And the Beat Goes On… Blues in the Schools returns in 2020!

And the Beat Goes On… Blues in the Schools returns in 2020!

The New York State Blues Festival is pleased to announce that our Blues in the Schools (BITS) program will kick off at area school districts in early 2020. Participating schools are Syracuse City Schools, East Syracuse-Minoa, and West Genesee. Education is a vital part of our mission and we are happy to introduce the importance of the Blues in American culture to some of our local fourth and fifth graders.

We are thrilled to welcome back Kevin Dean as an instructor for Blues in the Schools. A certified teaching artist, Kevin uses percussion and rhythm in his lessons, resulting in an engaging program. As a professional musician, he has toured extensively throughout the US and the UK with numerous artists including Heart and Josh Groban. Kevin is a former member of the Syracuse Brigadier Drum Corp and he was also the drum instructor for the Redhouse Rock Camp for seven years. He currently performs with several Central New York bands, plus he teaches percussion privately, in group workshops and in grade school classrooms. His “Summer Drummers” summer camp program not only helps budding young performers to learn and hone their skills, it provides them with opportunities to showcase their talents at local events.

Joining Kevin this year is Colin Aberdeen, frontman for the Syracuse-based, genre-defying roots rockers, Los Blancos. Colin has traveled extensively throughout his career and earned a variety of awards including, but not limited to, favorite guitarist/vocalist in Blues Connection and in the Syracuse New Times. Los Blancos has released numerous albums during their many years of touring regionally and nationally. In addition to Blancos, Colin also plays with the Westcott Jugsuckers and his other project, the Barking Loungers. When he’s not performing with one of his bands, he transforms into a down-home, acoustic act of original and traditional blues with a taste of folk and Americana thrown into the mix. He plays an extensive repertoire of delta slide and Piedmont blues while engaging audiences with soulful vocals and a story-telling stage presence of wit and charm all his own. Colin has also been featured on a host of other musicians’ albums during his career.

We are confident Kevin and Colin will collectively use their talents and expertise to create an engaging, entertaining musical experience for the students they work with.

Integration with the school curriculum will include:

• MATH: Use drumming, guitar and blues rhythms to engage students
• SOCIAL STUDIES: Give context to the beginning of the blues in America from Mississippi Delta to Chicago.
• MULTIMEDIA: Using photos, graphics, short video clips to teach about the blues, while tying in footage of recent NYS Blues Festivals, so they can see this annual event is in their own city every summer.

We are excited to have Kevin and Colin on board for this fun and educational outreach to keep the blues alive and growing with our future generations.