Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month Music Classroom Resources
Yes, it’s July and I’m about to talk about September. So if you are not ready for that yet, bookmark or pin this page and come back to me later. 😉
September is Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month! Here are some great ways to feature prominent and popular Hispanic musicians in your lessons and classroom.
TED Talks
José Antonio Abreu is the charismatic founder of a youth orchestra system that has transformed thousands of kids' lives in Venezuela. He shares his amazing story and unveils a TED Prize wish that could have a big impact in the US and beyond.
Full English subtitles are available for this talk -- click the CC button in the bottom right of your screen to turn subtitles on.
One night in 2002, a friend gave Jorge Drexler the chorus to a song and challenged him to write the rest of it using a complex, poetic form known as the "Décima." In this fascinating talk, Drexler examines the blended nature of identity, weaving together the history of the Décima with his own quest to write one. He closes the talk with a performance of the resulting song, "La Milonga del Moro Judío."
Rhythm Play Alongs
Rhythm Notes has an awesome YouTube channel with a couple of videos deep diving in the Latin percussion instruments and adding in some playable Latin rhythms to go with them. This would be great for middle/high school band!
Bulletin Board Spotlight
Highlight important Latin musicians outside or inside your classroom! I drew these little cartoons on Pro Create and have bios for each musician. When I do this, I see kids stop all the time and read about them! Check it out here.