Curriculi!
Curricula!
by Bob Blue
Continuing commentary on
music and the classroom
understand that there is a
section of the human brain
that is in charge of music. I don't
know anything about the
physiology of the brain, and I don't
feel motivated to learn about it, but
it is comforting to know that music
is up there. There are times when I
visualize the music headquarters —
picture all kinds of instruments,
shaggy-haired people from various
eras and locales — all hanging out
in that cozy little corner of my brain.
Considering the low priority given
music in the public schools, some
teachers have made good use of
that corner of the brain. Sue Kranz,
a first- and second-grade classroom
teacher in Cambridge, Mass-
achusetts, regularly uses music to
teach. Her song “Watch Me!” which
was inspired by her observing her
first-graders learning to read,
celebrates the spirit of adventure in
her class — the determination to
try things, and see what happens.
lasked her to speak with me about
the ways she uses music in the
curriculum. She was very willing—
eager—to verbalize her experiences.
DEFINING “CURRICULUM”
The first thing Sue wanted to know
was what I meant by “curriculum.”
I think I knew what was behind that
question: to some teachers,
parents, and administrators,
curriculum is a narrow box that is
full of paper, pencils, subjects and
themes. Music has a place there,
too, but curriculum to me, to Sue
— and to many other adults and
children — is much more. Sue
integrates music into everything
that happens in school.
A school is a culture. A day in
school has rituals children have to
learn in order to function in that
culture. Sue uses music to help
children learn the rituals, and to
manage the classroom.
When she wants children’s
attention, she sings, “Let me see
your eyes! Let me see your eyes!
What a big surprise when I see your
eyes!” She sings with the children
to help them form a circle when it's
time for classroom meeting. She
sings directions. Some children who
have trouble focusing on directions
can use their musical sense to focus
better. And one of the jobs on the
rotating job chart is “song picker.”
Each day a different lucky child gets
to decide which song everyone will
sing together.
Allowing music to be part of the
class affirms and helps children
deal with the emotions they bring
to school with them, and that arise
as they move through the day.
Occasionally, a hamster, in a bold
and skillful quest for freedom, gets
loose. Sue’s song “Houdini
Hamsters” celebrates this
occasional adventure.
Sometimes a child makes a
mistake, and the children sing a
song Sue wrote that gives the
mistake the respect and perspective
it deserves, and supports them in
responding appropriately.
Sue Kranz at work
MUSIC AS A MEANS
“Yes,” says the skeptic I know from
my own teaching (I assume Sue
meets skeptics, too), “but when do
the children learn to read, write,
etc.?”
When children sing the selected
song, children take turns pointing
to the words on a chart. Some
diagnosis of reading difficulties
happens during this time. But it
sounds like more fun than any
diagnostic tool I've seen. Of course,
the words are soon well-known, but
the music/reading link is there,
and can only help. And they don't
sing all day. They'd get hoarse.
And occasionally, a pet dies. Our
culture doesn't do a great job with
loss. Denial, I know, is one of the
stages of mourning, but in our
culture, it has too big a role (e.g.,
“Sing of happy, not sad...”). In Sue's
class, sadness is treated as a
natural part of life. Sue wrote the
song “Softy,” in memory of the class’
beloved pet guinea pig. Over the
years, this song has become part
of the class culture. The name of
any recently lost animal is
substituted; the aggrieved children
find comfort in the music and the
support of the community.
Continued on Page 19
Pass It On!
San
Page 10
Continued from previous page
Better World
(Chorus) Some way, somehow,
some day,
Let's make a better world,
you and me.
(1) I heard a mother cry
Why did my son have to die
in the streets this way?
Task you,
can we make a better day?
You and me, you and me,
you and me
Make a better world. (2x)
(bridge) All: We can't wait
too long, my friend
If hope is gone,
this world’s gonna end.
(solo) You gotta stand up
and raise your voice
(solo) We're the future,
our best choice
(2) I know there’s something
wrong,
But still ] must be strong
in this world today
I know that we can make
a better day
You and me, you and me,
you and me
Make a better world. (2x)
Everybody
Everybody makes a difference,
Everybody here
and everywhere.
It don’t matter
if you never speak a word,
The light that’s in
your heart and soul,
it will be heard
(Chorus) So everyone,
no matter who
Listen to me,
I speak the truth,
Everybody makes
a difference.
Everybody makes
a contribution,
Big or small or rich or poor
or black or white.
If you give you know
you gonna get some more.
Without all of us there’s
no solution.
Everybody has a smile to give,
Everybody has a voice
to sing.
Everybody can give lots
of love and joy,
Everybody makes
a difference.
For me it all came together at a
performance at the closing dinner
for a conference at Harvard Uni-
versity on teaching about the Civil
Rights Movement. Standing around
Jane at the piano, singing to about
fifty people in an informal setting,
the kids moved and sang together
as one, nailed their solos and
harmonies, and lit the place up.
They closed with a song Jane wrote
in 1970: “We are an African people,
and don’t you forget it!”
For the Dream Project, she and the
kids have added verses, including
Latino, Hmong, Irish, Jewish,
Chippewa, and Muslim peoples.
This beautiful multicolored group
of kids singing out and celebrating
as one each other's ethnicities/
cultures sent out a palpable
message of hope, pride, and
solidarity.
“Preparing the world for the 21st
century requires that we under-
stand how to live together. Diversity
is not a splash of color or merely
an appreciation of, and tolerance
for, other cultures. It is a profound
transformation in our thinking
about who and what processes
contribute to the design of our
society. The real point of diversity
is to help us see that by coming
together, we can create something
new.” (Jane Sapp)
Verne McArthur teaches human
services in a weekend college
program for adults at Springfield
College (Mass.) where he gets
students singing in all his courses.
He was a full-time volunteer with
the Dream Project — van driver,
gopher, assistant coach, ghost
vocalist, hand-holder for kids and
staff — anything to be involved!
Opior
Curicculi! Curiccula!
Continued from page 10.
Music is not a “frill” — a mere
diversion — in Sue's class. Children
learn to read, learn about each
other, learn about the world, using
music as one of the many learning
tools. The class studied the Carib-
bean islands, and got both to hear
and participate in a steel drum
band. They made their own island,
devised a culture, and wrote a song
about it called “Island of Peace.”
For some people who work with
children, teaching them to write
songs requires a guest artist. In
Sue’s class, it's part of what
normally goes on. She knows that
music is a powerful tool.
Sue says that talent is not the
reason music works in her
classroom. She speaks with
teachers who express insecurity
about using music in the classroom
(‘I can’t carry a tune...” “I’m not
talented.”). She assures these
teachers that the most important
part of music’s power is not based
on singing on key or playing an
instrument; it has to do with the
willingness to take the risk, sing
out, and share the music as a
community.
Sue Kranz teaches a combined first
and second grade. I know that
using music with older children,
especially children who have
reached the self-conscious age
when peer pressure starts to take
over, presents new challenges for
teachers. The dream of integrating
the musical intelligence into school
curriculum often loses its power
during these years.
My next article will highlight
a teacher or teachers who have
fresh insights about keeping the
dream alive during this time in a
child's life.
Bob Blue is a retired teacher,
volunteer teacher, and writer of
articles, stories, musical plays, and
songs.
Opior
Fall, 1295
Page 19
Curriculi!
Curricula!
by Bob Blue
Continuing commentary on
music and the classroom
understand that there is a
section of the human brain
that is in charge of music. I don't
know anything about the
physiology of the brain, and I don't
feel motivated to learn about it, but
it is comforting to know that music
is up there. There are times when I
visualize the music headquarters —
picture all kinds of instruments,
shaggy-haired people from various
eras and locales — all hanging out
in that cozy little corner of my brain.
Considering the low priority given
music in the public schools, some
teachers have made good use of
that corner of the brain. Sue Kranz,
a first- and second-grade classroom
teacher in Cambridge, Mass-
achusetts, regularly uses music to
teach. Her song “Watch Me!” which
was inspired by her observing her
first-graders learning to read,
celebrates the spirit of adventure in
her class — the determination to
try things, and see what happens.
lasked her to speak with me about
the ways she uses music in the
curriculum. She was very willing—
eager—to verbalize her experiences.
DEFINING “CURRICULUM”
The first thing Sue wanted to know
was what I meant by “curriculum.”
I think I knew what was behind that
question: to some teachers,
parents, and administrators,
curriculum is a narrow box that is
full of paper, pencils, subjects and
themes. Music has a place there,
too, but curriculum to me, to Sue
— and to many other adults and
children — is much more. Sue
integrates music into everything
that happens in school.
A school is a culture. A day in
school has rituals children have to
learn in order to function in that
culture. Sue uses music to help
children learn the rituals, and to
manage the classroom.
When she wants children’s
attention, she sings, “Let me see
your eyes! Let me see your eyes!
What a big surprise when I see your
eyes!” She sings with the children
to help them form a circle when it's
time for classroom meeting. She
sings directions. Some children who
have trouble focusing on directions
can use their musical sense to focus
better. And one of the jobs on the
rotating job chart is “song picker.”
Each day a different lucky child gets
to decide which song everyone will
sing together.
Allowing music to be part of the
class affirms and helps children
deal with the emotions they bring
to school with them, and that arise
as they move through the day.
Occasionally, a hamster, in a bold
and skillful quest for freedom, gets
loose. Sue’s song “Houdini
Hamsters” celebrates this
occasional adventure.
Sometimes a child makes a
mistake, and the children sing a
song Sue wrote that gives the
mistake the respect and perspective
it deserves, and supports them in
responding appropriately.
Sue Kranz at work
MUSIC AS A MEANS
“Yes,” says the skeptic I know from
my own teaching (I assume Sue
meets skeptics, too), “but when do
the children learn to read, write,
etc.?”
When children sing the selected
song, children take turns pointing
to the words on a chart. Some
diagnosis of reading difficulties
happens during this time. But it
sounds like more fun than any
diagnostic tool I've seen. Of course,
the words are soon well-known, but
the music/reading link is there,
and can only help. And they don't
sing all day. They'd get hoarse.
And occasionally, a pet dies. Our
culture doesn't do a great job with
loss. Denial, I know, is one of the
stages of mourning, but in our
culture, it has too big a role (e.g.,
“Sing of happy, not sad...”). In Sue's
class, sadness is treated as a
natural part of life. Sue wrote the
song “Softy,” in memory of the class’
beloved pet guinea pig. Over the
years, this song has become part
of the class culture. The name of
any recently lost animal is
substituted; the aggrieved children
find comfort in the music and the
support of the community.
Continued on Page 19
Pass It On!
San
Page 10
Continued from previous page
Better World
(Chorus) Some way, somehow,
some day,
Let's make a better world,
you and me.
(1) I heard a mother cry
Why did my son have to die
in the streets this way?
Task you,
can we make a better day?
You and me, you and me,
you and me
Make a better world. (2x)
(bridge) All: We can't wait
too long, my friend
If hope is gone,
this world’s gonna end.
(solo) You gotta stand up
and raise your voice
(solo) We're the future,
our best choice
(2) I know there’s something
wrong,
But still ] must be strong
in this world today
I know that we can make
a better day
You and me, you and me,
you and me
Make a better world. (2x)
Everybody
Everybody makes a difference,
Everybody here
and everywhere.
It don’t matter
if you never speak a word,
The light that’s in
your heart and soul,
it will be heard
(Chorus) So everyone,
no matter who
Listen to me,
I speak the truth,
Everybody makes
a difference.
Everybody makes
a contribution,
Big or small or rich or poor
or black or white.
If you give you know
you gonna get some more.
Without all of us there’s
no solution.
Everybody has a smile to give,
Everybody has a voice
to sing.
Everybody can give lots
of love and joy,
Everybody makes
a difference.
For me it all came together at a
performance at the closing dinner
for a conference at Harvard Uni-
versity on teaching about the Civil
Rights Movement. Standing around
Jane at the piano, singing to about
fifty people in an informal setting,
the kids moved and sang together
as one, nailed their solos and
harmonies, and lit the place up.
They closed with a song Jane wrote
in 1970: “We are an African people,
and don’t you forget it!”
For the Dream Project, she and the
kids have added verses, including
Latino, Hmong, Irish, Jewish,
Chippewa, and Muslim peoples.
This beautiful multicolored group
of kids singing out and celebrating
as one each other's ethnicities/
cultures sent out a palpable
message of hope, pride, and
solidarity.
“Preparing the world for the 21st
century requires that we under-
stand how to live together. Diversity
is not a splash of color or merely
an appreciation of, and tolerance
for, other cultures. It is a profound
transformation in our thinking
about who and what processes
contribute to the design of our
society. The real point of diversity
is to help us see that by coming
together, we can create something
new.” (Jane Sapp)
Verne McArthur teaches human
services in a weekend college
program for adults at Springfield
College (Mass.) where he gets
students singing in all his courses.
He was a full-time volunteer with
the Dream Project — van driver,
gopher, assistant coach, ghost
vocalist, hand-holder for kids and
staff — anything to be involved!
Opior
Curicculi! Curiccula!
Continued from page 10.
Music is not a “frill” — a mere
diversion — in Sue's class. Children
learn to read, learn about each
other, learn about the world, using
music as one of the many learning
tools. The class studied the Carib-
bean islands, and got both to hear
and participate in a steel drum
band. They made their own island,
devised a culture, and wrote a song
about it called “Island of Peace.”
For some people who work with
children, teaching them to write
songs requires a guest artist. In
Sue’s class, it's part of what
normally goes on. She knows that
music is a powerful tool.
Sue says that talent is not the
reason music works in her
classroom. She speaks with
teachers who express insecurity
about using music in the classroom
(‘I can’t carry a tune...” “I’m not
talented.”). She assures these
teachers that the most important
part of music’s power is not based
on singing on key or playing an
instrument; it has to do with the
willingness to take the risk, sing
out, and share the music as a
community.
Sue Kranz teaches a combined first
and second grade. I know that
using music with older children,
especially children who have
reached the self-conscious age
when peer pressure starts to take
over, presents new challenges for
teachers. The dream of integrating
the musical intelligence into school
curriculum often loses its power
during these years.
My next article will highlight
a teacher or teachers who have
fresh insights about keeping the
dream alive during this time in a
child's life.
Bob Blue is a retired teacher,
volunteer teacher, and writer of
articles, stories, musical plays, and
songs.
Opior
Fall, 1295
Page 19
