About This Event
Join Teaching for Change’s Teach the Beat and DC Public Schools Office of Teaching and Learning for a go-go professional development experience featuring The Uncle Devin Show®!
Pre-K to 12 teachers are invited to register for Tuesday, August 17, 2021 10:00AM-12:30PM OR Saturday, September 18th, 2021 10:00AM-12:30PM as Uncle Devin presents Think Local, Crank Global: Go-Go Workshop for Educators via Zoom.
As Uncle Devin puts it,
Percussion instruments are often called the heartbeat of life. This is certainly the case with the official music of the Nation’s Capital, go-go music. However, many are not aware of its rich musical tradition and how it is a direct extension of the creativity and ingenuity of people of African descent.
Through this 2 1/2 hour virtual workshop, educators will learn how to:
Use instruments we shake, scrape, and strike to enhance curriculum and teach the art of go-go music
Make music from items within their environment using the JunkYard Band as an example
Make something out of nothing; go-go through body percussion, tables, and more!
This work is made possible by funding from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and the D.C. Office of Cable TV, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME).
Teach the Beat
Brings the distinctive D.C. sound of go-go into the classroom working with D.C. area schools and the authors of The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. to develop lessons and share teaching ideas for infusing the history and music of go-go in social studies, language arts, math, music, and/or D.C. history classes, and to bring renowned go-go performers into D.C. classrooms. The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C.
About Uncle Devin
The Uncle Devin Show® is an interactive musical experience for children by renowned drummer Devin Walker. The show cultivates the minds of children through percussion instruments and is a dynamic cross between DC’s Trouble Funk and Schoolhouse Rock. Known as The Children's Drumcussionist, Uncle Devin is also a Teaching Artist with both the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts and Young Audiences/Arts for Learning - Maryland.
His children's book, The ABC's of Percussion with Music CD, was named a 2015 National Parenting Publication Awards Bronze winner, and his “Uncle Devin’s Drum Tales” CD won a 2013 Parents’ Choice Presentation Award. Uncle Devin’s latest release, “Be Yourself!” takes a different approach to children’s music, using funky drum and percussion grooves as the foundation to teach children about the importance of individuality.
He is also the creator of the 24/7 online music radio program for children called, Watoto Entertainment & Education or WEE Nation Radio, providing Global Beats for Little Feet! This past April, Uncle Devin debuted the companion WEE Nation Radio show on WPFW 89.3 weekly on Wednesdays 7pm-8pm. In April 2021 he launched WEE Nation Radio on KBOO 90.7FM in Portland, OR bi-weekly on Thursdays 12 pm – 2 pm PST/ 3 pm – 5 pm EST. Both shows can also be streamed live on the Simple Radio or TuneIn apps.