Making history come alive through music and song
Kim & Jimbo Cary have been performing and teaching traditional acoustic music for over 20 years at festivals, concerts, school assemblies & residencies, libraries, museums, and more!
They offer assembly programs, residencies, gifted workshops, music for International Day, field days, fall festivals, and evening PTA shows.
“My class loved the program and thought it was ‘pretty cool’ and took ‘expert skill’.” –C.O., Stony Point E.S.
The Cary’s music is:
– multicultural — music from many cultures (Africa, Europe, Mexico, Asia, North America, and more)
– interactive— 200 percussion instruments for students to play along during 2nd half of performance
– educational — tie-ins with VA SOL’s
– affordable — grants and discounts — VCA grants pay 50% of fee. Early booking discounts, afternoon discounts and more.
– lots of fun! — for both students and teachers (photo of teachers playing maracas)
“Kim and Jimbo Cary gave wonderful programs at my school. The students and the teachers were fully engaged in learning about music around the world!” —Tamara Nicely, Music Specialist Gordon E. S.
BIO:
Performing together professionally for over 20 years, the Carys have reached more than 200,000 children and adults at schools, libraries, museums, festivals, and cultural centers throughout the state.
In addition to years of coordinating the music for the Nelson County Summer Festival and coordinating music for the Mountain Music Festival at Wintergreen resort, the Carys teach at music camps including Camp Holiday Lake in Appomattox and Kaleidoscope vocal camp in Blackstone, Virginia.
The Carys are dedicated to sharing their love of music with audiences throughout Virginia.
Kim and Jimbo continue to study with master musicians from Mali and Guinea in West Africa, along with Appalachian old-time fiddlers. They have studied with celtic and east european musicians , including Irish masters Mick Moloney and Seamus Eagan.
PERFORMANCES:
- Rhythms ‘Round the World
- Rhythms ‘Round Virginia
- Rhythms of the Season
- workshops and residencies and mini-residencies
- lectures and demonstrations
- PTA shows and evening performances
- festivals, International days, field days, special themes
Rhythms ‘Round the World: a multicultural performance featuring music from many cultures (Africa, Europe, Mexico, Asia, North America, and more)
A musical tour of Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Join the fun as the audience is invited to play along with an Irish jig, a Mexican waltz, an East European frailach and West African dance rhythms.
Kim & Jimbo introduce an array of string, woodwind and percussion instruments including balafon- a west african xylophone from Mali, gourd banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, soprano and alto sax, jembe, jun-jun african bass drum, and more.
The program may begin with Native American flute solo and include an Irish tinwhistle and bodhran duet, string music from Mexico, and West African style drumming.
“Great tie-in with Mali (3rd grade SOL) ” —- K.W. Stony Point E.S.
Rhythms ‘Round Virginia: a musical tour of the Commonwealth and its history — from Jamestown to Monticello
A musical tour of The Commonwealth and its rich history. Participants join the artists as they travel up the James River from Jamestown playing Colonial era fiddle tunes, 19th century banjo breakdowns, and songs of the railroad and coal mining industries as well as the Civil War.
Abe’s Retreat
Fall of Richmond
Indian Maiden
Jamestown settlement
the Batteau Song
Jack Jouett’s ride
Rhythms of the Season: a multicultural performance to honor world celebrations of the season (klezmer music to honor Hannukah, African rhythms and folksongs to honor Kwanzaa, a French carol, an Aguinaldo or Welcome Song from Puerto Rico – (sung in Spanish), and more.
a sample performance may include:
– Old Christmas/ Breakin Up Christmas — Appalachian tunes performed on fiddle and banjo with vocals
– Christmas Time is Coming
– Do you Want a Little Pony, performed on jawharp and bones
– Go Tell it On the Mountain and Singing in the Land — audience plays on rico-ricos
– French Carols: Jeanette Isabella and Il est Ne Le Divine Enfant — performed on guitar and wooden whistle
– A La Salendera – an aguinaldo from Puerto Rico (sung in Spanish)
– Russian Sher — a klezmer tune in honor of Hannukah Jimbo plays saxophone as audience dances and plays tambourines photo of soprano saxophone
– Mali Sadjo — a song from West Africa performed on balafons and drums to honor Kwanzaa — audience plays along with drums and bells (photo of jimbo playing saxophone)
Rhythms, Riddles, and Song: songs about books and learning to read, original animal riddles (with puppets), and animal folksongs (for pre-K through 1st).
— Each performance ends with a student jam session featuring over 200 world percussion instruments. (each student plays an instrument while Jimbo solos on alto saxophone).
PTA shows, International Night, and evening performances: Students will play a variety of percussion instruments (african drums, gourds, tambourines, agogo bells, bones, and more) to accompany Kim & Jimbo on world music compositions and original songs and songs about animals (with animal puppets). Let us know if there is a special theme we can tie – in with.
GRANTS:
Based on their artistic excellence and sound management, Kim & Jimbo have been selected as Touring Artists by the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Grants are available for non-profit organizations to help with performance fees and travel expenses.
• awarded first-come, first-served : please book early while they are still available!
• deadline is Dec 1, 2016 for touring season July 1, 2016 through June 15, 2017.
• simple application process: for details, contact Kim & Jimbo at Green Hills Music.
SELECTED PERFORMANCES:
• Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
• Wintergreen Performing Arts Series
• White House Easter event
• First Night – Charlottesville, Waynesboro, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Leesburg
• Newport News Fall Festival of Folklife
• Science Museum of Virginia
• VA Beach Folk Festival
• Waterford Fair
• Amazement Square Children’s Museum
• VA Explore Park
• performances in over 80 Virginia counties and cities
ACCOLADES:
“The best I’ve seen in 20 years of teaching”
“Your rapport with the children was wonderful”
“Kids were focused and enjoying every minute.”
comments from presenters and educators:
“best program in over 20 years of teaching”
“fantastic, fun, and educational”
“Days later, the teachers are still coming up to me to say how much they liked it. The program was active and engaged the children at every point. The display of your hundred or so musical instruments made the program visually as well as aurally rich and introduced the students to a wide variety of unusual instruments in a manner that left me feeling as though I had toured the world. The finale was spectacular.”
-S.A., PTA president, Yancey Elem
“Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! My children enjoyed every minute and I did too!”
– M. D. , Concord Elementary
“The smiles on their faces and the rhythms in their hands convinced me that the two of you are pros at engaging young people in music.”
-music specialist, Oak Grove E.S
“Bravo! Tailored to young children and kept their attention.”
– teacher, OB Gates
“Excellent communication with the children. Very child centered. Very informative – a great learning experience.”
– teacher, OB Gates
“Your songs were delightful…and introducing students to such a wide variety of instruments is inspiring. All of the students I talked to afterward had a great time – you made lasting memories.”
– principal, Rockfish Elem.
“The kids loved it. It captured their attention from the beginning. … amazingly talented.”
-L.H., VMEA music educator
“An excellent program performed by seasoned musicians. You have the audience in the palm of your hand.”
– Teacher, Minnieville
“The children (and teachers) had fun fun fun! Keep doing this wonderful program and teaching children about music around the world”
– Broadwater Academy
“I would recommend you to everyone. … a fantastic experience.”
– TS Yancey Elementary
“educational, fun, exciting”
– MH , Yorkshire Elementary
“Fabulous! Children and parents alike loved it.”
-presenter, Courtland HS
“captured their attention the second they walked in and still had it as they left the room.”
– presenter
