WHEELS Music: October 2019

Friday, October 18, 2019

Thanks to Harlem Stage WHEELS students got to write songs with the great Maimouna Youssef (aka Mumu Fresh). WHEELS 5th and 6th graders worked with Ms. Youssef at WHEELS on Wednesday, and WHEELS 6th-12th grade band students worked with Ms. Youssef at Harlem Stage on Thursday.

¡La clave es la llave!

Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) opened in 2006 with a small music program that has grown to include over 450 Pre-K through 12th grade students in band and general music classes. Our program evolved through collaboration between students and teachers with interests in Latin and jazz music. Latin and jazz music are ideal starting points for our studies because of our school’s location in New York City, which has been central in the development of Latin and jazz music in the US. In the spirit of the cooperative sensibility found in the way Latin and jazz musicians play, students coach each other and engage in collaborative projects. A key element of music we play is improvisation, which requires lifting one’s own voice and negotiating with the voices of others.

Check back often for updates!

Graham Johnson, Music Teacher

g.johnson@wheelsnyc.org

Casey MacFarlane, Music Teacher

c.macfarlane@wheelsnyc.org