Music Workshop
The mission is simple: educate, inspire and motivate children through music education by providing public elementary schools with a free, innovative and turnkey supplemental music program.
We are all too aware of the budget cuts in our public schools. They’ve slashed away at the arts until programs like music education are reduced to mere days per month or completely eliminated. It’s really exciting to see Music Workshop take up the challenge with their innovative program that any public school can implement for free!
We dropped by to check out a recent Music Workshop episode this week at Raleigh Hills Elementary School where 3rd-graders were immersed in the story of Jazz. They watched segments of a documentary on the history of Jazz, the players, the terms, the styles. Narrated, by the way, by Iris Harrison, a 2012 OMHOF inductee! Even at this restless but inquisitive age, the students knew their stuff in the Q&A segments. Next documentary from Music Workshop will be on the story of rock ‘n roll. Sign ME up!
Amy Richter, Music Workshop’s Executive Director, lays out the lesson to the class. The question? What instruments do these students play? (We heard “drums, recorder, trombone, guitar, piano…..”)
“Let’s see: cool jazz, bebop, acid jazz, smooth jazz, soul, fusion, funk, West-Coast, swing…..what did we miss? New Orleans jazz…”
From left, OMOF’s Janeen Rundle, Music Workshop’s Amy Richter, and program editor Amira Dughri. OMHOF’s Board member Inessa on the far right.
