They’re going to ‘Disneyland’
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| School director, Michael Hemsworth (far right), aims to make practicing music fun with new Disney curriculum. |
Local music school launches themed program
By Raina LeGarreta - Lifestyle & Arts Editor
NewSongs School of Music in Elk Grove is taking their piano students on a trip to Disneyland - minus the overpriced tickets and the one-hour wait in line at Space Mountain.
No, the students are not attempting to raise funds for an actual trip to the fantasyland of zip-a-dee-do-dah’s. But, they will be embarking on a special adventure of Disney-themed music activities all year long.
“Practicing (music) is going to be a lot of hard work no matter what,” said Michael Hemsworth, a teacher and the school director at NewSongs. “So making it an enjoyable, fun experience for the students will help them achieve more.”
For five years, NewSong has held the motto “Music for Life” and continues to help young students “Inspire, Create, and Learn” music.
Hemsworth knows that many students can suffer from music lesson burnout, so the school has always included different programs to keep them interested in continuing to perfect their crafts.
This time, Hemsworth, an avid fan of Disneyland, came up with the idea of adding a new Disney-themed curriculum to the school. Geared to elementary and middle school aged piano students, The Disneyland Music Passport program contains activities that were designed with the traditional piano instruction model in mind, but with the addition of a fun and creative twist.
In this program, students will be able to “visit” lands like Fantasyland or the Haunted Mansion by doing warm-up exercises or playing duets of themes from the classic Disney areas. In each land, they will learn music theory and how to compose and improvise music.
Students will have the opportunity to perform solos such as the Mickey Mouse March or the Indiana Jones theme. They will also be able to learn the vocabulary for different tempos in music by going through note naming flashcards on Space Mountain.
“I wanted to tie learning into something they already knew and enjoyed,” said Hemsworth of the students.
Disney has supported the new program by sending packs of park maps and Mickey Mouse stickers to the school. The adventures will begin this month.
“I think this will make learning music more memorable for the students,” Hemsworth said.
For more information on The Disneyland Music Passport program, you can visit NewSong’s website at http://www.elkgrovemusiclessons.com/
No, the students are not attempting to raise funds for an actual trip to the fantasyland of zip-a-dee-do-dah’s. But, they will be embarking on a special adventure of Disney-themed music activities all year long.
“Practicing (music) is going to be a lot of hard work no matter what,” said Michael Hemsworth, a teacher and the school director at NewSongs. “So making it an enjoyable, fun experience for the students will help them achieve more.”
For five years, NewSong has held the motto “Music for Life” and continues to help young students “Inspire, Create, and Learn” music.
Hemsworth knows that many students can suffer from music lesson burnout, so the school has always included different programs to keep them interested in continuing to perfect their crafts.
This time, Hemsworth, an avid fan of Disneyland, came up with the idea of adding a new Disney-themed curriculum to the school. Geared to elementary and middle school aged piano students, The Disneyland Music Passport program contains activities that were designed with the traditional piano instruction model in mind, but with the addition of a fun and creative twist.
In this program, students will be able to “visit” lands like Fantasyland or the Haunted Mansion by doing warm-up exercises or playing duets of themes from the classic Disney areas. In each land, they will learn music theory and how to compose and improvise music.
Students will have the opportunity to perform solos such as the Mickey Mouse March or the Indiana Jones theme. They will also be able to learn the vocabulary for different tempos in music by going through note naming flashcards on Space Mountain.
“I wanted to tie learning into something they already knew and enjoyed,” said Hemsworth of the students.
Disney has supported the new program by sending packs of park maps and Mickey Mouse stickers to the school. The adventures will begin this month.
“I think this will make learning music more memorable for the students,” Hemsworth said.
For more information on The Disneyland Music Passport program, you can visit NewSong’s website at http://www.elkgrovemusiclessons.com/
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