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Songwriting
with Martin Swinger
On November 5th and 6th, Maine
singer/songwriter Martin Swinger will be in residence at Martel Elementary
to work with the 4th grade classes of Andrea Bail and Sharon Pattershall.
Swinger focuses 40 years of performing experience into award-winning
original songs, traditional and contemporary Americana music, swing and
jazz standards. A veteran of Boston Folk Festival and Kerrville Folk
Festival, he is known for his sterling performance and vocal range,
surprisingly diverse repertoire and engaging stage presence.
As an artist/educator, Swinger has
been teaching songwriting to K-6 students in classrooms, at afterschool
programs, libraries, festivals, summer camps, and family gatherings for 12
years. At Martel, he will share his own process for songwriting with the
students who will in turn write their own lyrics for a collaborative song
connected to their Maine Studies curriculum. For Swinger, the connection
between songwriting and classroom learning is evident: “Songwriting
develops clear communication, logical and artistic thought and expression,
problem solving, information gathering, selecting, analyzing and
organizing.”
Martin Swinger's
website
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Singer/Songwriter
Carolyn Currie
In
singer/songwriter Carolyn Currie’s residency program, songwriting becomes
a vehicle to show children how to create images, emotions and mood through
language use. Following an in-depth analysis of some of her lyrics and how
parts of speech and literary devices can be used, the children are then
given the task of writing their own song (one per class) using some of the
methods discussed. The students’ task is to use language to create mood
and images, to fit their lyrics to a given meter, and to use the music to
support the mood and imagery they create.
Carolyn Currie's website
L/A Arts Education
Programming Page |
