Lynn in tune with Black History Month

LYNN – Students at Lynn English High School kicked off a month-long celebration of Black History Month Wednesday by taking a journey through the history of jazz music in the United States.Thanks to grant money and an award won by LEHS Library Media Specialist Linda Barefield for best publicity, the Young Audiences of Massachusetts presented jazz musicians Made in the Shade Wednesday morning in the school’s auditorium.The four-piece acoustic jazz band played songs from a variety of eras in jazz history including blues, Dixieland, swing, bee bop, jazz fusion and Latin jazz – all the while educating students on the origins of each style and the geographic area of America where the music was born.Trombonist Dan Fox and banjo player Crick Diefendorf took the audience through different eras of jazz while trumpet player Mike Peipman and drummer John McLellan entertained the crowd by telling stories through their instruments.The concert is the first of many events taking place through the LEHS library this month to commemorate black history. Feb. 23 will bring a live performance from the In The Making Step Team on the history of step dancing and the LEHS Gospel Choir will join the Vybez Gospel Choir form Marblehead and conductor Joseph Martin from the Berkley College of Music.The following day, the students will participate in a Spanish and French Mardi Gras celebration including a screening of the film “The Secret Life of Bees” which is set during the southern civil rights movement.Later in the month, students will participate in an African drumming course after school and attend and African American Club breakfast.