Hopes and Dreams - Music in the Schools Program

Shakori Hills has a strong commitment to arts education. Out of this commitment comes our Hopes and Dreams program…

Information about 2012 Hopes & Dreams Coming Soon...

Click here to watch a Hopes and Dreams video from 2009!

Such a wonderful THANK YOU to all the artists, volunteers, teachers, parents and children for making "Hopes and Dreams' a reality! If you are interested in this program, please contact our staff at shakorihopesanddreams@gmail.com.

April 18, 2011- Chapel Hill High School’s lunch hour got much more exciting when North Carolina hip-hop band Kooley High pumped up the volume and performed outside for students.  Every student returned to class a little perkier than they came, entertained by Kooley High’s cool, upbeat sounds and inspired by band member’s reminders for students to stick with school and to never give up on their passions.
 

April 20, 2011- Students of Pittsboro Montessori School sat wide-eyed with perked ears as Stuart McNair taught them about all the interesting instruments he uses to create his entertaining, folk-styled zydeco music.

April 21, 2011- Students of Carolina Friends School of Durham celebrated Earth Day with an outdoor festival, where they had the pleasure of hearing the light, soothing folk tunes of indie-rock band Birds and Arrows. Andrea and Pete Connolly and Josh Pete’s warm, rich melodies were the perfect accompaniment for the school’s festival, dedicated to celebrating eco-friendly practices.

April 21, 2011- Students of Woods Charter School were once again in for a treat when Dark Water Rising came to perform. Students were thrilled to experience a live performance of the band’s passionate, soulful songs, as well as to receive a first-hand account of the band’s Native American heritage, a key influence behind Dark Water Rising’s work.
 

April 22, 2011- Umalali put on an exceptional workshop at Jordan Matthews High School in Siler City, where they taught students about the distinctive story behind their album, The Garifuna Women’s Project. Through a unique blend of Belize- based music, combining Caribbean, African, Latin, blues and rock influences with the alluring vocals of Garifuna women, Umalali educated students about Garifuna culture and the moving stories that shape their music. But Umalali’s instructive lesson was not taught in lecture form; students participated throughout the workshop by dancing along to Umalali’s music. Some students enjoyed the artists’ personal and interactive teaching style so much that they got to personally dance with members of Umalali themselves!

Sept. 7, 2010 - The Cane Creek Cloggers threw a foot-stomping hoe-down at Silk Hope Elementary School, with old-time stringband, The East Carolina Catbirds. The students were wrigging in their seats to fiddle tunes as they watched and learned about this style of Appalachian Dance native to their own part of the country.

April 8, 2009 - Joe Troop came, the students of JS Waters saw, and his banjo, fiddle, and mandolin conquered! Joe blew away three of Valerie Jones’ 4th and 5th grade music classes with his bluegrass charm. He taught them about the roots of bluegrass, and gave demonstrations of the three instruments.

April 8, 2009 - The girls of Midtown Dickens, along with their fellow musician friend Will, rocked the 4th grade class of Pittsboro Elementary School! The students were amazed by Catherine Edgerton and Kym Register’s ability to manipulate everyday objects (a chair, spoons, even a saw!) to create beautiful tunes!

April 9, 2009 - Ari Picker of Lost in The Trees was in the second graduating class of Woods Charter School. On Thursday, April 9, he and several of his band mates participated in a homecoming of sorts. Armed with tales of their musical journeys, the ensemble spent close to an hour with a group of high school music students answering questions and demystifying the life of a working musician. This was followed by a performance for the entire school (grades k-12). Students and teachers alike not only enjoyed the music immensely, but many eyes were opened to the unlimited performance possibilities that many ‘non rock and roll’ instruments present.

April 15, 2009 - Greg Humphreys visited the 3rd Grade music classes of the Central Park School for Children in Durham. The kids loved the opportunity to enjoy and learn from this awesome guitar-playing member of the band Hobex!

April 16, 2009 - Carolina Friends School hosted stephaniesid of Asheville, NC, for a lunchtime show that teachers and students alike were pleased to see stretch on into the next class period! High school, middle school, and lower school students were thrilled that the entire band was able to come rock out on their outdoor patio! A student of CFS and member of the Shakori band Old 86 even got up on stage and played with them…and played so well that the band invited him to play with them at the festival!

September 19, 2008 - North Carolina old-time fiddle legend, Joe Thompson,the last living link to a time when African American String Bands played for square dances nearly every weekend around here, performed at Pittsboro Elementary School. Most students had never before heard an African American playing this kind of music! Click here for photos!

 

 

Testimonials:

“Great performance by Greg Humphreys today - the kids loved it!”
– Liz Melvin, Music, Central Park School for children

“Thanks so much Caroline! We really enjoyed having Joe here. He related well to the kids and they were very excited by his music and presentation style. I so appreciate this Shakori Hills program that offers this to our students who otherwise might not get to hear musicians of this quality.”
–Valerie Jones, Music/Band, JS Waters School

"I just wanted all three of you to know how much I and the rest of the Silk Hope School family appreciate your efforts in bringing the Cane Creek Cloggers to our school last week.  The program was absolutely wonderful.  All of the kids, from kindergarten to fifth grade, were entertained, educated, and enthralled by what they saw and heard.  The enthusiasm of the dancers and musicians was evident and definitely reached the kids!  They are still talking about the program this week, which is a great sign that they had a good time and that it made a big impact."
–Mary Clayton Liles, Silk Hope Elementary

“We started a wonderful new relationship with Shakori Hills last year. Michael Holland came in to work with our Elementary kids last year, and we enjoyed a visit from The Never last Fall. I would love to continue this relationship and see what we can do to bring artists and kids together.”
– Matthew Etherington, Middle School Director, Woods Charter School