Mini-Grant Teacher Program
Wantagh Foundation for Educational Excellence
Teacher mini-grant programs endorsed by Wantagh foundation
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PROPOSED TARGET DATE:
Spring 2023
Electrify Your Strings (EYS) with Mark Wood
An all-day, in-school field trip where the students work with Mark Wood on playing and performance techniques resulting in an evening concert.
Ms. Miller and Ms. Langer are Middle School and High School Orchestra teachers for Wantagh Schools. Their program is looking to provide students an opportunity to engage in playing their instruments and collaborate for a culminating community performance with accomplished musicians.
Students hit all of these elements in a typical instrumental music classroom on a daily basis without needing a specified project. Each day students practice and perform music they are problem-solving, collaborating, non-verbally communicating, and presenting. In order to do this in a large classroom setting (50+ students), they must remain organized and follow all classroom procedures. However, they find that once we all do our jobs within our orchestra community, we remain more relaxed, calm, and create room for more joy within the classroom.
They would have the chance to try electric instruments and compare and contrast the differences in how they work and sound and discover why some models are more beneficial than others in certain scenarios. Furthermore, they would have a full day of instruction with a professional who has performed with the Trans Siberian Orchestra using these electric instruments and have access to masterclasses on how to deal with performance anxiety. Finally, this would come full circle in a rock show concert for the community where the students can show off the final product to their friends, family, and peers in a community concert event!