Experience the hypnotic pulse of the melodic claves, majestic congas, ringing timbales, and the call of the raspy guiro, sleek bata and beaded shekere, as tropical African percussion instruments mesh with the classical instrumentation of European music. The Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Project musicians provide an energized interactive demonstration, from the roots of Afro-Cuban Music to today's Latin Jazz. A fun way to learn about this popular musical genre while learning a little Spanish and maybe even dancing the mambo!

Many songs tell stories, describing characters and their adventures in particular places at particular times. This class looks at some of the great stories of rock and roll and examines how lyrics can establish a setting, introduce characters, and develop a plot. Through exciting recorded performances by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees like Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, and Chuck Berry, students learn how narrative can be developed. They will act out undersea adventures on a "Yellow Submarine" and imagine what it would be like to be "Johnny B. Goode" by drawing what they hear and read in the lyrics, all while learning to summarize and retell the stories told through rock and roll.

This program for the classroom examines the people, places and events that created the steel-pan and its role in the modern day Carnival in Trinidad. One or two members of the renowned group 7 Mile Isle teach students about the history of the steel drum; provide a glimpse of Trinidad's varied landscape; offer unique insights about Trinidad's famous Carnival; and provide musical examples that bring it all to life. Video, audio, demonstration, and participation are included.

A Study in Black and White is a survey of two musical styles: African-American and Anglo-American. The African-American musical tradition has its roots in the African Diaspora, slavery, Reconstruction, and the Jim Crow era. The Anglo-American country music tradition has its roots in Appalachia and the British Isles. The program explores examples of the close connection between early "old-timey" country music and the blues.

Students replicate and create rhythms of increasing complexity while learning to play rhythm sticks. Exploration of addition and subtraction, patterns, collecting data, and making predictions is enhanced through music and movement in this arts-integrated learning experience. This residency may include drum making, where each student creates their own percussion instrument. At the end of the residency, students play their drums, sing songs, and dance at a performance enjoyed by the school community.

In these dynamic music workshops, students learn how to tap, clap, stomp and "manually" create rhythms using just their bodies as instruments. Students learn more about the structure of music and how the essential elements of musical composition and rhythm relate easily to mathematical concepts.

This hands-on residency turns each class into its own "jug band." Students will each get a part in the band playing kazoos, rub-boards, rhythm sticks, wood blocks, shakers, and other instruments. There are vocal parts for each student as well. Younger classes perform Step it Up and Go. The older classes will perform Carried the Water for the Elephant.

Narrated, 60-minute concerts performed by the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra in historic Severance Hall introduce students to orchestral repertoire and musical concepts. Young soloists and lively collaborative artists make the concert experience engaging for students of all ages. Field trip includes preparation materials including a student newspaper and special concert CD; also see the professional development section for information about Education Concert teacher workshops.

Students will learn the art and history of African percussion and its relationship to today's music, R&B, Pop, Reggae, Blues, World Music and Hip Hop. Students will learn by playing and experiencing rhythms from the countries of West Africa, Jamaica, Cuba and Brazil. Students will be even more engaged when they experiece the 360 degrees of the drum, the 360 degrees of Hip Hop DJ turntable and also the street buckets of New York. These energizing workshops include preparation for the culminating event called "Sharing Hour"" for the student body, family, friends and community.

This high energy performance engages students through the exploration of Nigerian Afro-beat music with an emphasis on instrument families, percussion rhythms, call and response, and socially derived lyrics. After interacting with live afro-beat and using their bodies as percussion instruments, students brainstorm lyrical content based on positive social experiences at their school. Then Mifune and the school create and perform their own afro-beat song together!

The wonderful world of Dr. Seuss is brought to musical life through this interactive performance, which includes beautiful singing, zany acting, and crazy props. Soprano, Lara Troyer, and her friends perform the one-act opera Green Eggs and Ham by composer Robert Kapilow.

This interactive performance is a musical celebration of our state, Ohio. Through original songs and movement, the program addresses topics such as kindness, cooperation, and community. Singing Ohio, we create big, round vocal sounds. Moving Ohio, we create an original community dance. And Learning Ohio, we discover a singable song that lists the 88 counties in geographical order.

In this residency, students learn to strengthen and reinforce basic math skills through the use of music. Music contains many direct connections to numbers - counting beats and measures, creating and playing rhythms, and composing music with 5, 8, 10, or 12 musical tones. Recognizing and identifying patterns both in musical phrases and number sequences is explored, as well. Dave engages the students in this process by using an electronic keyboard and laptop computer, and they find both excitement and fascination in this Math and Music journey.

Journey to the Land of the Blues is a program that takes students on a lively journey through the history of the blues, a music created out of the Southern African-American experience and one of the roots of Rock and Roll. Throughout the program, stories of social and cultural conditions are woven into the history of the music, including the experiences of slaves, the "Great Migrations" of African-Americans, and the technological advances that affected music and everyday life.

Through music and storytelling, Baba Jubal takes students on an adventure to the Manding African Empire. This participatory program combines history, geography and language while engaging students in the experience of making music and learning about West African culture. A residency, in which students learn more about Africa, music, and how to make their own drums, may follow this program.

Music is the Weapon offers writing and music as an alternative to violence and negativity. Two or three members of Mifune lead a writing residency exposing students to lyrical songwriting from today's artists and yesterday's masters. Discussion focuses on current events of either personal, local, national or international significance. Members of Mifune coach students in writing their own lyrics and music. The residency concludes with a performance of the students' original music.

In this world of television and video games, music as a form of play has become an endangered species. In this program, students explore a world of music that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. Students leave with pocketfuls of musical potential and a joyful sense of responsibility to continue the wonderful tradition of PLAY-ing music everyday. This program encourages invention and insists upon music under any circumstances.

OHIO (Only Happened in Ohio), includes activities that focus on Ohio's waterways. Students learn about the importance of rivers and canals, the Great Lakes, and the historical significance of these bodies of water. Through the use of maps and timelines, students discover how Native Americans and pioneers used Ohio's waterways. This residency culminates in a "Saturday night" square dance and performance of student-composed songs.

One World Rhythm celebrates the rhythmic human spirit. Told as a multicultural, interactive story using various cultural hand drums and percussion, this program invites children to journey with an African rhythm as it travels from Africa to Cuba, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and the United States. The imagination of students will ignite as rhythms changes form, patterns, and sound during their travels. Students participate by singing in several languages, playing body percussion, and dancing. This uplifting story of traveling rhythms celebrates the African roots of much of today's music.

The exciting sounds and sights of Battu, a percussion ensemble, draw students into a world of different cultures to the beat of a drum (or surdo, xylophone...). Battu provides a multicultural, historical learning experience through diverse music and instruments taking students from Trinidad to Brazil, Cuba to Asia.

In this exciting, interactive class, elementary school students examine the instrumentation of a rock band, discovering the low notes of the bass guitar, the pounding rhythms of the drums and percussion, the melodies and harmonies of guitars, keyboards, and more. Students have fun learning about the characteristics of the instruments and their sounds - and even perform along with the band! By investigating how musicians arrange the various instruments of a band, students discover how the different parts of classic rock and roll songs are created. This class includes historic video performances by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, as well as live performances and demonstrations by the Rock Hall education ensemble. At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum kids really do get a chance to ROCK!

In this program about American pioneers, Bob shows how songs can tell stories. He leads the group in sharing songs that tell tall-tales, songs that spread the news, songs about animals and songs about heroic figures.

Dave engages students in how computer technology has changed the way we create sounds and music. Using the synthesizer, Dave invites students to participate by identifying traditional musical instrument sounds and easily recognizable pieces of music. Students join the fun, creating and performing sounds right on stage. This fun and educational presentation will change the way you listen to music.

The Legend of Nguzu Saba" begins in a mystical land called Kwanzaa land, where families young and old live in peace, love & happiness all year long. Life is good in Kwanzaa Land because the Kwanzaa Queen has taught her community to live in respect and harmony because they live by the seven principles of the Nguzu Saba. One day, the Queen is given the devastating news that there are young people in the land of Cleve who do no know about the seven principles or it's way of life exemplified in the Nguzu Saba. The storyy tells of the Queens mission to collectively teach the seven principles so that families and young people all over the world can live in peace and harmony. The original music score includes traditional African dance and drum, Blues, Hip Hop Gospel and R & B. and Break Dancing. The story is fueled by engaging characters such as Music Man, Sista Sevena, Rasta-ma-tazz, Elder Red, Black & Green, and Boogie & Woogie

The Civil War is perhaps the most defining event in U.S. history. Its effects, from the Emancipation Proclamation, through the difficulties of Reconstruction, to the successes of the Civil Rights Movement, have defined politics, culture, and race relations ever since. Through a combination of narrative and live performance, this program brings to life a colorful but turbulent period in our nation

Walking to the Western Reserve celebrates the 205-year history of the state of Ohio. The program includes songs and stories of Moses Cleveland, the Wright brothers, and Ohio's presidents. Other topics include the Underground Railroad, canals and rivers, the settlement of the Shakers, and Thomas Edison. Through a program of traditional acoustic music and folk dances students will be offered a glimpse of what life was like in a time before electricity and modern technology.