Arts in the Schools
Arts in the Schools
5th Grade Dulcimer Project with Ross Sutter
Cheryl Avenel-Navara: education, Worthington Public Arts Commission chair, SW MN Opportunity council; Justin Beck, chair of Hutchinson Public Arts Commission, president of Hutchinson Center for the Arts, photography, music; Judy Beckman: vocal music, Big Stone Arts Council, Big Stone County Historical Society, Big Stone Lake Area Chamber of Commerce CEO; Cheri Buzzeo: theater, music, The Barn Theatre administration, Willmar Main St participant; Jessica Welu: writing, music, SW Regional Development Commission; Anna Johannsen: fiber artist, art teacher, Remick Gallery board, president of Windom Women's Investment group, treasurer of Cottonwood County Animal Rescue, officer of Cotton Quilters; Georgette Jones: literature teacher, theatre actor/director/teacher; David KelseyBassett: visual artist, musician, Hinterland Art Crawl board; Shawn Kinsinger: theater director, actor, musician, Palace Theatre executive director, Green Earth Players vice president, Luverne Street Music board member, Luverne High School Theater artistic director; Darlene Kotelnicki: theater, city council, library board. Cheryl Avenel Navara: education, Worthington Public Arts Commission chair, SW MN Opportunity Council volunteer; Kylie Rieke: ceramics, murals, music, theater, T-Bird Community Arts Board; Kristine Shelstad: visual arts, Madison Mercantile art gallery, Madison Arts Council, Lac qui Parle Players; VFW; Gillian Singler, MN West Community and Technical College chair of Humanities and English instructor, Creative Healing Space volunteer, writer, theater director; Michele Knife Sterner: theater (actor), SMSU Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Erica Volkir: performing arts, Pipestone Performing Arts Center board, Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB director; Mark Wilmes: Lake Benton Opera House board president, actor/director, musician, reporter;
Cynthia Demers, visual art, education; Georgette Jones, theater, education, SMAC board; Patricia Lindeman, music, writing, education; Joyce Meyer, visual art, education; Kaia Nowatzki, visual art, theater, music; Mark Wilmes, theater, SMAC board.
ACHF Arts Education
The project allows students to build their own melodic instrument. The instrument will be used in the regular music classes after the completion of the residency to give students more time to practice and learn. Students will get to keep their instrument at the end of the project. Students can use the dulcimer to play and create music. Because the dulcimer is an instrument the students created, there is more ownership and responsibility than with regular classroom instruments. YME School District does not have a string program, so playing the dulcimer provides a new musical experience they may not receive otherwise. Students are exposed to Scandinavian folk music they would not otherwise experience. Students will demonstrate their proficiency with their new dulcimers by playing both in a group and individually. The music teacher will gather feedback from students about the residency by having them create short reflection videos that explain what they learned and perform a song they can play. The students will also demonstrate their ability to perform as a group by playing several selections in their spring concert.
The students built their own one-stringed dulcimer, learned how to play several melodies and the harmony parts to several songs, and were able to play songs with two or three parts by the end of the residency. The concert performance allowed the music tea