HAA Blog: Music and Art for All

Beware of Summer Learning Loss!

We've been waiting for it all year, and finally it's here: summer vacation is a wonderful time to relax, get a break from the daily grind, and visit beautiful and interesting places near and far.  It's healthy for us, physically and emotionally, to take time out and replenish our energies!

However, you may want to think twice before taking the entire summer off.  Unfortunately, the flip side of long vacations is learning loss, which is a serious problem among school children nationwide.  A quick search on the internet pulls up the following definition of the term: "Summer learning loss is the loss in academic skills and knowledge over the course of summer vacation. The loss in learning varies across grade level, subject matter, and family income. A common finding across numerous studies is that on average, students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they do at the beginning of summer (on the same test). Summer loss for all students is estimated to be equal to about 1 month (Cooper 1996), but this varies across subject matter:
Mathematics - 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency loss
Reading- Varies across SES. Low income students generally lose about 2 months of reading achievement. Middle income students experience slight gains in reading performances" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_learning_loss)

Furthermore, according to the same article: "Two-thirds of the academic achievement gap in reading and language found among high school students has been explained through the learning loss that occurs during the summer months of the primary school years." 

This is rather alarming. But parents aware of this problem are in a position to minimize or avoid the problem altogether by making sure that educational activities will not completely disappear from their children's summer schedules.

Summer learning loss is also a big problem for many music lesson students.  At Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, we have seen in past years how students taking the entire summer off had a hard time in their September lessons, due to serious summer learning loss.  Some of the young beginners come back in fall, not remembering where the notes are on the keyboard or fingerboard. In some cases, teachers spend up to a month to help students restore the knowledge and skills they had acquired by the end of the past spring semester.  On occasion, the experience has been so frustrating to the student that he or she decided to drop out of the program--the ultimate sacrifice of summer learning loss.  Financially, too, summer learning loss is a burden because in order to recover lost knowledge and skills, students are paying for essentially the same education twice.

What to Do About It?

At Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, we offer ongoing summer lessons to help students avoid learning loss, and indeed progress even further over the summer months. At the same time, we recognize the need to take summer breaks. To reconcile the two, we prorate tuition for up to two summer lessons, so that you can enjoy your well-deserved, relaxing break.  To schedule a complimentary Trial Lesson, call (908) 782-4943

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Orff What?

When browsing the social media world, one notices that the word "Orff" is used playfully in many different constellations, some funny (as in, "I'm orff to bed"), others apparently meant to be offensive (as in, "Orff You!"). Though the word "Orff" may have a strange, even ominous ring to it, conjuring up images of giant creatures in the woods or on the bottom of the sea, it actually is closely associated with one of the most wonderful methods of teaching music to children.

Carl Orff (1895-1982) was a visionary German artist and pedagogue whose work has enjoyed a lasting presence on the concert stage as well as in the music classroom.  Though a prolific composer, Orff is now celebrated primarily for his large-scale 1932 oratorio Carmina burana.  By contrast, his pioneering pedagogical research seems generally far less known, though it is very much alive and thriving in school systems around the globe.  

In 1924 Orff and Dorothee Günther co-founded the Günther-Schule in Munich--a new type of school that offered instruction in music, dance, and gymnastics.  As head of the music program of the Günther-Schule, Orff developed his educational philosophy that music should be learned in combination with movement, rhythm, dance, and speech.  Orff's ideas were highly controversial at the time, requiring music teachers to acquire special skills--knowledge of Orff's preferred instruments (recorders, glockenpiels, small metallophones, marimbas, drums, etc.) as well as the ability to improvise, i.e., to create music spontaneously.

Orff's music classroom functions as a "lab" where students explore sounds and develop their innate creativity in a relaxed and friendly group setting (Orff Ensemble).  With students singing and dancing to improvised rhythms, and communicating with each other in "call-and-response" situations, music study becomes an enjoyable, playful activity, and an experience involving multiple senses simultaneously.  

From 1932 to 1935, Orff collaborated with Gunild Keetman and Hans Bergese in publishing his Orff-Schulwerk: Elementare Musikübung, which presented an introduction to group improvisation and techniques of playing various percussion instruments, as well as a few ensemble compositions.  Music teachers at the time were flabbergasted by the Orff-Schulwerk since it ran counter to established concepts in traditional music education.  

It was not until 1950, when the Orff-Schulwerk was reintroduced with a second publication, Musik für Kinder (Music for Children).  This 5-volume work represents the basis of Orff instruction, providing teachers with a discussion of what is often called the "Orff Approach" or "Orff Method," and a number of ensemble compositions.  Due to its universal appeal, the "Orff Method" has since been adopted by music educators around the world.

For families in and around Flemington, NJ, Orff instruction is now available at our Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, starting in September 2010.  Enroll today since space is limited!

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Kindermusik Sign and Sing: Find Out What Your Baby Is Thinking!

Are you a parent or grandparent of a little baby?  Are you curious what your Cutie is thinking?  Do you feel frustrated when he cries and you can't figure out what is bothering him?  You wish they could speak, articulate their thoughts and feelings, tell you about their needs.  But you know to be patient because their time will come!  Meanwhile, you try to connect with your baby on an emotional level, read her body language, listen to her voice, watch the expression in her eyes--all of which you learn to interpret as signs of communication. 

Time to take the guesswork out of it!  You will be thrilled to hear that there finally is a class to teach you how to communicate with your hearing baby, using American Sign Language: Kindermusik Sign & Sing.  One of the most innovative classes of the Kindermusik curriculum, Sign & Sing is finally coming to our area, where it will be offered at our award-winning Hunterdon Academy of the Arts!  Starting July 22, you will be able to enroll in 5-week Kindermusik Sign & Sing classes at extremely affordable rates.

Kindermusik Sign & Sing is intended for hearing children from 6 months to 3 years of age.  Even if your child speaks already, we strongly recommend signing her up for this class; American Sign Languag may be a potentially useful skill for her to acquire early in life! 

Kindermusik Sign & Sing will be taught by one of our long-time faculty members at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts--

Jeanine Roberts.  For those of you who don't know her already, Jeanine has been with us since 1998.  Because of her extensive musical background, she has served in several different capacities at HAA, teaching Kindermusik as well as piano and clarinet. Additionally, she has been the piano accompanist of our Hunterdon Youth Choir.

Jeanine, who also has a degree in music therapy, absolutely LOVES babies!  Just watch the big smile on her face when she'll meet yours!  We believe that Jeanine's patience, many musical talents, and loving personality make her the perfect teacher for Kindermusik Sign & Sing.  Visit our website or call us at (908) 782-4943 to find out more.

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HAA Welcomes New Voice and Flute Teachers!

We proudly welcome two new artist-teachers to the faculty of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts--Nicole Guberman (Voice) and Kaitlin Alusik (Flute).

Nicole Guberman, a professional Soprano, enjoys performing and teaching a variety of musical styles, with a special affinity for baroque, classical, and contemporary

 repertoires. An accomplished artist, Nicole won Second Prize at the 2007 competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing at SUNY Potsdam. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Ithaca College, where she graduated, magna cum laude, in 2009. While at Ithaca College, she also studied Meisner Technique at the Actor's Workshop, and was a member of the faculty, teaching a Vocal Pedagogy course.  Moreover, Nicole attened master classes and workshops with Enza Ferrari and Brad Hougham at the Spoleto Arts Symposium in Spoleto, Italy (2008); with Mary Dibbern at the Rising Star Singers Institute in Rising Sun, IN (2007); and with Julian Rodescu at the Florence Voice Seminar in Florence, Italy (2006). Furthermore, Nicole has participated in the Aquarius Workshop of the Crittenden Opera Studio in NYC (2010); and in the Emerging Artist Program in Los Angeles (2008). Later this summer, she is scheduled to participate in the Neil Semer Summer Vocal Institute in Coesfeld, Germany.

A strong addition to our woodwind faculty, Kaitlin Alusik is a recent graduate of The College of New Jersey, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education in 2009. Following her undergraduate studies, she entered the Master of Music program in flute performance at The Boston Conservatory, studying with flutist Linda Toote, a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Previous teachers include David DiGiacobbe of the Lancaster and Harrisburg Symphonies, Renee Siebert of the New York Philharmonic and Keith Underwood of New York University. Kate has been teaching flute privately for the past several years. She is also employed at The Children's Corner of the Bridgewater United Methodist Church, where she serves as substitute teacher. As a flutist, she has performed in church services, pit orchestras and various chamber groups since high school, and enjoys sharing her love for music.

We're thrilled to have Nicole and Kate join our outstanding music faculty.  They are available to teach, respectively, voice lessons and flute lessons.  

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1,000 Cookies: HAA Celebrates Its 2010 Graduation (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this blog article, we reported about our Kindermusik Continuation and Graduation ceremonies on May 15, when parents, grandparents, and proud teachers had a chance to see and hear their charming 5 to 7-year-olds in music-and-movement activities. You also learned where 350 of our cookies ended up--in happy little tummies of our proud Kindermusik students and their families. For the remainder of the present blog article, we'll tell you where the other 650 or so of the delicious treats went.

Following a short lunch break that same day, our staff moved to Stanton Reformed Church in Stanton to host our yearly recitals for advanced lesson students. Since our music lesson program had grown substantially this past year, we offered three two-hour recitals, at 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that so many of our students in the lesson program decided to participate in what used to be the dreaded "scary recital." This year, fear gave way to excitement and anticipation as our young performers were eagerly demonstrating what they had learned. Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drum, Violin, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, and Trumpet students, and even a Rock Band presented samples of their skills, pulling in audiences to pack the church for all three performances!

Even though the recitals were a bit long (almost 2 hours each), audiences showed genuine interest in the programs performed by our students, and we received lots of praise in numerous follow-up e-mails and personal conversations with the families in attendance. Clearly, our students made fantastic progress--evidence that we've taken Hunterdon Academy of the Arts to the next level of excellence. This was the result of great team work: students, parents and teachers worked hand in hand to reach some important goals.

Throughout the three recitals, there was a marked improvement in the students' level of playing this year. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, we had taken a number of steps to raise expectations and deliver a better educational value to our students and parents. Additionally, we encouraged students and teachers to follow the Trinity Guildhall graded exams curriculum--a subject we'll talk more about in a future blog post. When following HAA's system of motivational incentives, students are more motivated to practice between lessons and consequently make much more progress.

But education at HAA is not just about music or art per se, much as we rejoice at the great artistic achievements of our students and faculty! Rather, we are strong believers in a holistic educational philosophy that seeks to nurture students' overall cognitive, emotional, and physical development through the arts.  Our students not only enjoy music-making, but through their studies and performance, they develop confidence, discipline, and mental focus.

As with our Kindermusik ceremonies in the morning, the highpoint of the recitals, at least for the students, was the awarding of the trophies. Trophies are a symbol of the hard work our students put into their musical development. When leaving the building, each student also picked up a goodie bag with cookies (oh, joy). Of the 1,000 cookies we had ordered for May 15 there were only very few left by the end of the day!

For the coming year, we have big plans. Subscribe to this blog to receive up to date information about upcoming new initiatives!

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1,000 Cookies: HAA Celebrates Its 2010 Graduation (Part 1)

On Friday, May 14 we picked up an order of 1,000 freshly baked cookies from a local bakery. The cashier's eyes grew bigger and bigger as he was trying to estimate the number of cookies in all those boxes. Shoppers all around us were looking at us with big smiles, and as we were leaving the store, somebody declared, "I'm going wherever you're going!"

Why 1,000 cookies? Well, we had an excited crowd of young musicians waiting to show off their musical skills the very next day. Somehow we knew that 1,000 cookies would add the perfect touch to what promised to be a series of extraordinary events on May 15: the 2010 Kindermusik Graduation/Continuation ceremonies and year-end recitals at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts.

The day began with two moving events at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Flemington for our Little Ones: Kindermusik Continuation and Kindermusik Graduation. These ceremonies are not part of the official Kindermusik curriculum but represent a unique feature of Kindermusik at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts. Every year, Kindermusik Graduation at HAA is the day parents and students in the Kindermusik For the Young Child classes (age 5 to 7) are looking forward to with great anticipation. Many of these children have been in the Kindermusik program for up to 7 years, having first entered the progressive sequence of age-appropriate classes as babies.

So, what was happening on the morning of May 15? Glockenspiels were playing "Go to Sleepy" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in unison, while the sight and sound of these adorable 5- and 6-year-old little musicians made many audience members tear up (including the author of this article). Now, don't think that we turned this happy day into a cry-baby contest; our Kindermusik students worked very hard to prepare for their big performance and we (the adults) would not want to ruin it for them. After several years of weekly classes in which the children have systematically developed their motor and language skills, cognitive skills, and musical abilities, Kindermusik Graduation is an incredibly important milestone.

Year 1 students had a lot of fun, demonstrating their movement activities through "Rig-a-Jig-Jig," and Year 2 students used their "superfast" feet in Mrs. E's favorite--"Heel and Toe Polka"--and Mrs. P's favorite--"The Mexican Hat Dance," complete with sombreros! There was singing on note names and other important elements our Kindermusik students have a chance to learn in the Young Child curriculum.

As a "school within a school," the Kindermusik program at HAA has been taught by a series of master teachers since 1981, when it was first introduced to Hunterdon County by Donna Cooper. We are proud to say that our Kindermusik graduates benefit so much from studying with these wonderful teachers that most of them continue playing various instruments and some have later even become music majors in college! One of the most important aspects of our Young Child classes is the "layering of information", which makes learning about music interesting and fun, while also addressing various learning styles in children. What appears to be a simple skill to learn for us as adults (holding the mallets with three fingers only, as opposed to the entire fist; covering the holes of a recorder; reading music notes, etc.), in fact takes many weeks to develop in children ages 5-7.

As in previous years, the musical presentation of Kindermusik Graduation ended with "Music Alone Shall Live," jointly performed in three-part canon by the children and their families. For the Kindermusik Graduates, however, the absolute highpoint of the ceremony was the awarding of our glitzy Kindermusik Trophies, which they proudly showed off to flashing cameras and camcorders around the room. Our featured guest performer this year was Victoria Ou, an advanced piano student our piano teacher Ms. Rose McCathran. Victoria played a Clementi Sonata especially for our Kindermusik Graduates, who listened in great awe.

Even though it looks like the end of a 7-year long journey, Kindermusik Graduation is only the beginning. In a sense, Kindermusik training has laid the foundation for the children's continued involvement in, and appreciation for, music. Most of the Kindermusik Graduates, we are happy to say, do in fact move right into our music lesson program, Hunterdon Youth Choir, keyboard classes (now "Pianissimo 101 and 102"), or guitar and violin classes, where their prior Kindermusik experience is giving them the "edge" to prosper. 

In "1,000 Cookies: HAA Celebrates Its 2010 Graduation (Part 2)," to be published shortly, we will report on the second half of May 15--three year-end recitals of our lesson students!

Valentina Jotovic

Executive Director

 

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"Ins and Outs" of Music Practice: Spring 2010 Survey Results (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this two-part blog article, we presented an overview of the results of our Spring 2010 Survey, in which Hunterdon Academy of the Arts received very high marks from its students and their parents. Although the Survey rated HAA "far better than other music schools," it also revealed a couple of concerns. Among these, a few respondents wondered why this past year we have asked our students to keep track of their daily and weekly practice sessions, and some called for more clarification of the "ins and outs" of music practice.

In previous years, at least one parent a week would visit our office to talk about

 the difficulties their child experiences with practicing. "My child wants to quit"; "my child hates guitar [piano, flute., etc]"; "I can't fight with him/her about practicing anymore"; "he is not progressing quickly enough" were just a few of the complaints we kept hearing. Some parents also asked us directly for guidance on how to help their child prosper in music lessons. After brain-storming with both faculty and parents, we concluded that for many students to have a more rewarding experience in their lessons, we as teachers needed to help them set realistic goals and develop a systematic practice routine to reach these goals. As an important part of this process, we asked students to keep a detailed account of their practice efforts in their "Practice Record Book," which we handed out for free to each lesson student at the beginning of the school year.

As professional musicians and music educators, we are passionate about making music. But truth be told, even for us there are times when we have to supplement our passion and enthusiasm for music with a healthy dose of discipline in order to progress. It is not unlike exercising or being on a healthy diet: we love the process especially when we see results, but it can be hard work to stick with it until we have reached that magical number on the scale. But how, exactly, to stay disciplined? Fitness experts agree that keeping a "food diary" (where you log in everything you eat) will dramatically increase your chances for success. Too much work? Maybe, but the "food diary" produces tangible results, and makes you account for that giant piece of chocolate cake you ate but somehow tried to forget about.

The "food diary" is quite similar in purpose to the "Practice Record Book" we introduced last year, which asks students to log in their practice days and times. The booklet helps students stay on track in pursuing their goals, by documenting step by step their efforts and accomplishments along the way. It teaches them that more often than not, frustration in a music lesson has nothing to do with the instrument itself but mostly with the effort they have put into learning it. For parents, understanding the results of their child's music lessons is also a financial issue: without some weekly practicing, their child will not be able to move forward in her next lesson. This means that you are paying for essentially the same lesson twice. Still think logging in practice times is a waste of time?

Over the past year, we've kept a close eye on student progress, and we're happy to say that using the "Practice Record Book" has yielded some amazing results! Have you ever seen the sparkle in a child's eye when she performs on stage, accomplishing, almost miraculously, something she never thought she could do? Well, we're confident that you'll see a lot of these sparkles at our year-end recitals this coming Saturday, May 15, at 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM at Stanton Reformed Church (1 Stanton Mountain Road, Stanton, NJ 08885)

Come join us; admission if free! 

Get directions to Stanton Reformed church HERE.

 

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HAA Expands Kindermusik Program

2010-2011 will be a BIG year for us: it marks the 30th Anniversary of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, formerly known as Cooper Music Studio, which over the past three decades has won numerous awards particularly for its Kindermusik classes. This wonderful age-appropriate music program for children newborn to age 7 will therefore take a prominent place in next year's celebrations.

In anticipation of upcoming Festivities, we are expanding our Kindermusik program, by adding new faculty and innovative curricula.  We will keep you posted on the specific details in the months ahead.

Today we are excited to announce that we have appointed Neha Gohil to join our faculty of Kindermusik Educators.  Neha holds a Master's Degree in Special Education from Kean University.  Prior to her graduate work, she completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Therapeutic Recreation at Temple University, where she graduated with honors.

Neha is a respected early-childhood specialist who is already known to many parents in this community through her outstanding work with children at the Flemington Jewish Community Center.  A nurturing, patient, and knowledgeable educator with a love for music and children, she will be a strong addition to our Kindermusik faculty, and we are thrilled to welcome her to HAA!

 

 

 

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Why I Love Teaching Kindermusik

After two years, I still get a little nervous before each Kindermusik class I teach. Will the children have a good time? Will the parents think the activities are silly? Will I remember the melody to the goodbye song? But once the class is over, and parents linger to chat and children beg for a hand stamp on their tummy or say "thank you for class, Ms. Michele" I am reminded why I love this job.

Kindermusik class is where I hear giggles, see smiles and watch parents at their most playful. Imaginations flourish when Mom and child decide to swing each other with a hoop, or fly around the room like a butterfly. Vocabulary grows, manners are practiced, sharing is attempted (and sometimes succeeds) and all kinds of learning takes place. I am so impressed by these parents who have taken precious time from their busy lives to tickle until they can't stop laughing, or dance until they are out of breath. It makes my day when daddies step out of their comfort zones to share a cuddle, a bounce or a favorite story. And when I hear that the music from class is being listened to in the car or at home, I know that the Kindermusik magic has left the building and is continuing the learning and fun all week long. 

What more could a teacher ask for?

Michele Collins, Kindermusik Educator at HAA

 

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New Music Teacher Appointments!

February 2010: We are delighted to have appointed three new music teachers: Marisa Arzillo (voice and musical theatre), Alan Rigoletto (guitar), and Richard Woo (piano). Marisa is pursuing a distinguished career as a singer and operatic stage director. She has started teaching voice for us, and will take our Musical Theatre program to the next level. Though well versed in all guitar styles, Alan Rigoletto is coming to HAA with some significant expertise on the jazz guitar, as well as a semester of guitar studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst ("Academy of Music and Performing Arts") in Frankfurt, Germany. Lastly, currently pursuing a Master's degree at Westminster Choir College, Richard Woo is majoring in Piano Pedagogy/Performance and Music Education. In addition to his professional studies, he is also on the piano faculty of Westminster Conservatory of Music.

We warmly welcome Marisa, Alan, and Richard to our music faculty.  They will help us maintain our high standards of education and meet the demands of our growing lesson program!

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