Blues Pathways
About Blues Pathways
Blues Pathways is also the home for The Woodshed, an archive of blues related books, music and videos and home to The Interview Project, featuring interviews with some of the legends that Scott Perry has had the chance to perform with.
Mission Statement
Blues Pathways’ mission is to share and celebrate the rich tradition of the blues with people of all ages and backgrounds. Investigating the social, economic, historical and racial conditions in which the blues was created (and continues to develop), fosters tolerance of difference, critical thought and respect of diversity. Our organization does not define the blues merely as a musical form, but also as a way of perceiving and understanding the world. Although created in the African-American community, the blues as cultural expression and philosophy now permeates the history and culture of all Americans and indeed the entire world. It is our belief that anyone can learn to appreciate, understand and perform the blues if they dedicate themselves to learning about and from it.
Instructor
Scott Perry is a professional musician from Floyd County, VA with over twenty years of experience as an educator, performer, recording artist and label owner. He has recorded four critically acclaimed albums and performs regularly at festivals and clubs throughout the East Coast and Midwest. A home-school instructor and former Jr. High and High School teacher, he is currently a registered Blues Educator with the Blues Foundation. He developed and taught blues related educational programs and curricula in the Chicago, Charleston and Columbia, SC schools systems and his Mississippi Delta Field Study Program is offered by George Mason University. He has worked with many other leaders in blues education including educators including Billy Branch, Fruteland Jackson, Fernando Jones, Walter Liniger, TJ Wheeler. Click here to see Scott's Curriculum Vitae.
Programs
Any effective and comprehensive Blues Pathways workshop or residency requires a meeting with the sponsoring organization’s administrators and staff/teachers to assess the sponsor’s needs and goals. Both short-term and long-term residencies can be designed to fit most facilities and schedules. Blues Pathways attempts to incorporate and reinforce existing material to enhance the residency or workshop experience for both the core group and the school/organization as a whole. Long-term residencies incorporate folk arts, creative writing, photography, dance and visual arts into the experience by utilizing resources that already exist in the school/organization or outside community. Long-term residencies foster self-expression, self-confidence, teamwork and cooperation through instrumental instruction, songwriting and performance.
Below is a list of some of the programs available through Blues Pathways. Except for "Blues Ensemble," they can be tailored to stand alone as one to two hour workshops or investigated in detail as one to three day programs. Three to nine-day residencies incorporate and enlarge elements from all of these programs (except "Blues Ensemble"). The "Blues Ensemble" is a ten day to full-year residency program.
Blues 101
A "Blues Primer" that investigates the roots and routes of the blues musically, culturally and historically. A basic understanding of blues music, history and culture is achieved through discussion, demonstration, musical performance and engaging hands-on activities. Participants are taken on a musical journey that begins on the Slave Coast of Africa in the early 17th century and follows the development of the blues to the present. This program encourages an interdisciplinary approach utilizing written documents, audio examples and folk art and allows participants to respond orally and in writing.
I Got Rhythm
This program introduces the rhythms and instruments used in many blues songs through demonstrations, hand-clapping exercises and sing-a-longs. "Blue notes," syncopation, shuffle rhythm, call and response, vocal tricks and techniques and other musical devices common to the blues form are introduced and demonstrated on several instruments. Examples from the repertoire of several traditional blues players are performed and placed in a cultural and historic context. Longer programs can include having participants create their own rhythm instruments and songs, which can be performed to a larger group.
Poetry of the Blues
This program investigates the lyrical side of the blues. Figurative language, idiomatic expressions, meter and other lyrical and poetic devices found in blues lyrics and poetry is explored. Representative poems are read and songs are performed written by artists who have defined the idiom. Participants develop their own blues "poems" which are then set to music.
Holy Blues
This program investigates the long and intertwined relationship of gospel and blues music. The roots of both musical expressions are investigated through documents and musical examples as well as performance and set blues and gospel music in the greater historical and cultural context in which they arose. This particular relationship is largely responsible for the development of rock and roll, which is demonstrated and explained. The program culminates with the civil rights movement, explaining why gospel, and not blues, provided the anthems for this movement.
White Boy Singin' the Blues
This program explores the historic issue of racism both in the blues and the world at large. Historic and scientific primary source documents reveal the roots of race and racism in the United States and help participants discern the difference between race and culture. Documents and musical examples as well as lively discussion and debate serve to dispel prejudice and misunderstanding.
Blues Ensemble
This long-term program incorporates most of the elements of the programs listed above while a core group of participants also learn to play and perform blues songs. Participants learn some basics on harmonica and guitar as well as other instruments and write their own blues songs. This program culminates with the performance of traditional and original songs by the participants.
Mississippi Delta Field Study Program
This program enables participants to immerse themselves in blues music and culture in what some call "the land were the blues began." Participants visit a variety of blues sites in the Mississippi Delta including juke joints, restaurants, churches, museums, graveyards and crossroads. Guest speakers and musical performances as well as lectures and readings round out this program
