The mission of the Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association (KVBA) is to promote, educate, and preserve the rich history of blues music as it concerns Kalamazoo and its impact on American culture and commerce in musical arts and industry.
education
The KVBA's Education Committee is once again taking the blues to the Kalamazoo area classrooms. A 45-minute presentation is offered to any schools that responds to an invitation mailed to them in early November by Dennis Massingill.
the places
The KVBA presenters are Mike Irelan and Doug Beckman. Mike tells the story
of the blues from its early Delta origins through its influence on modern
rock and roll. Doug lends his musical talents on his "cigar box" guitar
and his National Steel guitar as only he can do. Sometimes the students
help out by playing harmonicas or kazoos provided by the KVBA. Overhead
pictures of famous blues artists and sound bytes of their work are all part
of the presentation. It is a successful blend of history, humor, and music.
They even have blues coloring books to give to the little ones. If you watch
them perform you quickly realize that Mike and Doug not only love the blues,
they love working with students.
Some of the schools that they have visited are: Winchell Elementary, Comstock
HS, Mattawan HS, Alamo Elementary, North Glade Montessori, Hillside MS,
Woods Lake Elementary, Maple St Elementary, Vicksburg HS, Green Meadow Elementary,
Dorr Elementary, Lakeside Academy, Moorsbridge Elementary. This program
is offered absolutely free. There are still open dates available.
If you are interested in booking a presentation, you can contact
(via email) or (269) 694-4530
