Surf City Middle School students will receive free harmonicas and hands-on music instruction during a blues workshop on Friday, Oct. 23, WWAYTV3 reported.
The Coastal Carolina Blues Society will host the one-hour program called Blues in the Schools from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the school. Each participating student will receive a donated Bushman harmonica to keep, according to the organization.
Chicago blues musician Southside Stevie Berek, a 30-year veteran who has performed with artists including Buddy Guy and Los Lobos, will lead the workshop. Surf City Middle School music instructor Trevor Judy will also participate, according to WWAYTV3.
The program will introduce students to blues music through live demonstrations, harmonica instruction and lessons on the genre’s cultural history. The Coastal Carolina Blues Society said the initiative aims to provide students with access to musical instruments and hands-on instruction. The nonprofit promotes blues music in Eastern North Carolina through performances, community outreach and youth education.
The workshop precedes the society’s annual Sounds of Freedom music festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Topsail Island Moose Lodge in Hampstead, sponsored by Bojangles.
For more information, visit wwaytv3.com.