This month, GITC instructors Alisa Peres and Lichi Fuentes (see
photo), concluded GITC music integration programs in Oakland, Oakley,
San Pablo, and San Francisco, California with participatory concerts
featuring classroom teachers and elementary school students in
performance with their duo, the beloved Colibri!
The
educational focus of this work was to make bilingual integrated music
instruction and performances available to English Language Learners and
their families by training their classroom teachers to become musical
leaders at school. Teachers attended weekly classes together, learning
to play guitar, sing, and lead music for learning. The final
performances took place in each program location and were well attended
by community members, school faculty and staff, and many, many
families. Children dressed in their best clothes and took the stage
alongside their teachers and our GITC instructors with excitement and
confidence! The outpouring of joy and gratitude from everyone involved
has been overwhelming!
GITC's AMIGO program
(Achievement through Music Integration with Guitars) helps English
Language Learners cross the language bridge from Spanish to English
through song-based instruction that boosts oral language participation
everyday.
This work was generously funded by
two grants, one from the NAMM Foundation, and the other from the
California Arts Council and the Department of Justice. Guitars in the
Classroom is profoundly grateful to the marvelous people working in
these organizations for making so much joyful learning and performing
possible!
***
Related Article: Learning strums an innovative tune
Click on the link above or the image below to enjoy this great article by ThePress.net
about GITC Teacher Gina Minder's success in the classroom, The AMIGO
Project, and our series of exciting collaborative community concerts.
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