Blues In The Schools

I have been taught something that cannot be measured by grades; I have been taught to listen to music. The magic I’ve found is that through the musician singing about the trials of his life, it manages to brighten up mine. The first time that I felt that, I began to understand why the blues came about.

Those astute and insightful words were written by a high school student after participating in a Blues in the Schools (BITS) program.

In 1978, the city of Chicago initiated the Blues in the Schools program which in the following two and a half decades has spread throughout North America and indeed the world. In this program, professional blues musicians visit schools to conduct classes on topics that include the history of the blues, famous blues musicians, different styles of blues and how to write, sing and perform the blues.

            Originating as it does in the earliest oral traditions of folk music, the blues is the foundation for all of the other popular music forms that students listen to today. By extension, the study of the blues is also the examination of the culture and the human spirit that produced the music.

            Music is very influential in the lives of children and young adults. Blues in the Schools presents a creative way to bolster arts programs that are faced with universal budgetary cuts and can reach out to students in a way that no other curriculum can. New experiences generate excitement and curiosity in the classroom and build confidence and a sense of growth.

            With the ever increasing sense of the “aging audience syndrome” at blues events and festivals it only makes sense to educate future fans and potential musicians. Young blood is vital to the survival of the genre. The Blues in the Schools program goes a long way towards the promotion, preservation and perpetuation of the art, culture and heritage of the blues. Oh, by the way, it’s a lot of fun too.

For more on Blues In The Schools visit www.blues.org/bits

Ken Wright