July 31: JuJu House Visits Horton's Kids

On Friday, July 31, youth from Horton's Kids summer program enjoyed a workshop with go-go musician and educator, William "Ju Ju" House. This virtual Teach the Beat lesson was organized by Secondary Youth Development Coordinator, Najuma Louison and Teaching for Change. 

Teens joined from mobile devices and home electronics for a distance learning musical experience. Ju Ju House joined from his home studio -- filled with percussion instruments and a large Chuck Brown poster, honoring the go-go legend. The lesson began by diving immediately into the importance of knowing our history. Ju Ju shared with participants, "I'm in a house that was built in 1713!" Urging youth to share their knowledge and experience with go-go music with the group, Ju Ju began to name famous people and groups to gauge the group's familiarity with many popular songs. Students shared their comments via chat feature and through the video/audio platform. 

The virtual visit continued with an in-depth lesson on the difference between the bounce beat and the pocket. Using conga drums and other percussion instruments, House demonstrated the rhythmic qualities of the two beats. In order to test the difference between the two, House encouraged students to name a song in which he applied the different beats. Students shared songs across genres, sometimes humming the melody as Ju Ju played on snare drums from home. 

Students and Ju Ju discussed go-go, rap, the rivalry and influences between the genres. Ju Ju mentioned modern day artists such as Mary J Blige and Beyonce, as he highlighted go-go's reach across many musical generations. It was an afternoon full of laughs, head nods, and immense D.C. pride. One student mentioned that she liked how Ju Ju merged the go-go beat with some of their favorite songs to show the D.C. undertones in mainstream music.

Thank you, Horton's Kids and Ju Ju for a special inaugural virtual lesson, and for bringing the distinctive sound of go-go to students from the safety of their homes.

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Visit description prepared by Rosalie Reyes.

March 3: Ju Ju House Visits Capitol Hill Day School

On March 3, 2020, second, third, and fourth graders at Capitol Hill Day School got a special visit from go-go percussionist William “Ju Ju” House as part of Teaching for Change’s Teach the Beat program.

The go-go workshops were split into two sessions. At the start of each session, Ju Ju quizzed the students on what they had already learned about go-go at school.

Who knows who Chuck Brown is?

          The Godfather of go-go!

Who can name a Chuck Brown song?

          Bustin Loose!

          We the People!

What kind of music do they play in Nashville? (Country) What do they play in New York? (Hip-Hop) And what kind of music do we play in D.C.?

Go-Go!

Ju Ju passed out sticks to all of the students and introduced them to the two main rhythms in go-go music: the pocket beat and the bounce beat.

Students also sang the chorus to “Bustin’ Loose” and worked on the call and response to Junkyard Band’s “Sardines.”

The students broke into groups of five and came to the front of the room where Ju Ju coached them to play a rhythm on drums. Some groups came up with band names like “Go-Go Bubbles” and “Go-Go Gucci Gang.”

At the end of each session, Ju Ju gave a demonstration of how the band comes together to create a cohesive sound.

Students enjoyed learning more about go-go rhythms and look forward to an upcoming field trip to visit Chuck Brown Memorial Park.

View more photos and videos on Flickr.

February 12: Langdon ES Fifth Graders Learn About Go-Go

By Talia Brock

On February 12, 2020, go-go artist “Sweet” Cherie Mitchell visited Langdon Elementary School in connection with Teaching for Change’s Teach the Beat program. This is the second year that the program has been able to visit Langdon, a partner in Teaching for Change’s Tellin Stories parent engagement project.

This year the 5th-grade students were in for a treat. Sweet Cherie came to talk with students about the history of go-go and play some music with them as well.

Cherie started by telling the students a little bit about herself and her career performing with “the godfather of go-go”, Chuck Brown, and the all-female group Be’la Dona Band. She broke down some of the main elements of go-go music: the typical go-go beat, the syncopated rhythm (or the “off-beat”), and the “talker” (who leads the call and response and energizes the crowd).

Students drummed out the rhythm on buckets while Cherie played the off-beat and led the group in some examples of call and response. As all the pieces of the music started to come together, Cherie invited some students up to sing and dance to Backyard Band’s version of “Hello.” Even 5th-grade teacher Perea Blackmon and school principal Kemi Husbands danced along!

Toward the end, students asked Cherie questions about her favorite bands, how she became interested in performing go-go music, and her favorite places that she’s traveled to on tour.

She talked with the students about how important it was for her to stay committed to her piano lessons when she was growing up. Practicing consistently was hard work, but it was worth it. Even though she feels happiest when she’s playing go-go music, if she hadn’t kept up with her classical music lessons as a child, she might not have developed enough skill to cross over into other genres as an adult. The students listened attentively, and nearly every student had their hand raised, hoping to have a question answered. Cherie was so impressed with the students’ energy and said that they were the liveliest group she’d ever worked with. Cherie’s visit made such an impression on the students that one student even doubled back as Cherie was leaving to ask her one more question. 

At the conclusion of Cherie’s visit to Langdon, she posed for a traditional go-go photo with two Langdon staff members in front of the display - it was a fitting end to a great visit. 

PARENT ENGAGEMENT

Part of Langdon’s partnership with Teaching for Change involves holding monthly meetings with parents, called Principal Chat n’ Chews. Organizers from Teaching for Change’s Tellin’ Stories project work with Principal Husbands to design meetings that are open to all parents and caregivers, prioritize the voices of marginalized parents and build a stronger school community.

At the January chat n’ chew, parents participated in an icebreaker where they were asked to consider:

What does go-go music mean to you?

Parents responded to this question with so much enthusiasm that the chat n’ chew went over-time! Some examples of their responses include

“it’s a lifestyle,”

“it means to be alive”

“it’s a culture, a movement”

“it gives a native Washingtonian a sense of pride in their city.”

They listed their favorite bands, such as Rare Essence, Be’la Dona, Junkyard Band and New Impressions, and talked about going to go-go parties when they were growing up. Following this meeting, the parents’ responses were displayed under a banner that read “Langdon loves go-go!”

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Special thanks to the Horning Family Fund whose generous donation for the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action made this visit possible.

February 7: Learning about the Go-Go Pocket Beat vs Bounce Beat at Moten ES

By Allyson Criner Brown

On Friday, February 7, 2020, fourth and fifth graders at Moten ES (DCPS) in Southeast D.C. participated in a mini “battle of the bands” as part of a Teach the Beat visit with legendary go-go musician and percussionist William “Ju Ju” House. Teaching for Change coordinated the visit with Moten ES music teacher Allyson Chamberlaine as part of the 2020 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.

In “crews” of four to five, students each picked up an instrument from Ju Ju’s percussion section of cowbells and several types of drums. Each crew got the chance to practice a go-go pocket (aka beat) and then perform for the class.

Then as a whole class, with drumsticks in each hand, Ju Ju taught the students to tap out a go-go “pocket beat” and a “bounce beat” that is popular among younger go-go performers and listeners.

Ju Ju ended the visit by doing a call and response with students of classic go-go lyrics, including key lines from Chuck Brown hits “Bustin’ Loose” and “I Need Money.”

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Special thanks to the Horning Family Fund whose generous donation for the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action made this visit possible.

February 6: Anacostia HS Drumline Learns About Go-Go

By Allyson Criner Brown

On Thursday, February 6, 2020, celebrated go-go musician Sweet Cherie Mitchell, keyboardist and singer for the all-female Bela Dona Band, joined the music class at Anacostia HS (DCPS) as part of a Teach the Beat visit to bring go-go music to D.C. classrooms. Teaching for Change coordinated the visit with Anacostia HS as part of the 2020 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.

Members of the school’s drumline received special pass to participate in the visit and showed off their talents, moving between the classic sound of marching band drumlines, go-go pocket beats, and the bounce beats that are popular among younger go-go performers and listeners and made for “beat your feet” style dancing.

A highlight of the visit was when Sweet Cherie led the room in Junkyard Band’s go-go classic, “Sardines.” A student joined in as one of the vocal leaders of the song and began dancing, while one of the drummers joined her in the circle and midway through the song added a bounce beat to the rhythm. After the visit, students had a deeper appreciation for some of the go-go classics and the music behind them.

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Special thanks to the Horning Family Fund whose generous donation for the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action made this visit possible.

February 5: Beers ES Second Graders Learn About Go-Go

On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, legendary go-go percussionist William “Ju Ju” House led a class on the go-go pocket with second graders at Beers Elementary. Teaching for Change coordinated the visit with as part of the 2020 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action and the Teach the Beat project to bring go-go to D.C. classrooms.

Ju Ju began by having students clap and stomp out different beats, including a go-go pocket. Music teacher Mr. Strother passed out buckets and drumsticks to each of the students, with two students getting the special opportunity to play the cowbell.

The highlights of the visit for Ju Ju were having the room full of second graders drumming out a go-go pocket, and then later singing key lines from Chuck Brown’s go-go hits “Bustin’ Loose.”