April 19: JuJu and National Cathedral School (NCS) Bring Down the House

National Cathedral School (NCS) Diversity Forum 2023: MYdentity

With a special invitation by the National Cathedral School (NSC), JuJu House facilitated two Teach the Beat sessions as part of the school’s Diversity Forum 2023: MYdentity day. The annual Diversity Forum is a culmination of the school’s year-long engagement exploring themes of diversity in depth. This year’s forum connected students with local organizations throughout the D.C. metro area, exposing them  to experiences and history throughout the region. 

In two sessions, founding teaching artist JuJu House and Teaching for Change deputy director Keesha Ceran connected with NCS students on the history and foundational sounds of go-go. Through a brief orientation utilizing Go-Go Sound of Summer, a collaboration between DC Public Library and Teach the Beat, students became familiar with the pocket and bounce beats of go-go. With an intimate class setting of no more than 20 students, the young girls of NCS created their own bands, replicating the different beats they were learning. One by one, each student overcame a bit of shyness and drummed, tapped, shook, or clapped to the beat. 

The sense of support was palpable. When a student became intimidated or forgot the beat, peers in the audience maintained the cadence for them to jump back in. 

JuJu balanced various methods of teaching, offering opportunities for the classes to watch or listen to different go-go songs, connecting the genre’s deep influence within the music industry. For example, JuJu informed students how go-go influenced Amarie’s One Thing and Beyonce’s Crazy In Love. One song with go-go ties that JuJu shared threw associate director Ceran into a loop. Did you know that Nelly’s Hot in Herre samples Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers’ Bustin’ Loose?! Check out Ceran’s reaction in this tweet thread. 

In thank you notes received following the forum, students and staff at NCS expressed how much they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were grateful for the time spent with JuJu and learning more about the official music of D.C. 

March 22 and 24: Sweet Cherie at Two Rivers PCS

“I know people call D.C. ‘Go-Go City’”
“Go-go was invented to uplift people”
“Wasn’t Chuck Brown the Godfather of Go-Go?”

Across all four sections of Amanda Silverstein’s 5th grade, students were equal parts curious and eager to learn from Sweet Cherie. The music rooms at both campuses of Two Rivers PCS were pulsing with energy as students  — with varying degrees of musical experience — played the class drum sets, the cowbell, and Cherie’s keyboard. Students really gravitated to the mini go-go portion of Cherie’s lesson, showing off their dance moves. Cherie was so impressed with their musical and dance stylings, she took them up on their offer to have them featured in her next music video!

Silverstein shared:

This was an amazing experience for me and my students. It meant a lot to them to have a real go-go musician come in and play with them and teach them. They felt extremely special and important. 

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March 16: JuJu House at E.L. Haynes

D.C. history was coursing through the Think Tank at E.L. Haynes thanks to co-founding teaching artist JuJu House. The high school seniors have been learning D.C. history with Barrie Moorman, oftentimes by going on  field trips throughout the District. JuJu brought living, breathing D.C. history to their campus, both with his engaging lessons on go-go and the museum-like exhibit of artifacts he’s kept from over the years! Some of the students have been working with Uncle Devin Walker, another of our teaching artists, and have formed their own go-go band. On top of playing the percussion instruments, some of them got up and Beat Their Feet to the music. In typical JuJu fashion, no student could leave without being able to name at least one go-go band and be able to identify the difference between the pocket beat and the bounce beat.

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March 13: Sweet Cherie at Center City PCS Petworth

Jordan Daugherty’s 4th and 5th grade dance classes had a ball with Sweet Cherie at Center City PCS Petworth. The kids welcomed her with great enthusiasm before she even dove into the lesson. During some Q & A, students asked what instruments Cherie plays, what other go-go musicians she knows, and told her she looks a little like Rihanna. She taught concepts like syncopation, and delineated why go-go developed as a genre. Towards the end of the lesson, they formed Soul Train dance lines as part of their kiddie go-go and choreographed step routines to the music Cherie played. 

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Feb 28: JuJu House at Kimball ES

Before the visit officially began, JuJu effortlessly grabbed the attention of students and faculty at Kimball Elementary by simply walking into the gymnasium! The elementary-aged children and their teachers caught glimpses of JuJu’s E.U. zip-up and erupted into cheers and warm welcomes to one of Teach the Beat’s founding teaching artists. After taking pictures with the class, JuJu set up his equipment and go-go artifacts for students to see and hold literal pieces of go-go history. JuJu led the dozens of fifth graders through a lesson on the pocket vs. the bounce beat, basic go-go trivia, and gave every student an opportunity to play a percussion instrument to demonstrate their learning about the types of beat.

Dennard shared:

I think the students enjoyed learning about go go music and playing the instruments.

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Feb 28: JuJu House at Brent ES

The Brent Elementary Bears kindergarten and first grade classes joined JuJu in their multipurpose space for an afternoon Teach the Beat session. JuJu’s interactive experience had students and teachers clapping and stomping their feet to make the beats JuJu was teaching them. In groups of seven, Brent Bears created go-go bands, first selecting their names, — Go-Go Bananas, Go-Go Terrific Students, Go-Go Girls & Boys, and many more  —  and then learning the beat they would perform for the rest of the 113 students in the audience. Band after Band had a turn shaking, tapping, or clapping a go-go musical instrument. 

In between sets, JuJu quizzed the students. Holding up a photo of Chuck Brown, JuJu asked, “Can anyone tell me who this person is?” To his surprise, the students yelled, “Chuck Brown!” 

JuJu went on to explain that Chuck Brown is known as The Godfather of Go-Go. 

JuJu taught beats, engaged the bands, and taught the students happy feet, a go-go dance. 

“If I say ‘Sardines’ what comes next?” JuJu asked the students. With exuberance the teachers and staff in the room yelled, “And Pork and Beans!” Together teachers and JuJu taught students this infamous call & response, answering questions like, “What are sardines?” 

After 45 minutes of an engaging session, JuJu said farewell to the Brent Elementary Bears as they exited the cafeteria. 

At different times, teachers and staff filtered in and out of the cafeteria. One staff member stopped Keesha Ceran, associate director of Teaching for Change, and asked, “Is that JuJu?” Upon hearing confirmation, the thrilled staff member shared, “I met Sugar Bear three times and now JuJu is in our school. That’s very cool.” 

Feb 23: Sweet Cherie at Capitol Hill Day School

Fresh after attending a field trip to GALA Hispanic Theater to see a play, the pre K - first grade classes at Capitol Hill Day School were treated to an interactive lesson on go-go with Sweet Cherie! Gathering in their common area, the school’s youngest were introduced to the fundamentals of go-go, had the chance to play Sweet Cherie’s cowbell, and participated in their own kiddie go-go. After the classes departed, Jason Gray, head of school, thanked her for the lesson. Gray was born and raised in D.C. and was a classmate of Cherie’s cousin. 

Elizabeth Esser shared:

We enjoyed the experience and liked how interactive it was!

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Feb 17: Swamp Guinee at Freedom HS

Swamp Guinee facilitated an assembly-style visit for the high school students at Freedom as part of their Black History Month and Black Lives Matter at School Year of Purpose participation. After kicking off the visit with a demonstration of a medley of various go-go beats on his drum kit, Guinee launched into a lesson on what role percussive instruments like the drum have had in Black history, spanning centuries. He also drew parallels between the types of instruments and beats in different genres of music, noting some of their shared origins on the African continent. After guiding students through some of the history and asserting that go-go music is the official music of D.C., but has plenty of significance in the region, Guinee invited students with some music experience onstage to play a simple go-go song for their schoolmates. The students were taught a simple pocket beat to play on various percussion instruments, and Guinee led them in a call in response to the chorus of Nas’s “I Can.” 

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Feb 15: Capital City Go-Go Education Day Game

On Wednesday, February, 15, 2023, thousands of young people and teachers across the D.C. metro area filled the Entertainment & Sports Arena at St. Elizabeth’s East, home of the Washington Mystics and the Capital City Go-Go. On this day, these thousands of attendees were present for the Go-Go’s Education Day Game so that D.C. area students could learn and engage with the rich history and the various stylistic elements related to the go-go music genre. 

Teach the Beat teaching artist, Devin Walker, of The Uncle Devin Show, showcased go-go music along with his team, which included Matt “Swamp Guinee” Miller, teaching artist and former program specialist for Teach the Beat! Throughout the 90-minute experience, The Uncle Devin Show performed on an elevated platform, participated in a halftime experience, and signed autographs for students and teachers. 

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Teach the Beat hosted our Go-Go Gallery Walk to engage students in exploring go-go history using text and instruments. Our D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice (DCAESJ) team was also present, amplifying Black Lives Matter at School and connecting with educators to participate in activities hosted by the network throughout the school year. 

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February 13: Swamp Guinee at Seaton ES

Athena Kopsidas welcomed Teach the Beat back to Seaton ES (DCPS) in February as part of the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action this year. During a session with the upper elementary classes, students shared with associate director, Keesha Ceran, one student shared, “This week we celebrate school spirit and Black Lives Matter.”

Matt “Swamp Guinee” Miller facilitated the two visits with students in the school cafeteria, leading students through interactive lessons on different percussive instruments used in go-go. After sharing a brief history of go-go music, Miller introduced the school to his “friends”  — musical instruments. Students were instructed to guess if you shake, scrape, or strike each instrument. As students became acclimated to the different instruments, Miller taught students a few beats that they practiced at the cafeteria tables before the “Seaton Elementary School Hot Fire Bees go-go groups” performed on stage with Miller. Students and staff alike created the go-go beats they had learned. The rhythmic sounds transformed Seaton’s cafeteria into its own go-go with students and adults beating their feet. 

At the conclusion of their last session, Miller gifted the school one of his drums, thanking Seaton educators for their great efforts in educating the students and the high energy the students brought to these sessions. 

Kopsidas shared,

Everything was great! We have a number of students who are non-verbal and who participated fully — on stage! They were so enthusiastic and engaged!

Read about last year’s visit at Seaton ES. 

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Feb 10: Swamp Guinee at Seaton ES

Athena Kopsidas welcomed Teach the Beat back, this time for a series of visits where all students were able to participate in an assembly-style visit. These visits were scheduled in conjunction with the D.C. area’s Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action 2023. Kospidas attended the DCAESJ planning meeting in January of this year, and she noted that this was one of the ways Seaton was participating in the Week of Action this year. During a session with the upper elementary classes, students shared with deputy director, Keesha Ceran, what the week – Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action – meant and why we celebrate it. One student stated, “This week we celebrate school spirit and Black Lives matter.”

Meeting in the school’s cafeteria, Matt “Swamp Guinee” Miller facilitated the two visits with students through interactive lessons on different percussive instruments used in go-go. After sharing a brief history of go-go music, Miller introduced the school to his “friends” – musical instruments -  and students guessed if you should shake, scrape, or strike the instrument. As students became acclimated to the different instruments, Miller taught students a few beats that they practiced at the cafeteria tables before the Seaton Elementary School Hot Fire Bees go-go groups performed on stage with Miller. Students and staff alike created the go-go beats they had learned. The rhythmic sounds transformed Seaton’s cafeteria into its own go-go with students and adults beating their feet. 

At the conclusion of their last session, Miller gifted the school one of his drums, thanking Seaton educators for their great efforts in educating the students and the high energy the students brought to these sessions. 

Kopsidas shared: 

Everything was great! We have a number of students who are non-verbal and who participated fully, on stage! They were so enthusiastic and engaged!

Read about last year’s visit at Seaton ES

February 9: Sweet Cherie at Simon ES

“Thanks for coming to my birthday party!” — Stephanie Howell

All Teach the Beat visits are special, but serenading a beloved teacher with a go-go version of the birthday song only compounds the joy! Stephanie Howell, a native Washingtonian whose parents met at a Chuck Brown show in 1972 also happened to be celebrating a birthday the day Sweet Cherie facilitated a visit with K-3rd grade students at Simon ES (DCPS).

In addition to learning about the history and fundamentals of go-go, each child got a chance to play an improvised tune on Sweet Cherie’s bedazzled keyboard. They danced when they heard their names called by the talker, just like at a go-go.

The students surprised Cherie by already having a response to when she asks, “Wh- wh- wh- where you from?!” to which they shouted, “D.C.!”

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Feb 8: Black Lives Matter at School Go-Go Visit with Capital City Go-Go

Teach the Beat was excited to be invited to join The Capital City Go-Go team and staff on Wednesday, February 8, during Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action to showcase the official music of D.C. 

Teaching for Change Associate Director, Keesha Ceran, opened the session with the Go-Go by highlighting the purpose of Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action and celebrating the experiences happening in classrooms throughout not only the DMV, but also nationally. She raised how Teach the Beat uplifts the Black Lives Matter at School principles of Intergenerational, Black Villages, and Unapologetically Black.  

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Before engaging with the beats, Ceran encouraged the Capital City Go-Go team and staff to participate in the Teach the Beat Gallery Walk. Participants of the Gallery Walk reviewed images that highlight go-go’s history throughout the D.C. metro area. As they reviewed these images, they wrote down on post-it notes the themes and elements that rose up  for them. For example, when reviewing the musical influences of go-go music, one player noted, “Funk is a creative umbrella that many other great forms of music tie into. Diversity in music introduces diversity in culture.” Another wrote, “[Funk music] helped modernize go-go music through different genres like soul, gospel, and pop.  Another theme participants reviewed was go-go’s influence on politics. One comment noted, “The community found a way to build go-go culture through politics.” 

Following the Gallery Walk, the Go-Go players and staff were introduced to Teach the Beat founding teaching artist, JuJu! JuJu opened his session featuring clips of Go-Go Sound of Summer, grounding the team in learning the breakdown of the different beats of go-go music – the pocket, the socket, and the bounce. 

As the session continued, JuJu brought up different volunteers to form their own go-go band, to play together, and create the unique sounds of go-go music. 

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Since 2018, Teaching for Change’s D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice (DCAESJ) has hosted the D.C. area activities for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action and Year of Purpose. The goal of Black Lives Matter at School is to encourage ongoing critical reflection, honest conversations, and action for people of all ages in school communities to work towards building schools where Black lives matter. The campaign takes place in cities across the United States to promote a set of national demands based on the Black Lives Matter guiding principles.

February 7: Sweet Cherie at Washington International School

During a middle school assembly, there wasn’t an empty seat in Washington International School’s theater  — unless the students and teachers were up dancing to Sweet Cherie’s music!

Lauren Wright, middle school humanities teacher, shared that this wasn’t the first time the school experienced Sweet Cherie. Many saw her at the Kennedy Center family programming in March of 2022, and they just knew they had to have her facilitate a visit to their school!

With this visit, Cherie dove deeper into the history of go-go, speaking to students about the different sub-genres and their many bands. Students asked Cherie how long she’d been a musician, what inspired the name for her all-women’s band Be’la Dona, and how well she knew Chuck Brown.

Middle schoolers, often shy to dance and participate in group activities, rushed to the theater’s center so they could dance along with Sweet Cherie when she wrapped the session and dismissed them to enjoy the rest of their school day!

Wright shared:

THANK YOU! We had a great time, and I got tons of great feedback from the kids.

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Jan 25 and Feb 1: Sweet Cherie at Girls’ Global Academy

Teachers, students, and their families were all captivated by the musical stylings of Sweet Cherie for two consecutive weeks at Girls’ Global Academy. The school, which launched remotely in 2020, is in the midst of its first fully in-person school year. Cherie was elated to facilitate lessons to all of the student body over the course of her three visits, and the girls were equally thrilled! On top of her usual lesson relaying the basics of go-go music and its history, Cherie outlined her work with Be’La Dona and why the group was founded and continues to perform so much today. 

Ms. Robison shared:

You brought a lot of excitement to students (and staff), and more than lived up to that  —  It was truly a treat to have you.

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