Making Music with Dr. Ko at Waldo Burton

On Monday, October 28th, the gentlemen of Waldo Burton School were treated to the musical genius of Dr. Jee-Yeoun Ko and friends! It was a memorable and impactful evening for all!

Dr. Ko is the founder and Executive Director of Koats for Kids and a music Professor at Xavier University of Louisiana.  Koats for Kids is a non-profit organization based in New Orleans that provides winter coats for underserved children in our community. Dr. Ko has also been instrumental in developing and implementing songwriting instruction programs for system-impacted youth.

Dr. Ko performed several songs on the cello and shared her personal musical journey with the students, highlighting the power that music has had on her life. Following her performance, the students were very inquisitive, and Dr. Ko graciously spent over 35 minutes answering questions about her music and her life in Korea.

To end the evening, the students were invited to join the first of two songwriting sessions. The boys were separated into age groups, each with its own music instructor. After just an hour, both groups had prepared a rough draft of an original song! Next, Dr. Ko's group will come back again to work with the students and add the finishing touches to their musical masterpieces!