And The (Cultural) Beat Goes On Thanks to Folkways Fellow, David Freeman

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David K. Freeman is an intern with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Alongside his mentor, Dr. Atesh Sonneborn, Associate Director of the program, they support the mission of maintaining musical and cultural diversity which contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. This includes:

  • Education: David logs meta data for lesson plans generated by participants in Smithsonian Folkways Certification Course in World Music Pedagogy that are then made available to teachers as an online educational resource.

  • Acquisitions: David assists with researching, organizing and cataloging contact information, contracts and media involved in completed and current Folkways acquisitions, such as the UNESCO Collection of World Music.

  • Current Catalog: David generates abstracts that are published online that inform the audience about Folkways recordings.

  • Project Submissions: David helps review and process project submissions and recordings by musicians, performers, students and scholars who express interest in working with Smithsonian Folkways.

In summary, David’s participation in and support of Folkways educational programming, acquisitions and archiving reinforces this mission by maintaining multiple entry points of learning and engagement for the audiences of today and for generations to come.

A percussionist, composer, and educator based in Brooklyn, David has traveled extensively to study music, including in the Dominican Republic and India. His work is infused with a passion for jazz, world, and folk music traditions. David holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University and has been an artist-in-residence at Banff Arts Center, Makor, Omi International Arts Center, LABA Arts at the 14th Street Y and the Six Points/Asylum International Artists Retreat. He is a recipient of the Jubilation Foundation/Tides Foundation Fellowship Award, Geraldine R. Dodge Fellowship, the NJSCA Folk Arts Apprenticeship Award, Asylum Small Arts Grant and the ROI Schusterman Foundation Micro Grant. As a teaching artist, David has been serving at risk youth in underserved communities and juvenile detention centers since 2001 facilitating hand drum workshops with the State of New Jersey’s Middlesex County Division of Youth Services and Arts to Grow. David is currently earning a masters degree in Experiential Education/Jewish Culture and Arts through the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

David Freeman