| The positive
impact of arts on children is well documented. It has been noted
that students who study the arts for four years or more score
100 points higher on their SATs than those students who do not.
A 1994 U.S. Labor Department report cites the arts as aiding
achievement of core competencies needed for employment - creative
thinking, decision-making and problem solving. Arts education
has proven vital not only for its own sake, but also as a key
to intellectual development, physical wellness and improved
academic achievement. Schools with strong arts programs offer
important benefits such as increased student motivation, better
attendance, increased graduation rates and development of creativity
and problem-solving ability.
In response
to the research evidence that the arts make a difference in
student learning, The ASO, Georgia State University's Center
for Educational Partnerships in Music, Young Audiences, Inc.,
Fulton County Schools and Atlanta Public Schools have implemented
Sound Learning, an innovative, integrated arts education
program supported by the Texaco Foundation.
2002-2003
marks the fourth year of the Sound Learning program,
a collaboration between higher education, community arts organizations
and public schools. The program's purpose is to enhance the
core curriculum and expand learning opportunities through
the infusion of music. Sound Learning allows teachers, project
directors and musicians to work together to explore the connection
between music and the entire curriculum, utilizing demonstrations,
educational performances, and materials developed by the ASO's
Education Department on the elements of music.
The program operates in three local schools:
- Barnwell
Elementary (Alpharetta)
- Parklane
Elementary School (East Point)
- Centennial
Elementary School (Atlanta)
Approximately
3,000 students will be served this year. The education materials
will feature the theme, "Melody: A Line in Motion".
The music and accompanying lessons will answer the questions:
"What is a Melody?", "What Do Melodies Do?",
and "How Do Composers Create Melodies?". Featured
selections will include Grieg's Morning Mood from Peer
Gynt Suite, Copland's Hoe- Down from Rodeo and the
first movement from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
To further
complement the classroom learning experience, students and
teachers will attend the ASO's Young People's Concerts (YPCs),
an educational concert series that will also incorporate the
"Melody: A Line in Motion" theme.
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