MMEA Conference

September 30

The Maine Chapter (American Orff- Schulwerk Association) with MMEA (Maine Music Educators Association) are proud to present:

Jonathan Rappaport & Charlyn Bethel

 Flavors of Kodály and Weikart:

Surefire songs, dances, games, and part songs

Sessions to include:

Introduction to the Kodály Concept

A Baker’s Dozen–13 Ways to Teach a New Song

The Sequential Development of Part Work

Teaching Movement and Dance Using Education Through Movement

Friday, September 30, 2016, 9 AM – 3:30 PM at Le Club Calumet – Augusta, ME (334 West River Road Augusta). Credit: 1.5 CEUs from the University of Southern Maine with a paper and lesson plan ($12. charge must be sent to USM at a later date – info at workshop).

For a registration form or more information please contact Nancy Cash-Cobb mainemmeagmpk5vp@gmail.com or call her at 446-1762, Windham Primary Sch00l.

Learn about this internationally-renowned approach to teaching students of all ages in a child-developmental approach of learning music through the human voice, movement, sight-reading, and comprehensive musical understanding. The process of learning is key, with careful preparation, presentation, and practice of all elements, concepts and skills. Covered will be choice of musical materials, sequencing, tools of Kodály teaching (hand signs, solfa, rhythm syllables, letter names), and learning a variety of classroom tested, successful song material.

A Baker’s Dozen–13 Ways to Teach a New Song

presented by Jonathan

Successful learning of a wide variety of song material is critical for the success of the general music classroom at all grade levels. Learn 13 ways of teaching songs that intrigue students, keep them focused, and offer variety to the routines of teaching songs. Songs presented will be time-tested, successful songs useful in a variety of elementary grades.

The Sequential Development of Part Work

presented by Jonathan

Developing part-singing skills takes time and careful sequencing for children to gain confidence, ability, and proficiency. This workshop examines part-work development in a successful sequence of learning. It will include a variety of part music suitable for young voices, including rounds, canons, partner songs, part songs, and folk song arrangements.

Teaching Movement and Dance Using Education Through Movement

presented by Charlyn

This session will outline how to build a movement foundation for your students. Education Through Movement is a process that has analyzed locomotor and non-locomotor movements, which helps the teacher start with what is easiest and progress into more challenging movement sequences that are used in simple folk dances. Topics will include ways of engaging learners to move creatively, the prerequisites to teaching dance, and then practical application to some actual folk dances. Wear comfortable shoes and expect to have some fun!

Jonathan C. Rappaport is Executive Director of Arts|Learning (Medfield, MA), a statewide non-profit organization that advocates for and promotes arts education and systemic education reform, and the Co-Founder/Director emeritus of the Kodály Music Institute, Southborough, MA, (founded 1998) where he teaches conducting and advanced pedagogy and materials analysis.  He was formerly Head of School, Conservatory Lab Charter School (Brighton, MA), and the Performing Arts Liaison of the Worcester (MA) Public Schools.

Jonathan is a conductor, educator, composer, pianist, singer, author, and consultant for school systems.  He has served as the choral director of numerous schools, children’s festival honor choirs, churches, synagogues, and community choral groups. Rappaport has published 18 choral works and 5 books, and is the recipient of awards for his work advocating for the arts in public schools from the MA Music Educators, the MA Alliance for Arts Education, the New England Theatre Conference, and the MA Art Educators Association.  He has taught music, trained teachers nationally, presented at national and state conferences in over a dozen states, and directed choruses for 45 years.

Charlyn Bethell has been using Kodály Methodology in her Concord Public Schools K-5 classes for 28 years. She has been teaching at the Kodály Music Institute since its inception (1998) and presently teaches Pedagogy and Materials to Level II students in that program. She has given workshops for the Organization of American Kodály Educators, the MA Music Educators Assn, and the Boston Area Kodály Educators. Charlyn is the Music Director of her UU church in Watertown and she is a freelance oboist in the Boston area. She is the adjunct oboe teacher at Phillips Andover Academy and she plays regularly with Solar Winds Quintet and Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble. She has performed with Monadnock Music, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, Emmanuel Music, New Hampshire Symphony, and the Opera Company of Boston. She was a founding member of the New Art Winds (woodwind quintet), which made its New York debut in Carnegie Recital Hall in 1985. She has recorded for CRI.