The sound of kids singing "One and one is two, two and six is eight," filled the auditorium of St. George Parish School in South Seattle. However, this was not a musical math lesson.
The children sang the blues classic "Sweet Home Chicago" during a lesson for their Blues in the Schools class. During the five-week after-school program, students learned how to play a variety of blues songs on several instruments in preparation for a final community performance on Feb. 10.
James "Curley" Cooke, a founding member of the Steve Miller Band, started the program. Cooke became interested in the program when he saw a "Good Morning America" piece about Blues in the Schools programs in Charelston, S.C. He flew down to observe the program for nine days before returning to the Pacific Northwest to kick start the effort here.
However, despite his name and contacts, Cooke's first attempt to get Blues in the Schools off the ground failed due to a lack of organization.
"All I had was a good logo," Cooke says. But a subsequent attempt and generous funding from a group of organizations helped get the ball rolling.
Blues in the Schools' current project at St. George features Cooke and other area musicians coming to the school Monday through Friday to teach the students some hands-on lessons about the blues.
During a recent Tuesday afternoon session, throughout the building the chorus of children from second through eighth grade could be heard singing the Beatles' song "Come Together" and Little Richard's song "Long Tall Sally."
Albritton McLain, the singing instructor for this particular session, along with the drumming instructor Doug McGrew, played together for years in local R&B bands. Joining them was local guitarist Al Rowe, who helped the kids lay down bass lines for the program's songbook.
While the main group of students was on stage learning lyrics, Cooke sat in a small storage room with a group of eighth graders, working more closely on guitar technique. The mood in the room was light as the students joked with one another and Cooke.
He encouraged the group as they improved on their instruments, telling them to play a chord "like a greasy rock 'n' roll G."
The atmosphere throughout the session resembled a band practice with 30 members more than a standard classroom.
Toward the end of the practice the whole group joined together on stage to run through "Twist and Shout," "Sweet Home Chicago," and "Congo Square."
Erik Moreno, an eighth-grader played a bass guitar nearly his height while sitting in a chair on the side of the stage, tapping his foot to the music. When the group of students shouted, "We can't hear the bass!" he looked at the crowd, smiled, and started playing louder.
In all, four students strummed electric guitars along with Cooke while two played bass. Doug McGrew gathered a group of four or five kids around the drums, all of them helped with the beat. McClain directed 15 kids crowded around the microphones in the finer points of call and response during "Twist and Shout." The tambourines, shakers, and cowbells lying around were picked up by students and teachers alike to add a bit of percussive zip to the beat.
Roberta McKechnie, parent of eighth grader Vivian, walked in during the program and smiled.
"I think it's wonderful," she said. Her daughter has been doing Blues in the Schools for three years at St. George.
"You've got to be there," said McKechnie about the final concert. "You got the old ladies out here dancing."
Judy Fontaine, secretary at St. George, said that parents love the program, and all the kids are invited to participate. The only requirements for students are that they want to come, they pay attention, and they enjoy the music. She notes the kids love the program too, and said every year a stream of students ask if the Blues in the Schools instructors are coming back.
In previous years, the program at St. George was open only to students attending the school. But this year the Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs co-funded the program, along with Rainier Investment Management, allowing children from the community to join the program.
Fontaine says St. George spread the word throughout the community, but there was little interest, and the positions were filled with students from the school.
After a final run-through of "Congo Square," the teachers and students shared the responsibility of putting away equipment and chairs while cleaning up the auditorium.
"I love it," said Erik Moreno while putting his bass away.
Freelance writer Jared Nelson may be reached with editor@sdistrictjournal.com[[In-content Ad]]
