All Around This World

[CONCERT POSTPONED UNTIL THURSDAY, MAY 21st!!] Join All Around This World at 6:30pm for a special World Stage performance with The Global Orchestra on Tuesday, May 19th at Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ -- and get ready to sing, dance, and experience music from around the world together.

This FREE community concert features The Global Orchestra, a dynamic cross cultural music collective blending musical traditions and styles from across the globe into an interactive, dance along celebration for all ages.

The performance will feature Jay Sand from All Around This World and an extraordinary ensemble of international musicians from the South Jersey and Philadelphia area, including:

— Phyllis Chappell (multilingual vocals)
— Bill Koutsouros (Greek multi instrumentalist)
— Qin Qian (Chinese erhu virtuoso)
— Joe Tayoun (Middle Eastern percussion)
— Senfuab Stoney (West African percussion)
— Bruce Kaminsky (Band Leader)

Come ready to move, sing, and celebrate the many sounds and cultures that connect us all through music.

Learn more: https://canvas.perkinsarts.org/events/353

Join All Around This World at “Kid’s Art Bash” on Saturday, April 18th at Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington, NJ — and don’t miss your chance to jam with the Global Orchestra LIVE at 1pm.

This FREE community festival invites kids and families to explore creativity, make art, and experience music from around the world together in downtown Burlington. Bring your friends and your artistic spirit.

At 1pm, jump into the music with Jay Sand and these incredible Global Orchestra artists:

— Chad Brown (Balkan/Klezmer percussion)
— Youba Cissokho (kora, Senegal)
— Rob Curto (Brazilian accordion/piano)
— Qin Qian (Chinese erhu)
— Joe Tayoun (North African/Middle Eastern percussion)
— Cara Tratner (Klezmer saxophone/vocals)

Learn more: https://www.lyceumarts.com/kidsartsbash

Come ready to explore, create, and make music together — because no matter where we come from, we all speak music.

Join me at the World Music in the Classroom online summit, March 6-8, 2026 -- http://thehappymusicteacher.thrivecart.com/worldmusic/. I'm speaking LIVE on Friday, March 6th at 5pm eastern time and will be answering questions live on Sunday, March 8th, at 5pm eastern time, and a recorded workshop introducing All Around This World (http://www.ExploreEverywhere.com) will go public on Sunday, March 8th at 11am. I may not be on Facebook much through the weekend, but e-mail me ([email protected]) if you have any questions. Cheers!

Join All Around This World for "We All Speak Music" on Saturday, March 21st, at 10am -- a Sing-Along, Dance-Along Global Music Adventure! Live @ the Perkins Center for the Arts/Collingswood -- 30 Irvin Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08108.

Jay Sand and the "All Around This World" Global Orchestra All-Stars welcome you and your young kids, infants-in-arms and above, to the Perkins Center for the Arts for an exuberantly interactive exploration of global music!

This FREE family-friendly event begins at 10am with time to meet the musicians from AATW's Global Orchestra and get your hands on their traditional instruments from countries like Brazil, China, Lebanon and Senegal. The concert starts at 10:30 and will get you and your kids up and dancing to magical, multilingual, multi-national music.

RSVP HERE: https://events.humanitix.com/for-kids-aatw-s-global-orchestra-all-stars-march-21-perkins-in-collingswood

Performing with All Around This World's Jay Sand will be these extraordinary Global Orchestra musicians:

-- Chad Brown: Balkan/Klezmer percussion (West Philadelphia Orchestra
-- Youba Cissokho: 72nd Generation Griot from Senegal, playing kora
-- Rob Curto: Brazilian accordion/piano, (Philly Roda de Samba & Choro, Rob Curto Music
-- Qin Qian: Chinese erhu
-- Joe Tayoun: North African/Middle Eastern Percussion (Jaffna World Music Ensemble)
-- Cara Tratner: Klezmer Saxophone/vocals (Mariposas Galacticas -- http://instagram.com/mariposasgalacticas)

See you on March 21st!

CELEBRATE Chinese New Year 🧧

Also known as Chinese Lunar New Year, this lunisolar festival marks the turning of the year and the gradual return of spring. Celebrated over many days, it is a time for family gatherings, shared meals, and joyful tradition.

Music, rhythm, and movement are central to the celebrations. One well-known tradition is the lion dance—a symbolic performance where dancers move together in coordinated, martial arts–inspired steps.

The video we’re sharing was created specifically for All Around This World by our teaching partners, the Penn Lions. Designed for young learners, it introduces a simple lion dance movement often used to greet and close dances.

https://vimeo.com/1069034505?fl=ls&fe=ec

Jewish families around the world celebrate Hanukkah over eight nights by lighting a menorah, singing songs, giving gifts and sharing traditions they have carried through generations. The lighting of each candle invites reflection on resilience, memory, and the way communities keep stories alive through music and ritual.

Around this time of year, many cultures turn to songs that bring light into the season. In our wider global explorations, we look at how different traditions use music to mark moments of joy and connection. For Hanukkah, one beautiful example is “Ocho Kandelikas,” a Ladino song often sung during the holiday. Its playful rhythm and Sephardic roots offer a window into Jewish cultural history across the Spanish-speaking world.

Hanukkah reminds us how music, storytelling, and tradition continue to illuminate communities everywhere, each in their own way and with their own light.

A last pitch for all in Philadelphia to join the Global Orchestra at our concert this Saturday, December 6th. Replenish your soul in these dastardly days! Music is the language of hope!

This is a one night only event...and Saturday is the night.

If a preview will help, here are clips from our basement rehearsal Wednesday. The video starts with a Senegalese classic, slides into a samba, and ends with a klezmer anthem.

Details and RSVP: https://events.humanitix.com/global-orchestra-at-the-rotunda-december-6th

GO Philly rehearsal 2025-12-03 (Salia -- O Mar Serenou -- S'iz Nito) From The Global Orchestra, rehearsing on December 3, 2025, for our concert on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at The Rotunda in Philadelphia.

This Black Friday, give your students more than a lesson — give them the world.

All Around This World provides three full school years’ worth of music, movement, and cultural exploration lessons, thoughtfully designed for classrooms and homeschool families.

If you’ve been considering joining, this is the perfect time — special Black Friday access is available for a limited time:
➡️ https://www.exploreeverywhere.com/discount10

👉 Explore the World 🌍

Join THE GLOBAL ORCHESTRA in WEST PHILADELPHIA for a SAMBA / SABAR / KLEZMER Concert and Community Jam!
Live The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, Saturday, December 6th, 2025.

This VERY SPECIAL event will be two musical adventures in one:

-- PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY JAM @ 6:30pm
Calling all Philadelphia musicians...we know you want to be in this band! Bring your instruments to play along with the Global Orchestra. We'll get you in the Samba, Senegalese Sabar and Klezmer groove as we jam together on songs from the show. Musicians of all backgrounds and skill levels are welcome.

-- CONCERT FOR ALL -- Doors open @ 8pm
Come to The Rotunda ready to sing-along, dance-along and (gasp!) FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE THE WORLD as these dynamic artists, drawing on traditions from Brazil, West Africa and Eastern Europe, embrace each other's melodies and rhythms, crossing "borders" that were never real borders, making music that moves us all.

Both the jam and show are FREE, though we're suggesting a $20 donation. (10% of ticket proceeds will go to the All Around This World TiME Fund, supporting international culture-bearers in need.)

RSVP: https://events.humanitix.com/global-orchestra-at-the-rotunda-december-6th

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This Global Orchestra show will feature extraordinary musicians!
-- Fernanda Rowlands Bravo: Brazilian/Portuguese vocals (Philly Roda de Samba & Choro)
-- Rob Curto: Brazilian accordion/piano, (Philly Roda de Samba & Choro)
-- gregg mervine: Balkan/Brazilian/Klezmer percussion, (Philly Roda de Samba & Choro, West Philadelphia Orchestra)
-- Aba Diop: Senegalese/sabar percussion (Aba Diop & the Yermande Family Aba Diop & the Yermande Family)
-- Cara Tratner: Klezmer Saxophone/vocals (https://www.instagram.com/mariposasgalacticas/)
-- Jason Hosier: Senegalese guitar, (Aba Diop & the Yermande Family)

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All Around This World is a global music and world cultures program for young children and their families. West Philadelphia-based music teacher Jay Sand, who will be singing backup vocals and maybe even playing guitar in this very show!, developed the 300-song strong AATW curriculum to teach kids about the world through singing, dancing and FUN.

Extending All Around This World's mission to audiences of all ages, The Global Orchestra is an international community of culture-bearing musicians and musical teaching artists who celebrate the wealth of world cultures and INSPIRE HOPE.

PLEASE RSVP -- https://events.humanitix.com/global-orchestra-at-the-rotunda-december-6th

MORE INFO:

Contact Jay -- [email protected], 215-913-2679