Preserving the Past - Promoting the Future!

LONG BEACH BLUES SOCIETY

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The Long Beach Blues Society is presenting Blues in the Schools, an exciting new program bringing together musically inclined high school students and professional blues artists. On Thursday, May 25, 2017, they will conduct a workshop with music students at the Renaissance High School for the Arts in Long Beach. 

Students will get a first-hand experience working with professional blues musicians who will encourage and push them to achieve confidence in their musical development.  Through direction and collaborations, students will gain understanding about the importance of performing an engaging live show. 

Bernie Pearl is a legendary guitarist, educator, and radio host. He will be speaking with students about his personal journey as a professional blues artist, sharing the history of the art form, and performing with the students.

Pearl is a “Legend of the Long Beach Blues” award winner who helped cement Long Beach as the west coast’s “home of the blues” when he brought his radio show “Nothin’ But the Blues” from KPPC to KLON (now KJAZZ FM 88.1) in Long Beach.  He also founded two blues festivals in Long Beach. 

Shy But Flyy is a poet and singer helping the arts flourish in Long Beach partly by hosting open-mic events throughout the city.  Her band, Shy But Flyy & the Allstarz, plays throughout Southern California.  Shy’s youthful enthusiasm-combined with Pearl’s experience-will create a dynamic and engaging experience for the students to enjoy. 

"It is imperative that our young people are exposed to professionals in the industry," said Sonjah Hawkins, a Performing Arts teacher at the Renaissance High School for the Arts, "so that the enhancement skills and opportunities that their music educators have given them can create a realistic approach to further advance their career choice."

To further their education, students and their parents will be given complimentary admission to the New Blues Festival which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, 2017 at El Dorado Regional Park in Long Beach. 

“This is more than a school event,” explained Bill Grisolia, founder of the Long Beach Blues Society.  “It’s an opportunity for the music and education communities of Long Beach to come together.” 

The Long Beach Blues Society is a mission driven organization dedicated to preserving, promoting, and raising awareness of the Blues, an original American art form. To learn more, visit LongBeachBluesSociety.org.

RENAISSANCE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS

Bernie & Shy share the Blues!