2023 Blues Festivals

Our mission is to provide access and ownership of musical instruments for children and young adults with cancer and other serious challenges. We also provide music therapy departments with instruments.  

The Blues Foundation expanded its longstanding Blues in the Schools youth education efforts with a new initiative that began in 2010 entitled Generation Blues. Generation Blues was created to provide financial assistance to aspiring young Blues musicians whose limited financial resources might prohibit them from attending a Blues music learning opportunity. This scholarship program is available for those under the age of 21 to study their instrument of choice at reputable camps, seminars, and workshop programs in the United States and Canada. The Scholarship does not fund individual lessons or tuition. 

The picture above is Jon Hay and Zach Lees our 2018 Youth Group representatives in Memphis.  Both are  now very successful Blues musicians making Blues music their career. 

Blues in the Schools offers the opportunity for students of all ages to engage in multidisciplinary, whole-language learning  using the study of music, math, language arts, history, anthropology, and sociology in a hands-on approach celebrating creative self-expression. By bringing the blues genre into the classroom, students are exposed to these traditional subjects, while breaking down racial barriers and opening dialogue about cultural diversity. 

The Central Delaware Blues Society is all about bringing Blues music to our region and supporting our younger generation musicians. Occasionally we are contacted to assist in the area and we are always willing to do whatever we can to do that. 

We were contacted by a young lady named Amelia, who is just starting the fourth grade, through her youth services librarian Tracy from Fountain View Library, in Salt Lake City, UT. Amelia is not yet a Blues musician but is interested in playing Jazz. Amelia’s parents play musical instruments (father plays the guitar and her mother plays the piano) so her love for music started pretty early. She plans to take up the violin next year and hopes to learn some fiddle music!

We added this link for Amelia and her friends and hope that it demonstrates and encourages some of the other kids that it's always a great idea to pay it forward and share ideas with others!   

Good Luck Amelia and thank you Tracy!