Teach the Beat!

Bringing the distinctive D.C. sound of go-go into the classroom.

Teaching for Change is honored to work with D.C.  area schools and the authors of The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. to develop lessons and share teaching ideas for infusing the history and music of go-go in middle and high school social studies, language arts, math, music, and/or D.C. history classes, and to bring renowned go-go performers into D.C. classrooms.

"Go-go has stayed true to time-honored cultural scripts such as live call-and-response, live instrumentation, as well as its locally rooted fashions, slang, dance, distribution and economic systems. Simply put: Go-Go never sold out. There is a grit and texture to the music that gives voice to the communities where it was created." –Natalie Hopkinson

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Capital City Go-Go Supports
Teach the Beat

Teaching for Change’s Teach the Beat is honored to be a Capital City Go-Go (the NBA G-League affiliate of the Washington Wizards) partner for the 2023–2024 season. As a Go-Go partner, Teach the Beat is a featured host in the Capital City Go-Go’s Education Day Games on February 8 and March 5. Go-Go Education Day fuses a basketball game with the distinctive sound of go-go music. 

This season, Capital City Go-Go will also support Teach the Beat through their Beat of D.C. fundraiser. The Beat of D.C. ticket package includes an exclusive Capital City Go-Go ‘Beat of DC’ t-shirt and a $10 donation back to Teach the Beat. 

Use offer code: TEACHTHEBEAT when prompted.
Ticket Link: https://fevo-enterprise.com/group/Beatdc

About Teach the Beat

Teach the Beat is a pre-K–12 initiative to ensure that D.C. area students learn the rich history and the various stylistic elements related to go-go music. 

Teach the Beat brings our go-go teaching artists and scholars to D.C. metro area classrooms to offer interactive workshops. The workshops are tailored to various grade levels and subject areas. When funding is available, selected workshops are offered at no cost for public schools.

Help Teach the Beat bring the distinctive D.C. sound of go-go music into the classroom and enjoy a Capital City Go-Go game! 

Or make a direct donation to Teach the Beat. 

Teach the Beat’s partnership with Capital City Go-Go began in the 2022–2023 season. Teach the Beat participated in the Capital City Go-Go The Beat Keeps Going Game, hosted a Teach the Beat workshop with The Go-Go and staff during Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action 2023, and was the featured partner in the February 2023 Capital City Go-Go Education Day Game. 

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the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Image credits: Thomas Sayers Ellis

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