Blues in the Schools ~ Sacramento Blues Society

 The Sacramento Blues Society (SBS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1979. Affiliated with the International Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN, SBS was named Affiliated Blues Society of the Year and was honored with the Keeping The Blues Alive award at the 2015 International Blues Challenge. SBS helps Blues music thrive in the Sacramento area by promoting local blues music and musicians, bringing internationally renowned artists to the region, and educating Sacramento area students about the Blues and its unique American musical, historical, and cultural significance. The current all-volunteer SBS Board of Directors includes professional musicians, community arts advocates, and hard-working good people.

BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS

If the kid in you remembers the first spark that lit up your learning, the teacher that took extra time to encourage you, or the way you found to express yourself as an individual—then you know how much that shaped the person you became. Since 2005, The SBS Blues in the Schools (BITS) Program has served over 56,000 students. Our nationally-recognized program is the main reason we won the coveted 2015 "Keeping the Blues Alive" Award from The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee. BITS partners with teachers, diverse musician educators (58% are professionals of color) and fellow non-profits (Crocker Museum: “Block by Block”, California Stages) to foster diversity, address economic disparity and increase cultural connection. BITS programs are in multiple districts and neighborhoods, including Oak Park, Midtown, Del Paso Blvd., Colonial Heights, West Sacramento, Haggin and Folsom, CA. We also seek those most in need (Sacramento Receiving Home, WIND Youth Center, Sacramento Juvenile Hall).

The SBS Blues in the Schools (BITS) Program teaches students (K-12) lasting life skills by integrating music education with creative writing, math, African-American history, geography and sociology.