Making a Connection Through Music
I teach vocal music to junior high students who are required to take a Fine Arts class. Some of them are passionate about music, but many really dread singing in front of people and don't understand how a music class will benefit them in the future. So my role as their teacher goes beyond teaching notes on a page, but instead focuses on helping them make a connection with the music we're singing. I select music that is historically or culturally relevant and help them discover the story behind the song. I strive to teach them that music is not only affected by the world around us, but that music plays a role in influencing the world in which we live.
As a music teacher, principals aren't likely to order reading books for my classroom, but what I teach is so much more than notes on a page. I work hard to provide my students with the story behind the song, but learning is so much more effective when they can discover the story on their own. I want each of my students to experience what a child their age went through during the holocaust as we sing songs about and from the period.
"Daniel's Story" is a fictional account of a 14-year-old boy's struggle to survive the holocaust. As the story begins, he tells his story through the eyes of a child, but as he ages so does his perspective and telling of the story.
As we sing songs from and about the holocaust, I want my students to understand that the holocaust wasn't just experienced by adults. It was a tragedy that affected young and old alike.
Your help will empower my students to learn about a piece of our world's history that is often ignored or misunderstood by kids this age.
It is my hope that by making a connection with the music that we sing, students will grow to love an art that could teach teamwork, success, and acceptance to many students who otherwise might not experience these things.
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