[HANASHIR:7806] Re: Day School curriculum

[Meris Ruzow <meris...>]

Our conservative day school in Albany, NY schedules 7th & 8th grade every
other week (it switches off with Rabbinics) for a 45 minute period.   The
7th grade is a very strong singing group.   It amazes me.   When there are
chaggim, we sing in harmony; mainly rounds, or sing songs having to do with
tikkun olam.   We sing a lot of Steve Dropkin, Wally S.-Briskin stuff, Naomi
Shemer, or any composer who writes that kind of content.  That's what they
like.  Funny thing is, they will occasionally get into some Carlebach stuff
as well.   But mostly, Debbie Friedman, Doug Cotler, Jeff Klepper, Sam
Glaser and the songs that have many words and talk about the world they live
in.   I combine that with doing units of actual general music like
orchestration.  I've taken the sections of the orchestra and each time I see
them we will study all the instruments in the woodwinds, then strings, then
perc., etc.  Whn possible I'll bring in an actualy instrument that
demonstrates what we're learning, or find someone who can play very well and
model that instrument; what it takes to learn how to play, etc.   For
examples I use jewish composers as often as possible; Bernstein, Copland.
If I have excerpts from the Israeli Philharmonic; I use them.  I try to use
jewish role models as often as possible and boy are they surprised to learn
about just how many jews are classical/jazz music composers/performers.   I
also do a unit on jazz (I save that towards the end of the year).   We do
contemporary music as well (Gershwin) and by the time all that is covered,
that's usually all the time I get them for.   As I said, my 7th grade is
easy.  Next year's won't be as easy, but this is a singing school.    I use
a positive reinforcement strategy with all my classes (which if anyone's
interested in, can be talked about later) which allows all classes a
"musical game day" and/or "bring your CD's for me to listen to" which they
have to work very hard to earn.    So maybe that's the trick to get them to
work for you for 10 weeks; then they know on the 11th week it's their turn.
It's interesting though because the younger kids call it a "game day" when
in reality, they're doing rhythmic games and things that still reinforce the
music I'm trying to teach them.

Meris Ruzow
meris (at) nycap(dot)rr(dot)com

-----Original Message-----
From: Singalong2 (at) aol(dot)com <Singalong2 (at) aol(dot)com>
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Saturday, January 06, 2001 12:00 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:7805] Re: Day School curriculum


>As I started this thing, I'll tell you about what goes on at the Schechter.
>that I teach in. I teach 3 1/2 days per week - Nursery 2yr. through 8th
>grade. K has music twice a week for 30 minutes each. 3rd. has music once
>weekly for 40 min. first half of the year, and another 30 min. period is
>added after the middle school show is over the second half of the year. I
>teach recorder to all third graders. 4th, 5th and 6th have music once a
week
>all year, for 40 minutes. As I mentioned, 7th and 8th see me once a week
for
>theater, and then I do a show of some sort - a review, rewritten folk
tales,
>or, as this year, a professional show (How To Eat Like A Child - great
show).
>REheasals for solos and dances occur during lunch and recess - no after
>school stuff, as I teach instrumental music after school, and, anyway, the
>kids wouldn't come. Toward the end of the semester, I have longer
rehearsals
>- two hours at a clip, for the last two weeks, several times a week.
Somehow
>it works. I've always done theater, and I direct, choreograph and accompany
>myself, but it's getting really difficult, as the middle school grows, and
>the student population seem to be less interested in the performing arts.
>We're kicking around the idea of block scheduling with music and art -
maybe
>10 weeks of music twice a week and then 10 weeks of art - then perhaps an
>elective, or something - I keep telling them that theater is never
mandatory
>in jr. high.  and many kids just arent' interested, SO there are lots of
>apathetic middle schoolers, and you all know what it's like to work with
them
>- plus lots of behavior problems and peer pressure. I, personally, prefer
>doing theater/musical theater, to general music, so I'm upset about the
fact
>that it's not working so well any more. They're getting much stricter about
>not letting kids out of class for rehearsals, and it's just not possible to
>put on a good show without adequate rehearsal time.soooooooo...........I'm
>trying to find out what goes on in other schools. It should be an
interesting
>forum for us all, as I know that many of us teach in Day Schools.
>
>Laura
>
>
>

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