Arts

Westminster songwriters to present educational music video at conference

WESTMINSTER — Songwriters Jerry Appell and Holiday Eames of Rock in the Classroom will present an educational music video, “Numbers Never Lie,” to an international conference on Sept. 26.

The music video will be presented at Virtual Ongoing Interdisciplinary Collaborations on Educating with Song (VOICES), an international conference of artists and educators that promotes the use of art and music in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.

“Numbers Never Lie” explores how quantitative data can both illuminate and distort issues related to politics and social justice.

According to a news release, Rock in the Classroom is a nonprofit organization promoting the use of creative arts in high school and college academic programs.

Appell founded Rock in the Classroom in 2008 after receiving a grant from Antioch University to produce a series of educational songs. Since that time, the organization has produced more than 50 educational songs in multiple genres with the help of regional artists and musicians.

These songs have been used for a wide variety of educational applications, including teacher training programs and preparation for state advanced placement tests.

College and high school courses have included Rock in the Classroom music videos as part of presentations on topics such as Manifest Destiny in U.S. history, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the role of women in American literature.

“We hope our video can advance classroom discussion around this specific topic as well as the general application of STEM to a variety of political and social issues,” Appell wrote in his share of the video on YouTube.

Those interested in attending the online conference can register at causeweb.org/voices.

For additional information about Rock in the Classroom, contact Appell at [email protected] or at 802-258-1760, or visit rockintheclassroom.org.

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