The numbers are impressive—4,000 eighth grade students in a 10 year period. The creativity is inspired—400 students each year writing and performing their own blues songs. The lessons learned have the potential to last a lifetime. The Port Washington Education Foundation (PWEF) has funded “The Blues” (in total or part) at Weber Middle School for the past 10 years.
Weber English teacher Jeff Moss created the program after hearing blues musician Toby Walker perform at the Port Washington Public Library.
“Toby sang a song he’d written with elementary school students,” Moss said. “It was impressive and gave me the idea to invite him to Weber.”
The program grew from there and was designed to compliment the eighth grade study of The Great Migration, the African-American experience of traveling out of the south, or “The Blues Journey.”
Walker, who has recently been recognized and inducted as a Master Blues Artist in the New York Blues Hall of Fame, marvels at his decade-long experience at Weber.
“It’s all about inspiration. I hope I inspire the students with my stories and guitar playing, as much as they inspire me with their interest, participation and desire to know more about blues music, he said.
An engaging storyteller and gifted blues musician, Walker leads the students on a historical and musical journey, offering them a solid foundation from which they are able to write and perform their own songs.
Students love the program. A past student, now a high school junior and an accomplished guitar player, said: “For me, this was probably the best day at Weber. Toby Walker and this program gave me a whole new perspective on The Blues.”
The “Blues” grant is just one by the Port Washington Education Foundation. This year’s grants offer more than 15,000 direct student interactions from 86 grantees. For a complete list, log onto: www.PWEF.org.
The Port Washington Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit, community-based organization. The foundation supports initiatives to enhance and expand educational opportunities over and above basic educational needs for all students in the Port Washington public schools. The organization actively seeks donations, grants and government assistance in order to distribute funds to selected programs and resources.
