The Vibe Lab Osprey Block, led and supported by iAM Music, provided kids with the opportunity to learn about instruments, performance setup, and band etiquette/structure. The students were grouped into two bands for several live performances around town.
After several weeks of practicing and performing on the AHS campus for in-house audiences, the students had the chance to do live performances in real music venues. The two freshly formed bands, who titled themselves BLT and Grey Skies, played at Lola’s Bar and at iAM Music’s Indigo Room. They also did impromptu performances on the Durango streets, after learning the art of “busking,” or playing live music in public for gratuities.
iAM Music is an organization that helps kids learn new instruments or further their skills with instruments they already play. During this Osprey Block, iAM Music offered a plethora of their own instruments and equipment for these live performances.
Clarke Reid, one of the iAM teachers who led the block shared: “We had a really great time with the Osprey Vibe Lab, which was the music Osprey block this year. We played a lot of great music. We had two different bands that played some songs that they chose and some songs that we chose, and we had 2 concerts. And one thing we’d like to do a little more next year is focus on recording a little more, maybe some kind of different trips that we do or workshops. Like this year, we had Blessing [Chimanda’s] South African music workshop, and that was really awesome. We wanna do more like that next year.”
Junior Abby Grindstaff shared how this block helped her improve her music skills: “My confidence went up just because I’m not a very experienced singer. Just getting to spend time practicing singing throughout the [block] definitely helped my singing skills, and having the opportunity to learn how to sing in music through iAM Music helped boost my confidence.”
