The Children’s Library Annual Summer Programme (CLASP) ended on Friday July 24 with a presentation to parents and friends outside the Public Library. The theme this year was “Music Is We Ting” and the children involved learnt a lot about music and really enjoyed doing so.
Seventy five primary school children attended the two week camp that was divided into three age groups each managed by two library staff and at least two volunteers. The children were introduced to a variety of instruments including keyboards, recorders, saxophones, guitars and drums. They learned harmony, beat, varieties of music and made a wide range of crafts. The older children made graters from wood and cracker tins, tambourines from cedar wood forks, bottle caps and wire, banjos from tuna tins and wood, a bath pan turned into a bass, and water bottles painted and filled with seeds as shakers. The younger children made papier mâché maracas, paper plate tambourines and tuna can drums.
Special guests during the week included Omari Banks who played his guitar and sang some of his latest songs. Michael “Dumpa” Martin and his son brought steel pans and they demonstrated how to play the steel pan. DJ Sugar brought his spin table and explained mixing and dubbing with examples and with the students input. Field trips included a visit to a recording and production studio and a beach picnic at Rendezvous Bay.
The concert on Friday started with an impressive drum roll that got everyone’s attention. The different age groups presented songs, musical items and dance and impressed the audience with the standard of work and talent. The finale included all the students with a song written by Director of Library Services Bernard Wattley on the theme “Music Is We Ting.” The programme is designed and implemented by the library staff with assistance from volunteers.
