Staples Youth Concert: "Music of China"

In preparation for the upcoming youth Concert “Global Musical Odyssey: "Music of China,” the Music and Art department at Coleytown Elementary have been offering various experiences to students to learn about the Art and Music of China.

Recently, a fifth grade class was able to hear from guest speaker, Professor Ive Covaci, about the history of Chinese art.  Professor Covaci currently teaches classes in Asian Art at Fairfield University and is on the Westport Public Schools Art Collections Committee (WestPAC).  WestPAC has curated an exhibit from our town collection of Chinese art and photography that has traveled throughout the schools. Currently, the work is on display at Coleytown Elementary.  Professor Covaci shared some background information about Chinese calligraphy and art and was able to give a walk through of the work on display. Students were also able to explore the process of using a Chinese calligraphy brush to copy Chinese characters.  

From Professor Covaci:

It was wonderful to be able to combine looking at images of Chinese calligraphy and paintings on the screen in the classroom, using the brushes and "ink" to get a feel for the medium, and then walking out into the CES - WestPAC "learning gallery" hallway to look and talk about the artworks on display in person. 

I was delighted by how carefully the kids observed the art and how comfortable they were putting their observations into words. I was also impressed by their curiosity, their enthusiasm for art, and their willingness to share their prior experiences with, and knowledge about, Chinese culture. I hope this session will complement their other learning experiences around Chinese art, culture, and music this year, and that they'll revisit the works while the display is at CES for the remainder of the month.

The music classes have been learning the song “Jasmine Flower” so they can sing with the Staples chorus.  They have learned about different cultural dances and played some traditional games. In Band, students will learn the melody of Jasmine flower on their instruments.  They have also seen videos of the Shen Yun dancers and the music used in these dances. 

The Staples Youth Concerts are February 4th (5th grade) and February 6th (3rd and 4th grade).  Be sure to ask your children about these special events!