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music curriculum

Music in the Curriculum

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When the legendary Dr. Ysaye Barnwell belts out a line of music, you stand there mesmerized, feeling as though streams of light have just lifted you up above the clouds.  And then, she looks at you with a deep giggle because she knows.  I was meant to return her line of music with a musical response.

“Let’s do this again…” she says with a grin.

Music has been one of my favorite parts of the curriculum as a  general Ed. teacher.

I have had some amazing and very talented mentors along the way who have shaped the way I present music to kids of all ages, including Dr. Ysaye Barnwell, Leah Song,  Ken Guilmartin, and Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz – the Grand Dame of early childhood music just to name a few.

Each of these mentors has taught me to present a song in a hundred different ways.  And of those hundred different ways, the core similarity has laid in the building of the melody and the rhythm. Not in any of those hundred different ways was the teaching of music theory, notation, etc., with the exception of some guidelines for parents or teachers who are joining along.  In every one of those hundred different ways is FUN!

I’ve put together a five-minute video sharing just one simple way to present a song.  If you have a moment, please watch it!

 

Ysaye Barnwell

Ysaÿe Barnwell, Ph.D., who spent more than 30 years with the iconic a capella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, led a community sing at Shenandoah University earlier this fall, as part of a Shenandoah Conservatory visit that also included a stop at a Winchester-area public school and the keynote address at the 13th Annual Conservatory Convocation. Dr. Barnwell, whose life has been immersed in music, encourages people to sing, and sing together, even if they don’t know how to read a note. She also teaches people about African-American musical traditions, which may have changed in style, but remained stalwart in meaning. Watch as Barnwell creates her sung magic. Learn more about Shenandoah Conservatory at su.edu/conservatory.

Wah’-shă Academy is now enrolling 4 1/2, 5, and 6-year olds. 

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Regina Splees Tafoya

Regina graduated from Grand Canyon university with a degree in Communications and Art. Photography was the focus, and she spent much of her time in the darkroom developing pictures to send off to various magazines. When not in the darkroom, or writing poetry, Regina played for the Grand Canyon NAIA champion tennis team. After graduating, Regina found herself in Japan teaching English, speech, and literature at a few universities, then settling into family life with a Japanese man. Mothers in a playgroup noticed Regina's skills and natural ability interacting with children. She soon found herself obtaining certification from Montessori Centre International, and founding a small international school in Kanagawa Japan. The Center became known for its unique curriculum and communication process. Regina and her staff implemented a combination of living values conflict resolution strategies with nonviolent communication practices. It caught the eye of the Meiji Universitie's head of Education Department who would send students to observe. Regina has studied with numerous teachers and mentors over the years, gaining certifications in a diverse number of topics.

→ Regina Splees Tafoya

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