[Dixielandjazz] School Assembly Programs

[JimDBB at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/21/2003 3:11:48 PM Central Standard Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> Dear List mates;
> 
> I am in the final stages of successfully completing a contract signing
> with several local school districts to bring a jazz music appreciation
> assembly program to kids at the grammar school level in the Philadelphia
> Metro Area.
> 
> I've done a few assembly programs for High School Kids, but this is
> mostly to be for kids from Kindergarten through 5th grade. ( 5 to 10
> years old). SA few will be for kids in 6th through 10th grade (11 to 15
> years old)
> 
> Is there any advice out there for me? An assembly will be 45 minutes
> long and the Schools want some music and some verbal content.
> 
> Like, will the Barney Song work if we play it straight, explain quickly
> how it can be jazzed up and then jazz it up? What other songs do these
> kids know that we can convert to jazz?
> 
> I think I want to concentrate on the music, the fact that it is a
> uniquely American Art Form, discuss Louis Armstrong and talk about
> musical freedom.
> 
> What else might you suggest we cover, given that their attention spans
> will be short and too much detail will quickly bore them?
> 
> GOAL? To get the kids interested in Jazz, America's Music, when they are
> young, and I welcome your suggestions.
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve
> 

You seem to have a good feel for it.  Charlie Hooks and I did tons of school 
> shows at all age levels with the Celebration Road Show.

  Feel your way around as you go along and a working scheme will surface.  
Get them involved with a hand clap on a tune and the whistling bit on 'sweet 
Georgia Brown' is a fun thing for the kids.  Play it through once , then have 
somebody in the band whistle it and then have them join in.

  And so on.

Jim Beebe