high energy funky grooves that entertain and educate!
“Your talent is a true gift and we are grateful that you shared it with our little ones!”--Torria Baker, Director, UCM Learning Center
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“He puts on an incredible show!” -- Lisa Barrera-Entertainment Committee, Arlington County Fair Board of Directors
High energy funky grooves in children’s music that entertain and educate!
Groovy Nate® is a performance and teaching artist who creates exciting educational shows and workshops using funky grooves played on his loop station, electric guitar, exotic musical instruments such as the mouthbow, talking drum, and kitchen utensils; laced with comedy, creative play, and puppet skits— a la Sesame Street meets Parliament/Funkadelic. Groovy Nate performs at birthday parties, school assemblies, summer camps, libraries, and indoor/outdoor public events.
Groovy Nate’s music is unique and eclectic, using Funk music as the foundation and reference. This is best represented in his two children’s music albums, “Meet Groovy Nate”, and “I’m Gonna Play My Bell”, along with a single promoting seat belt safety aptly called, “Put Your Seat Belt On” (he recently published a children’s book with the same title). Additionally, Groovy Nate has a song titled, “Respect Everybody” that is featured in the 2022 Grammy nominated compilation album by One Tribe Collective, “All One Tribe”.
Since 2007, Groovy Nate has worked with a number of arts-based education organizations such as Music Together, Wolf Trap Education Learning Center, and Kennedy Center’s Teaching Artist Presents (TAP). He also does extensive work with Arlington-based Educational Theatre Company (ETC), working as Music Director at Main Stage residencies, theatre-based after school programs, and lyric writing workshops at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. During the pandemic, Groovy Nate taught online songwriting classes for 3rd grade groups at the Dalton School in New York, and with grades 3-5 for Regeneration 180 in Laurel, Maryland. The social-distancing period was also an opportunity for Groovy Nate to launch his YouTube production of, “The Groovy Nate Show”.
Groovy Nate also works as a high impact tutor for Fairfax County Public Schools, teaches a percussion class using kitchen items on Outschool, and extends his musicianship by playing electric guitar at Berean Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Lastly, his poetry writing can be found in the Day Eight poetry anthology entitled, The Great World Of Days, and in the upcoming Washington Writer’s Publishing House anthology titled, AMERICA’S FUTURE: poetry & prose in response to tomorrow.
Prior to working as a children's performer and Teaching Artist, he founded the underground soul band, Oktbrwrld (October World). They worked from 1997-2006, producing four albums, winning The Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) award four times, as well as having two songs featured in the 2007 motion picture, "Cougar Club".
Instruments: Voice, Guitar, Electronics, Percussion
Genres: Children's Music, Funk, Go-go, Reggae, Afro-Beat, Electronic, Rock, Avant-Garde
Years Active: 2006-Present
Education Background/Training:
- Howard University (Jazz Studies/Guitar)
- Wolf Trap Teacher Artist Training, Wolf Trap Education Learning Center
- Music Together Teacher Training, Center for Music and Young Children
- SAGA Tutor Training
- University of Florida Institute (UFLI) literacy tutor training
- Ready Set Math (RSM) tutor training
Additional Skills:
- Kennedy Center’s Teaching Artist Present (TAP)
- Music Director and Teaching Artist with Educational Theatre Company (ETC)
- Grammy nominated Music Producer
- Songwriting workshops for children grades 3-10
- Teaching Artist for Groovy Nate classes and workshops for public, private, and home schools, grades Pre-K through 5th grade
- Freelance abstract art teacher for grades Pre-K and Kindergarten
Affiliations:
- Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA) Teaching Artist Roster
- Teaching Artist Mid-Atlantic (TAMA)
- Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts
- Arts Every Day
- Educational Theatre Company (ETC)
- Kennedy Center Education
- Day Eight
- Music Together Vivo!
Awards and Honors:
Groovy Nate
- 2022 Grammy Nominated with The One Tribe Collective for Best Children’s Album
- 2011 Get Caught Reading Appreciation from Arlington Public Library
Oktbrwrld
- 2005 Washington Area Music Award winner for Best Urban Contemporary Group
- 2005 Washington Post Best Local Band nominee
- 2005 Washington Area Music Award winner for Best Urban Contemporary Recording
- 2004 Washington Area Music Award winner for Best Urban Contemporary Group
- 2003 Washington Area Music Award winner for Best Urban Contemporary Group
- 2003 Artists Undiscovered Award winner for Best R&B/Funk Songwriter