Teaching History 
Through Music 
with Jeff Warner 
Sponsored by the Blessings Project Foundation

The Blessings Project Foundation is pleased to have sponsored Jeff Warner in September to teach American history and culture through traditional songs, stories, children's games, step dancing (clogging) and the exploration of local history and family folklore for three days in select Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools. 

Thank you, Jeff!

for more information, visit Jeff's website 
www.jeffwarner.com

We have several hundred people here who say "Thank you!" for sending Jeff Warner to our school! It was a very happy success, with kids now very curious about spoons, bones, the Jew's Harp, and, especially, the dancing-stick-boy. The kids clapped and stomped along, amazingly together, and definitely got an exposure to a musical style they were not very familiar with but decided that they liked. Jeff did a wonderful job in both the large-group program and the smaller groups, doing different things from the first presentation. I was lucky enough to see everything! Teachers who did not come to the program said the kids could not stop talking about it! And another teacher who did come said she had never seen the kids so interested in a program and that they didn't want to leave.

So, thank you for sending Jeff to us and expanding the experience and the thinking of our students. I imagine a lot of spoons will be tapping tonight!

Chris Hudnell
Orchestra Director
Mineral Springs Middle School
Winston-Salem, NC

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Thank you so very much for providing the grant that brought Jeff Warner to our school. Approximately 450 students were able to attend grade level sessions with him. All of us thoroughly enjoyed his songs, instruments, and tales of the past. We especially liked the way he connected our children with the children of the past. Indeed, it was entertaining, informative, level appropriate, and what a great connection to social studies. Our children were "all a-buzz" when they went back to their classes. Jeff is an effective educator and so very knowledgeable. We have had some wonderful learning experiences in the music class as a result of his inspiration. Most recently the children made up a song about Johnny Appleseed. It thrilled them to create their own folk song. A third grade class was amazed how much information they could gather from a folk song about a person's lifestyle. I am sure we will continue to make connections to our experience with Jeff as we sing folk songs throughout the year. 

Thank you again for making this program available for our children at Clemmons Elementary.

Sincerely yours,

Diane Guthrie 
Music Specialist 
Clemmons Elementary
Clemmons, NC