New York State Funding for Arts Education Partnerships - SAP

Greenbush Academy with Concerted Effort and Quilter Irene Wiley - "Opportunities for Creative Expression through Music & Art"

We wanted to buld on the foundation of musical and social skills that our students had developed in previous partnerships. The teamwork, coordination, rhythm, and listening skills required for drumming are especially valuable for these students, who have multiple personal and behavioral issues that affect their learning. One of our goals was to provide students with a sense of widening options and opportunities for growth with the addition of the quilting component.

Students practiced teamwork in the drum circle while developing musicianship skills, including listening, rhythm, playing technique, and improvising. They were motivated to take risks and support each other. Students were asked to reflect on and critique their improvisations and ensemble work during workshops. They verbalized and wrote down their ideas, which were incorporated into the improvisations. We noticed that when a student would volunteer to conduct an improvisation, the other students playing would pay close attention and follow the conducting cues.

Because the classes are small and there was good communication with staff at all levels (psychologist, social worker, and OT), each student was able to receive individualized attention tailored to his/her learning disabilities and needs. Students experienced their teachers as peers and co-leaders within the drum circle, which promoted bonding in new ways. Teaching artist Julie Kabat recorded a CD, which highlighted each class performing, allowed students to share their achievements, and gave them a sense of pride.

Quilter Irene Wiley works with a quilting technique based on African American history. Each student made two quilt squares and chose which squares to include in the finished quilt. Irene brought the near-completed quilt back to school for viewing and discussion. The new quilt will welcome students as they enter the new school this coming fall.

One student with coordination problems and neuromuscular weakness, who was used to being teased, gained self-esteem as he learned to drum. Other students in the class learned to support him. He began to develop his own style and learned to find a slower pace he could play that still fit with a given tempo. He confidently announced to Kabat, “I’m not a fast drummer. I’m a slow drummer” - he thought of himself as a drummer!

One class's students had had major difficulties working together. Yet during the course of the project, these students became very motivated and mastered the most difficult ensemble piece played by any class, playing solo parts in polyrhythms. Their work generally progressed from session to session, and they cooperated and supported each other.