Lectures, Courses & Workshops

Use The Blues To Improve Literacy: Music as a Second Language

Interactive & Multimedia Seminar for Administrators and Teachers 90 - 120 Minutes

Ideal for Closing the Achievement Gap and Literacy conferences

This hands-on, interactive session is designed to engage educators, while demonstrating how the Blues, America's root music, can improve literacy, discipline and engagement in all classrooms, for all students. Student collaboration, integration of technology, and hands-on activities will be modeled and teachers will have the opportunity to participate in activities that they can take back to their classrooms.

Rock & Roll Architect: The Life & Lyrics of Willie Dixon

Interactive & Multimedia Classroom: 120 Minutes

Seminar will survey the life, lyrics, and sound recordings, as well as the disciples of the most prolific Blues songwriter of all time through lectures, film clips, sound recordings and eyewitness accounts via family members and former band mates. His songs single handedly made the Blues hip to listen to and be a part, while laying the foundation for Rock & Roll. The songs that he wrote for artists such as Muddy Waters, KoKo Taylor, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Etta James will be used as exemplars. 

History of the Blues: Mississippi to Montreaux

Fernando Jones, Instructor

Multimedia Classroom: 120 Minutes

Seminar will survey the origins of the Blues and its relationship to Africa culturally, spiritually, and sociologically. Age old questions such as "What is the Blues?" and "Why does it exist?" will also be addressed and discussed in a user friendly environment filled with historic sound recordings, books, articles and other artifacts.

 

Blues on Film

Classroom: 120 Minutes

Seminar will introduce the Blues through its evolution on film in lecture/discussion environment inclusive of concert footage, movie clips, documentaries (spanning more than 60 years) and special guests, while taking an in-depth look at the impact this medium has (and has had) on this indigenous African American art form. 

  

Chicago Blues: The History & Future

60 - 90 Minutes

Seminar surveys the Blues scene in real time in "the Blues Capital" of the world. This class will take full advantage of every Blues related resource in Chicago from archives to night clubs. Students will collect and synthesize data that will to be donated to the college library, Center for Black Music Research, and the Harold Washington library downtown to help insure the integrity and preservation of this art form. 

Option for Independent Study

Learners will do field study research at three of these six sites: Willie Dixon’ Blues Heaven Foundation, Center for Black Music Research, Mayor’s Office of Special Events concert, the Harold Washington Library’s Music Department, Buddy Guy’s Legends, and the Columbia College Music Department. Each student is expected to spend at least 4 hours at a site. For example, a field study activity might include collecting data and making a documentary on sidemen form famous artists such as Buddy Guy.

Publishing and Copyrights

Interactive & Multimedia Classroom: 120 Minutes

Seminar surveys the various © forms and their applicable uses as well as discussing the history of performing rights organizations in America.

Harmonica Workshop

Interactive & Multimedia Classroom: 30 Minutes

Learners will have the opportunity to learn how to play the 12-bar Blues and a song or two in a user friendly environment.