Archive | April, 2015

This Earth Day, April 22nd, my friend and co-multicultural musical educator Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou joined me at the Philadelphia Montessori Charter School to make our own African sekeres and join several groups of percussionists online, acting as the Philadelphia site for Don “The JunkMan” Knaack’s annual Global Junk Jam. In tune with The JunkMan’s Earth-friendly mission, almost thirty 6-9 year-olds from Ms. Josloff’s classroom we made our instruments out of pre-used containers, then joined Don and other drummers in places around the U.S., including a touring Irish percussion ensemble, live through GoogleHangouts to jam together. Thanks to Don for the invitation and to PMCS for hosting the jam!

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the Rotunda in West Philadelphia for an All Around This World concert and Tweetathon on Sunday, April 12th. There was singing, dancing, video-debuting, and even some live tweeting. See the event as it unfolded through the eyes of Twitter.

Kids dancing now in #Philly to very happy @AATWMusic video http://t.co/FXiNRrrgHi! Jay recording song from #TheGambia. #exploreeverywhere

— AllAroundThisWorld (@AATWmusic) April 12, 2015

Shaking tambourines to a popular pizzica from Salento in the “boot” of southeastern Italy called Lu Core Meu! pic.twitter.com/GkSZfsT2iY

— AllAroundThisWorld (@AATWmusic) April 12, 2015

Huzzah! A banner day for the All Around This World: Africa Classroom CD. Stay tuned for release of even more African music from AATW — a full-on double CD with 32 songs from all over the continent, coming to you on June 21st.

Philadelphia friends! Come out to the Rotunda in West Philly this Sunday, April 12th, at 10am, for some MUSICAL MERRIMENT. Join me for an all-request sing-along — call out your favorite songs and I’ll gladly oblige — and also enjoy debuts of a handful of videos from  All Around This World’s brand new YouTube channel, some of which star your kids. And get this. Everyone who comes to the show will be able to get on the “free forever” list for my new online learning program, “Explore Everywhere,” which will launch this spring. The free offer ends on April 15th. 

Bring your smartphones! Usually I ask everyone in my crowd to put away your technological devices and just join your kids where they are, in real life, in the moment, but Sunday will be a bit different. During the event we’ll have a great time together but I’ll also ask you to connect with your friends around the world. You’ll not only tell them you’re having a musical mid-day at the Rotunda, you’ll also remind them they can sign up for the online program and get the freebie too.

The Rotunda is at 4014 Walnut. The show is free free free. See you Sunday.

So much fun learning a Ghanaian dance today (Saturday, April 4th) with Adwoa Tacheampong at an All Around This World African dance workshop for families at International House Philly.

We started with the Akan attention-getting call and response chant — the leader calls AGO! and everyone responds AME! According to the trusty internet we have Dr. Chuck Davis, the Artistic Director of the African American Dance Ensemble which is currently located in Durham, North Carolina, to thank for popularizing Ago!/Ame! in the U.S. Whether or not that’s true, and whether or not you’re an artistic director of your very own African-American dance ensemble, try it — it works. 

Join AATW Philadelphia at 2pm on Saturday, April 4th, for an African dance and movement workshop with the wonderful Adwoa Tachampong:

Adwoa presented an African dance workshop as part of one of the first All Around This World events ever — a day of diverse African cultural workshops I co-sponsored with Crossroads Music way back in 2010 called “Kids Explore Africa.” Our kids were all so tiny then!

Click here for a very pretty pdf listing the many upcoming All Around This World Philly workshops and events.