Staff report
Students, teachers and parents, it’s time for a field trip.
The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra’s Newport Ragtime Band invites you and your students to attend its “Rags to Riches” program to experience the beginnings of America’s popular musical heritage.
The event will be at Seven Hills Church in Florence at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 24. This fast-paced, entertaining and historic overview of the evolution of popular American music and styles is a Black History Month standout field trip.
This interactive program is provided free of charge for both live attendance and live-streaming to classrooms.
The Newport Ragtime Band focuses on turn of the last century ragtime, Dixieland, blues, and early jazz from 1898 – 1934. In addition to these genres from across the country, the band also performs works of local composers/musicians, while offering an authentic and historical account of their lives and contributions to one of America’s greatest exports — its music.
Rags to Riches is an excellent program to promote Black History Month for middle and high school students. The 55-minute multi-media program features the stories and music of sons of former slaves, and how each, via perseverance and work ethic, developed their respective talents and entrepreneurial skills to sprout the roots of American popular music.
Seven Hills Church’s technical team helps provide an up close and personal view of the instruments, musicians and entertainers. We hope you’ll join us for a most entertaining history lesson in which you and your students can sing and clap along.
On the Program
“Just a Closer Walk” ……Traditional
“The Entertainer”………..Scott Joplin
“St. Louis Blues”………….W.C. Handy
“Queen Rag”……………….Floyd Willis
“Sleepy Time Down South”…Clarence Muse
“Castle Walk”…………James Reese Europe
“Black Bottom Stomp”…… Jelly Roll Morton
“Yo’ Feets Too Big”……….Fats Waller
“Weary Blues”………….Artie Matthews
“Minnie the Moocher”……Cab Calloway
Q & A
“When the Saints Go Marching In”…Traditional
A Q&A session allows students and teachers the opportunity to ask questions of any musician.
REGISTER HERE
Register your school here. Explore live streaming anytime.