This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Have you ever met a student so hungry for "The Arts" that it makes you reevaluate your dreams of leaving the classroom and heading to the stage?! What about encountering a student that loves to make music, but never had the opportunity until they sat down in your classroom? That's the feeling that I have when I look at my brand new Elementary Musicians! This is our very first year at Athlos Academy of Jefferson Parish, and I have not seen so much excitement, hunger, and passion from a group of scholars in my 5 years of teaching!
Once I told them that this was a groundbreaking historical moment, and they would be the trailblazers for the performing arts department, they were sold and extremely excited!
These past 2 weeks, my musicians have shown great energy and zest for diving into the music, and some of them have gone above and beyond to be class leaders. Ranging from KinderMusicians to Upper Elementary Musicians (5th grade), these Athlos scholars are well on their way to becoming the best musicians they can be!
My Project
This has been a very exciting first school year at Athlos Academy of Jefferson Parish! Starting this week, my students have been learning about high vs low sounds, loud vs soft sounds, and rhythm. We have also been adding movement to the songs we are learning. With the requested rhythmic instruments, their level of musicianship is sure to soar through the roof as they add an additional component that patterns "teamwork" /"working together" by way of "ensemble playing".
Our main focus is to learn how to use the voice, along with the rhythmic instruments, to make music great in New Orleans!
We not only want to learn what we are playing, we want to learn HOW to play what we're playing/singing. With so many schools going without music programs, I am very grateful to have these future composers and artists in my classroom.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Norris and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.