SPARKY & RHONDA RUCKER

HEROES & HARD TIMES:
AMERICAN HISTORY
THROUGH SONG AND STORY

Heroes and Hard Times: American History Through Song and Story, includes songs and stories relating to slavery, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the westward migration, the birth of the blues, and the Civil Rights Movement. Since this program is flexible and not scripted, and it can be adapted and geared to the age and experience of the audience, including kindergarten through college grade levels. The length of the program is from 40 minutes for the youngest children to 50 minutes for older audiences. The descriptions below give examples of what a typical program might include for a specific range of grades.

Grades K - 2

Through songs and stories, Sparky and Rhonda introduce the topics of slavery and the Underground Railroad, giving the children a taste of what life as a slave might have been like. They explain how the movement to help slaves escape inspired many songs, and they engage the children in sing-alongs. The Ruckers demonstrate a wide variety of early American music forms from slave spirituals to chain gang songs. Since the slaves were not allowed to play their drums, they developed ways to make rhythmic sounds with their bodies (e.g. the “hambone”), and the Ruckers often teach the children one of the simpler rhythms. Sparky and Rhonda sometimes also demonstrate how to play instruments such as the spoons and bones, which is often a big hit with the children.

Grades 3 - 5

From slave times through the Civil Rights Movement, Sparky and Rhonda tell the history of America through the voices of the people who lived it. Many of the slave spirituals and Underground Railroad songs were full of symbols and code words that gave information that helped the slaves escape, and the Ruckers tell these stories and sing some of these songs. Their program often includes a rousing Civil War story and song and a chain gang song performed with spoons and bones. They might introduce the birth of blues music, with Rhonda demonstrating blues-style harmonica with Sparky’s bottleneck blues guitar. The Ruckers often close with an uplifting and thought-provoking discussion and song from the Civil Rights Movement.

Grades 6-8

Instead of the familiar classroom textbooks and computers, the Ruckers bring history to life for students through stories and songs. Many of the slave spirituals and Underground Railroad songs used specific code words to tell the slaves how to escape, and Sparky and Rhonda demonstrate these songs for the students. They also tell the personal stories of the heroes who participated in these times, using these as a basis for motivational messages for the students. Sparky and Rhonda often include a rousing Civil War story and song as well as a chain gang song performed with spoons and bones. They often discuss the birth of blues music with Rhonda demonstrating blues-style harmonica with Sparky’s bottleneck blues guitar. Blues music, of course, went on to influence jazz, country music, bluegrass, rock and roll, and rap music. Sparky’s uses his personal experience in the Civil Rights Movement to teach the students about that time period, and the Ruckers usually close the program with a spirited rendition of a civil rights song.

Grades 9-12

Using an interdisciplinary approach, Sparky and Rhonda tell the history of America by singing the songs and telling the stories of their ancestors. In fact, Sparky sometimes opens by telling the poignant story of one of his ancestors who was a slave. This program often includes such topics as how the Underground Railroad functioned, the effects of the Fugitive Slave Act, a specific story of someone’s escape, and anecdotes about the personalities from the Civil War. They also tell the personal stories of the heroes who participated in these times, using these as a basis for motivational messages for the students. The Ruckers intersperse these stories with a variety of early American music, including slave spirituals, Underground Railroad songs, and Civil War songs. After introducing the birth of blues music, Rhonda demonstrates blues-style harmonica with Sparky’s bottleneck blues guitar. Blues music, of course, went on to influence jazz, country music, bluegrass, rock and roll, and rap music. Sparky spent his teenage and young adult years marching and working in the Civil Rights Movement, and he uses this experience to teach the students about that time period. The Ruckers usually close the program with a spirited rendition of a civil rights song, renewed hope, and a reminder to students that “freedom is a constant struggle.”

College

Sparky and Rhonda adapt their program for the college classroom, depending on the particular topics the students are studying. They have performed and led discussions in a variety of courses, including ethnomusicology, American history, African-American studies, Appalachian studies, literature, and music.

Standards of Learning:

Sparky and Rhonda’s interdisciplinary program entitled “Heroes and Hard Times” encompasses numerous standards of learning, including the following categories:

HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE: Ethnic and Cultural Diversity, The Colonial Period, Slavery, Early America, The Civil War, Reconstruction, Abolition and Suffrage, Westward Expansion, Immigration and Industrial Revolution, Early Twentieth Century America, Civil Rights Movement, Prejudice and Discrimination

ENGLISH: Folktales

MUSIC: Classroom Instrument Identification; Tone Color Discrimination; Melodic Rhythms; Recognition of Accompanied Singing; Orchestral, Folk, and World Instrument Identification; Music of World Cultures; Music and Its Historical and Cultural Context; Participate; Investigate; Connect

Sparky & Rhonda also give teacher in-service training programs and provide valuable resource lists to help teachers augment multicultural education.

Technical Requirements: Sound system with 4 microphones (one vocal and one instrument for Sparky; one vocal and one instrument for Rhonda), each on a floor-length stand.