Workshops for PK-12 Educators

with TOM SHELTON

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26  •  11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST

Explore creative ways to introduce new material in your elementary or middle school classroom.

We all have our individual teaching styles when introducing new music. Sometimes, we lose our creativity and fall into a "rut," introducing new songs the same way every time. This session will explore creative ways to introduce a new song to young singers, focusing on multiple learning styles (aural, visual, kinesthetic) and incorporating musical literacy. Each song will be introduced in a different way, using warm-ups, sight-reading exercises, games and movement activities.

All skill levels welcome. This workshop has no enrollment limit and is open and free to all PK-12 educators, even if receiving a scholarship for another workshop.

with AMANDA QUIST

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26  •  1:00 - 2:00 PM CST

This session for high school vocal music teachers will focus on building choral sound through voice pedagogy, technology, and tips and tricks for obtaining choral resonance.

Singers of all ages that learn to resonate together tap into the beauty and power of their choir’s sound, its collective resonance. This encourages individual vocal development, addresses the technical aspects of choral repertoire, and helps us feel sonically and spiritually connected. Choral conductors often serve as the initial voice teacher for many of our singers, whether in church, school, or community settings. As we face new teaching challenges in a choral classroom with Covid-19 restrictions, it is helpful to fill our toolbox with ideas that assist our creativity in facilitating virtual learning. The teaching tips and technology in this session present ideas to pair visual learning with vocal development for both in-person and virtual applications. Using Vocevista Video and other tools, we will explore the function of overtones with intonation, formant tuning, and warm-up sequences that lead directly into repertoire to build the sound and spirit of the choir.

All skills levels welcome. This workshop has no enrollment limit and is open and free to all PK-12 educators, even if receiving a scholarship for another workshop.

with AMANDA QUIST and TOM SHELTON

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3  •  1:00 - 2:00 PM CST

Participants will look at a broad range of repertoire for all age and grade levels. Strategies and suggestions for selecting repertoire will be offered. Special attention will be given to addressing challenges that developing voices may encounter—range, tessitura, changing voices, etc.

All skill levels welcome. This workshop has no enrollment limit and is open and free to all PK-12 educators, even if receiving a scholarship for another workshop.

with JOHN BERTLES

WEDNESDAYS, OCTOBER 14 and 21  •  4:00 - 5:00 PM, with optional 5:00 - 5:30 PM Discussion and Q&A

A free-wheeling, wide-ranging multimedia workshop focusing on how arts educators can adapt to a new and rapidly-changing digital reality.

Session 1: Taking Your Program from Live to Live Stream (Oct. 14)

The focus of this session is on inspiring you and your students to jump into the virtual medium: to experiment, have fun, and find new ways to express your art form and engage your online students. We’ll cover four specific areas: Using the Technology; Transitioning your Program; Interacting with Students; and Connecting with Schools.

Session 2: The Virtual Learner (Oct. 21)

In this session, we shift the emphasis from the Presenter to the Learner—what is the student at the other side of the screen actually doing while you present? We’ll look at how formats and platforms will drive student engagement, and explore some methods and techniques. The focus will be on three areas: What does learning physically look like on the screen?; What is the Goal?; and How do we know they are learning?

All skill levels welcome. This workshop has no enrollment limit and is open and free to all PK-12 educators, even if receiving a scholarship for another workshop.

with JOHN BERTLES

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28  •  4:00 - 5:00 PM, with optional 5:00 - 5:30 PM Discussion and Q&A

Using an at-home instrument-building exercise as a model, this workshop will challenge participants to innovate their art form.

Simple but effective presentation techniques can transform online arts lessons into an immersive experience for students. Based around an at-home instrument-building exercise, this workshop will challenge participants to explore new ways to re-visualize their art form and to accept and understand the limits of the technology while adventuring into a new world of creative possibilities.

All skill levels welcome. This workshop has no enrollment limit and is open and free to all PK-12 educators, even if receiving a scholarship for another workshop.