“When all the original blues guys are gone, you start to realize that someone 

has to tend to the tradition. I recognize that I have some responsibility to keep the music alive and it’s a pretty honorable position to be in”

Eric Clapton, English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter.

Like Eric Clapton, The Granite State Blues Society is in the honorable position of helping to “keep the blues alive.” We are excited to partner with schools and community groups to offer access to blues music education for New Hampshire residents of all ages. It is our hope these programs will continue the future of this uniquely American art form, arguably America’s greatest contribution to music worldwide. 

Blues Education

A Blues education program offers students a multidisciplinary learning opportunity, using music as a way to further cultural understanding. Learning about the blues is historically significant because it is the study of African-American culture that produced this music. Blues music is the expression of human emotions through many historical decades. 

Blues education can be tailored to the age of the students and subjects like music, art, English, social studies, technology and geography are natural fits. Blues education programs can be offered in different structures, depending on the need of the school: as an assembly format for about an hour; as an all-day workshop that either moves from class to class or remains in the same classroom all day; or as an artist-in-residency program that lasts from a week to a full month.  

Programs can be aligned to school curriculum and are presented by professional musician educators.

Community Outreach

Workshops, musical performances and musical experiences can be tailored for your local community organization. Family festivals, local town summer concert series, library musical appearances, after school programs, summer camps, and more. 

Experiential workshops like learning how to make a Diddley-bow instrument, songwriting, and guitar workshops can be designed for your group. 

We’re Keeping the Blues Alive!

In 2019, we kept the blues alive with library programs in Dover and North Hampton. Also, with the support of a grant from the NH State Council of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, we partnered with Easterseals NH to provide Blues “edutainment” programs for seniors, youth and adults with disabilities.

Musician/educator? We’d like to know more about you. And if you’d like to support our blues education programming either with a donation or to volunteer, we can help you find a way to support our efforts.

To learn more: contact Roger Plourde at roger.plourde@gmail.com or Mary Flowers at mary.m.flowers@gmail.com