April 16, 2015
So Much More than Cute
Please don’t get me wrong- we do have very cute kids at MPA. But we also have students that are acquiring skills and concepts that will benefit them throughout their lifetime in a multitude of ways. I was truly amazed by the incredible work of our students at last week’s Lower School Art and Music Show. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and loved taking time to appreciate the art, and am grateful for our exceptional LS art and music teachers, Ms. Espeland, Ms. Sonka, and Ms. Rossbach.
However, it is easy to stay at the surface and simply take it all in without thinking about what truly goes into creating such remarkable art and music. The scope and sequence of music theory is not always noticed and appreciated. Our students utilize rhythm, pitch, and harmony with passionate creative self-expression. Likewise, student artwork showcases strength in fundamental art concepts while simultaneously highlighting every student’s unique style and personality. Furthermore, important concepts such as collaboration, joyfulness, and community are interwoven throughout the evening.
For instance, the piece that the first grade played at the Music Show was one outcome of the fundamentals of musical theory. The rhythm that the drummers and woods played was a class composition using quarter note, two eighths, and quarter rest. The children rearranged cards with these rhythmic values on them to compose rhythms that their classmates played. Finally, the class arrived at a rhythm that they all really liked—even Ms. Espeland!
Music is by nature collaborative. For example, all third grade students improvised to phrases from “Way Down South” during class times. In fact, the fourth phrase was a result of students sharing the pitches they would assign to the last line of the chant. Ms. Espeland notated those ideas, the class played all ideas offered, and finally, voted on their favorite. Through communal improvisation, students learn to tap into their imagination to problem-solve, which in turn fosters creativity.
It was Albert Einstein that said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Researchers at the National Science Foundation have found that music is a key ingredient in the neurological roots of the creative process. It inspires higher brain functioning and improves cognitive outcomes.
Singing and dancing builds community like no other subject area. It’s not competitive, it’s communal. Imagine every single one of the Kindergarten through 4th grade students dancing the “Bunny Hop” together. They were all at various levels of ability and all full of joy!
What most of us observed on the night of the performance is just a little snapshot of the entire music learning process. It is a process Ms. Espeland starts on the first day of school, when children learn to make a working musical ensemble out of a group of individuals. In a very natural process the children create and perform their own music.
Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” At MPA, we believe that music is for everyone, not just the specially talented. Beauty and artistic expression is fostered within each student, regardless if they are singing in harmony or unison, whether they are in pitch or shy or anxious. As Ms. Espeland explains, “Singing with accuracy and beauty and moving with beat competence are skills for life. Every person should be able to sing a lullaby to a child and dance at a wedding. Those skills can be taught. I’ve been teaching them for years.”
