MCNY Kids Create: Patterns and Rhythms in NYC Jazz

This program was recorded on Sunday, June 27, 2021. See the full event description below.

Can’t make the 11am session? This program is being offered again at 9:30am. 

Dive into the world of jazz in New York City and create your own rhythms and patterns with New York-based musicians Sarah Elizabeth Charles and Victoria Smith in this virtual program from the Museum of the City of New York.   

Explore the city’s jazz scene of the past with objects from the Museum’s collections, and learn about the instruments and sounds behind this art form with these contemporary musicians! 

Recommended for ages 7 and older. All ages are welcome. Sessions are intergenerational and family members are encouraged to join and participate together.  

About the Guest Artists 

Sarah Elizabeth Charles 

Sarah Elizabeth Charles is a vocalist/composer based in New York City. She has worked with numerous artists, has led her band, SCOPE, for ten years and has recorded three critically acclaimed studio albums under her own name. Charles' musical output has been described as a “genre of one” by DownBeat Magazine, “soulfully articulate” by the NY Times and “an unmatched sound” by Jay Z’s Life+Times. In addition to her performances, Charles is also an active educator. She currently works as a teaching artist with Carnegie Hall and co-teaches a course (co-designed with Caroline Davis) called Jazz and Gender at The New School. In 2019, she was one of five recipients of the Yale School of Music's Distinguished Teaching Artist Award. In 2020, she became a selected member of the Joe’s Pub Working Group and a recipient of the NYC Women’s Fund Grant for her band’s soon to be released fourth album, Blank Canvas. One can only look to the future for more boundary pushing music and initiatives from this unique artist. 

Victoria Smith 

Victoria Smith is a percussionist, music lover and native Bronxite. Smith graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude from Macaulay Honors College Lehman College in May of 2020; she studied philosophy, music and political science. Smith was a recipient of the Jeannette K Watson Fellowship in 2017, through which she had internships with Mt. Sinai Beth Israel, The Bronx Defenders, and Sonke Gender Justice in Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, Smith is an Associate Teacher at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Starting in Fall 2021, Smith will begin her PhD in Ethnomusicology at NYU. 

See. Discuss. Create!  

This event is part of MCNY Kids Create, a virtual series where you can meet New York artists and participate in hands-on art projects. Check out all the videos and upcoming workshops here. 

STEAM Education @ MCNY  

Explore the connections between history, art, and the sciences in intergenerational programs at the Museum of the City of New York. This program is part of our STEAM education offerings, where you can use the tools of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) to understand our city’s past, present, and future. Participate in hands-on learning activities and make exciting connections between topics from music to fashion, sports to activism. 

How it Works  

Sessions are live taught and interactive in a virtual setting that balances active engagement and privacy. Programs are presented as webinars. You will be able to send questions, comments, and observations via the chat feature to the educators, but participants will not use cameras or microphones and will not be visible on screen.  

Materials  

For this program, we will be experimenting with making music, so bring your voice, your body, an instrument, some pots and pans, or anything you’d like to use to make music! 

Questions?  

For questions and concerns, please email familyprograms@mcny.org