Bringing the distinctive D.C. sound of go-go into the classroom.

Teaching for Change is honored to work 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 middle and high school social studies, language arts, math, music, and/or D.C. history classes, and to bring renowned go-go performers into D.C. classrooms.

"Go-go has stayed true to time-honored cultural scripts such as live call-and-response, live instrumentation, as well as its locally rooted fashions, slang, dance, distribution and economic systems. Simply put: Go-Go never sold out. There is a grit and texture to the music that gives voice to the communities where it was created." –Natalie Hopkinson

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April 22: Uncle Devin at Bunker Hill ES

June 08, 2022 / Mykella Palmer

Third graders in Ra’Neta Oliver’s class not only celebrated a student’s birthday that Friday morning, they also learned more about and celebrated go-go music with the Children’s Drumcussionist, Teach the Beat teaching artist “Uncle Devin” Walker! Walker led the students in better understanding the different ways of playing a percussive instrument — shake, scrape, and/or strike — and in identifying percussion instruments. As always, Walker encouraged students to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams and concluded the lesson with a go-go birthday song for the student celebrating and another tune, reminding them, “Life is a drum, so beat it!”

categories / 2022