Blues in the SchoolS

---

WHAT IS ‘BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS’ (‘BITS’) 

An understanding of this truly original American music form allows students to appreciate this and other contributions of the diverse community of this country.  The study of the blues is the study of the culture that produced this music.  This cultural study is an investment in the human spirit. Studying the blues can give students deeper understanding of the rural and urban American culture.  With the exception of Native American music forms, the blues is the first pure American music form to have originated in this country.  Coming from the oral traditions of folk music, the blues is the foundation for all other popular music forms students listen to today. Just as important as understanding the evolution of the musical structure of the blues is understanding the ways blues music expressed individual emotions.  Students can be introduced to the concept of conveying historical, spiritual and social development through the lyrics of song.  Lacking an educational system, these early country blues men and women created beautiful poetry that responded to the conditions of their world. Sometimes the lyrics expressed the anger they could not speak.  Other times, they painted a vivid picture of the challenges of minority cultures struggling to find a voice that would be recognized.  At the same time, the music incorporated danceable rhythms and so called “blue notes.” Music reflects the feelings of the times. Through the blues, student listeners can feel what happened in those times and know to apply it to today. Research has provided evidence that the study of music promotes intellectual development.  The idea that studying music improves the intellect is not a new one, but at last there is incontrovertible evidence from a study conducted out of the University of Toronto.  The study examined the effect of extra-curricular activities (art, drama and music) on the intellectual and social development of children.  The participating children were given IQ tests before and after the lessons. The results of this study revealed that increases in IQ from pre- to post-test were larger in the music groups than in the two others. The most effective BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS (“BITS”) programs utilize a classroom curriculum that affects many students and disciplines.  A comprehensive curriculum of one week to a month in length can address the main educational issues of the next century, inter discipline and diversity.

HOW CAN BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS FIT VARIOUS SUBJECTS

Subjects like Music, Art, English, and Social Studies are natural fits, while creative teachers can individually figure ways to tie Math, Science and Tech Ed to a BITS unit.  Just a simple activity like designing a CD package enlists Art, English, and Music disciplines. When students plan out the touring itinerary for a band, they will utilize Math, Geography, and Language Arts skills in their planning of a month on the road. At the high school level, the in-depth study of the sharecropping system in the Mississippi Delta combines English, Social Studies, and Music to deliver a very crucial understanding of the relationship between these social and cultural factors in the birth of the blues.

WHAT TYPES OF PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE

In reality, there is no cohesive, nationally directed BITS initiative that is an established program for schools grades K-12.  It is more decentralized and individualized. The International Blues Foundation offers help in finding a BITS “educator” who is right for the educational discipline, you local school district and your intended age group. Organizations like the House of Blues, the Seattle Experience Music Project and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have designed curriculum units and lesson plans that are ready to be plugged into any grade or discipline. Lesson topics include the blues in history, using the blues to study geography, racial and gender issues in the blues, the blues as poetry, identifying the blues in literature, the blues beat, making blues music, and the impact of the blues. These lesson plans are designed to make the blues accessible to teachers regardless of their level of blues expertise.  The guide includes a compact disc comprising the seminal blues songs referenced in the lesson activities, essays on the history of the blues and blues musicology, and a blues bibliography, discography, and glossary. A BITS program might include any or all of the following activities and events: A one hour school assembly; an all day workshop that either moves from class to class or remains in the same classroom all day; an Artist in Residency programs that last from a week to a full month. These usually culminate in an evening performance or performance at a funding festival.

CAN BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS WORK

Remember how influential music is in the lives of children. At a time when there are budgetary cuts of arts programs across the country, Blues in the Schools can reach students in a way few other curriculum can.

The International Blues Challenge  (IBC) represents a worldwide search for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Acts ready to perform on the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. Each Affiliate of The Blues Foundation has the right to send a band and a solo/duo act to represent its organization at the IBC. The IBC is judged by blues professionals from across the world who have years of experience in listening to, producing, and creating blues music. The Blues Foundation has established a set of criteria by which all acts are evaluated throughout the five days of the IBC. Affiliated organizations are required to stage a regional preliminary IBC competition, with the winner of that event representing the organization in the International Blues Challenge held annually in Memphis, TN along historic Beale Street. While Affiliated Organizations are encouraged to follow The Blues Foundation’s structure and rules during their local challenges, each organization is free to structure its preliminary rounds as it sees fit, as long as a true challenge between multiple acts takes place resulting in a single band and/or solo/duo act being identified. The MO Blues Association is holding its local preliminary IBC competition. Bands seeking to participate in the competition must complete and submit an application for admission.

THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS

The MO Blues Association will accept the FIRST FIVE band applications received that meet requirement qualifications. When sufficient numbers of qualified applications are received by the MO Blues Association, the application availability period will close. 

RULES 

1. The competition is open to any MO Blues member band.  The band must be a member band, with paid membership.  MO Blues Band membership information is available on the MO Blues website.
2. Your signature is a guarantee of performance for all dates you qualify to Do not sign if you have a conflict with any of the following dates:

• MO Blues Challenge Final Judging 
• 34th International Blues Challenge, Memphis TN 

1. You will be notified of your performance time as soon as the selection process is complete.  Failure to perform due to a performance conflict results in immediate disqualification of your band. Act members must remain the same for both the local and national competition performances.
   [NOTE: No substitution will be allowed without prior consent of the MO Blues board and only in the case of an emergency. MO Blues must have 24-hour notification to consider any substitution request.]
2. If winning act is not able to perform in the International Blues Competition in Memphis, travel expense is forfeited.
3. Sound will be provided at the performance venue.
4. Entrants accept full responsibility for all taxes and restrictions in relation to contest prizes.
5. The Winning Band in the MO Blues local competition will be required to provide any photos, band biography or recorded material that may be required by the IBC competition in Memphis. These IBC competition materials may include:

• an act biography and a high-resolution promotional photo in jpeg format.
• An audio CD or cassette tape of original music.

1. Entrants grant permission to the MO Blues Association, Inc. for use of photos, audio and video tapes for promotional purposes only.
2. All decisions of the judges are FINAL (IBC scoring system & guidelines may be viewed at: https://blues.org/official-ibc-rules/)