SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Arts In Education Programs and Workshops created
by Carla Lynne Hall & Jim Keyes for ALL grade levels

Programs Performed by
"Carla & Keyes"

An Afternoon with Madam CJ Walker,
An American Success Story

Sarah Breedlove was the first child in her family to be born into freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation. She later grew up and became a laundry washer woman. Due to the harsh products used to cleanse hair and wash clothes, Sarah suffered dandruff and other scalp ailments, which led to baldness. As this was a common problem among black women of this time, Breedlove developed her own line of hair care products. After marrying Charles Joseph Walker, Sarah adopted the name Madam CJ Walker, which she used for the name of her skin and hair care product line.

This program is a fictionalized interview with Madam CJ Walker, the female entrepreneur who created specialized products for African American hair care. 

In this interview she talks about her life, and how she created a business against all odds, and later became one of the first female self-made millionaires in the United States.


ONA'S INTERVIEW: The True Story of
George Washington's Runaway Slave

In 1796, 19-year old Ona Judge was an enslaved African, and the favorite waiting maid in the household of President George Washington, and his wife Martha. That year, Ona escaped the Founding Father's Philadelphia household to live as a free person.

Although the President and Mrs. Washington maintained a relentless pursuit of their runaway slave, Ona Judge was never caught. President Washington died in 1799, and Ona found refuge as a free person in exile in the state of New Hampshire.

In 1845, Reverend T.H. Adams, a reporter for the abolitionist's publication The Granite Freeman, was the first person to interview the 70-year-old Ona Judge.

Drawn from primary sources, Ona's Interview, is a theatrical re-enactment of this historic event.

Black Women of the American Songbook

This musical program mixes live performances and storytelling associated with famous African-American ladies of jazz, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, and others.

In addition to dominating jazz music with their unique stylings, they all overcame personal challenges to become successful.

Songwriting Workshops

In this workshop, Jim and Carla take a single class through the process of writing an original song together.

Groups without musical experience will learn the basics of lyric and melody writing.

Musical groups will go deeper into learning musical composition, harmonies, and arranging their song.



Programs Performed by Jim Keyes

Colonial Jim

Bring the spirit of 1776 to your classroom, library or cultural institution with a visit from Jim Keyes.

Dressed in Colonial clothes, Jim performs ballads, dance tunes and game songs on reproduction instruments from the time, including baroque guitar, mandolin, recorders, fife and mountain dulcimer.

Cowboy Jim

Introduce your school, camp or cultural institution to American music with Cowboy Jim.

Dressed as a cowboy and armed with traditional instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, mountain dulcimer and ukulele), Cowboy Jim brings to life American music and stories from the 19th to early 20th centuries.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Based on the original story by Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow tells the story of Tarrytown, a place where strange things happen and the townsfolk seem entranced by spirits and ghouls.

Ichabod Crane, a teacher who comes to live in Tarrytown, meets a mysterious fate. Legend has it that he is the victim of the dreaded ‘headless horseman’ who allegedly haunts Sleepy Hollow. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is faithful to Washington Irving’s original story, and No fall season is complete without the telling of this autumnal classic.

SCHOOLS & EDUCATORS

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • All of our Arts-in Education programs are available as live and pre-recorded virtual sessions.

  • We have a Zoom account which can accommodate up to 100 students per session, but we can upgrade to a 500 person room, if needed.

  • If a teacher isn’t available to monitor a Zoom performance, a class parent or teacher aide may be present.

  • The students will be muted during the theatrical programs, and then unmuted for a live Q&A. The music workshops will remain unmuted for questions between musical performances.
  • Our schedules are flexible, and we are able to provide morning and afternoon performances, at your request.

  • All of the programs can be tailored to different grade levels. We are also happy to develop programming based on your curriculum.


Please Contact Us For Pricing: Hello@CarlaAndKeyes.com

CONTACT:

Known as "Carla & Keyes", Carla Lynne Hall and Jim Keyes are a performing duo based in Ossining, New York.

To invite them to perform any of these programs for your school or organization, please email hello@carlaandkeyes.com, or call 914 659 7468.