Usually presented to the entire student body of a school, this 45 to 60 minute interactive performance highlights the history and social conditions behind the origin of blues music and demonstrates how it was influenced by other types of music (such as gospel and jazz) and in turn influenced most of today's popular music (including country, zydeco, R & B, rock and rap). "Bayou" (Shannon Williford - harmonica and vocals) and "Nick" (James Nixon - guitar and vocals) perform samples of songs that illustrate the different influences and effects.
Students interact with the performers by responding to questions, singing along, clapping, stamping their feet, dancing, playing bucket "drums" and rapping. This is not a sit back and snooze assembly! Bayou and Nick usually also persuade some of the teachers to join the band.
The musical aspects of blues music (such as its rhythms, the 12 bar form, and the I-IV-V chord changes) and the lyrical devices (repetition, rhyming, subject matter) are explained to the students, with the explanation adapted to fit the grade level participating. Printed educational materials with background information, lesson plans, and activity suggestions are available for teachers to use with their students prior to, or following, the performance.
Musician-educators James "Nick" Nixon and Shannon "Bayou" Williford have been recognized by The Blues Foundation for their excellence in education with a Keeping the Blues Alive award, the highest award available in blues music education. This program has been presented to over 100,000 students in grades K-12 since 1997.
American Roots Music Education also provides more specialized workshops about blues music. Click here to learn more.
For grades K-8.
COMMENTS FROM ATTENDEES:
"Wow - your program was awesome. The students were totally involved. We appreciate the obvious effort you make toward making sure that you're relating to the students. You were also a great hit with our faculty. Thanks! It was GREAT!" --- Melissa Meadows, Music Specialist, Pennington Elementary School, Nashville, TN.
"Awesome! Energizing! Great supplement to what I had been teaching in music. Enjoyed it immensely - could have listened all day." --- Margaret Hampton, Music Specialist, Tom Joy Elementary School, Nashville, TN.
"The BEST program in all of Metro Schools! Pertains directly to our studies on the spiritual, blues and what comes after….I never tire of your enthusiasm and love of your craft. Our students see it and respond! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" --- Kay Anderson, Music Specialist, Tusculum Elementary School, Nashville, TN.
"The program is excellent. It introduced the students to a whole new genre of music - American music!" --- William Moody, Principal, Two Rivers Middle School, Nashville, TN.
| R&B in Tennessee for grades 5-12 |
Swamp Stories for grades K-4 |
This Song Is Our Song for grades K-6 |
| Learn about our other programs by clicking on these links |
Música de la Gente for grades K-8 |
Playin' the Blues for grades 3-8 |