Mrs. Vreeland's 1st grade class proudly stands with members of Sweet Plantain
Sweet Plantain, a string quartet that blends classical, jazz and Latin styles, visited Juneau as part of their Alaskan tour. While here, they gladly accepted an invitation to perform at Glacier Valley Elementary School before hopping on a plane to their next stop. This dynamic quartet supports music education in their hometown of New York City where they started a string ensemble program for a school in South Bronx. They designed curricula "to empower the students through musical forms representative of their community's cultural heritage, while at the same time exposing them to classic Western forms. Sound familiar? Yes, one of the members of this quartet is a product of Venezuela's El Sistema.
After performing for the entire student body, the quartet attended an impromptu performance by Mrs.Vreeland's 1st grade violin class in the music room. There we had a chance to ask the members questions and personally thank them for such an inspirational performance. But it was Sweet Plantain who thanked us for inspiring them. One member explained that in NYC cuts had been made to an instrumental program that he'd been involved with for years. Seeing a program like JAMM gave him hope.
Thank you, Sweet Plantain, for showing your commitment to music education wherever you travel. Thank you, Juneau Arts and Humanities Council for sponsoring them and making a performance at Glacier Valley possible.
JAMM after-school club: 1st graders drum with buckets and tubanos
JAMM has been an in-school model until now. Thanks to Alaska ICE and Rasmuson Cultural Collaborations grants, first graders also can attend an after-school club, once a week for 2 hours beginning in October. 8-% of our first graders are enrolled, ready for general music instruction, violin lessons and bucket band!
First grade is a transition year, gradually moving its programming from an in-school model to after-school. Kindergartners have violin class during school hours and 2nd graders will hold class after-school when JAMM expands to 2nd grade next year.
A general music curriculum is part of JAMM's after-school club
This transition has intention. Its purpose is to maintain quality of instruction, consistent school culture, behavioral expectations, and developmentally appropriate practice (recognizing that these little ones get tired!)
It's also a transition year for JAMM's teaching model:
All 1st grade violin classes replace in-school general music time. This was a tough decision, but it was the only option for JAMM to ensure that all 1st graders received at least two years of a solid foundation in string pedagogy. This is one reason why the after-school club has a general music component.
1st grade teacher do not attend these violin sessions because it's their prep time. Instead, they've each schedule an additional 30 minutes during the week for their class to come to the music room and "show and tell" what they've been doing in violin. This way music and classroom teachers can continue to build connections across the curriculum.
The classroom teachers' absence allow the music teacher and teaching artist to command the classroom on their own before moving into daily after-school hours when their management skills will be most tested.
Diane Barnett, who has been assisting in both kindergarten and 1st grade violin classes and Amy Bibb, a recent MAT music graduate, will lead JAMM club. They are both indispensable to the program and JAMM is fortunate to have them! As the school music teacher, I will also be there to support and help maintain consistency between in-school and after-school expectations.
Amy Bib leads the 1st graders in a warm-up activity before drumming
Thank you, Association of Alaska School Boards, Rasmuson Foundation and the Alaska State Council on the Arts for helping JAMM take its next big step. Here is a short video clip of Abreu Fellow, Julie Davis, leading the club in a partnering activity to help students isolate one skill at a time: bowing or fingering. Thank you, Julie, for sharing so many technique games with our students!
Rebecca Levi and Levi Comstock team-teaching at CLCS
Last week I shared my experiences working with the El Sistema Boston staff at Conservatory Lab Charter School and how powerful collaboration can be. Collaboration works. It's why all JAMM classes are team-taught.
If I could wish anything for a new initiative, it would be a team-teaching model, especially in those critical start-up years. Here's why:
Your weakness may be the other teacher's strength. Together you create better lessons, while learning from one another.
Together you build common language, consistent school culture and expectations. Students need to know the boundaries. If rules and expectations change each time students move to a new classroom, they'll spend their time trying to figure out the rules by testing them, instead of focusing on the music. This is often the cause of misbehavior. Team-teaching helps cut down on this chance of inconsistency among staff.
You are willing to take risks and try new strategies when you have support from another colleague.
You hold each other accountable for the success of the lesson by planning ahead together and establishing your roles.
You can reflect on lesson delivery more thoroughly when you have the benefit of two different perspectives.
You can have eyes in the back of your head! Your colleague can catch what you may have missed.
You can attend to misbehavior without having to disrupt the flow of the class. Your colleague can often prevent the issue by proximity and by attending to it early on.
You are modeling teamwork for your students, an important skill for them to see adults doing.
I'd like to thank the Glacier Valley and JAMM staff for investing in a team-teaching model. It takes trust, but no one teacher has all of the answers. By reaching out to colleagues and community members for inspiration and expertise, collaborative teaching will not only enliven and diversify instruction, but also remind you that you are never alone.
Mrs. Peters' class benefits from three teachers: Mrs. Peters, Mr. Xia & Miss Heagy
Nikki Shorts and Brandon Brack at YOLA at HOLA, where team-teaching is part of its culture
Meeting the Abreu Fellows Class of 2011 at Longy School of Music
While back east for a Teacher of the Year event in Princeton and NYC, I had the honor of traveling to Boston to meet and provide teacher training for the 2011 class of Abreu Fellows. I did a similar training for the class of 2010. In four short days, I shared some of the most useful practices gathered over 17 years of teaching, modeled them in classrooms at the Conservatory Lab Charter School (CLCS) for the fellows to observe and debriefed afterward, focusing on what worked (and what didn't), why and how will this inform us for planning tomorrow's lesson.
In particular, I'd like to thank Levi Comstock, a strings teacher at CLCS for welcoming me into his classroom last year where I observed, team-taught and gave feedback. I visited his classroom again this year, as well as other El Sistema Boston staff at CLCS. Levi's attitude is one that makes for a great teacher. I saw this same open attitude modeled in nucleos throughout Venezuela. Feedback given one day was incorporated into practice the next. Levi did the same thing.
For example, last year Levi found it challenging to keep the attention of his students while explaining bow divisions. When we debriefed afterward, I shared some brain-compatible strategies and Waldorf principles that had worked for me.
One in particular is the use of story. In Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen describes factors that engage the mind: emotion, movement, relevance, novelty and pattern. A story contains all of them and makes for a very effective teaching strategy. As an example of using story to teach something technical or abstract, I shared with Levi my Fox story.
In pure Venezuelan style, Levi incorporated this feedback into his lesson the next day and created an incredible lesson. Here's the proof! Just watch the kids as Levi sings a song he composed, "All Aboard the Bow Express."
We both came away from the experience better teachers. Levi blogged about the lesson to share with others. Thank you, Levi.
There is a growing demand for trained teachers to teach in El Sistema initiatives all over the the country, all whom face a daunting task: manage a large group of young children with instruments in their hands, during after-school hours. This training in partnership with CLCS, New England Conservatory and Longy School of Music gave the Abreu Fellows a chance to see theory put into practice.
I'd like to thank Erik Holgrem, Director of the Abreu Fellows program, for inviting me to work with the Abreu Fellow classes these past two years. Through his leadership, teacher training is becoming an important component of the Abreu Fellows program. Thank you, Rebecca Levi, David Malek, and the entire CLCS staff for allowing your program to act as a lab where staff are encouraged to take risks and test new ideas in a safe and supportive environment.
JAMM would like to thank the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) for their continued support and commitment to Alaska's youth. This short film produced by AASB in partnership with Lucid Reverie documents JAMM's successful first year.
In May of 2011, JAMM received $24,000 from the Alaska School Boards' Initiative for Community Engagement (Alaska ICE) to support and expand its violin program for the 2011-2012 school year. All 120 kindergartners and first graders will receive 90 minutes of violin instruction each week as part of their school day.
Alaska ICE is an initiative funded by the US Dept. of Education to provide Alaskans with information, tools and assistance to work together and engage in the shared responsibility of preparing Alaska's children. AASB supports the work of JAMM because it addresses the association's goals, all of which are aimed at increasing students success:
Investing in early learning and school readiness skill,
Developing social-emotional learning,
Improving school climate and student and family connections to school,
Engaging communities and parents, and
Providing access to quality programs for all children
Looking forward to another successful year and partnership!
Years ago, a colleague sent me the link to Sir Ken Robinson's Ted Talk: Schools Kill Creativity and I've been hooked on TED ever since. Little did I know that a few years later, I would be directly involved with TED - helping them realize the wish of 2009 TED Prize Winner, Dr. Abreu. This musician and economist wanted "to train fifty gifted young musicians, passionate for their art and social justice, and dedicated to develop El Sistema in the US and in other countries." The Abreu Fellowship was born. I was honored to serve in this fellowship's first class and created this blog to document the fellowship and the work that followed here in Juneau.
When I heard TED was holding a conference in Homer, Alaska, I wanted to be able to come full circle and share how a TED wish helped create an early childhood instrumental program for 120 kindergarten and 1st grade students in Alaska, called JAMM! Kat Haber, the TEDx Homer Coordinator, gladly accepted my request and helped with travel and lodging to get me there.
While in Homer, I had the delight and honor of staying in the home of Cherish McCallum, a private music teacher. Both she and Kat are remarkable women who contribute above and beyond this Southeast community.
Cherish donates JAMM's first cello
Here's just one example:
When Cherish gave me a tour of her studio, she pointed to a small quarter-size violin and cello that her teenage daughter and son played when they were young. "I've been looking for a home for these two instruments, where they'd give the same joy they gave my children. I'd like to donate these to your program, JAMM."
Thank you, Cherish.
Being involved in the TEDx Homer event was an incredible experience. I met passionate people who make things happen in their communities. My TED talk neared the end of the evening and I was nervous. But throughout, I kept reminding myself that this talk is my heartfelt "thank you" to the TED community and to all of the people who believe in the power of music and the right for all children to have access to it.
Thank you, Kat Haber, Aaron Suring, Bob Burns and Erin Hollowell, for helping me with my script and visuals. Congratulations on a successful event!
Speakers stand together on stage for the end the TEDx Homer event
Abreu Fellows, Dan Berkowitz, Christine Witkowski and Alvaro Rodas, visit Juneau, Alaska Music Matters
Christine, Alvaro and Dan, who graduated with me in the first class of Abreu Fellows, made their first trip to the Great White North to visit me and see JAMM in action!
I had the honor of visiting their programs last year. At the Corona Youth Music Project in Queens, NY, Alvaro and his students shared their bucket band. And at YOLA at HOLA in Los Angeles, Dan and Christine gave me a glimpse of where our first graders might be in a year's time.
Even though the weather wouldn't cooperate, JAMM did not disappoint. The Abreu Fellows' trip was timed perfectly to coincide with Glacier Valley's paper violin-making night for kindergarten families. Both HOLA and Corona Youth Music Project include paper violin as a pedagogical step for students to develop respect, care and discipline for the instrument while giving them time to safely practice motor skills needed to play the real instruments.
Paper Violin Night at Glacier Valley Elementary School
The Abreu Fellows were a huge help that night, preparing materials, documenting the evening, translating for Spanish-speaking families and celebrating with our community the fact that we are part of a larger network. They also shared their perspective with a Juneau Empire reporter who wrote an article, Paper Violins Reach Worldwide.
An in usual Glacier Valley fashion, staff cam out in full force to help both nights. We also had community volunteers join in the fun: former mayor, Sally Smith; and school board members, Kim Pool and Sally Sadler, built extra violins for violins for families who couldn't make it. Thank you everyone for your support.
Alvaro teachers Bucket Band to Mr. Wyatt's 3rd grade class
The kindergartners weren't the only ones who benefited from the Abreu Fellows' visit that week. Alvaro taught bucket band to the 3rd graders. Christine and Dan performed duets for several classes and gave after-school lessons for two of our 5th grade brass students. In between, the Abreu Fellows observed our 1st grade violin classes, 2nd grade folk dancing and 4th & 5th grade Humanities class where they joined our students for the Stick dance - a dance that has traveled to El Sitema programs in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Scotland and Venezuela. Thank you, Michelle Quigg of World Music Drumming, for teaching this dance to me. Your gift has spread to hundreds of kids!
Christine and Dan perform duets for Glacier Valley classes
Aivine, Amy Bibb, Vaipuna, Dan & Christine rehearse after-school
Before Christine, Dan and Alvaro left, they experienced being tourists and saw why Juneau is such and incredible place to live. Thank you, friends, for visiting JAMM and Juneau, my home!
Visiting Mendenhall Glacier, the namesake of Glacier Valley Elementary School
4th grader, Aivine Soakai, plays bass for the play, Dear Fish
Through a Kennedy Center Partners in Education Grant, Glacier Valley students partnered with Thunder Mountain High School and Deer Isle School in Maine to explore the fishing cultures of both communities using integrated technology, visual and performing arts. Research collected from trips out in the field and interviews with local fishermen formed the basis for a playwright performed by both elementary and high school students in April 2011.
Music was very much a part of this performance including traditional sea shanties and classic rock songs to reflect the contemporary life of a fisherman. Glacier Valley's own Rock Band played live for both performances here in Juneau, while many of their classmates took to the stage to act and sing alongside high school students. This collaborative project hopefully will be the first of many to connect our elementary school students with its neighboring high school. So far, the arts have proven to be a powerful way to make it happen.
Teaching Theatre Journal featured Dear Fish on the front cover of its 2011 summer issue. The performance in April was well-received by both coastal communities. Audience comments included, "I am an Alaskan fisherman. It made me feel good to be recognized." Another wrote, "The diversity of cutlrues, ages, and abilities brings tears to my eyes."
Thank you, Annie Calkins, Dave Hunsaker, Ryan Conarro, and the entire Glacier Valley, Thunder Mountain and Juneau fishing communities. This project helped both schools connect local issues to a more global perspective through the arts and technology. Students learned that even though they live on different coasts, they face similar issues, struggles, and celebrations and were able to personally express their learning through all of the arts.
Juneau Jazz & Classics brings Awadagin Pratt to JAMM
Juneau Jazz & Classics is celebrating its 25th year of "encouraging the appreciation of jazz, classical and blues music among people of all ages." Every May for two weeks, this incredible organization under the leadership of Linda Rosenthal, brings jazz and classical musicians from all over the country to perform in Juneau. Many of these artists visit schools to perform concerts, coach young musicians and share their enthusiasm for music.
This year, Glacier Valley was honored to host two Jazz & Classics artists: The Jasper Quartet and Awadagin Pratt. Both were able to work with our kindergarten violinists. They encouraged musicality, proper technique and performed right alongside them. What made Awadagin's visit so special was that he specifically asked to work with the "music teacher in Juneau with the El Sistema nucleo." For the Juneau community, his request confirmed that JAMM is part of a recognized national network and that the work its doing is supported by others thousands of miles away. Thank you, Awadagin. Your gentle spirit and ability to connect with our kids made your visit a memorable one!
JAMM performs for Community Day at the University of Alaska Southeast
JAMM also gave Glacier Valley its first opportunity to participate in Juneau Jazz & Classics' Community Day. This free all-day event held on the campus of the University of Alaska Southeast offers food, educational programs and musical performances. Our kindergartners and 4th & 5th grade Morning Musicians performed in the beautiful Egan Library, which made our students' first visit to this college campus a welcoming one. Again, we had an amazing turn-out by Glacier Valley families whom stayed after the concert to enjoy the rest of the festivities with their kids.
Here's a short clip of them playing E String Concerto and Variations on Boil Them Cabbage Down.
Thank you, Juneau Jazz & Classics, for bringing the community into the school and the school into the community. Happy 25th Birthday!
While traveling to Washington, DC, for the National Teacher of the Year event, I had the opportunity to meet with folks from the US Department of Education. They wanted to hear from teachers about how best to engage students, families, community and strengthen professional development for teachers.
I was excited to share Glacier Valley's HeART & Sole Ballroom program, where P.E. and music teachers collaborate with librarian and counselor to offer all 3rd through 5th grade students two sessions/week of ballroom dancing under the leadership of Pat Belec, Juneau dance instructor. This 8-week residency culminates in a performance of all 200 students who showcase their moves for the community and school. Dance steps include meringe, swing, tango, fox trot and electric slide. Twenty-four of them are selected through an audition process to perform two weeks later for the Juneau Douglas High School Dance Team Show.
National Teacher of the Year Event at the White House with President Obama
While waiting in line to meet the President of the United States, I wondered how much time I'd have to speak with him and what I would say. For security reasons, the state teachers of the year could not carry anything with them when they entered the Oval Office for their photo with President Obama. But if I could, I knew exactly what I'd present: a paper violin carefully handmade by parents and students of our JAMM program. It would be the perfect segue into a conversation about the importance of arts education. In the few seconds that I had to shake the President's hand, I told him what an honor it was to meet him and to thank him personally for making children a national priority. He thanked me for traveling such a long way.
Here is President Obama's address in the Rose Garden before announcing Michelle Shearer as the 2011 National Teacher of the Year. Michelle represents teachers' voices so well and tackles tough questions with intelligence, heart and determination.
I did get to spend a short time with Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and thanked him for keeping the arts on the national education agenda. With so much focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), I encouraged him to include the arts as an equally important discipline. Instead of STEM, advocate for STEAM! He shared this wasn't an easy task, but is still trying.
I am proud to say that both Alaskan Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski publicly support arts education. They made time in their schedules to meet with me to hear about the arts initiatives happening at Glacier Valley Elementary School and about the effects these programs are having on our children socially, emotionally and academically. Thank you both for your dedication and commitment to Alaska's children. It was an honor to meet both of you!
Glacier Valley Elementary School is located in "the Valley," which is only ten miles away from downtown Juneau. But distance is relative and in a community with only 40 miles of road, ten miles can seem like worlds apart. As the music teacher at Glacier Valley, I learned early on that very few of our students took advantage of the Alaska Folk Festival. This music festival showcases local and national musicians throughout the week at no cost, but ... it's located downtown.
This year, JAMM changed that when it was accepted as a musical act to perform for the festival's family concert. Both violin and guitar club program collaborated for this concert with 4th & 5th grade guitarists learning the chords to accompany the kindergartners' violin pieces. With buses available to transport musicians and their families to the event, we had an incredible turn-out!
As we crammed onto the mainstage, I shared with the audience JAMM's hope to have 120 violinists performing here at this time next year. You should have heard the applause!
Here is a short clip of our students playing a folk festival favorite - Boil Them Cabbage Down. I also included our exit song, which I learned from James Hill, one of thes author of Ukulele in the Classroom. He played the ukulele at this year's NAMM conference in Anaheim. The whole audience joined in and then he added When the Saints Go Marching In as a partner song. Here are the lyrics:
Up above my head, There's music in the air. Up above my head, There's music in the air. Up above my head, There's music in the air. I really do believe, It's aheadin' somewhere.
Thank you, Glacier Valley community for supporting this event. Music brings people together and on this day you helped bridge two communities. "I really do believe we're a-headin' somewhere."
JAMM performs with the Glacier Valley Guitar Club at the 2011 Alaska Folk Festival (photo: Klas Stolpe, Juneau Empire)
Juneau, Alaska Music Matters and Juneau Student Symphony perform "Life of the Child"
While studying in Boston, Venezuela and Scotland for the Abreu Fellowship, I witnessed professional orchestra members playing alongside the youth of their communities as a way to help inspire, play authentic music together and demonstrate to their communities that the orchestra is invested in music education. One powerful example was Gustavo Dudamel's decision to open the LA Phil's season at the Hollywood Bowl with YOLA (Youth Orchestras of Los Angeles) kids playing alongside LA Phil orchestra members. It was very inspiring both for the musicians, both young and old, and a packed crowd of new audience members.
I hope to see Juneau foster the same kind of mentorship: kindergarten violinists performing with middle/high school students and members of the Juneau Symphony so that they can experience in one concert the trajectory of their musical life from age five to adulthood.
Rick Trostel, conductor of the Juneau Student Symphony, took that first step by inviting JAMM to perform in the symphony's spring concert. Rick composed a piece specifically for this collaborative event called The Life of the Child. Our young musicians echoed the simple melody of the orchestra to represent musically how children learn from their parents. We played to a packed house bringing new audience members to both organizations.
I want to thank Rick Trostel for seeing the long term opportunity that our young JAMM violinists and their families can bring to the Juneau Student and Juneau Symphonies.
Calder Quartet plays "Open String Blues" with a JAMM kindergarten class (photo: Michael Penn, The Juneau Empire)
Juneau has rich offerings in both arts and culture, and the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council (JAHC) plays a huge part! They bring artists from all over the country to perform in Juneau, often including concerts for kids during the school day. The Calder Quartet was one such group who performed a morning concert at our local high school. Through a Rasmuson Arts Excursion grant, all of our JAMM kindergartners were able to attend. The Calder Quartet played an eclectic mix of music - both classical and modern - demonstrating to our students the many different styles in which the violin can play.
Here are reflections from a post activity that our kindergartner teachers conducted:
"How did the music make you feel?"
"It made me feel better."
"It made me want to dance."
"It made me feel happy and like I'm in a whole orchestra. I felt like I was playing the violin."
"It made me fell kinda weird, because the one with the hair like mine did music weird."
"It made feel good and sad."
When asked, "Did the music create an image or story in your mind?" the children answered:
"Yes! It made me remember about my great grandpa and my uncle who died."
What made this experience even more memorable for our students was the quartet's surprise visit to a JAMM rehearsal. Our kindergartners could now perform for them! Ms. Hickmann's young class of musicians played A and E String Concertos for Ben, Andrew, Jonathan and Eric and then invited them to play along for Open String Blues. The quartet is photographed above playing on JAMM quarter-sized violins.
Thank you, Calder Quartet, for making time in a very busy schedule to visit Juneau, Alaska Music Matters. When we met in Los Angeles during the El Sistema Symposium in 2010, you shared how excited and supportive you are of El Sistema-inspired initiatives. By visiting JAMM, the northern-most initiative, you have inspired Juneau's next generation of musicians.
And Nancy DeCherney, Executive Director of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, thank you for investing in the artistic lives of Juneau's children!
Guohua Xia and Lorrie Heagy stand with The Calder Quartet
Glacier Valley Elementary School was selected as one of two Alaskan schools to host this year's Administrators' Arts Retreat: Growing Art Education Leaders for Alaska. Thirty-five administrators, principals and superintendents from all over the state visited Glacier Valley to learn first-hand how we integrate the arts to help motivate and engage our students, while building a positive school climate.
This event occurred the same week that I was in Dallas attending the Teacher of the Year conference, but was left in the very capable hands of an incredible team of Glacier Valley staff, parents, sponsors and students who packed in just a few short hours:
visits to classrooms showcasing arts-integrated lessons,
tour of artwork exhibited throughout the hallways,
observation of the performing arts in Humanities class (photo below), and
lunch and panel discussion with key constituents of our Art is Elementary program
Performing Arts as Part of GV's Humanities Class (photo by Bethany Vaughn)
Our guests also found the interaction with our Student Ambassadors to be one of the highlights of the morning (see photo below). Eighteen 4th and 5th graders were selected for their leadership qualities and participation in many of the arts activities offered at Glacier Valley. As part of their preparation for this prestigious role, students practiced handshakes, eye contact and greetings at the door. Mrs. Sielbach, our librarian and arts integration specialist, gave them tours of the artwork exhibited throughout the halls so that they could speak knowledgeably about both visual art elements and integrated core subjects. Students practiced at home and came to school dressed in their best attire, ready to escort our guests from room to room, answer any questions and proudly share personal anecdotes of why the arts are an important part of their school day.
Student Ambassadors Greet Visiting Administrators (photo by Bethany Vaughn
Here are some of the journal reflections from the administrators about their time at Glacier Valley:
I would be so proud to be the leader in a school like GV. The enthusiasm from teachers and students alike, the collaboration, passion - just a few of the things I will strive to promote and support. The development of community relations was so powerful.
At GV I saw:
75 kids engaged in rhythm dancing under control, without the need of adult redirection
teachers relying on each other, who had obviously prepared
lots of extra people helping out
parents at the forefront of the program
A principal allowing to let the control move among his staff
lots of smiles and serious engagement
Thank you to Bethany Vaughn, a parent at Glacier Valley, who donated her time by photographing the entire event. A slide show of her work and the day's events are posted above. Also, thank you, Susie Denton, Katrina Laneville, Susan Sielbach and Ted Wilson for leading the charge!
Glacier Valley Student Ambassadors pose with Principal, Ted Wilson
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