Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Mathematics is a subject that most children face with anxiety. However, Claude Evans thinks he can change this by fusing the infectious rhythms of dancehall with math.

Starting with just the multiplication table, Evans believes his idea can go a far way.

"I could hear the beats and hear the timetables to them," Evans told The Sunday Gleaner.

"Dancehall is so prevalent in the society, so I thought we could use dancehall music to teach one of the basic concepts (of math)."

In a release Evans sent prior to the interview with The Sunday Gleaner, he said: "I think that although the general population, as well as most artistes, has math anxiety, those who do not will respond with clever, catchy renditions of the timetable.

"Most Jamaicans have learnt their timetable and the days in each month by song. We sing our ABCs to remember the alphabet itself and to remember the order of the alphabet when we file something or use a telephone directory, and we sing or recite poems."

In the same way, Evans believes music, especially dancehall, would be effective in teaching multiplication.

Timetable on rhythms

In explaining, Evans said popular artistes in the industry would sing the timetable on rhythms that children are familiar with. He said he is hoping to work with popular artistes such as Ce'Cile, Alaine, Aidonia, Busy Signal, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Mavado, Assassin, Chino and Vybz Kartel. And, he would like to use rhythm from producers such as DeMarco, Firelinks, Notch, Don Corleone, Assassin and Stephen McGregor.

So far, he said Queen Ifrica and Tony Rebel have agreed to work on the project and he left a CD for Stephen McGregor to hear.

Although no artiste has deejayed the multiplication table as yet, Evans believes the project can be completed and packaged by September in time for the next school term.

"Some kids are using calculator and computers and they don't know how to do it (timetable). If I could put music and math together, but in a format that they would like and also by using artistes that they like, I think it would be the best win-win situation all around," said Evans who said he taught ninth- and 10th-grade students in New York two years ago.

"I could do it myself, but I don't think it would have the effect that I want."

Evans said his project is open to revision and new ideas from interested persons.

"If it is done well, it will last for a long time," said Evans.

In addition to the support he is hoping for from the music industry, Evans wants the backing of the ministries of Education and Culture. Sponsorship is also desperately needed for the project, as he does not have enough funds for it.

Yet, he has high hopes for the project.

"If it is complicated, then it has failed. It has to be something that when it is performed for them (the children), it is something they will understand. Kids are so musically oriented that once it gets out there, it's gone," said Evans, who works on Royal Radio in Bronx, New York.

The multiplication table is Evans' first project with dancehall and he hopes to expand it to algebra and fractions.


http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090621/ent/ent2.html