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TODAY

Rob Piersanti’s first Pop Art Show of the year takes place at Boca Grande, complete with a complimentary wine tasting and live jazz band (6 pm, free).

The Black Maria Film Festival returns to NJCU for the 31st year. Admission is free to the premiere of the film festival, and refreshments will be served (7 pm).

Ladies on The Mic presents First Songs of Spring, a free concert celebration featuring two bands that cross pollinate their classical training with other musical genres like jazz, rock & pop–at Art House (7 pm, free).

American vibraphonist Eldad Tarmu performs at Raphs Plaza African Market and Internet Cafe (8 pm).

TOMORROW

There’s a weekend-long Dogfish Head Beer Benefit at the Iron Monkey. A portion of sales from all Dogfish Head drafts and bottles will go to 3 different charities (all day).

The Museum of Russian Art hosts a closing reception for two shows: Red Show and Mechanical Theater (4 pm).

Jordan’s Lounge hosts a National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Benefit. The event, presented by Our Youth, features dinner and celebrity impersonators and will honor HIV Activist Timothy Daniels and Jersey City councilwoman Viola Richardson (4:30 pm, $10).

The Laugh Tour returns to Art House for “an evening of hilarious stand up comedy” (7 pm, $15 in advance, $20 at the door).

SUNDAY

The Dogfish Head Beer Benefit continues at Iron Monkey.

St. Matthew’s is holding a Winter Rummage Sale fundraiser complete with home-cooked meals (12:30 pm).

-SUPER BOWL STUFF-

The Brightside Tavern – Two separate package deals, both include an open bar and buffet. Plus they’ll pick you up with a free shuttle service. 141 Bright Street.

The Lamp Post – A pre-tailgate party starts at 4 pm with $1 Clam Chowder and $5 Boilermakers. $3 shots with every touch down, $2 Kamikaze shots throughout the game. 382 2nd Street.

LITM – Will be showing the game on the big projector screen, and have drink specials and food specials all day–including $2 off all drinks if you’re wearing a Giants jersey. 140 Newark Avenue.

Lucky 7 – Food and drink specials all day, plus Giants jersey give aways at the end of every quarter. 322 2nd Street.

O’Connell’s – Happy Hour all night, $5 food menu, and give aways. 111 Montgomery Street.

Powerhouse Lounge – $40 presale/$50 game day package for open bar and unlimited food during the game. 360 Marin Boulevard.

Zeppelin Hall – The beer garden is boasting the most biggest hi-def screens and half price beer and wings. They will also have mug and jersey giveaways. 88 Liberty View Drive.

Richardson Makes Ward F Choice: Before departing on an 11-day Caribbean cruise, newly elected Councilwoman at large Viola Richardson has chosen Michele Massey to succeed her as the council representative for Ward F, says the Journal‘s Augustin C. Torres.

Ramos Calls for Hospital Sale Delay: Concerned about the “rising trend” of for-profit hospitals, District 33 Assemblyman Ruben Ramos has asked the state attorney general to deny Christ Hospital’s request that its pending sale to Prime Healthcare Services be expedited so the deal can be completed before the end of the year.

Jersey City Author Dies: Author, columnist and political enthusiast Matthew F. Amato Jr., of Jersey City, died Wednesday. He was 64.

Crime Blotter: Jersey City cops patrolling near Journal Square nabbed a felon they say was beating a man while trying to take his bike yesterday, officials said; Jersey City police charged a Bayonne woman with driving while intoxicated after her SUV crashed through a chain-link fence and landed on the Kill Van Kull shoreline; a Jersey City man charged with burglarizing the home of a Bayonne police officer and three other residences was arrested after giving police a fake name and finding there was a warrant for that man’s arrest, officials said.

City Offices Closed Today: Municipal offices are closed today for Veterans Day. Regular trash pick-ups will continue, but don’t worry about your car — street sweepings are suspended, according to the city’s website.

Today’s Best Bets:

If you are one of the lucky few who has Veterans Day off, pay your respects at Honoring Our Heroes, a military and musical tribute from noon to 5 pm at Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery.

It’s 11-11-11! Get your numerology on with Dead Prez, headlining a benefit show for Urban Art Beat at Parlay Studios. Doors open at 8:30 pm. If ’80s music is more your speed, cover band White Wedding plays a show at Zeppelin Hall at 9 pm.

Two Plays Open Tonight: NJCU’s Department of Music, Dance and Theatre presents the musical comedy City of Angels, directed by Marc G. Dalio, which opens tonight at 7:30 pm. At 8 pm, the Attic Ensemble begins a run of Geoffrey Nauffts’ Next Fall — a witty and provocative look at faith, commitment and unconditional love.

Also at 8 pm, Your Move, Jersey City’s second-annual modern dance series, features Lauren Connolly, Alexis Convento, Valerie Green / Dance Entropy and more.

In Statewide News:

Murders Rose in 2010: Murders in New Jersey were up 16 percent last year, and they increased in all corners of the state, from rural towns to the largest the cities, according to statistics released yesterday by the State Police.

NFL Opposes Sports Betting in New Jersey: An NFL spokesman said Thursday that the league has “a long-held unwavering opposition to gambling on NFL games,” but declined to comment on whether the 2014 Super Bowl could become leverage in stopping New Jersey’s plans.

Legislative Democrats Pick Teams: The majority Democrats in the New Jersey Legislature picked their leadership teams Thursday, promising to get tough with Republican Gov. Chris Christie. State Sen. Loretta Weinberg of Teaneck — a frequent critic of Gov. Christie — was unanimously selected by the Senate’s Democratic caucus to serve as its majority leader.

Sweeney and Oliver Face Questions About Norcross: At a joint press conference yesterday, Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) yesterday vowed to stand up to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, but found themselves answering questions about whether they would be answering to South Jersey power broker George Norcross II and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo.

State Supreme Court to Hear Judge Pension Case: The legal battle over whether New Jersey state judges and justices should have to pay more for their pension and health benefits will be heard by the state Supreme Court and not a state Appellate Court, according to an order signed by Justice Virginia A. Long.

State Eyes Public-Private Partnerships: Officials in Gov. Christie’s administration are close to recommending New Jersey join 23 other states in passing a law authorizing public-private partnerships, a senior official said today.

U.S. Senate Won’t Allow Blocking of EPA Rule on Cross-State Emissions: The U.S. Senate Thursday rejected an effort to block an Environmental Protection Agency rule that would limit polluted air from crossing state lines and affecting downwind states. The regulation would require coal plants in New Jersey and 26 other states to cut polluted emissions that drift across state lines.

Vets Get Preference for Jobs at Port: The International Longshoremen’s Association union and the New York Shipping Association announced that veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan will receive preferential treatment in hiring as jobs become available at the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Head of BPU Steps Down: Board of Public Utilities President Lee Solomon, who oversaw dramatic changes in New Jersey’s energy policies over the past two years, is stepping down from his post.

Gov. Christie Approves Charter Schools: Legislation signed yesterday by Gov. Chris Christie will allow private schools in struggling districts to become charter schools. With two virtual charter schools approved in New Jersey and a third proposed, legislators and advocates are pressing the state to bring its laws up to date with the technology.

Primary Care Shortage: Teaching hospitals are adding primary care residencies, but despite best efforts New Jersey still faces a looming shortage of primary care physicians.

Getting Energy from Biomass: A special panel advising the Christie administration recommended the state build renewable biomass facilities to produce electricity or fuel in the next two to three years.

Off-Duty Jersey City Cops Subdue Airline Passenger: When a hysterical passenger aboard a Hawaii-bound flight made a dash for the cockpit, two Jersey City police officers heading to a wedding tackled and guarded him until touchdown before turning him over to authorities, officials said.

Jersey Express Season Ticket Sales Push: Jersey City’s new pro basketball team is looking to sell 749 season tickets in 30 days, in order to meet the season ticket requirements necessary for the season.

Library Returns Historic Book: Nearly 150 years after a Union Army captain pilfered a book of court records from a county courthouse in Virginia during the Civil War, the Jersey City Free Public Library has returned the 220-year-old spoil of war to its rightful home.

Eighth-Grade Singers Earn Praise for Album: The Jellybeans, a pop group formed by 11 girls from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Jersey City, are moving on up. The eighth-graders’ second album, “No Time For A Bad Day,” received positive reviews on ReviewYou.com.

City Responds to Rat Complaints: The Halladay Street resident who first brought the street’s rat infestation to the attention of Jersey City officials tells The Jersey Journal that the city has helped reduce the rat problem in recent weeks.

Jersey City Public Schools to Receive Donated Musical Instruments: VH1′s non-profit Save the Music Foundation, in association with actor Ari Gold’s Adventures of Power production studio, will be donating $30,000 worth of musical instruments to Jersey City public schools PS3 and PS22, according to VH1 spokeswoman Chiho Okuizumi.

Susan Kolb’s Dogs in Trouble Again: The Jersey City woman whose dangerous dogs were involved in several attacks saved their lives by agreeing in court to move out of Hudson County, but Jefferson Township police have already cited her for a violation that could invalidate her agreement, officials said.

T-Shirts for Breast Cancer Research: A Jersey City Heights sneaker-store owner is selling T-shirts to raise thousands of dollars for breast cancer research.

Crime Blotter: Two Jersey City women were charged with shoplifting nearly $200 worth of merchandise from a Bayonne supermarket.

In Statewide News:

State Employment Decline: The state lost 11,100 jobs in September, the second monthly decline in a row, even as unemployment fell slightly to 9.2 percent. Some are blaming the dip on Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Princeton Merger Test Case: Mercer County municipalities Princeton Borough and Princeton Township may become the first test case of Governor Chris Christie’s campaign to cut government costs by merging towns.

Toxic Cleanup Privatization Plans: With more Superfund sites than any state in the country and more than 16,000 hazardous-waste cleanups pending, New Jersey’s industrial landscape has long made it a punch line of pollution jokes. But now that state environmental officials are trying to trim the backlog by handing control to the private sector, they are facing a backlash from both the state’s environmentalists and its industrial and chemical companies.

Homeland Security Audit: New Jersey needs to better monitor the way it spends money from the agency and improve its compliance with federal accountability requirements, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security audit.

Award in Whistle-Blower Case: An Essex County jury has awarded $260,000 in damages to a former state official who was fired after blowing the whistle on a politically connected subordinate.

Six students will rehearse with Squier in preparation for the nonprofit group’s October 20 fundraiser in New York City, working on his song “Lonely is the Night.”

For much more on Little Kids Rock, check out Tad Hendrickson’s feature on the program, which ran in the Summer 2011 issue of NEW.

Photo of MS 7 Little Kids Rock students by Melanie McLean

Lemme start by saying before I digested the album I was pretty much in love with their Nicotine EP and their “City of Inbreds” single, but I thought I’d be hard pressed to find any of their newer songs in my mental playlist. I was dead wrong. “City of Inbreds” graces the album with a brand new recording quality that adds some serious dimension to the band’s already stellar sound.

The star track of this album for me has to be “The First Time I Killed Someone.” It’s a murder fantasy about a girl, where Dave compares himself to the greatest serial killers of all time. “Ted Bundy, he’s a real good buddy … Manson, Dahmer, the Unabomber … all good friends of mine.” I think Dave’s asides and inflections really make this song; it takes a lot of balls to pull a “No way, Jose!” and get away with it.

Every song on the album is raw energetic rock, with rocksteady bass, killer guitar and drumming that could wake the devil himself if he weren’t singing lead. Forget amazing “local” rock album, this is one of my picks for album of the year — in any genre this sound is undeniable.

My suggestion: fork up the loot and own it, listen to it til your neighbors complain and then get out to Wyldlife’s next show and join me at the front before these guys are too big to see at a small venue.

Wyldlife plays the Garden Stage at this Saturday’s 4th Street Art & Music Festival at 6:30 pm. You can find the album on Bandcamp.

Common, who is also an actor, author and advocate who founded the Common Ground Foundation, will appear at HCCC’s Journal Square campus on Thursday, September 29 at 6:15 pm. Ferrera, best know for her portrayal of Betty Suarez on the hit TV show Ugly Betty, will speak at the college on Thursday, March 1.

There is no charge for admission to the events, which take place at HCCC’s Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center (161 Newkirk Street), and they are open to the public. However, there are a limited number tickets, which are now available on a first-come, first-served basis from the college’s Office of Student Activities on the 1st floor of 25 Journal Square.

The college says it will announce more details about the speaker series “in the near future.”

Megha Kalia, at right, dances at the 2011 Dance Parade (photo by Brian Lin)

Jersey City has a new resident in town, and her name is Megha Kalia. She recently moved here from Sunnyside, Queens, to be closer to the new performing arts center she just launched in India Square: Sitarrey Performing Arts Center. Kalia first came up with the idea to launch Sitarrey in January 2010, and chose to make Jersey City the center’s home due to its “rich cultural diversity.” She launched it with Guneet Khurana as artistic director; Kalia says it would have been impossible to get the project off the ground without her help.

The center offers dance classes in the areas of Bollywood, Bhangra, Indian Classical Bharatnatyam & Kathak, Ballet and Jazz; music classes for Indian classical vocals, tabla, sitar, Harmonium and guitar; as well as Hatha Yoga and visual arts classes.

In addition to studying modern dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City, Kalia received formal training in Bhangra dance from the Kalehri Arts & Culture Club in Punjab, North India. We recently caught up with her to discuss her vision of Sitarrey and the role she hopes it will play in Jersey City’s vibrant arts community.

Tell us a little bit about Sitarrey.

We offer cultural awareness and education in art programs — dance, music, singing, yoga, languages, and fitness. We have tailored classes for children with teaching methods designed by an on-call development psychologist to ensure effective learning and awareness; for young adults, we have energetic and creative programs geared towards individual expression and self-confidence; we also have flexible schedule fitness and wellness programs that develop endurance and promote a healthy lifestyle; and for seniors we have daily activities and fitness programs that focus on flexibility and pain management.

As I understand it, Sitarrey is affiliated with NYC Bhangra. What is the relationship between the two organizations?

Sitarrey is the latest concept that falls under the NYC Bhangra umbrella. Although NYC Bhangra is dedicated to the awareness of the dance, Sitarrey is a more diverse concept that caters to all members and age groups of a family, and expands beyond dance to all forms of arts.

So let’s talk a little more about Bhangra; can you tell us a little bit about the history of the dance?

Bhangra, a folk dance enjoyed by farmers of Northern India, was done to celebrate the abundance of the harvest. It originated sometime between the 14th and 15th century (based on legends) when Bhangra dance originated in Punjab, India. Geographically located in the fertile land region, Punjabi folklore conveys how Bhangra was danced by farmers who celebrated the joy of harvest during the festival of Baisakhi. Springing from the land of five rivers, it reflects the vigor, the vitality, the leaven of exuberance, and the hilarity permeated among the rural folk by the promise of a bumper crop. The Bhangra season starts with the wheat sowing and then every full moon attracts teams of young men in every village who dance for hours in open fields. The steps in Bhangra are connected with movement of farmers working in the fields.

Why Bhangra, why now?

The positive effect of Bhangra is the second South Asian wellness concept to reach Western audiences, after yoga. With its high-energy dance beats and syncopated movements, people from all over the world from fitness experts to Grammy award winning musicians have acknowledged the benefits that Bhangra music and dance has on the body as well as the mind. It is an art form that has physical demands equal to aerobic exercise, technical movements and coordination that require focus and precision, and as a group dance it promotes social harmony.

In my own experience, it is a utopian dance form. The first step in the dance that I make my students wear is a smile. Its energetic beats keep students energized and moving on the dance floor. Finally, together we throw our hands in the air doing “Balle Balle.”

Let’s get back to Sitarrey. What is your role in the organization?

I’m the founder and creative director of Sitarrey. My faith and belief in Bhangra being an epitome of energy and joy kept me dancing when I moved from the midwest to New York City in 2006, and I started NYC Bhangra shortly thereafter. I began my dance career while studying at Purdue University, where I was the founder of the Purdue Indian Dance Club, a student run organization focused on teaching and spreading awareness of Indian dance. I have since continued my love of dance and am studying modern and contemporary dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

Dancing is one thing; running nonprofit cultural center is another. Do you have experience running this type of organization?

I do not have any pre-existing nonprofit management experience, but I have successfully run NYC Bhangra for three years now, and I understand that the core of any business is servicing the customer. Being a dancer and working with a broad range of clients over the past three years has developed my ability to understand our clients needs and offer great programs that are valued far and above our competition.

Tell us a little bit about the facility.

Sitarrey has two large mirrored studios that are equipped with ballet bars, independent Bose sound systems, and mounted LCD monitors for reviewing performances and dance steps. We have a waiting room lined with benches and seating for parents or friends, and a convenient changing room for students.

Who can come?

Sitarrey is a cultural asset to all of Jersey City and the entire North Jersey community. We invite people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to take full advantage of this community resource, whether you wish to find a more creative and educational after-school option for your children, or you are looking for a convenient and friendly place to better yourself.

What do you think is the biggest misconception of traditional Indian music and dance?

There is a large misconception that traditional Indian music and dance is very intricate and requires many years of training before you are ready to perform for an audience. But this is absolutely incorrect. Sitarrey is gearing up to spark the passion for the arts in order to reveal the hidden talents we all have within. Sitarrey, a word meaning “stars” in the Hindi language, is what we want all of our students to experience and feel as they perform with NYC Bhangra and Sitarrey.

THE DETAILS

Sitarrey Performing Arts Center is located 781 Newark Avenue (between Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue). Course lists and more information can be found on Sitarrey’s website.

The event features more than 35 dealers with vinyl and CDs in every genre, and there are some new vendors for this incarnation, as well as some local Jersey City folks selling their collections and one vendor selling jewelry made from old records. DJs, including Pat Longo, will spin records all day.

The Record Riot was brought to Jersey City last year by Iris Records owner Steve Gritzan; he previously had run riots in Brooklyn and other locales. Another is planned in Jersey City for the fall, with the ultimate goal of having three a year going forward.

“I want to build this thing into something that Jersey City can be proud of,” Gritzan told JCI in February. “Remember that this is the home of Kool & the Gang, the headquarters of Queen Laitifa, Doug E. Fresh’s label was on Communipaw Avenue, and Flip Wilson is from here too. So we have a serious musical legacy to uphold.”

THE DETAILS

Jersey City Record Riot; Saturday, June 25 from 11 am to around 6 pm; at Parlay Studios, 161 2nd Street. Free admission (early admission for hardcore collectors begins at 9 am, and costs $20). For more information, click here.

Middle School 7 students at an after-school rehearsal (Photos: Melanie McLean)

This story also appears in the Summer 2011 issue of NEW magazine.

In the era of standardized testing, every struggling public school has prioritized learning the three Rs (that’s reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic). While these are undoubtedly the cornerstones of education, the new emphasis on testing has often led to an either/or situation, in which art and music are cut back in favor of additional resources dedicated to meeting testing goals.

With this in mind, it’s surprising to find a video on the web of Jersey City 5th grader Jade Adams performing “Change,” a song she wrote and sings with backing from several classmates. She would later perform the song live in front of 2,000 people at Montclair’s Wellmont Theatre during a show by Michael Franti.

While Jersey City does still have some basic music education in its schools, Adams’ performance was actually the result of the program Little Kids Rock, a New Jersey-based nonprofit that provides free guitars (and occasionally keyboards, bass and drums) as well as teacher training to schools in underprivileged areas.

Since David Wish founded the organization in the Bay Area in 1996 (that’s long before the Jack Black movie, folks), he, a small staff, and an army of volunteer teachers have been bringing their message of music education to more and more of America’s children each year, at a time when budget pressures are forcing districts to scale back or eliminate “non-essential” programs like arts and music.

“Music programs are rapidly evaporating, and nobody is more alarmed about this than schoolteachers, a constituency that has already dedicated their lives to serving children,” says Wish, a former elementary school teacher himself. “Little Kids Rock provides these teachers with the tools they need to do just that.”

The idea behind this organization is that all children are born composers and improvisers who can draw upon the materials and knowledge of their teachers. Not only does Little Kids Rock attempt to restore a creative outlet that was taken away from students, Wish says the organization hopes to completely revitalize music education (and perhaps education in general) in our nation’s public schools.

“Little Kids Rock approaches music as if it were a language,” he explains. “Infants learn to speak before they are formally introduced to the written language. Traditional music education often takes the opposite course. Instead of first teaching children to produce music on instruments through imitation and approximation, students are immediately taught how to read music before they can play. Little Kids Rock’s approach allows kids to play and improvise within minutes of their first lesson. We also stress composition, because putting children in touch with their creative sides will help them develop academically and emotionally.”

The group’s success can be partly chalked up to its ability to woo star power to the cause; Jade Adams’ Montclair hook-up with Michael Franti was no lark. Little Kids Rock has received support from a number of prominent rock stars, including Slash, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Ziggy Marley and B.B. King. Fender Guitars provides instruments, the Dr. Phil Foundation has kicked in support, and a variety of other organizations have stepped up as well.

The group, which Wish dubs “a grassroots, teacher-led educational movement,” currently offers music lessons and instruments to nearly 75,000 K-12 students across the U.S., including over 2,000 in Jersey City. After launching its chapter here in April 2008 with help from a $20,000 grant from the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Little Kids Rock has grown to offer its curriculum in 19 schools all over the city. The program’s teachers either create after-school programs built specifically around Little Kids Rock, or try to weave the ideas into existing curricula.

“I had been introduced to David Wish at a jazz club and thought his ideas had merit and could be applied to the urban school districts around the country,” says music teacher Carl Botti of Downtown’s Middle School 4. “I especially liked the ‘famous’ sponsors associated with Little Kids Rock, providing a ‘realness’ to pop/rock music instruction. Plus the addition of many instruments made it all possible.”

Botti is a keyboard teacher who teaches in a 16-instrument lab as part of the general music requirement to graduate middle school; he also oversees a “Little Kids Rock” band featuring keyboards, guitars and vocals. Yet as any parent will tell you, Jersey City is faced with more than its fair share of challenges when it comes to the general student population.

John Flora, who teaches music at Middle School 7 in the Heights, has tried to integrate what he’s learned during Little Kids Rock into his regular classes, but has had difficulties teaching the principles to the general population of his school. The main reasons, he says, are lack of parental support, behavioral problems and class size. He team-teaches the district’s general music class, which leans heavily on theory and history as well as listening and ear training, yet at times there are up to 55 students in a class.

“It’s a discipline nightmare if we don’t crack the whip as soon as they come in the room,” Flora (pictured at right with students) says. “So to take the time to give out the instruments, tune them and then collect them at the end of class doesn’t really give you much time. We try to integrate it more with certain classes that we think can handle it and it works to a degree, but not a hundred percent.”

Students who want to join the Little Kids Rock program must go through an audition process. They are accepted on the basis of commitment to the program, and if they have a musical background (though the latter is not required). Flora is currently working with 20 students, but the total for the year is 35. Parents have to sign off on a series of permission slips that cover what’s expected of kids, including praticing after school at least once a week.

Little Kids Rock also shows how music can transcend cultures and languages in the ethnically diverse Jersey City public schools, although questions do arise: What kind of connection do children of Dominican immigrants have to country music? Who is Elvis? Why do they have to learn some old song their parents like? Flora had his doubts early on, but he’s been converted.

“In half the cases you have students who are so kinesthetically moved to touch something [or] hit something that strumming a guitar offers a lot of forgiveness when it’s a song by Katy Perry or a song by the Allman Brothers,” he explains. “All of a sudden it stops being an ethnic thing: They have something in their hand and they are doing something right now. They learn an A chord and suddenly they are playing along to a CD.”

Flora and his students practice what they call “Derockracy.” They name the band together. They agree on the songs they want to learn, practicing a brand of give and take that will serve the students if they end up being in another band or some other group activity. One recent success can be found on YouTube. It’s not quite up to the standards of Jade Adams, but it’s nonetheless an inspiring version of the Guns N’ Roses hit “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by a group of students with ethnicities ranging from African-American to Egyptian to Puerto Rican to Dominican.

“I showed them the video for the song and explained that Slash was a benefactor to Little Kids Rock who visited schools in California,” Flora recalls. “When I played the riff they thought it was cool, but they thought it was their parents’ music. But once they got the assignment of learning the riffs, the chords and the lyrics (and how to imitate Axl Rose and his stage moves) it became a whole different thing. I had 20 kids committed to Guns N’ Roses.”

With role models like Michael Franti, Bootsy Collins (who recently stopped by Flora’s class) or pop stars like Ciara and Colbie Caillat (who have attended area events) to inspire the kids, the days of piano lessons from the little old lady down the block or learning “Puff the Magic Dragon” on acoustic guitar from the “cool” music teacher in school are long gone. Instead, it’s hands on and star-studded.

One thing that doesn’t change is that music is an avenue for learning. Learning how to play an instrument is part of it. Learning how to work together is part of it. Even learning how to learn is part of it. While it obviously won’t work for everyone, the approach certainly opens doors for those willing to give music a chance.

“Kids are performing and learning music while staying focused on their studies in other areas of academia,” School 4′s Botti points out with pride. “Self-confidence, self-esteem and personal pride is developed in the children as the year progresses – students are speaking more effectively and becoming leaders among their peers.”

JERSEY CITY’S LITTLE KIDS ROCK SCHOOLS:

Academy 1 Middle School
Alexander D. Sullivan School (Public School 30)
Alfred E. Zampella School (Public School 27)
Chaplain Charles Watters School (Public School 24)
Dr. Michael Conti School (Public School 5)
Ezra L. Nolan School (Middle School 40)
Frank R. Conwell School (Middle School 4)
Franklin Williams Middle School (Middle School 7)
Gladys Nunery School (Public School 29)
Joseph H. Brensinger School (Public School 17)
James F. Murray School (Public School 38)
James J. Ferris High School
Jotham W. Wakeman School (Public School 6)
Julia A. Barnes School (Public School 12)
Liberty High School
Martin Luther King, Jr. School (Public School 11)
Rafael de J. Cordero School (Public School 37)
Ronald E. McNair Academic High School
Whitney M. Young, Jr. School (Public School 15)

One of his most avant-garde and innovative projects is Beninghove’s Hangmen, an electrified instrumental group that plays a kind of whacked-out fuzzy and scuzzy amalgam of punk, jazz, surf and film soundtrack styles. The band, which has been together for about two years, has just digitally released its debut self-titled album, featuring 12 tracks of avant-jazz.

Beninghove’s Hangmen, which also includes Eyal Maoz and Dane Johnson on guitars, Rick Parker on trombone, Kellen Harrison on bass and Shawn Baltazor on drums, will have its CD release party next month (June 29) at New York City’s Drom (85 Avenue A).

Check out some of the album here; you can purchase it via Bandcamp: