Strum Bowing is a method that Tracy Silverman has developed to teach string players how to groove. A Strum Bowing Workshop could be anything from a one-hour Zoom meeting with a school orchestra to a weeklong residency culminating with a concert. Workshops are based loosely on Silverman's book, The Strum Bowing Method. With school or youth orchestras, it’s often effective to have a zoom session a month or two before a live workshop or residency so the group can start working on some of the Groove Studies ahead of time. Tracy also encourages the instructor to take a lesson with him if they can, to familiarize themselves with the techniques. He works with players of all ages and abilities, from elementary school beginners to conservatory pre-professionals to adult learners. He also presents pedagogy sessions and lessons with string teachers. He has lots of improvisation games that are effective for younger players (and great for breaking through inhibitions for older players) and the simplicity of the Strum Bowing method is accessible across age ranges. For school orchestras, Tracy offers a collection of 22 Groove Studies for Strings which are an effective way to apply and reinforce the concepts of Strum Bowing and to practice techniques like Ghosting, Chopping, Subdividing, and developing the 3-D Strum. A favorite format is to work with the orchestra in rehearsals/workshops and then present a shared concert which usually consists of a solo program by Tracy using his live looping and electric 6-string violin, and then a collaboration with the orchestra on several pieces, which could be from the 22 Groove Studies for Strings or any piece that the orchestra is working on. Grooving — awakening our inner sense of rhythm using Strum Bowing, essential to rock, jazz, hip hop, etc. The Chop — non-pitched percussion sounds. Also the Compound Chop and the 3-D Strum Ghost Notes — muted notes within a groove Improvising — cultivating our natural curiosity and playfulness with fun improv games Call and Response — ear training, rhythm training, style training GPS for Strings (Groove Proficiency System) — Silverman's 4 step formula for finding your way to any groove Blues scale and the blues Other Workshop Topics ??Lecture/Demonstration – performance and explanations about technique, equipment, career etc; questions from the audience. General audience. ?Improvisation for Strings – an overview of the blues; call and response; simple scales and approaches for first-time improvisers. String players with instruments.

Award-winning, internationally renowned musical storytelling duo Barry Marshall and Jeri Burns PhD, aka, The Storycrafters, present performance, workshop and residency programs integrating storytelling with numerous areas of curriculum. Storytelling has been documented in multiple studies as a support and building block of literacy. Schools that participate in storytelling programs see marked improvement in student language, reading and creating writing abilities. Storycrafters programs work to enhance student literacy through the storytelling art form. Storytelling also acts as an active support to many areas of curriculum, including character education, history, multicultural and international studies, and more. The Storycrafters have been working in schools and other venues since 1991, building a vast repertoire of stories and workshops to introduce storytelling and use it to enhance many areas of student learning. In addition, The Storycrafters present workshops for parents and teachers introducing the many ways storytelling can enhance student development in the home and classroom. With 30+ years of experience in the storytelling art form and its many use in the classroom and school environment, The Storycrafters are a valuable resource for any school community looking to enhance literacy while supporting many areas of curriculum.

Established in February of 2011, the Theatre Institute at Sage is dedicated to providing quality live theatre and arts-in-education programming to Capital Region youth, educators and residents. The Institute also provides opportunities for Russell Sage students as performers, technicians and teachers. Programs include educational support services (such as in-class preparations, teacher in-services, post-show residences, and study guides), after school drama programs, weekend workshops, and several theatre camps during the summer for children ages 6-18.

The Arch Stanton Quartet offers two presentations that bring together music and literature. Both are inspired by classic American novels. “Shadow & Act: Music Inspired by Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man” presents a program of original jazz compositions and readings based on Ralph Ellison's “Invisible Man,” a classic American novel published in 1952, offering a first-person fictional account of an unnamed narrator’s attempts to navigate complex racial and social relations in the first quarter of the twentieth century. ASQ’s program includes three original jazz compositions inspired by scenes or motifs from “Invisible Man,” along with a rendition of Fats Waller's “Black and Blue” – a tune which figures prominently as a literary device in the novel. The performance also includes readings from Ellison’s book. "Exploring the Sheltering Sky: The Music and Words of Paul Bowles" is a presentation of music, readings, and reflections inspired by Paul Bowles’ celebrated 1949 novel “The Sheltering Sky.” Through original compositions of their own – as well as readings from the novel and adaptations of Bowles’ own musical compositions – the Arch Stanton Quartet weaves together a performance experience as mysterious and captivating as the novel itself. The programs are suitable for school assemblies or more intimate classroom presentations, and the band can also work with students and ensembles in a tailored workshop setting, if desired, exploring topics such as composition, improvisation, ensemble playing, and how music intersects with other art forms. Longtime fixtures of the Capital Region jazz scene, ASQ performs original jazz that is experimental, yet rooted in bop and post-bop traditions. The band’s debut album, Along For The Ride, was released in November 2012 on WEPA Records. In March 2013, ASQ embarked on an exploration of its own in North Africa. The band’s jazz-diplomacy tour of Egypt included performances and workshops sponsored by the educational organization AMIDEAST, the U.S. Embassy Cairo, and the Center for American Studies at the American University in Cairo. That experience inspired a second album of original compositions, Blues For Soli, and its “Lady Egypt” suite, also released on WEPA Records.

Tom Sugar is a recently retired music educator from Long Island, New York with thirty-five years of public school teaching and administrative experience. He has continued his career as a BOCES Arts in Education performer. Over the years, he has often written music for specific occasions and special events, and has also published pieces for the Elementary Chorus, all while adhering to a mission of melody and message. His career in composition evolved from the shared curriculum, with classroom demonstrations of the songwriting process for his students and the subsequent school-wide, choral group, and festival performances of the completed works. To go along with his proven Brotherhood/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Earth Day/Ecology workshop/performance events, he has a brand-new offering supporting the "Leader in Me" leadership program. This primary level character education program supporting the Leader in Me curriculum entitled, "The 7 Happy Healthy Habits Workshop/Performance Program," will be available for the first time during the 2026-27 academic school year. The program features short storytelling and seven integrated sing-a-long original songs to highlight and reinforce the seven values and principles embodied in the Leader in Me leadership and life skills program. This day-long musical workshop/performance event is crafted to actively involve the early primary grades (PreK-3rd) and to help supplement the Sean Covey bestselling book for elementary students, "The 7 Habits of Happy Kids." If your students have been introduced to this wonderful resource, or the associated curriculum video shorts, this communal assembly event can be just the thing to further motivate and inspire your school community, though the songs will stand alone to create a meaningful celebration of the curriculum. The Workshop Day will typically consist of morning sessions with grade level/large groups where students will be introduced to, and taught the catchy, easy to learn call and response song material, followed by an afternoon Performance/Participation Assembly program. Topical artwork from your school will be included in the presentation if provided via email in .jpeg format labeled with student first names at least two weeks prior to the event. As a Leader in Me school community, you can use this extended learning component any time throughout the school year or to kick-off or anchor your empowerment program as part of an introduction or year-end culminating celebration

The World’s Best Classroom Reset Button is BrainBreak Academy! An online resource bundle full of videos that helps teachers take back control of the classroom and re-engage students. These 3-5 minute videos help students: FOCUS over puzzling BrainTeasers, INSPIRE students during virtual field trips RELAX with simple breathing & stretching exercises ENERGIZE while engaging with interactive classroom games Positive classroom environments are conducive to students’ growth, and teachers should expect their students to be ready to learn. Give educators the tools they need from BrainBreak Academy so they can take back control of the classroom right away!

Local students are exposed to the presence and importance of local at-risk species and habitats and ways they can make a positive difference. Teachers can choose from a full menu of in-classroom and field trips that cover topics including adaptations, life cycles, habitats, photosynthesis, water quality, and more. Our favored field trip, “Habitats of the Saratoga Sand Plains,” highlights the Karner blue butterfly’s life cycle; its host plant, the wild blue lupine; the food chains and webs of the Saratoga Sand Plains Ecosystem; animal adaptations, freshwater life, pollution and habitat loss, and much more. These engaging programs meet criteria set forth in the state’s core curriculum for math and science. We now offer high school programming! Can’t find a program to fit to your needs? Contact us to schedule a unique program, tailored for you

In-School Residencies with Peter, Paul and George: Our dance workshops are well-suited addendums for elementary school students and high-school language students interested in learning more about their chosen culture. Homespun Occasions’ workshops encompass dances from more than 60 countries and regions around the world including the US, Latin America, Africa, Quebec, Scandinavia, Ireland, France, Turkey, China, Polynesia and Russia. These dance and music workshops can also be integrated with history and geography units. Peter Davis, Paul Rosenberg and George Wilson have been leading elementary and high school daytime workshops and residencies in traditional community dance and music, and playing for family and community dance evenings since 1994. Their repertoire consists primarily of contra, square and international folk dances accompanied by lively reels, jigs, polkas and waltzes. Their music and dances transform even the most adamant, grimacing youngsters declaring “I will never dance” into smiling dance-lovers asking, “When is the next dance?” Although they have worked as a trio since 1994, Peter and George have each been arts educators since the mid-1970s. All three are multi-instrumentalists. Instrumentation includes fiddle, banjo, clarinet, pennywhistle, recorder, piano, guitar and mandolin. Together they have performed and taught in over 700 schools around the Northeastern United States Family Dance Evening: One of our most popular offerings, the Family Dance, is a school-wide community celebration that involves everyone. Students, parents, siblings, teachers and administrators spend an evening dancing in time-honored traditions from around the world. If the evening is presented as the culminating activity after a school residency, students will be able to help teach their parents the dances they learned during the day. Parents are encouraged to get up and participate, and the high-spirited, toe-tapping music by Peter Davis and George Wilson make it impossible to sit on the sidelines! All dances are taught by “dancing master” Paul Rosenberg. Middle & High School Programs: TRADITIONAL DANCE AND MUSIC OF QUEBEC AND FRANCE FOR FRENCH LANGUAGE STUDENTS TRADITIONAL DANCE OF LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE STUDENTS TRADITIONAL DANCE OF GERMANY, ITALY, RUSSIA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR OTHER LANGUAGE STUDENTS Square dancing originated in France! When settlers from France and western Europe came to the new world, they brought their quadrilles (square dance formation), their fiddles and their dances. The cultural heritage of Francophone America is brought to life in this dynamic participatory workshop. Accompanied by the energetic Quebecois fiddling of George Wilson and the pulsating rhythmic piano and guitar of Peter Davis, Paul Rosenberg leads high school French students through a series of lively dances as he points out the origin of such phrases as “do-si-do” (which was originally “dos à dos” – back-to-back). Dances are in square, circle, and contra formations. This multidisciplinary workshop encompasses language, history, geography, physical education and, of course, music! In Latin America, some dances were brought over by Spanish colonists, and others are ancient dances of native peoples who were influenced by Spanish culture. Many of these dances tend to be very energetic and lots of fun! Fiddle for Orchestra: Students Master fiddler George Wilson has developed a program for working with musicians in school orchestra programs. Students will be introduced to and instructed in the nuances of traditional fiddle styles. George has an extensive background playing tunes from Quebec (as well as Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton/Nova Scotia, Appalachia, Scandinavia and the Shetland Islands). These traditional tunes include reels, jigs, hornpipes, schottisches, marches, polkas and waltzes. During instruction, George will focus on the rhythms and accents that give this traditional music its distinct feel. Sheet music for melody and harmony/accompaniment will be provided; George will also employ the more traditional method of teaching tunes by ear. Students will learn melody, harmony and accompaniment for each tune. The details of bowing, ornamentation, rhythm, and accents idiomatic to a style or tune will then be added. These workshops, rehearsals and sessions can be integrated with history and geography units as well as being aligned with the New York State Learning Standards in the areas of multicultural and traditional music, improvisation and playing solo or in an ensemble.

Bi-Okoto creates performances and educational experiences to help audiences of all ages and backgrounds engage and bridge cultural gaps. We use authentic African culture-based theatre, music, drums, dances, cooking, languages, and clothing to accomplish that. Our B-FIT classes are classes offered at our center on a weekly basis. They include West African languages (Yoruba, Kiswahili, etc.); Drumming (for kids, and mixed-levels); Dance (for kids, and adult mixed-levels); Drumming (for kids, and adult mixed levels); AfroPop Dance (ages 13 to adults); Cooking (ages 13 to adults) Images of Africa Summer Camp keep kid 6-12 engaged in activities from our B-FIT classes in. Kids participate in cultural and character-building activities at the center, and they have weekly field trips to various community-based arts activities. In Tolongo Afterschool program we offer similar contents as in our summer camp programming above, but only available when CPS schools are in session. E Sin Mi d’Africa (Come with Me to Africa), Residencies is our cornerstone program. This is a cultural and educational arts residency using multi-sensory, multi-disciplinary learning experiences integrated into student's daily academic curriculum that addresses student needs over the course of a nine-month. This is integrated into the schools’ arts curriculum, working with school. Wa-Zo-Bia Movement & Music Workshop helps students understand math skills, purpose & meaning of the drum and heartbeat, and the communicative language of the drum that mimics different cultural tribes. The workshop compares & illustrates to students the similarities & differences of popular movements & music and how it relates to what is done every day in common situations such as walking. Ekaabo School Assembly program (West African – with emphasis on Nigeria) We take students on an interactive journey from USA to a handful of West African countries. The richness of African culture is revealed through a broad range of dance and languages. Akwaaba and Tooli, are similar program with emphasis on Ghana and Guinea, respectively. “Agidigbo” is a monthly gathering that seeks to foster interactions, drumming, dancing, play reading amongst young adults ages 20-40. “Agidigbo” aims at creating a space with a supportive and welcoming environment to YPs, for discussion, learning, socializing, engaging, and networking opportunities; To further attract and retain/hire Young Professional to the community. HeartBeat Drum Circle- this event is a quarterly event that seeks to foster connection and positive interactions amongst our patrons/community for healing, fun or for music enthusiasts with percussive instruments who come to share and learn. Three Annual stage productions (selections from Igbeyawo, Yemoja, Irin Ajo, etc…) Each production is written to expose the “western” culture to traditional, contemporary, or comedic African theatre which includes a narrating character, live music, songs, dance and students from the adult & children’s classes. Okoto-Kekere (2nd Company) - is designed and tailored to nurture young and budding creatives who are seeking to pursue a career in Afrocentric theater Arts. We pair the youths up with our professional TPAs to provide them with firsthand training and experimental learning opportunities in a holistic way – learning it all, from scripting, backstage management, acting, tech booth management, lighting etc. All our programs are carefully engineered to be in alignment with our mission.

Seneca Park Zoo is your guide to connecting students with nature, wildlife, and the environment. With inquiry-based programs for all grades, you can find the right program for your students, your subject, and your curriculum needs. You can enhance a Zoo visit with an Animal Presentation or Expedition program or to bring the Zoo to you with a ZooMobile outreach program. All programs reflect Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards through explorations of animal behaviors, biological systems, species diversity, and inter-connectedness.

The T-A-Y Anti Bullying prevention program focuses on students talking, asking questions and showing empathy towards others Tay will lead the topic by discussing the 3 types of bullying: Physical, Verbal and Cyber Bullying T stands for TALK: Tay will encourage ALL students to not be afraid to talk to adults, parents, teachers, principals, older siblings etc when they come across bullying. This can include them being bullied or if they see it happening to others (bystander). Tay will end with a quick activity from a volunteer to demonstrate the importance of TALK. A stands for ASK QUESTIONS: Tay will encourage ALL students to not be afraid to ask questions if they need to find a place to feel safe. We will discuss places for students to go to and things for them to do to escape any negativity going on in their lives which includes being bullied. Y stands for YOU: All students will be asked to repeat after Tay, "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT YOU." This will teach students about the word EMPATHY. Showing empathy towards each other is important. Flipping the two letters in the word EMPATHY "EM" will result in the word "ME". That's how Tay will teach the concept "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, ITS ABOUT YOU. Volunteers will be selected to participate in a life changing experience with Tay that they will never forget .

WonderWorks, a science focused indoor interactive museum/amusement park which combines education and entertainment. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, there is something unique and challenging for all ages. Feel the power of 74mph hurricane–force winds in the Hurricane Shack. Make huge, life–sized bubbles in the Bubble Lab. Get the NASA treatment in our Astronaut Training Gyro and experience zero gravity. Nail it by laying on the death–defying Bed of Nails.