Musical Explorers Comes to the Lowcountry


This fall, Savannah Music Festival is proud to launch Musical Explorers, a new, year-round K-2 curriculum in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. As part of Music for Our Schools (sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.), Musical Explorers builds basic music skills in the classroom and connects to curriculum in reading, social studies and other core subject areas. Children learn songs from different cultures, reflect on their own communities, and develop listening and singing skills. During the 2014-2015 academic year, nearly 9,000 students and more than 200 teachers from Savannah and four surrounding counties will explore music styles including the blues, opera, African American spirituals, jazz, ring shout and bluegrass, embarking on a fun and interactive musical journey.


Both music and non-music teachers from more than 40 area schools will guide their students through a year of creative coursework emphasizing the musical traditions of the Lowcountry. Lessons include learning about call and response with the McIntosh County Shouters, the history of African American spirituals with gospel and jazz singer Huxsie Scott, improvisation in jazz and bluegrass with local artists Kim Polote and Jimmy Wolling, and legato singing with opera singer Rebecca Flaherty. The program culminates with semester-end concerts in December and May, where students meet and interact with the musicians featured in the curriculum.


Musical Explorers features:


  • a K-2 curriculum featuring creative lessons for year-round coursework, all linked to National Music Standards and Common Core

  • required professional development sessions for all participating teachers

  • free classroom resources, including a 90+ page Teacher Guide with accompanying CD and interactive website

  • semester-end interactive concerts featuring local musicians from six different musical traditions


With Musical Explorers, SMF is creating a new generation of musicians and music lovers all across the region!


Online resources:

  • Find out more about the Musical Explorers program on the Savannah Music Festival website > click here
  • Read the official press release ↓ Download File
  • Read the Savannah Morning News article published September 13, 2014 > click here