Learning Objectives

• Experience a performance by Uncle Devin, a musician and Teaching Artist.
• Explore different percussion instruments and identify their characteristics.
• Learn about Go-Go music and its history in Washington, D.C.

Education Standards Alignment

• Music—Creating (MU:Cr1): Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
• Music—Responding (MU:Re8): Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
• Music—Connecting (MU:Cn11): Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

Common Core Standards

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 (Writing Grade 3 #1): Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.2 (Speaking and Listening Grade 2 #2): Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

(Social and Emotional Learning)

• Social Awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
  • Recognizing strength in others
• Relationship Skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups.
  • Communicating effectively
• Self-Awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.
  • Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

What to Expect

Performance

• This performance is approximately 50 minutes long.
• This performance features three musicians playing a variety of musical instruments and singing. Some of the instruments you will see and hear include an electric guitar, a drum kit, and percussion instruments like congas, rototoms, timbales, and cowbells.
• The musicians will interact and speak with the audience throughout the performance.

Performers

• Three musicians will perform: Uncle Devin on drums, a variety of percussion instruments, and vocals; Matt “Swamp Guinee” Miller on percussion instruments; and Groovy Nate on the electric guitar.
• Sometimes, the musicians play on their own; and sometimes, the musicians play together.

Sound

• Live music is played throughout the show.
• Sometimes, the music is fast and exuberant; other times, the music is slow and calm.

Visuals

• There will be images that are projected on a large screen behind the performers.

Lighting

• There is both general stage lighting and audience lighting throughout the performance.

Audience Interaction

• At times during the performance, the musicians will invite the audience to sing along and dance to the music. You can participate if you want.
• At times, the performers ask the audience to answer prompts (call-and-response) or to mimic their actions.

What to Bring

• Please bring any tools that will help make the experience comfortable for you! Some suggestions are: noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses or visors, fidgets, and communication devices. If you need to borrow a pair of headphones or a visor, a limited number will be available for use in Studio K.

Resources

• Visit the “Explore the REACH” webpage to learn more about this part of the Kennedy Center campus, which includes Studio K (where you’ll see the performance).

Look and Listen for

Before you watch the performance, check out this list of important moments and ideas: 

• A percussion instrument is something you can shake, scrape, or strike. Notice the variety of percussion instruments and how they are played.
• Percussion instruments can be pitched (able to play a melody or harmony—a tune you can sing) or unpitched (produces sound without melodic or harmonic notes).
• Go-Go is known for strong rhythms made with multiple percussion instruments. Look for the ways that two drum players work together to create exciting percussive sounds. Does the music make you want to clap, tap your feet, or wiggle your body?
• Sometimes, Go-Go musicians will include the audience or crowd in music making. See if the band asks you to participate in repeating something or answering something. This is called “call-and-response.”

Think About

After you’ve experienced the performance, consider these questions:

• What do you think each instrument brings to the music? Remember that the voice is an instrument, too. What do you think the role of each instrument is within the band and for the audience?
• Go-Go music is known as the music of Washington, D.C. Do you know of any other styles of music or art that are associated with a specific city, country, or region? How do you think a place would develop its own unique style? What role could a specific type of music serve in a community? How could celebrating music help a community and the people in it?

More About Go-Go

Go-Go music is the homegrown music of Washington, D.C., originating with funk, soul, salsa, R&B, and blues crossover music that became popular in the 1970s. Known for its syncopated beat, strong percussion, and interactivity, Go-Go is all about crowd participation, including call-and-response singing.

Chuck Brown is considered “The Godfather of Go-Go” and is still celebrated by musicians today. Brown’s band, the Soul Searchers, and others of the time would play polyrhythms (multiple patterns played at the same time) on a large number of percussion instruments. The percussion would often keep going even between songs, when the bandleader would lead call-and-response sessions with the audience. These sessions often celebrated local communities. In fact, local communities—especially teenagers—were vital for Go-Go. Marching bands and strong music programs from D.C. high schools were training grounds for Go-Go musicians.

In 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed an act making Go-Go the official music of the District of Columbia. Today, continuing the tradition of Go-Go music is an important part of acknowledging and preserving the unique culture of Washington, D.C., and the voices and talents of its people.

Want to learn more about Go-Go? The following articles are a place to start:

Uncle Devin’s Think Local, Crank Global! Guide to Go-Go

Continue to Uncle Devin’s Educator Guide to learn more about the performing artist and the history of Go-Go music, and for access to more classroom activities. Some key elements you’ll find here are the ensemble structure and primary instruments of a Go-Go band; the cultural and musical roots of Go-Go not only from Washington, D.C., but also from Africa and Cuba; and the terms commonly used to describe the “beat” of Go-Go.

Body Percussion Patterns

Use the oldest percussion instrument, your body, to create rhythmic patterns. Start by saying your own name. With each syllable, create a sound with a different part of your body. If your first name only has one syllable, say your full name (first, middle [if you have one], and last). The sounds you make might include slapping your thigh, stomping your foot, clapping your hands, patting your chest, or snapping your fingers. For someone with a two-syllable name, for example, the first syllable could be a chest pat and the second syllable could be a foot stomp. Try this with a group where each person creates their own rhythmic pattern with their name. Feel free to go around the group, giving each person their individual turn, or have different rhythms going at the same time. Enjoy all of the rhythms and sounds!

Write Your Community Go-Go Shout Out

Music is a way to express pride for yourself, your family and friends, and your community. We’ve learned that Go-Go music inherently celebrates community. You can hear it in the lyrics and the call-and-response. Write three to five sentences to share what is special about your community. Your community could be your neighborhood, your school, or a specific group of people. Once you have written down these ideas, share them with someone. Say it, sing it, or draw a picture with the words. These are the lyrics to your community Go-Go Shout Out!

Kennedy Center Education

The Vice President of Education is generously endowed by the

Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.