In January 2022, Taylor McTootle, the former Director of Education at Castle of our Skins, approached me to develop an Edu-tainment program that showcases the marimba alongside Black history and culture. It was my first time designing a COOS Edu-tainment program and it was important to me that young people learn about the music and culture of early Africans in America, particularly spirituals and their involvement in self-emancipation. I also wanted the program to be engaging for a broad age...