JHS 13, Central Park East Middle School, Spanish Harlem, Manhattan, District 4

Trish Marx, Steel Drumming at the Apollo:

Visit 1: May 14, 2010

Sixth-grade students read Trish Marx’s Steel Drumming at the Apollo, which chronicles the efforts of a group of high school students who compete in the Apollo Theater’s famed Amateur Night. To complement the book, the students researched the history of the legendary Apollo Theater and took a guided tour of the building. They then wrote poetry about their experiences at the Apollo. Ms. Marx visited the class with Dha'Sean, one of the musicians in her book. During their visit, Ms. Marx talked about her process of writing the book and Dha'Sean played music while the students performed their poetry.

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