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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September 16: Sweet Cherie at Patterson Elementary School

September 16, 2015 / Mykella Palmer

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On September 16, Cherie “Sweet Cherie” Mitchell Agurs visited the second and fourth-grade classrooms of Chigoziem Odumade and Panella Rivera at Patterson Elementary School (DCPS). Sweet Cherie began by asking if they knew the person on her shirt. Many students shouted in unison, “Chuck Brown!”

When Cherie began playing go-go tunes, some students stood and began to dance near their chairs. After a few minutes, Cherie asked the students to come up to the front of the room to help lead the class in song as “talkers.” She explained that every group needs a talker to acknowledge the crowd and shout out instructions. Near the end of class, students surrounded Sweet Cherie at her keyboard and took turns practicing some famous go sounds.

categories / 2015