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.
