Blues Workshop at Mount Pleasant
by Marilyn Santucci
During Black History Month, Mount Pleasant Elementary welcomed Montreal-based musician Rob Lutes for a multi-day workshop on the Blues.
Lutes, known for his unique blend of blues, folk, and country, has released eight albums and toured across Europe, the United States, and Canada. In addition to his musical career, he conducts school workshops exploring the history of slavery and its connection to music. He has been playing music for 50 years and cites Leonard Cohen and James Reese Europe as some of his heroes.
During his recent visit to Mount Pleasant Elementary, he led a two-day workshop on the Blues. In the first session, he introduced students to the history of blues music, tracing its roots back to the Atlantic Slave Trade. For the hands-on activity, students collaborated with Rob to create a group song. They worked together, and each class composed their own unique song, which Rob then presented to them, with a melody, on the second day of the workshops.
In the second workshop, Rob also introduced students to some of the most influential figures in Blues and the styles of music they played. He also performed for the class, giving them a live taste of the genre. He showed them some of the instruments they used, such as the guitar, ukulele, and cigar box guitar.
For a hands-on activity, each student received two random objects—such as tape, a hockey puck, measuring tape, or a mask—and was challenged to write a song inspired by them within 10 minutes. Once finished, they submitted their lyrics anonymously. Rob then composed melodies for the lyrics and performed the newly created songs for the class.
The activity encouraged students to tap into their creativity, express themselves freely, and let their words come from the heart.
