min and ask them to produce a personal definition of success for any area of their life: health, spirituality, finances, career, being a student, in sports, with friends, with family, etc. As a class, have a few volunteers share their definitions of success.
Revisit the question, ask students what they think a “real” job is? Discuss how any job can be “real” based on an individual’s definition of success.
Demonstration: Interviewing Career Artists
[40+ min]
[Learning Intentions 3,4]
Procedures:
Put students in teams of 3-4. Tell them they are going to interview a career artist of their choice to learn more about the pros and cons, the journey, and about their definitions of success. For their arts integration project, they will create an online magazine webpage that contains their interview in text, along with a photograph and any other design elements they want.
Have each team member take on one or more of the following roles:
Producer (keeps the schedule; manages the team duties; oversees the process; helps with editing)
Interviewer
Lead Editor (all team members should contribute to the editing process)
Magazine Web Page Designer
Brainstorm: Have teams of students
List artists they could interview (make sure they think about whether this artist is accessible for either a face-to-face, Zoom, or phone interview.
Select an artist and the producer schedules an interview
Generate interview questions they would like to ask the artist. Remind them to include a question about the artist’s definition of success.
As a class, review Interviewing Tips and Strategies
Have students conduct the interview (If students are in the classroom, you will need to create a studio space where they can conduct their interviews.)
Face-To-Face: have students record the interview using the voice record app on a phone
Zoom: have students record the interview
Phone: Some phones allow you to record the phone conversation to your voicemail; or you can put the phone call on speaker and use another phone or recording device to record.
*Remind students that they MUST get consent to record someone. As soon as the interview starts, they must ask the artist if it is okay to record the call. Having students get a signed Release Form is also good practice.
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Online Interview Magazine Web Design on Career Artists
[60+ min]
*Note: Some of this section can be assigned for homework
[Learning Intentions 3]
Procedures:
Tell students they are going to create an online interview magazine page in Adobe Spark Page (Now Adobe Creative Cloud Express) (low tech modality- create a page in microsoft word) that features their career artist interview. They will include both photographs and text and any other design elements they want. Pass each team the links of the following examples for content and layout ideas:
Indie Plus Music- Online magazine with interviews of musicians
The Talks Interviews with Artists - Online interview magazine
Transcribing: The producer divides the transcript up into sections and assigns each team member a section of the recorded interview to transcribe. Once the entire interview is transcribed, the producer merges all transcription parts into one transcript.
Editing: The lead editor, working with the team, selects the best parts of the interview and cuts the rest.
Online Magazine Page Design: The Designer gathers the text interview, photographs and any other design elements and using Adobe Spark Page, designs a web page featuring their career artist.
Exhibition: Teams share their ‘Online Interview Magazine Webpage’ with their peers.
Option 1 - Asynchronous: Use Padlet to showcase students’ web pages using the Shelf Template. Students’ names are the header of each column with their page linked below. Peers can view outside of class and post written or oral responses to peers’ magazine pages. (Low Tech Option - Students can post their word doc to Padlet.)
Option 2 - Synchronous: Create time in class to show each magazine web page and allow peers to share reactions and reflections. (Low Tech Option - Students present their career artist orally to peers in class.)
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Invite students to “dig deeper” on these topics by providing additional options for research and reflection about pursuing a career as an artist.
Try-it-Out: Invite students to interview more artists across multiple artforms, transcribe and edit the interviews and submit the text version to local music publications or start a class or blog, “Pursuing A Career As An Artist”.
Websites
Luther Mallory's popular SOTA (State Of The Artist) Newsletter discusses the struggle, the dream, the joy, and the brutal frustration of being an artist, and is read by thousands of artists and entrepreneurs. Get it in your email at this link: www.luthermallory.com
Videos
The Artist’s Way- A short video that introduces the concept of the Artist’s Way- a method developed by Julia Cameron to help you connect to your creativity.
Social Media