The Homecoming Song

The Homecoming Song

Teaching Artist Ruaridh Pattison shares his travels with Abdullah Ibrahim's "The Homecoming Song"

"I’ve been thinking of our friends in Kenya recently, as S’Cool Sounds was unable to make it out to see them last year. I taught them "The Homecoming Song," by the South African jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim on my first trip there in 2017.

The catchy melody and African rhythms were a huge hit and it became a part of our students' core repertoire. Students at the FAFU (Facing the Future School) were later featured on Kenyan national TV playing it with perfect grace and poise.

I’ve just finished a fantastic recorder program with the students at Ella Baker, a New York City public school with whom we have had a long and fruitful partnership. The last piece we learned together was "The Homecoming Song." Current circumstances meant that we couldn’t hold a traditional performance to mark the end of the course, so instead we had a remote recording session. This video is the result.

I learned "The Homecoming Song" at a jazz summer camp in Scotland when I was a young teenager and it was taught to my teacher when he was a lad at the very same camp. To me, this is community through music; it spans cultures, nationalities, and generations."

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Video of the Week

Our talented young musicians at FAFU (Facing the Future School) in Kibera, Kenya performed "The Homecoming Song" in preparation for the 2018 National Kenyan Music Festival.

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Community Member Highlight

We've always found that the key to a successful program is having a strong partner at a school. A caring teacher who models enthusiasm and excitement about learning, Gabby Knight was that person for our recent "Recorders without Borders"program at the Ella Baker School.

"I came up with the idea to do events for Black History Month after seeing a video of past events at the school," says Gabby. "I wanted to showcase Black excellence, history, and what we bring to the table as a culture. To showcase all those aspects we had an African drums workshop, a choreographed dance, a spoken word poetry slam, and to top it off, the recorder students' shining performance of a piece of music from a South African artist.

What was meaningful to me about facilitating the recorder program with Ru was the ease with which he taught the kids. He would try and make sure all the kids felt important and valued. He would give the kids opportunities to shine. He also would stay behind with me to give extra time to any student who didn't feel comfortable sharing during the lesson and needed one-to-one time."

Thank you, Gabby for your dedication and vision!

University Students Take the Initiative for S'Cool Sounds

University Students Take the Initiative for S'Cool Sounds

Mu Beta Psi Tau Chapter is committed to music and service

S’Cool Sounds (SCS) was founded out of a commitment to music and service and so we were delighted when Advisory Board Member Nancy Jo Snider introduced us to Mu Beta Psi Tau, a co-ed fraternity that shares the same ideals.

In 2019, the Mu Beta Psi Tau Chapter at American University in Washington D.C supported us with a grant to provide instruments to our schools in Kenya. More recently, they held a successful t-shirt design and selling campaign dedicated to SCS and have just launched another fundraiser on our behalf—beautifully designed sweatpants, a wardrobe staple these days.

They write: “Mu Beta Psi Tau Chapter is comprised of Brothers with a collective love of music, and we are committed to promoting music through service. We are so proud to support S'Cool Sounds, which truly embodies our values of spreading music to inspire, educate, and connect."

We are inspired by the drive and dedication of these emerging leaders.

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Video of the Week

Here's a short video compilation featuring SCS star pupil, Alice, School Director, Bernard Asanya, and SCS Kenyan Music Director, Jacob Saya as they share what music education means to them. These interviews were captured by Nancy Jo Snider while she was in Kenya in 2019. Her work with SCS students focused on developing their music reading and keyboard skills.

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Community Member Highlight

SCS Advisory Board Member Nancy Jo Snider is a cellist and educator living in Washington, DC. In 2019 she was living in Nairobi, Kenya and had the privilege of working with and getting to know our S’Cool Sounds students who live there. Professor Snider is the proud faculty advisor for Mu Beta Psi Tau at American University.

Nancy writes, "S’Cool Sounds is important to me because they are dedicated to helping others through music in a way that is respectful and that honors the people they work with. Visionary leadership, compassionate grace and excellent teaching combine to provide a life changing and positive experience for all involved that is a quality model for service through music."

Thank you, Nancy, for the talent and drive that you bring to your work with SCS!

Alegría Musical--Latin American Stories

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.

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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!

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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!

Launching New Partnerships

Launching New Partnerships

In the midst of NYC's sudden switch to all remote learning and continued uncertainty, our beat goes on!

S'Cool Sounds' music residency programs in New York City public schools are now enriching the lives of over 4,000 students! We recently launched a flexible, hybrid residency program that allows schools to benefit from a mixture of video-based and live (remote) teaching. The response from principals, teachers, art coordinators, and parents has been overwhelmingly positive.

We are in the midst of launching partnerships with 22 public schools and are on track to provide much needed music residencies to almost 5,000 public school students this fall alone.

SCS has also provided over 400 free recorders to public school students this fall, including students at the Ella Baker School where Teaching Artist Ruaridh Pattison started live (remote) recorder lessons last week. Ella Baker parents and parent coordinators stepped up to deliver an instrument to each student's door.

Meanwhile, our new ukulele program is in full swing at the Washington Heights Choir School. Students are loving it! Teaching Artist Juan Manuel Trujillo and Spiderman are pictured above strumming away on Halloween.

Your support enables us to provide these flexible and responsive programs. Consider making a donation today.

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Video of the Week

Grab your recorder, feel the beat, and join Teaching Artist Ruaridh Pattison in Week #1 of "Recorders without Borders!" This is the first of ten videos where Ruaridh will explore music from across the world. Ruaridh's inventive backing tracks have the kids grooving with the music while also learning solid technique.

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Community Member Highlight: Live from Smalls!

Teaching Artists Juan Manuel Trujillo and Hery Paz recently performed in a live-streamed concert from one of our favorite West Village Jazz clubs, Smalls. These talented Teaching Artists are hard at work developing a Latin American music curriculum for S'Cool Sounds. Enjoy!

Kids Teaching Kids: Music Literacy in Action!

The latest on our music literacy program in Kenya

In spite of the constraints of the pandemic, our Kenyan students and teachers are hard at work improving their music literacy skills. Since August, our intrepid Kenyan teachers, Jacob Saya and Julius Odhiambo, have taken the music program to new levels. Students are now able to read and then play unfamiliar music on their recorders.

These motivated students are developing the skills to define their own paths in learning. We are seeing older students take the initiative, becoming music teachers to their younger peers!

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Video of the Week

Take a listen to two of our schools performing in the 2019 Kenyan National Music Festival where they placed first and second in the country!

Link to the performances.

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Community Member Highlight: Music for You!

Teaching Artist Andreu Pitarch has been home with his family in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic in March. He recently played with his band in Barcelona in a COVID-era performance. Enjoy!

Link to Andreu's performance video.

Recorders without Borders

Read about Ruaridh Pattison’s 10-week video series

Here is a snapshot of another one of our ten-week video-based music residencies which we are offering free to public schools this fall. In "Recorders without Borders," Teaching Artist Ruaridh Pattison will teach the recorder to second through fifth graders, focusing on sound production, articulation, and fingerings. These young musicians will "travel the world" through the exploration of music from different cultures while playing the recorder. Students will develop general music and music literacy skills through body percussion, musical games, and songs, with a special focus on rhythms from around the globe. 

We are able to offer these video lessons free of charge with the help of our supporters. Consider donating today!

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Video of the Week

Speaking of rhythm, watch Teaching Artist Hery Paz inspire young learners with catchy claves-playing from his home country of Cuba.

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Community Member Highlight: Music for You!

Artistic Director Nina Stern experienced the thrill of making music in the glorious (and empty) Cathedral of St. John the Divine last week. We hope you enjoy this performance of "Lamento di Tristan" and "La Rotta", two anonymous Italian Medieval dances.

The Musical Time Machine

Learn about Ella Avni-Levi's 10-week video series

As we announced in our last newsletter, we are offering free ten-week video-based music residencies to public schools this fall. In "The Musical Time Machine," Teaching Artist Ella Avni-Levi will lead young learners in exploring world music from Medieval to Contemporary times. Kindergarteners through second graders will develop general music and music literacy skills through body percussion, rhythm exercises, musical games and songs. Lessons will cover music ranging from a Medieval troubadour song and an Arabic melody to a Baroque Minuet and a Chinese fan dance to John Cage's "Once upon a Time". 

We are so grateful for help from our supporters which is enabling us to offer these video lessons free of charge!

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Video of the Week

Ella gets K-1 learners excited about music literacy by teaching them to read and clap the rhythm of the beloved Mexican folk song, "La Bamba". 

Link to Ella's video lesson from last June.

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Community Member Highlight: Kids Helping Kids

Just as our supporters are helping us provide much needed music education to struggling public schools, here is an inspiring example of kids helping kids. Last summer, Dennis from the FAFU School in Kibera coached his friend, Titus from the Garden of Hope School, just as they were set to compete against each other as soloists in the National Kenyan Music Competition. It was moving to see our students support each other in this way. 

Click here to learn more about our work in Kenya.

Jazz and the World of Black American Music

Learn about Dave Adewumi’s ten-week video series

We are committed to keeping music in the lives of NYC public school children, no matter how learning takes place this fall. In light of the incredible budget cuts faced by our school partners, our board of directors and individual funders are stepping up, helping us to produce several ten-week video series that can be provided free to schools and used in classrooms or at home during remote learning. 

We are excited to share with you the details of the course that Teaching Artist Dave Adewumi is producing. Dave will lead 2nd-5th graders in exploring Jazz and Black American Music and its impact on American society. Dave will focus on listening, playing, and historical perspectives. Starting with Jazz roots and journeying through the Blues, Ragtime, New Orleans Jazz, Bebop, to the Avant Garde, students will sing, learn body percussion, and make their own instruments. 

Like all of our dedicated Teaching Artists, Dave pivoted on a dime from classroom to remote teaching last March, learning a tremendous amount along the way:

"With every video lesson I make, I think about how much work these students put into the music and the smiles that lingered on everyone's faces as I left the room that last day I was in the classroom. I have been very fortunate to have the most amazing students a person could ever ask for; they are attentive, engaged, and loving. In the back of my mind, I remember that music class could be the only time in the day they get to express themselves creatively. Perhaps these will be the moments that they look back to for the rest of their lives."

"Music and the arts are so vital to the human experience; if we don’t continue to share them, we will lose part of our humanity.

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Video of the Week

Watch a snippet of a video lesson taught by Dave Adewumi from this past spring. We look forward to seeing his new video series!

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Community Member Highlight

Speaking of Jazz … Board Member Tony Elitcher showed off his baritone saxophone chops recently, joining our Teaching Artists in a virtual performance of "My Little Suede Shoes." 

Tony shares why he values the work S'Cool Sounds does, "I grew up attending public schools in a district that provided me with nearly unlimited music education opportunities and resources. S'Cool Sounds fills the current void for kids who otherwise might have no music-making opportunities." 

Thank you, Tony, for your hard work, dedication, AND music-making!

Click here for a link to the video of "My Little Suede Shoes"

Staying with our Students

We are committed to keeping music in the lives of NYC children

We have heard from principal after principal about this year's extreme budget crisis. We are assuring our partners that we are committed to keeping music in the lives of NYC school children. To that end, we are producing ten-week interactive video courses, which can be used in homes or classrooms, creating musical community within families and schools.

We’re relying on you, our individual funders, to bring these programs to life!

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Video of the Week

We’re so fortunate to work with talented performing musicians who are equally inspiring and dedicated as educators. Our teaching artists bring creativity, humor, and love to the challenging experience of learning music remotely. Take a look at the charismatic Mr. Ru and “Mr. Ru 2” teaching an Australian round to second graders at P.S. 9 in Brooklyn this past spring.

Link to the “Barramundi” Video

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Community Member Highlight

We’re in awe of all of our NYC public school partners who are working around the clock to make school work for students this year. Thank you Assistant Principal Judy Chen from P.S. 112 in Queens and all the NYC teachers, administrators, and staff for your hard work and commitment. Your dedication is an inspiration!

New Possibilities, New Challenges: Our newly-launched music literacy program in Kenya

In an effort to keep in touch with our students in Kibera and further their musical education, S'Cool Sounds recently launched a music literacy program. Students have taken their recorders home and receive weekly worksheets teaching them how to read music. Schools will remain closed in Kenya until at least January and we are determined to keep music in our students' lives. This pilot program is currently serving dozens of students and we intend to expand it as soon as possible. Our teachers and students are careful to follow social distance and hygiene regulations while working together.

As difficult and heartbreaking as these times are, we are discovering some silver linings:

• More students will learn how to read notation, opening up a world of music to them.

• Together with our music teachers on the ground in Kenya, we are developing online musical resources that will be available to students at all times.

• Students are excited to have their recorders at home and are making significant progress through home-based learning.

We will keep you updated as this program grows!

The S'Cool Sounds Curriculum

S’Cool Sounds is thrilled to announce the release of the S’Cool Sounds Curriculum, a series of ten lesson plans intended for music educators and recorder enthusiasts. These lesson plans can be used well beyond the classroom, for individual or group teaching, both in person or via remote platforms. Our curriculum focuses on developing strong recorder technique together with ensemble skills, which are advanced through the addition of various percussion instruments. The method was developed by S’Cool Sounds Artistic Director, Nina Stern, and S’Cool Sounds Communications Associate, Isabella Pagel. 

This beginning curriculum was designed as a 10-week program, with full lesson plans consisting of recorder and general music instruction for young children. Students are taught B, A, and G as first notes on the recorder and progress to a full octave later in the program. Sound production and articulation technique are introduced and then reviewed throughout the curriculum. The method is intended for children in grades 3-4 but can be adapted for younger and older grades. Six original three-note songs, inspired by musical cultures from around the globe, are provided as ensemble performance pieces. The introduction contains beginning percussion instruction as well as ideas for arranging ensemble pieces and for teaching improvisation. 

Expanding our ensemble, we are excited to be adding a plucked instrument to the curriculum! Teaching Artist and jazz guitarist Juan Manuel Trujillo is writing a ukulele addendum that will be published this fall. Ukulele accompaniment will be included in select three-note songs as well as instruction and suggestions on how to introduce ukulele to children. In Juan's words, "the ukulele has a lot of potential, first because it is small which makes it optimal for younger students, second because it is a stepping stone for students to start hearing harmony, and lastly, it can be used to learn a lot about rhythm."

Learning in Kenya during the COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis continues to cause great hardship for our students in Kenya. The government there recently announced that schools will remain closed until January. The S'Cool Sounds team continues to connect with our Kenyan teachers and several students over Zoom.

Technology is not easily accessible for the vast majority of our students in the Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi. This week we will initiate a pilot program to continue music learning at home. Each student will bring their soprano recorder home and will receive a weekly worksheet teaching music literacy. This program will quickly move to all of our schools in Kibera. 

In the words of one of our School Directors, Isabel Omondi, "Music is therapeutic, especially in these times of uncertainty." 

School Director Simeon Ajigo, echoes that sentiment, "Music is a great companion during this quarantine period. Music itself is life."

Teaching Artist Hery Paz shares his experience of teaching remotely

It is in times like this that you clearly see the human spirit at its best. People coming together, transcending any difficulties to help, to reach out, being capable of learning a new set of skills with their respective tools in a heartbeat.

I feel fortunate and proud to be part of the S’Cool Sounds team. Every staff member and teacher contributed to create a new learning platform at the drop of a hat, teaching remotely and creating tutorials for our students to keep learning while at home. It is the first time that I ever created a music/class tutorial and I felt in love with the process as I learned and struggled with it. It is incredible now a days what you can do with a mobile phone, that’s all I had in my case. But you can certainly be as creative as you want with very little resources. That could translate into pulling text and animated gif’s from Instagram to embellish your video so that it is far more accessible and entertaining for our little youngsters.

Through the space and support of S’Cool Sounds I feel like I gained new ways to be able to express myself as an educator, all while facing one of the most difficult times of my life. I’m nothing but thankful for the experience.

Teaching Artist Ella Avni-Levi shares the joys and challenges of remote teaching

Music and teaching have been my passions my whole life, and I have been fortunate enough to have many experiences in the various cities and countries I’ve lived in (Paris, Miami, NYC, and Israel). I found out about S’Cool Sounds last year and was drawn to the program’s goal: bringing music to kids that do not necessarily have access to it.

I love music, but for me, music is more than a nice experience that can be relaxing, emotional, or exhilarating.  It also provides amazing material to learn and teach.  As a kid, my parents insisted that I study music, and as a parent, I have always understood how critical music was: to be focused, disciplined, persistent, and to interact with others. 

This is why I feel so blessed to be a part of the S’Cool Sounds team.  Watching the kids that come from such different cultural backgrounds, united around a common goal and each one discovering their skill, is a gift that keeps on giving.

I was really looking forward to the end of the year program, but the pandemic has dramatically altered those plans.  But the ability to adjust and adapt is very important for a musician and for a teacher, so I decided to see the bright side of it.

To my amazement, the constraints of creating content online made me explore new ideas and territories.  It made me grow as a teacher, and I was able to mix my job as a teacher with my other “full time job” as a Mom!  I had my daughter help me for a few classes.  It was extremely fun, and it also made a lot of sense as a teacher.  I was able to test, in real time, my kids reactions to the class.  This feedback helped me offset the most challenging part of the exercise, which was the lack of reactions from the kids: the smiles, the surprises, and the questions. 

That is what makes teaching a joy above all: the communication and the exchanges with the kids.

Executive Director Louise Brooks shares her journey of learning the guitar

Two weeks into my family’s self-isolation I picked up a guitar that had been sitting in the corner of our living room for a month (left behind by a friend one late night). I am a visual artist, not a musician, and I hadn’t touched a guitar since I was 12 and tried to teach myself “Let It Be” from a book. I gave up that project when I couldn’t figure out how to strum. 

Teaching myself guitar this time around has become one of the most fulfilling elements of these long days. “Let It Be” came right back to me, YouTube can now teach you myriad ways to strum in 10 minutes, and it turns out that people love to support your learning project! 

My musician friends and family members check in on my progress over FaceTime, showing me favorite songs, folk fingerings to help my Dylan covers sound more authentic, and surprising skills in Mexican Sierreño style guitar. I’ve received a tuner and a capo in the mail, and have been gifted subscriptions to online guitar and music theory courses. Caring together about music has become a way that we care for each other.

Because I am not a musician, I have no expectations about what I can or should be able to do musically, so exploring feels wide-open. I also don’t have any preconceived notions about the way a guitar works. I am listening to how sounds relate to each other—aurally, vibrationally, emotionally—and experiencing the thrill of hearing some of these things for the first time.

In visual art, I have to work hard to cultivate this “beginner’s mind.” I use blind contour drawing exercises and other tricks to force myself to really look. It is easy to assume that I know, for example, what a chair looks like, when in fact I am glossing over so many particulars. With guitar, I don’t know enough to gloss anything. I bump into a passing note and try to figure out what it is and how to fit it into my growing body of knowledge.

Where else can I take this beginner’s mind, I wonder? Can I take it to my walks outdoors? To parenting? How about to the state of our world? It’s a creative mindset, and I am glad to be practicing it by learning guitar.

We want to hear from you! Are you learning a new instrument? Have you found solace in returning to or deepening your connection to an instrument? Please share a picture or video of your musical journey. Feel free to tag us on Facebook or Instagram (@scoolsounds) or send us an email with your story.