Help Our Students Learn About The Music Of Many Cultures.

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

I teach music to K-6 students in a charter school environment. Over 90% of our students receive free or reduced lunch (a standard measure of poverty levels in schools). Our students are given the opportunity to study music from grades K-6 and receive one to two hours per week of classroom instruction. Older students have the opportunity to participate in after school band three days a week, Saturday community orchestras, and are given the opportunity to audition for free summer music programs.

We teach a curriculum that focuses on one genre per quarter year and give students exposure to the musical characteristics of that genre as well as the cultural context in which it exists. Students are able to practice listening analytically, breaking down the components of music while at the same time are exposed to different cultures throughout the world. Past genres have included: Salsa, Brazil, European Classical Music, Reggaeton, the Blues, and Jazz. Students are tested before and after each genre is studied to assess their understanding and progress.

I have found that nothing can bring my lessons to life quite like a video presentation of the material we are studying. Students become engaged visually and aurally and are able to take in more information in the limited time we have to study. I began using a projector in our last unit our test scores rose significantly. I would use a projector every class but we only have one projector shared between the entire school and I have 14 different classes which would require using it. I would also like to show my band students video tape of our concerts so that we can apply the same analytical skills we learn in music class to our own performances. I would even be able to show pictures and slide shows to aid in class presentations, helping them find the note C by projecting a keyboard on the wall and being able to point and explain techniques and concepts.

Music is a source of pride and identity for our students. Anything that we can do to help foster this lifelong pursuit will give them something positive in environments that will constantly tempt them towards negative behaviors. Your generous donation will help us moving forward and be of invaluable assistance as we try to keep our music program the best in the city!