10/27/09 Introduction to the Atrium School Violin Program
NewsBlog Editor’s Note: We are pleased to re-introduce to you Dr. Helen Liu, a MIE alumna who is helping teach a new violin program at the Atrium School in Watertown, MA. Atrium is a Pre K-6 independent school. Now in the third year of its CMIE-designed music program, Atrium is partnered with New England Conservatory as a Music-In-Education Focus School, and with the MIE National Consortium as a Learning Laboratory School partnership. Helen is co-teaching at Atrium with Pennsylvania Ballet music director Beatrice Affron and MIENC Guided Internship Director Randy Wong. Read all of the posts in this series here.
This week I will be part of a team to pilot a new string program at the Atrium School in Watertown, MA. More specifically, I will be working with Randy and our mentors/colleagues, Larry and Beatrice along with their little daughter Miranda, to promote and develop Music Plus Music Integration (M+MI) into the curriculum for second and third graders by teaching them literacy in all areas through playing the violin. We presented our mission and ideas to an intimate group of parents last night, and all seems well and swell. They are highly supportive of us and of the notion that their children are going to be making music very soon. We are all so excited–I’ve never really done this in my life. Even though I’ve started plenty of beginners, both old and young, the fact that there will be a GROUP of them in one place at the same time will be challenging. There are so many things to think about: discipline and silence methods, organization, making lesson plans and goals, time management, other logistical things, making a newsblog, etc. Good thing we will have lots of help from the classroom teachers which means the teacher to student ratio is 1:2 for each group. In terms of acquiring instruments, we are working with Johnson Strings in Newton. They are the best at what they do and the most reliable, and I think they are excited about working with us too.
Please check back for updates on this new teaching project as there will be photos and videos to come!
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Helen
I am so grateful that you, Randy, Beatrice and Michael are all part of a full-fledged music learning leadnership team at the ATrium School! I am thrilled as well that my daughter Miranda is a helper for the program and that that classroom teacher and co director of the school are learning the violin through the music PLUS music integration curriculum now in place at the school!
Best to you all, Larry
January 14th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Beatrice, Helen and Randy,
My experience as one of your students has been pure joy. I am so incredibly impressed that in such a short period of time you have inspired us all to become better musicians and have every step of the way connected your teaching to what we have learned from Michael and what the kids learn daily from their classroom teachers. Each lesson we feel successful, challenged and a step deeper into the wonderful world of music. Our lives as learners has just broadened tenfold.
Thank you!
Linda, Atrium Co-Director