School: Ka Waihona o Ka Naʻauao, Public Charter School
Grade(s): 3 – 5
Tutor(s): S. Mailelauliʻi Naki
Driving Question: How can we, the After-School Chorus, impact our community positively through music?
What did the students DO?
Students explored different genres of music through choral singing. Through a repertoire of songs, students learned the context of place/space of a song, learned musical expression and etiquette, and did multiple performances in their school and their community.
Students learned such skills as how to read a musical score, how to sing on pitch (oral skills), how to sing unison and two-part songs as a group, and then communicated to others what they learned. This communication included where the song came from and what the song was about, how to produce quality sound as individuals and as a group, and musical concepts —beats, rhythm, high/low, fast/slow, short/long notes and phrases.
These students performed for parents every tenth week of the school year in what was called a Parent INFORMance. The purpose of these INFORMances was two-fold. First, students were able to perform their songs as a dress rehearsal for their parents. Second, parents were able to receive important information about upcoming events and any other updates while enjoying their children’s singing.
Place-Based Field Experiences/Connections
This chorus participated in multiple choral festivals throughout the year, alongside other schools, choral groups, and professional stage performers with ties to Broadway and Hawaiʻi. They also worked closely with the Hawaiʻi Opera Theater and participated in a few of their productions, as well, where they were able to work side-by-side with these professionals and learn what goes on behind the scenes of such productions.
Students learned place and culture through songs. Through DVD and live performances, students studied the background stories of songs found in films and musicals before learning to sing the tunes. Similarly, they learned about opera and musicals and also experienced them by attending live performances on Oʻahu.
