Archive | 2015

Those of you who are already Explore Everywhere subscribers or have been in the All Around This World loop for a while know I’ve spent my share of time over the last couple years translating AATW’s family-friendly multicultural musical lessons into videos. I’ve kept almost all of these videos among students or subscribers, mainly sharing them with a password on Vimeo. Though I’ve kind of had a YouTube site for a while I haven’t done a thing with it. The time has come to open the vault.

In 2016 I’m going to put real love into creating, crafting and curating a YouTube channel that families everywhere can use as a jumping-off point to use music, dance and other engaging lessons to explore the world. And goodness gracious, does that mean getting back to Twitter @AATWMusic too…?

You’ll find my YouTube merriment here:

http://www.youtube.com/allaroundthisworld

There’s original content on the channel yet, but soon you won’t be able to stop me. Posted above you’ll find a (literally) small sampling of the large stock of All Around This World videos subscribers will enjoy. Hey, you should subscribe! In fact, while you’re here and thinking about it, SUBSCRIBE NOW.

…And we continue our journey around Africa. Our most recent family-friendly adventures through the Explore Everywhere interactive online curriculum took us to Ghana where we celebrated independence by dancing the Kpanlogo, learned how to cook groundnut stew and dove deep into the ever-optimistic music known as Highlife.

Philadelphia families joined master drummer (and master teacher) Joe Tayoun Saturday, November 7th, at International House for a hands-on Middle Eastern drumming workshop for kids and their grown-ups.

This was the first workshop in this year’s All Around This World/International House series of participatory workshops for kiddos. Put the rest on your calendar:

— December 19th: Turkish folk songs
— January 9: Lebanese dance
— February 13: Flamenco dance and music
— March 5: Greek dancing
— April 9: Irish dancing
— May 21: Italian dancing and songs
— June 11: British Morris dancing

Many thanks to Kathy O’Connell of KIDS CORNER, America’s longest-running daily call-in radio show for kids, for welcoming Jay from All Around This World onto the radio! The first of SIX segments introducing kids to Africa, using songs from the two-CD, 32 song, All Around This World: Africa, aired Wednesday, October 21st, on WXPN 88.5 in Philadelphia and many affiliated stations.

If you’re in Philadelphia, have little kids (tiny infants to 4 year-olds) and want to join Jay and the global adventures in music class, check out Jay’s All Around This World classes in West Philadelphia, or join Emily in classes in Fairmount and elsewhere.

If you’re not in Philly, you can still join in the fun! Check out All Around This World CDs or Musical Maps, or learn with Jay all week long through multimedia global lessons for kids through the Explore Everywhere online learning program.

All Around This World humbly submits, for the consideration of NARAS members who are eligible to vote in the upcoming 58th GRAMMY awards, All Around This World: Africa, a 32-song double CD set that introduces kids and their families to music and cultures from all over the continent. Visit the All Around This World: Africa “For Your Consideration” page to listen to a sampler or to the whole CD, to see liner notes and find each of the songs on an illustrated map, and to learn about the more than 40 musicians from all over the U.S. and 10 African nations who build the music with our bare hands. 

After a hefty late summer break Explore Everywhere returned with a Malian adventure. Over the course of our expedition we sang the praises of Malian kings, made  mud cloths, sort of, rocked out in the desert with the Tuareg and found the heart (and the start?) of the Mississippi Delta blues.

This week (August 10-16) Explore Everywhere took subscribers to Morocco where we mused about the King, met magical musicians and learned how to cook couscous.

This week (August 3-9) Explore Everywhere took subscribers to Algeria, a substantial North African nation where we befriended Berbers and Bedouins, Cheikas and Colonizers,
Fundamentalists and the French, Survivors and Saints. In our Algerian “During Dinner Playlist” we met all sorts of Algerian music, from Chaabi to Malouf to Rai.

The Homeschool.com “Top Back to Homeschool Resource Awards” list just came out and Explore Everywhere is near made the cut. Huzzah! Apparently 2,200 Homeschool.com supporters filled out their survey this year. Thanks to everyone out there who gave Explore Everywhere a boost. Check out the list of wonderful curriculum options for your homeschooling family here.

QUIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

This week (July 27- August 2) we took a detour from our usual Explore Everywhere travels to test some quizzes and games for “big kids” (7 and up). What do you know about Burundi? Do you know ANYTHING about Burundi? Whatever you know, you’ll know a whole lot more after visiting All Around This World’s page on Quia.com. Try the “getting to know Burundi quiz first, then go to the folder labeled Burundi for more games. Hint: Start with the simpler quizzes, remember what you learned and the more challenging activities will be a breeze.