Use the Groove: Where Music, Culture, and Learning Meet

Use the Groove is an Erie Arts & Culture program that puts songs to work. Early childhood professionals learn  traditional songs from New American artists, and how to integrate these songs into their classroom routine. Kelly Armor, EAC's Folklorist-in-Residence, shared, "Some preschool teachers sing, but many rely on recordings, and that doesn’t allow much flexibility. Use the Groove helps teachers experiment with using songs to help kids with activities like lining up, cleaning, and handwashing, turning potentially stressful times into joyful experiences."

This spring four “song coaches”—Clarisse Amani from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Donya Aljouja from Syria, Nibal Abd El Karim from Palestine, and Victoria Angelo from South Sudan—collaborated with Jefferson Defrees, Little Dragons and the YMCA childcares in Warren and Young Environment, MCRC, the Learning Ladder, and Jordan’s Family childcares in Erie. 

Over 50 teachers learned at least three songs from their song coaches' traditions. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive: over 80% of teachers reported that Use the Groove helped them sing more, and 100% used the songs to facilitate classroom transitions. One supervisor shared how “the children and staff light up when singing.” Many teachers glowed about the song coaches and how much they appreciated learning directly from people of different cultures. Others saw the positive impact of music, "I loved seeing the confidence my students gained from singing. I saw them break out of their shell!." Another explained, “I teach toddlers, so they are still learning to talk. These songs helped me build a stronger relationship with them. We now sing our way through everything!”  

“This spring our song coaches mentored several immigrant teachers,” explained Armor, “And it was great for them to see how their culture is an asset. We ended the program with the New American teachers sharing some simple cuisine from their culture with their students and also in a training for other teachers.” All the participants in the Cultural Cooking with Kids training reported that it expanded their understanding of other cultures and gave them greater insight into their own culture. One participant summed it up, “Singing adds a distinctive flavor, increases activity and integration with the team, and food brings us all together.”

This program was possible by support from: