{"id":153,"date":"2016-01-13T19:50:24","date_gmt":"2016-01-13T19:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/?p=153"},"modified":"2016-01-13T22:34:59","modified_gmt":"2016-01-13T22:34:59","slug":"wheelbarrows-and-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/2016\/01\/wheelbarrows-and-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Wheelbarrows and Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contributed by Emily Hendricks, Technology Support Specialist<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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What do blue jeans, scarves, found objects and wheelbarrows have in common? \u00a0At <\/span>Hillbrook<\/span><\/a>, they are all “tools” used in discovering the connection between science, soul, mind, and body through the creation of music.<\/span><\/p>\n

My blog<\/span><\/a> is intended to be one \u00a0dedicated to educational technology, and that is exactly why I am writing this post. One definition of technology, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a capability given by the practical application of knowledge.” (mwd 2016) \u00a0Through a process of scientific discovery, students at Hillbrook are creating new ideas and processes using “analog” tools, leading to a much larger scope of ideas, connections and creations. \u00a0Students are creating new concepts and experiences for themselves, in preparation for for a lifetime of learning and innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When I was in 1st and 2nd grade, I went to a Montessori school. Part of the Montessori philosophy is that “students need activities that help them to understand themselves and to find their place in the world.” (amshq 2016). The <\/span>American Montessori Society<\/span><\/a> describes it as “an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child\u2014physical, social, emotional, cognitive.” \u00a0(amshq 2016)<\/span><\/p>\n

Twice a year, there was a large choir production, and in first grade, we did a mini operetta, called “The Mice of Mozart.” \u00a0I auditioned for a solo, which was brave for a first-grader. \u00a0I got a cool part, and had to wear a vintage dress and spray paint my hair a sweet sweet silver. The 30-second solo was mesmerizing in the moment. <\/span><\/p>\n

After second grade, my family moved to a neighboring city with a stellar public education system. \u00a0I loved my teachers and felt supported throughout elementary school. At this school, we followed an <\/span>Orff<\/span><\/a> approach with a few twists. \u00a0We used kneel and strike technique (floor marimbas) and also sang many songs in one or two parts. \u00a0We learned basic song structure, rounds, rhythm sticks, and recorder. We learned square dancing and took a field trip to Green Field Village near Detroit, MI, where we placed ourselves in the shoes of early pioneers. \u00a0We could also sing an impressive rendition of “From a Distance” by the entire fifth grade that brought our parents to tears. We got dance parties on the occasional Friday, where we drew songs from a bucket and got to dance to “Thriller” and Twisted Sister. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s jump ahead a few years: in college at University of Michigan, I majored in Percussion Performance and felt very rhythmically secure. I felt proficient in piano as well (5 years of <\/span>Suzuki<\/span><\/a> piano lessons sure helped). I had so many amazing and humbling opportunities: performing in Carnegie Hall, playing the original score of <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i>; playing in many world premier performances; learning how to compose and teach percussion methods. \u00a0I’m fairly certain my motivation to pursue creativity through music would never have happened if it were not for an early education rooted in discovery and hands-on learning. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jump ahead again: Here at Hillbrook, I focus on educational technology and tech support. \u00a0I received a Masters in Digital Media and Learning from the University of San Francisco, which ultimately led me here. Hillbrook’s 3rd grade music curriculum includes a fairly ground-breaking and incredibly successful annual project: the <\/span>“Hillbrook Sound Project.”<\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Hillbrook Sound Project, which gained attention at the most recent FabLearn Summit at Stanford University, a conference on making and hands-on learning experiences where iLab Coordinator and 6th Grade Science Teacher Christa Flores is a fellow. Educators from the Bay Area and beyond enjoyed the many ways in which this creative and engaging art-science-music collective builds upon valuable academic skill sets and challenges our lower school students to stretch the bounds of their creativity and imagination even further.<\/p>\n

Through this project, Lower School Music Teacher Kristin Engineer and Lower School Science Teacher Jenny Jones choose a primary object around which to build the theme for this cross-curricular study of the science of sound, music composition, and an experience in art.<\/p>\n