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1) Prior to my visit, I will communicate with the teacher to determine what area of study they wish to focus on. 2) We will do warm-up games to get to know each other. 3) ... Read more

1) Prior to my visit, I will communicate with the teacher to determine what area of study they wish to focus on.

2) We will do warm-up games to get to know each other.

3) We will brainstorm ideas for our song and vote to choose one.

4) We will create a word list of vocabulary relevant to our topic.

5) We choose an existing melody for our song, or, in a longer residency, students will have the opportunity to create a group-made melody.

6) As a class, we write the lyrics to fit the melody

7) Perform the song(s) in class and possibly in a town meeting in school.

Depending on time constraints, we could make a PowerPoint presentation of our song, recording our singing and illustrating the lyrics. As we work on our song, we will determine a rubric for evaluating our final product, then apply it to the finished song.

This workshop is easily tailored to the developmental abilities of the grade level, by changing the complexity of the song, the vocabulary used, and the density of the material to be covered.

My songwriting residencies can be as short as 1-45 minute session or as long as 3-5 45-minute sessions, depending on the needs of the classroom and curriculum. The main curriculum focus is on Langua... Read more

My songwriting residencies can be as short as 1-45 minute session or as long as 3-5 45-minute sessions, depending on the needs of the classroom and curriculum. The main curriculum focus is on Language Arts and writing, however topics from other curricular areas can be used for subject material. Areas I have addressed in past residencies include, but are not limited to, the following:
Rocks and Minerals: Grade 3
Geometric Shapes: Grade 3-4
The Power of 10: Grade 3-4
Character Building: Grades K-5
Language Arts: K-5
Our Community: K-2,
Fractured Fairytales- Re-writing stories as Ballads: Grades 3-4

I can write lyrics for songs using an existing melody, to address a particular curricular area.I can use Songwriting to deepen my learning. I can perform my composition with my class in f... Read more

I can write lyrics for songs using an existing melody, to address a particular curricular area.
I can use Songwriting to deepen my learning.
I can perform my composition with my class in front of my peers.

It is critical that teachers communicate with me BEFORE my first visit so we can determine the curricular connection for our songs. The residency can be or up to three visits. More visits means ... Read more

It is critical that teachers communicate with me BEFORE my first visit so we can determine the curricular connection for our songs.
The residency can be or up to three visits. More visits means that there will be more opportunity for the students to revise and edit their song, as they would have to do in any of their other writing. This is a valuable lesson and helps give the students true ownership of the material.