MCPS and Strathmore Celebrate a Decade of Bringing “The Blues” to 125,000 Fifth Graders

Next week, (MCPS) and Strathmore will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their custom-crafted annual blues concert for fifth graders at the Music Center at Strathmore. The creative partnership between MCPS and Strathmore that has transformed music education into a milestone for local fifth grade students will welcome more than 12,500 this year.

Running from Oct. 20-23, this year’s performances of The Blues celebrate a decade of the Strathmore’s Bloom Arts Access Initiative program.

In 2016, Strathmore and MCPS forged a new path by co-creating their own curriculum-aligned production. The MCPS fifth grade music curriculum also positions the genre as a quintessentially American art form and the root of modern music. The annual concert series complements Strathmore’s companion second grade concerts with the National Philharmonic, creating a continuous elementary arts pathway for MCPS students. 

“One thing that makes this program unique is the co-curricular experience it gives the students,” said Ashley Grantham, coordinator of General and Choral Music at MCPS. “All 12,500 of our fifth-grade students’ learning in their general music classroom these past 2 months comes to life on the stage during this week. Students study blues history, form, and timbre and then experience real-life musicians demonstrating what they have learned.”

The production blends live performance with curated video to bring core classroom concepts, such as the 12-bar blues progression, historic lyric forms and cultural roots, to life on stage. By connecting the roots of the blues to R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and country, the program invites students to explore how music helps carry listeners through tough times. 

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For members of the media interested in interviews about the concerts, please contact Liliana L. Lopez, Liliana_L_Lopez@mcpsmd.org