Alegría Musical—Latin American Stories

Juan Manuel Trujillo and Hery Paz teach our new 10-week video-based music course

Thanks to the support of our donors, we've been providing free, video-based music courses to New York City public schools since September. We are excited to announce the fourth in this series, "Alegría Musical--Latin American Stories."

Through songs, stories and plenty of rhythm, students will explore musical traditions from Mexico to Cuba, from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, from Venezuela to Colombia. Students will develop general musical skills through body percussion, rhythm exercises, and other interactive musical activities while also learning about Fandango, Rumba, Calypso, Plena, Chacarera and Marengue.

Video of the Week

Juan and Hery make up two-thirds of the MTP Trio--featured here performing Francisco Mela’s “Calipso” from their first album due in January (577 records.) Congratulations, Juan and Hery!

Community Member Highlight

When we reached out to public schools with the offer of free recorders and recorder based programs this fall, music teacher Michael Roberts at P.S. 234Q jumped at the opportunity.

In Michael's words: "The virtual residencies through S'Cool Sounds have greatly enriched the musical experiences of my remote students and have taught them valuable information about music that will stay with them through their lives. This has all been done in an extremely fun and engaging manner. For that, I am very grateful!"

We are in awe of the continued commitment and creativity that teachers like Michael show as they keep their students making music--whether from home or the classroom. Thank you for your partnership, Michael!