Blues in the Schools

Blues in the Schools offers the opportunity for students of all ages to engage in multidisciplinary, whole-language learning  using the study of music, math, language arts, history, anthropology, and sociology in a hands-on approach celebrating creative self-expression. By bringing the blues genre into the classroom, students are exposed to these traditional subjects, while breaking down racial barriers and opening dialogue about cultural diversity.

Through the study of Blues traditions, educators can address the important issues of the color line, diversity, and multi-culturalism, using interdisciplinary studies in a way that engages students of all ages.  The study of the Blues is the study of the African-American culture that produced this music and an investment in the human spirit.  Just as important as understanding the evolution of the musical structure of the blues is understanding the ways blues music expressed individual emotions and the feelings of the times. Through the blues, student listeners begin to empathize with what happened in those times and to develop understanding of how to apply that awareness to their present lives.

I have a one hour program that I present along with my friend Harrison Jackson (Big George Brock Jr.) that involves performance, history and participation. It is adaptable to both elementary and high school students. If you are an educator and would like to have this program in your school, contact me. The funding for the program in the St. Louis area is provided by the St. Louis Blues Society.

The pictures below are from our presentations in Jefferson City, Missouri. We are sponsored there by the MOBlues society. We welcome presenting programs in any area, just message me.