Over 125 students have been participating in Elemental Music’s Summer Enrichment classes – and we’re having a blast!
Offered free of charge to all 2019–20 Elemental Music students, and at a family-friendly rate of $150 for all new students, it has been a joy for our teachers to stay connected with so many of our students and even meet new faces over the summer. The enrichment classes have been a great way to keep students engaging with music and with each other during the summer months.
weekly woodwind class
instrumental & vocal group classes
Every student participates in a weekly lesson on their primary instrument (yes, that means voice, too!). Students are learning new scales, staying in shape, and even learning new pieces!
Students also had the option to choose 2 elective classes each week. These elective classes explore topics that don’t always get covered during our usual Elemental Music season. This has been especially fun for our teachers, who are sharing some of their passions – and for our students, who are getting to dig into some brand new material!
MUSIC & ART
Students in Musical Adventures have been learning about famous pieces like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, and then depicting these pieces through art! Check out some of the artwork below!
getting experimental
In Musical Journeys, students learned about experimental music and non-traditional notation, such as graphic scores and text scores. They were then invited to create their own pieces using these methods! It is inspiring to see students pushing the boundaries of what they know and understand to be music. Their creativity is endless! Exploring experimental music even allowed students to perform live over Zoom at the same time, performing a piece by composer Pauline Oliveros and another by one of the founders of Fluxus, Benjamin Patterson.
get out your drums!
No drums? No problem! One of our most popular classes has been Home Percussion, which has given students the opportunity to learn the basics of percussion through instruments they find around their homes, or even by making percussion instruments out of unexpected objects. One student was so excited about the class that he even customized his home-built drum kit with his name!
FRIDAY fun DAYS
Just to keep things interesting, our Program Directors have been taking turns hosting a Friday Fun Day each week, exploring different topics and playing games. From Choose-Your-Own-Adventure to Name That Tune, all students are invited to participate in this workshop each week in addition to their regular electives! Last week, students learned about different instruments and shared their creativity by making their own “instruments” with things they found around their homes!
Our summer classes come to a close at the end of the month. It’s hard to believe that these 6 weeks are going by so quickly! It’s been a joy to work with the students each week, helping them grow as musicians and creative artists.
Hate goodbyes? Students can sign up here to join our regular season programs. Enjoy the end of the summer and we hope to see students again this fall!