Sunday, February 21, 2010

Say It In a Song!


I was selected by the Oklahoma Arts Council to help pilot a new program called Performing Arts Corps (PAC). The program puts artists into small schools to work with kids in their art form. Three other artists are involved: DWe Williams (storytelling), Perpetual Motion (modern dance), and Sugar Free Allstars (music). Of course I'll be teaching songwriting.

We are booking programs now for April and May. Here's the description of my program:

Songwriting is a great motivational tool to help students process and communicate new ideas!

Overview
This is a new elementary school program on songwriting, developed in cooperation with the Oklahoma Arts Council for their Performing Arts Corps grant. The program includes a performance for the entire school, plus workshops for a small group of 4th and/or 5th graders. After the OAC grant refund, the cost for qualifying small schools is only $125.

Assembly
Monty performs his award-winning "Wacky Witty Way-Out Songs" for your entire school (Prek-6th) in an interactive assembly program. Students will enjoy a live concert experience while learning a few basics of songwriting. Monty encourages students to develop their own creativite talents.

Workshops
Workshop students will create lyrics and music on the spot while exploring the ins and outs of songwriting. Monty will stretch students' creative and cooperative muscles while helping them develop new language and analytical skills.

Teachers
Teachers are provided an extensive guide to help them further develop student skills (no musical ability required!), after Monty's visit. Correlation to relevant PASS standards is included. An original student song adds pizzazz to any school project!

USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C.


I'm scheduled to perform on the National Lawn in Washington, D.C. October 23 and 24 for the first USA Science and Engineering Festival!

Can you find me on the list? It's kind of like playing Where's Waldo, there's so much going on! It'll be a scientastic good time!

Lisa and I are also working on booking a tour on the way out and back. If you know of any science museums or schools who might be interested, please let us know!

My program is called "Songs From the Science Frontier." Here's a description:

Dance like a dinosaur, spin like a planet, sing like an electricity-generating wind rotor blade! Children's singer/songwriter Monty Harper celebrates the wonder and joy of the scientific process with this interactive multimedia show for 1st-5th grade. Monty's lyrics amplify the cool factor in current scientific research, and many of the songs feature specific Oklahoma connections. Whether it's bat taxonomy, phototaxic bacterium, wheat genomics, or x-ray crystallography, Monty's enthusiasm for the topic will have your students itching to explore further on the science frontier!