jazz education Performance-Based Activities to Enhance
Traditional Classroom Curriculum Douglas Syme, WMEA State Chair, Jazz Education
Since we are just beginning the school year and in loosely keeping with this issue’s theme, I thought it might be useful to offer some suggestions for using and com- bining a traditional
performance program with an academic classroom. Even with the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – which should help increase awareness of the importance of music programs in our schools – it is important that we, as music teachers, try to make our programs as in- tegral a part of the overall school culture as possible. In many schools, there has always been a natural, strong connection between music and other school depart- ments (i.e. the athletic, or drama depart- ments). However, the connection does not have to end there. Music can, and should be, a creative lens that can help facilitate learning in any subject.
A professor of mine once said to me “Mu- sic has existed in every culture through- out human history. That alone is reason enough for us to study it, we don’t need another.” While this is certainly true, I am not sure it is a view consistently shared by the educational community as a whole. We should advocate for music education to stand on its own but we should also look for interesting, creative ways to col- laborate and make our programs an indis- pensable part of the complete educational climate. With that being said here are some suggestions for performance-based proj- ects that encourage collaboration between music and other academic areas.
History
There is a strong connection between music and social studies. “Popular music is the soundtrack to much of our history”
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(Berkin, 2012). Any era or period in his- tory will have several artistic elements with which it can be associated: music, art, dance, and film or theater. Let’s use soul music as an example. Think outside the box and consider the following:
1. A concert featuring soul music from the 1960s & 70s.
a. This could utilize students from the band, orchestra and vocal de- partments. Also a chance to use non-traditional music students who otherwise might not have a chance to participate.
b. Have students demonstrate the dance of the 1960s as part of the concert.
c. Have students and staff be part of a 60s dress up day the day of the concert.
d. Have the social studies depart- ment prepare material regarding civil rights / 1960s to be used during the concert.
i. Power point presentation to run during the concert.
ii. Program notes for a “larger than normal” concert pro- gram.
iii. Posters to be displayed outside the venue showing important events or per- sonalities of the civil rights movement.
e. If scheduled during February, the show could be considered a “black history” program.
i. Have a matinee and invite elementary and middle schools. This not only serves as outreach but could also be a valuable recruiting tool for your school/department.
f. If budget allows bring in an ap- propriate guest artist to perform the concert with the students.
2. Pick significant/appropriate films about Soul music and host a “movie night” prior to the concert.
3. Bring in parents, grandparents, or other community members to share first-hand experiences of the era with students.
4. Involve your parents and hold a soul food dinner prior to the concert.
5. Have the art department create stu- dent works reflective of the theme of the concert. These could be displayed outside the venue.
6. Be sure to alert the local media. They love events of this type, the bigger the better.
Civil Rights/1960s is just one example of a theme that could be easily adapted/ expanded to this type of collaborative experience. Any historical era or even holiday could be used to create a won- derful, holistic educational experience for your students. The possibilities are nearly endless.
World Language
Similar to history, world languages can be expanded by using music to enhance the educational experience. Once again, consider the following:
1. A concert featuring the music of that particular culture(s).
a. If the concert includes vocals, be sure it is sung in the applicable language.
i. If the language is not fa- miliar to the conductor then enlist the help of the world language teacher in your school.
b. The narration for the concert could also be in the applicable language, preferably using a student emcee.
September 2016
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