School Music Education Programs
“SONGS FROM MY LIFE” PROGRAM
Songs From My Life is a six-session program for 4th and 5th graders to introduce schoolchildren to the impact of music and the basics of songwriting.
The program encourages kids to find their own voices by using music to express their thoughts and feelings about the world around them. Fourth-graders learn and perform a variety of Americana songs while discussing what the songs mean to them. Fifth-graders are guided in creating and performing an original song about a topic that matters to them.
One goal of the program is to teach lessons about music as a genre: how a song is created and how it impacts emotions and functions to create shared feelings and solidarity within a group. Another goal is to teach lessons about the self: how each of us can find our own creativity and how each of us has a voice that should be heard. A third goal is to teach lessons about teamwork: recognizing that everyone has something to contribute, listening to one’s collaborators and compromising with them, and giving constructive feedback.
Both programs culminate with students performing songs for other classes and parents in the school auditorium.
Hudson West first ran this program in the fall of 2024 in the Hoboken School system, with the generous support of a Hudson County Cultural Affairs Arts in Education Grant. Both Hudson County and Hoboken funding are continuing to help fund the program in 2026.
Historical Educational Program
The Hudson West Fest periodically puts together individualized music-based educational programs to denote special historical events. Most recently, for African American History Month, we teamed with renowned folk music artists Reggie Harris (2024), Crys Matthews (2025) and Vienna Carroll (2026) to provide unique educational programs celebrating songs from the civil rights movement. The programs were warmly received by a crowds ranging from 250 to 750 children in packed school assemblies. We look forward to continuing this programming in the future.
