Bring Light: MAGIC (Musicians Activating Growth In Classrooms)

PROJECT

MAGIC (Musicians Activating Growth In Classrooms)

Alabama Symphony Orchestra

MAGIC (Musicians Activating Growth In Classrooms): Individual musicians from the Alabama Symphony Orchestra will partner with a classroom teacher to bring music back into their classrooms - complete with hands-on lesson plans and music-making activities for their students. The program will culminate with a free field trip for students and their teachers to an ASO Education Concert. Teachers and musicians involved will participate in professional development with the ASO Education Department.

Number of Donations: 3 | Posted 2 months ago


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3 donations so far!

Target: $5,000.00
Raised so far: $100.00

The Charity

Alabama Symphony Orchestra

To change lives through music

Bring Light Activity

3 Donors

1 Project since December, 2009

1 Active Project since January, 2010

Charity Info

Based in: Birmingham, Alabama

Year founded: 1921

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Project Info

MAGIC is a free program to Birmingham area school that have no full-time music teacher. Individual musicians from the Alabama Symphony Orchestra partner with classrooms at 2 public schools to teach arts-integrated, curriculum-based lessons over a six week period. Through the MAGIC program, the ASO is providing approximately 250 students with hands-on, interactive music instruction and building a sustainable relationship between the ASO and the local school systems. To ensure the program’s success, the ASO is implementing the MAGIC program based on the specific needs of the classroom and providing free professional development for teachers on creating curriculum-based music lesson plans that emphasize hands-on experiences for students through creative vocal, percussion and instrument exploration. ASO staff is continuously evaluating the program with an effort to better serve the classrooms involved and maximize the benefit to the students served. The program culminates with participating students and teachers attending an ASO Education Concert at no charge.

Statement of Need:
• In-school lessons by individual musicians are a special learning experience. Students get to know the musicians as people and see and hear things up close with more detail.
• Our musicians can serve as a resource to teachers, especially classroom teachers who are expected to teach music but have little musical training.
• 61% of Birmingham schools are without a full-time music teacher.
• In-school programs give students who come to concerts a more comprehensive learning experience.
• If we want to build sustainable relationships with schools, we cannot only expect them to come to us: we have to reach out to them.
• For many kids, the ASO’s program might be the only exposure to live music that they get!

Expected Outcomes and Method of Evaluation:
Outcome measures:
1. Provide 250 underprivileged elementary school students with hands-on, interactive music instruction that addresses both music and classroom curriculum objectives.
2. 80 % of students participating in the program improve their overall academic scores.
3. Serve as an educational resource for elementary schools where, due to lack of a music specialist, classroom teachers without music training are expected to teach music.
4. Build a sustainable relationship between the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham school systems and encourage other school systems to join the program in future years.

The program will be continually evaluated based on school participation, musician participation, teacher response, and student progress. Evaluation tools will include surveys of teachers, students, school administrators, and orchestra musicians; analysis of student academic performance; and comparative data analysis with previous ASO programs.

The ASO MAGIC program begins soon. Please support this worthy cause and look for updates and photos as the program progresses. Thank you for helping the ASO change lives through music!