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Deep Roots
Students Make Deeper Connection With Civil Rights
Now in its third year, the Deep Roots Music Project at Roosevelt High School
has added a new dimension. The North Portland School's participating student
lyricists, known as the St. Johns Poets, traveled together in March as
part of a living history trip to Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. Along
the way, they
explored museums and important places associated with the history of our
nation's civil rights movement, even reenacting Dr. King's famous 1965 march
from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. All year long, the students have been studying the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s and also the political music that grew out of the events of the time, Two of the traveling students have collaborated on a song about King's march as a historic event of change, and the song will appear on The St. Johns Poetry Sessions, Volume III, a new Roosevelt Deep Roots CD which will be released at a free concert/art showcase event in the Roosevelt High School cafeteria on Thursday, May 21.
Participants Travel from Near and Far to Take Part In Summer Workshop A
few weeks ago, in July, we hosted the first annual Deep Roots Music Project
workshop and conference at Lewis and Clark College in Portland,
Oregon. The goals of the weeklong workshop were to provide
interested educators and social workers from throughout the country with the
specific skills and knowledge they'll need in order to establish new Deep
Roots sites in their communities. We also worked to develop strategies to
help make the Deep Roots program even better for students and more
sustainable for schools and social institutions. Educators from Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and California joined program founder Chris Gragg, and also Portland musicians Sattie Clark, John Henry Bourke, Dave Fleschner, and Madgesdiq, for an intense week of writing, examining song lyrics, and recording music. The other particiapnts were; Tara Julian (Boston, MA), Dina Varsalone (Boston, MA), Chris Stroffolino (Oakland, CA), Richard Brown (Roosevelt H.S. -Portland, OR), Shannon MCCarl (Reynolds High School - Portland, OR), Nann Alleman (Scapoose H.S. - Oregon), Chuck Laiti (Tigard H.S. - Oregon), Catherine Malinis (Girls Inc. - Portland, OR), Jill Silk (Girls Inc. - Portland, OR), Shyree Mezick (a former Deep Roots student participant who now lives in Washington, D.C.), and Anna York (Franklin H.S. - Portland, OR).
Questions? Contact Chris Gragg by email at chris_w_gragg@yahoo.com |
Girls Inc. Back for Deep Roots Encore
For the second straight year, a collection of young female writers collaborated with outstanding Portland musicians Liv Warfield, Kate Mann, Breanna Paletta, Morgan Grace, and several others to produce an all-female CD compilation. The new Girls Inc. CD compilation will be unveiled during a celebration at James John Elementary School (7439 N. Charleston Ave., Portland) as part of the Girls Inc. annual media showcase, This free event will take place Wednesday, May 27,
Deep Roots Releases 10-Year Anthology CD
For over ten years, teen writers and Portland area musician-volunteers have teamed up to write and record original songs for their annual music CDs. To mark our 10-year anniversary, The Deep Roots Music Project has released an anthology CD. Deep Roots: Music Project Anthology 1998-2007 contains 12 great songs, and at least one song from each year of the program's existence. In addition to the twelve songs, the anthology is packaged with an elaborate sixteen-page booklet that is filled with photographs, lyrics, cover artwork, student testimonials, and other choice bits of Deep Roots history. Among the volunteer artists represented on Deep Roots: Music Project Anthology are good friends Madgesdiq, Rubberneck, Luther Russell, Breanna Paletta, Mike Coykendall, Geoff Byrd, John Henry Bourke, Ezra Holbrook, Amelia, Sideproject, Andy Tabb, and Dr. Theopolis,
All revenue from the anthology CD's sale is used to ensure that The Deep Roots Music Project stays strong and viable, and continues to inspire young writers. To purchase on-line at CD Baby, click here Portland, Oregon web analytics company Webtrends Inc. is our generous sponsor for the 10-year anniversary Deep Roots Music Project Anthology CD.
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Upcoming Events St. Johns
Poetry Support young writers and buy your Deep Roots CD now at CDBaby.com The Liner Notes Blog
Deep Roots Bulletin Board
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The Deep Roots Music Project
By
staying in close correspondence and organizing monthly meetings in
Portland, the workshop participants continue to share Deep
Roots with young writers.
