DeltaARTS brings jazz to Jackson, Wonder elementary

DeltaARTS brings jazz to Jackson, Wonder elementary

Mighty Souls puts focus on the arts

DeltaARTS The Mighty Souls Brass Band of Memphis, the focus work of art for DeltaARTS’ 2016-17 Focus Schools, L.R. Jackson and Wonder Elementary, performed for both schools on Nov. 14, at the Academies of West Memphis Performing Arts Center. The children, who had studied with Teaching Artists Kenneth Jackson (Jackson) and Leandria Jack Smith (Wonder) about Second Line/New Orleansstyle jazz music, were able to actively experience the music live at the performances.

In the Spring, students will explore selected books about jazz and blues, Mardi Gras, Second Line, and New Orleans, while creating and choreographing their own parades complete with decorated umbrellas, masks, and musical instruments. Mighty Souls will return to play for the parade, and families and guests will be invited to share in this comprehensive arts education project.

This program is supported in part by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information about DeltaARTS’ imaginative arts education programs, please visit deltaarts.org.

From Alex Smith