S'Cool Sounds: Assemble!

Oct 30

Written By McLean Consulting Group of MDI .

On Friday, October 18th, S'Cool Sounds (SCS) Teaching Artist Berta Moreno led a spirited assembly at MS 363, also known as the Academy for Personal Leadership and Excellence in the Bronx, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

A virtuoso saxophone and clarinet player, Berta was joined by Alec Castro on piano, Maelo on percussion, and Maksim Perepelica on bass. The students responded with great enthusiasm, even getting out of their seats to dance to the band's energetic music -- no small feat for a middle school audience!

Many dance styles from throughout Latin America were represented, including Son Jorocho (México), Ranchera (México), Cumbia (Colombia), Vals (Venezuela), Son Montuno (Cuba), and Merengue (Dominican Republic).

Aligning with our Alegría Musical curriculum, the musicians introduced each song, explained particular cultural rhythms, and invited the audience to sing and clap along. At the end, a volunteer student even joined the band on stage to play some percussion.

Afterwards, Berta remarked: "It is very important to me that students learn and hear music from their cultures and heritage. Representation is also very important -- they see someone like them on the stage, feel represented and important, and feel proud of themselves. I most enjoyed sharing the joy of music and songs from my childhood and seeing them dancing and excited!"

S’Cool Sounds offers a variety of assemblies each year across New York City, featuring interactive musical performances with an ensemble of professional performer-educators, drawing upon one of our culturally-engaged curricula. Participating schools also receive free lesson plans and digital resources to deepen students' learning beyond the school-wide musical celebration.

PACE FAMILY CHALLENGE GRANT UPDATE

As previously reported, SCS has received a $50,000 challenge grant toward our annual giving campaign! So far, we have raised $18,000 toward that goal. Help us meet this challenge with a contribution to support high-quality music education programming for students and teachers in New York, Kenya, and beyond!