future hits songs for learning (chicago,...
TRANSCRIPT
FUTURE HITS: Songs for Learning (Chicago, IL)
Contact: Matt Baron
futurehits.org847-800-7455
Uniquely adaptable for a classroom, library, or rock club setting, Future Hits defies the laws of family music. Future Hits spawned from a lightbulb moment by rock musician, Coach House Sounds founder and Chicago Public School teacher Matt Baron. Since March 2011, Baron's method of imbedding creativity and culture into the classroom with fuzzy, poppy tunes has evolved into over forty songs as well as performances outside of the school setting.
Matt Baron teamed up with Emma Hospelhorn (Hollows, New
Millennium Orchestra) and Ben Sutherland (assistant
professor of audio arts at Columbia College) to form Future
Hits. The band exists as a natural extension of the music Matt started
writing for teaching with at Chicago Public Schools. Future Hits
recorded their debut album, Songs for Learning, with Mark
Greenberg (Coctails, Wilco, Andrew Bird).
Future Hits' songs are steeped in educational standards, yet
mellifluous fluting from Hospelhorn and uptempo drumming from
Sutherland don't make it obvious upon first listen: spelling words,
literacy themes, Common Core standards and social emotional learning
outcomes are ingrained in the lyrics. Activities, differentiated
assessments, and lesson plans were also developed; the music and
materials can be used inside or outside of a school to enrich
and accommodate any child’s learning or life experience.
"Baron’s easy-on-the-ears voice meshes perfectly with mellow acoustic songs; [and] on the punk-inspired 'Cross the Street,' he sounds more Johnny Ramone than John Mayer, teaching [suffixes] through shouted choruses and drum beats." ! Time Out Chicago Kids
"Already heavily involved with the Chicago music scene, Baron has always had a knack for [songwriting], so it's really only natural that it would begin to seep into his lesson plans. The music, hardly resembling ‘KidzBop’-type jams, is actually really good."! The Huffington Post
"[Leadoff track ‘At the Library’] pops with a super melodic and bright indie rock quality. Guitars shimmer while backup vocals are key to its catchiness. It’s a sweet, fun ditty that makes me want to check out a book or two." ! Loud Loop Press
Audience: 2-105 years oldPerformance credits: Hideout, Forest Park Library, Oak Park Library, Lincoln Hall, The Interview Show, Intonation Music Workshop’s Youth Music Fest, Chic-A-Go-Go!, Millennium Park, three CPS schools, Schubas, Chicago Public Library, kids’ parties in Chicago and beyond