FW: [Dixielandjazz] School Assembly Programs

[Charlie Hooks]

----------
From: LORNETTA HOOKS <lornettah at earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 22:49:35 -0500
To: Charlie Hooks <charliehooks at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: FW: [Dixielandjazz] School Assembly Programs

I would suggest:

1.  Contact the music teachers and classroom teachers in the schools
that you hope to perform in.  Find out what types of accademic themes
and info. they are trying to highlight for their students that
season/year and pick your tune selection for your assembly/show to
reflect that info.  i.e.  I pick a theme for each grade level based on
their classroom curriculm.  This year we are going to choose music that
reflects the 100th anniversery of W. Wright's 1st Flight.   Last year
the theme was "Africa Quest" which was an integrated social studies and
computer internet project.  Jazz history was a natural spin-off and I
also tied it in easily with Black history month because the concert was
scheduled for February.   Other themes have been:  rainbows,
Butterflies, Stars and the galaxy, Australia, Reading and books,
Character and good choices, etc.

2.The more you can "tie" into their normal classroom curriculm, the
more interest & cooperation you will create.  Kids really do learn
better with an integrated approach and music makes it SO MUCH MORE FUN!


3. using monthly themes. ie. January is Jazz History Month ,   February
is Black histor month, etc.

4.  I've put together 1st - 4th grade workshops with Professional
musicians and used these as a stepping stome/teacing tool to help the
students prepare their own concert for their parents.  Great
Motivator!!!!
I've done the same with Jr. High and High....but it much easier and
more common.

5. Make sure you plan in "student participation" segments every 15
minutes in your program.  Kids attention span are short....for that
matter, so are adults!  If they get to do something, they'll buy into
what you are doing and really help carry the show with their enthusiasm
which means they are learning more and YOU are having more fun.

Thanks for doing what you're doing!  It's great that good musicians
take an active interest in our students.  I truly appreciate all the
help I've received from the "pros" over the year...I owe a lot of
people lots of thanks!

Lornetta Hooks
Music educator and advocate



On Monday, July 21, 2003, at 03:44  PM, Charlie Hooks wrote:

> Any advice you want to give him?
> Charlie
>
> ----------
> From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] School Assembly Programs
>
> Dear List mates;
>
> I am in the final stages of successfully completing a contract signing
> with several local school districts to bring a jazz music appreciation
> assembly program to kids at the grammar school level in the
> Philadelphia
> Metro Area.
>
> I've done a few assembly programs for High School Kids, but this is
> mostly to be for kids from Kindergarten through 5th grade. ( 5 to 10
> years old). SA few will be for kids in 6th through 10th grade (11 to 15
> years old)
>
> Is there any advice out there for me? An assembly will be 45 minutes
> long and the Schools want some music and some verbal content.
>
> Like, will the Barney Song work if we play it straight, explain quickly
> how it can be jazzed up and then jazz it up? What other songs do these
> kids know that we can convert to jazz?
>
> I think I want to concentrate on the music, the fact that it is a
> uniquely American Art Form, discuss Louis Armstrong and talk about
> musical freedom.
>
> What else might you suggest we cover, given that their attention spans
> will be short and too much detail will quickly bore them?
>
> GOAL? To get the kids interested in Jazz, America's Music, when they
> are
> young, and I welcome your suggestions.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
>
> PS. There is money out there to fund these kinds of programs. Suggest
> others check it out if you want a "feel good" project. Will be 15
> programs in the fall and 15 more in the spring.
>
>
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