Joe Lev

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Blues in the Schools News:
By Gaye Wood - Chair - BITS

The Blues in the Schools (BITS) has been busy giving 25 assemblies to Sacramento’s inner city middle and high schools as well as concerts in San Juan Unified School District and Elk Grove School District. The BITS ensemble is lead by blues historian/harpist Mick Martin, accompanied on lead guitar by Jimmy Pailer, Marta Gee and Joe Lev play bass with Peter Philis on drums. Sometimes SBS musicians Stan Alves and Kyle Rowland join in. Yolo County Arts Council received a Target grant where our BITS ensemble plays for their middle and high schools. We expect to reach over 3000 students this year.

Last year we started free After-School guitar classes at Rosemont High School. We continued this year with teachers/musicians Lew Fratis and Joe Lev instructing the class in bass and lead guitar. Rosemont High’s guitar teacher/SBS member Steve Boettner helps with the class and furthers the students’ learning in the classroom. We are thankful to Steve for promoting the blues at Rosemont. We also started free After-School guitar lessons at Hiram Johnson West Campus High School with Jimmy Pailer as our teacher. He works with 15-20 students. Both of these After-School programs will not only be featured on their own school’s Spring Concerts in May; they will also be playing a set at our May fundraising event.

You are most cordially invited to attend the Sacramento Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools Benefit on Sunday afternoon, May 6th at the Clarion Hotel on Auburn Blvd. from 1-6p.m. DANIEL CASTRO is our featured guest performer along with Mick Martin, Dana Moret, Lew Fratis and others. It should be an entertaining afternoon. Children are also invited to attend as this concert is for all ages.

We wish to thank Wal Mart for helping to sponsor our BITS program for a second year. They have contributed $3000, which helps to pay for our teachers and ensemble who educate and introduce students to blues history and its music.

A special thanks to the Sacramento Blues Society for sponsoring the Blues in the Schools programs. If any of you wish to help with BITS, please contact Cynthia Jaynes at bits@sacblues.com.

Mission Statement: Our Blues In The Schools program provides special opportunities to educate youth in the Sacramento area in order to teach the historical significance of the Blues and its on going impact on American and World culture.

Goal: The Blues In The Schools program strives to bring musicians, educators, storytellers, and other performers together to assist each other in teaching students about Blues music and its culture.

Cynthia Jaynes, Blues in the Schools Liaison, bits@sacblues.com