Daughter of bluesman Roy Gaines creates a school program to introduce students to American blues music

Torrance,CA, (March 11)—Carolyn Washington doesn't have anything against rap music. She just wants the blues to get its fair shake.

Daughter of longtime bluesman Roy Gaines, Washington grew up with blues music and saw her father perform at venues all over the country. But as time wore on, there were fewer and fewer young people in the audience. And that gave her an idea.

"I've been wanting to introduce this music to the kids," said Washington, 44, of Los Angeles. "Blues tells a story, and it will be fresh and new to them. All we hear about is rap, rap, rap."

Inspired by a similar effort in Canada, Washington created the Blues Schools program in 2002, which teaches students in all grade levels about the music's history, then brings the lessons to life with performances on campus.

So far, she's brought the blues to seven local schools, including Wilmington Park Elementary School, where 400 fourth and fifth graders were treated to an hourlong concert by Gaines and his band last week.

"I believe kids can be saved through blues music," Washington said. "It's not going to make them call each other names or wear their pants hanging half down. It produces positive images for the students. It's time for them to pull up their pants and listen to some blues."




Lead Belly loved, and was love, by children


She begins the Wilmington Park program by telling students about artists such as Lead Belly, "King of the 12-String Guitar," who played blues for children in the 1920s. She tells them about Bessie Smith and Blind Lemon Jefferson, about Atlantic Records and electric guitars. Then she brings them up to the present, talking about 23-year-old Grammy-nominated blues singer Shemekia Copeland and introducing them to her father, Gaines.

Then the school auditorium becomes a concert hall. The floor is lined with chairs, and the stage holds a keyboard and drum set. Gaines comes out wearing a khaki suit and matching fedora, plugs in his acoustic guitar and starts playing the blues.

Toes immediately begin tapping, and soon kids are openly clapping. Several clutch disposable cardboard cameras. Even the teachers bop their heads as music fills the room. One volunteers to snap photos for the students, juggling three or four cameras at a time.

"The blues have a way of marking time," Gaines tells the audience, putting the music in historical context. "Blues, jazz and gospel are not three different things. They're one thing, created by the black people of America."

When Gaines trades his acoustic for a shiny red Stratocaster, the crowd lets out an admiring "Ooooooh." And they had to smile when the 65-year-old guitarist dropped onto his back and wiggled his feet in the air, playing all the while.

"This opens up the children to all types of music," said teacher Rebecca Escobar. "Most of them listen to pop and rap, and they don't know about this kind of music, but they can really get into it."

Fernando Garcia, 11, became an instant fan.

"This is much more better than rap," he said. "Because Roy Gaines is good at playing guitar, and the sound is good."

Classmate Moises Cortes, 10, agreed.

"It's more interesting than rock 'n' roll and more soft than Metallica," he said. "It's nice to learn about other kinds of music."

Schools need music and cultural education now more than ever, administrators said.

"Music programs are one of the first things (districts) cut," said principal Deborah Bina-O'Brien. "The more exposure kids get, the better."

Blues Schools is funded by private and corporate contributions. Washington said she hopes to expand the program with the support of record companies. After all, she's creating a new market for the music.

"Now we've got kids wanting to buy blues music," she said. "The blues will never die, but it can always capture some new fans along the way."

Source: Daily Breeze

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