So, the last few weeks, we have been looking at early American Music including Folk& Mountain music, Classical, Cajun, Klezmar, and finally African American Slave music. All of these styles led the way for most of the music we hear, play and sing today.
Today we got to experience the Blues. The very distinct sound of the Blues came straight out of the hardships and suffering of the slaves. Music was the best way for them to express the suffering and hardships of the slave life, After the Civil War, the freed slaves needed to make a living. The most common options-hard, manual labor and performing music and skits. Life was still hard, and music still a great way to express-the blues.
The Explorers and Trailblazers listened to some samples of music from some of the early popular blues artists-like WC Handy, as well as some newer ones like Muddy Waters and BB King.
They learned about the blues back beat, and did an activity using Yankee Doodle showing how the back beat changes the whole feel of a song.
Manchester, NH based fine arts program for homeschool students
