Exploring Music

The Program

In a school system where more than half the children have no music education, and in an after-school system sorely stressed to provide services to the neediest, Exploring Music offers an easy way to become acquainted with the possibilities of music education. It creates "buy-in" from principals and teachers and often begins to build a school leadership team.

MUST staff meet with site staff to identify what music education components will complement the site’s specific goals and needs. We provide support for Orff, Kodaly, basic rhythm and movement, spoken word, and traditional band and orchestra programs.

Orff

Orff-Schulwerk combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to child's world of play. It uses very rudimentary forms of everyday activities in the purpose of music creation by music students. The Orff Approach is a "child-centered way of learning" that treats music as a basic system and believes that every child can learn music without formal instruction. Children learn music in a gentle and friendly approach. It is often called “Elemental Music making” because the materials needed to teach students are simple, basic, and natural.

Kodaly

The Kodály Method uses a child-developmental approach to sequence, introducing skills in accordance with a child's capabilities. New concepts are introduced beginning with what is easiest for the child and progressing to the more difficult. Children are first introduced to musical concepts through experiences such as listening, singing, or movement. It is only after the child becomes familiar with a concept that he or she learns how to notate it. Concepts are constantly reviewed and reinforced through games, movement, songs, and exercises.

Studies have shown that the Kodály Method improves intonation, rhythm skills, music literacy, and the ability to sing in increasingly complex parts. Outside of music, it has been shown to improve perceptual functioning, concept formation, motor skills, and performance in other academic areas such as reading and math.

Testimonials

I met with the K/1 teachers last week to review arts programmng and they gave the Music In Schools Today program a whole hearted thumbs-up! They would like to have the program again next year.

I also really feel that Music In Schools Today has really taught us what a program can be like. After meeting with Hector and designing the program together, we got a program that met the teachers and students needs.

Michele Alesandro
Leonard Flynn Elementary

In the spring of 2006, we started a recorder class in the 3rd-5th grades that went quite well. Each child got to use his/her own recorder for the course and learn simple tunes on it. It was a great step to move from rhythm to melody. Also in the spring, a few of our teens started having saxophone lessons with Rodney. It was a great opportunity to give a few kids some one-on-one attention with a musical intention.

In these days in which funding for the arts is scarce, working with MUST to fund the musical component of our After School Program here at Glide Family, Youth and Child Care Center is truly a gift.

Kate Gibson
Glide Family, Youth and Child Care Center
San Francisco