me arts ed

A gift for you and your students!

Sarah McCarthy, Director of Development and Marketing at the Bangor Symphony Orchestra (BSO), has invited you to share their Know Your Orchestral! voucher with your students. You can print the voucher below and hand them out to your students. BSO would love for students and families to have the opportunity to experience the Bangor Symphony Orchestra this season. If you have questions please contact Sarah at sarah@bangorsymphony.com.

You and your students can cast your vote

Nikon’s 35th Annual Small World Photomicrography Competition took place in the spring. The winners will be announced on Oct. 8, 2009 but Nikon is giving you the chance to pick your favorites among this year’s top entries. You need to rate them on a scale of 1 star to 5 stars (5 being the best). Click here for the page. This is a great opportunity to share outstanding photos with your students. The colors are beautiful and you might want to use them for a drawing lesson. What other ideas to you have for using them?

David Cadigan at sculpture ceremony

David Cadigan’s description of the young visitors to Schoodic

For those of us who are used to the magic of giving students the opportunity to have new experiences know how valuable they can be. David Cadigan has been one of the many volunteers who have worked several hours to continue making the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium a reality. On Friday I received an email from David with a description of the scene at Schoodic when a bus load of children arrived in the middle of last week.

In David’s words…

Drawing Ahmed Karaly's "Gate No. 30"

“Yesterday a school bus load of 4th/5th graders arrived and was set loose on the site.  It was glorious.  Filled with high energy and excited yelling, they clambered all over the finished pieces, then with pad and pencil, chose one piece to draw.  Then, the most fun part, they approached each artist with visible deference, queing up, to get their autograph.  All of this pleased the artists hugely!”

Project coordinator and Lamoine Elem and Hancock Elem Schools with Jhon Gogaberishvili's sculpture, "Islands of Maine"

Photographs of children taken by Gerry Williams

Thinking Differently as an Arts Educator in 2009

Frank Chin, Skowhegan Middle School art teacher

Frank Chin is a middle school visual arts teacher and department chair in Skowhegan School District. He has been teaching for 31 years, an Art Teacher of the Year, and is constantly working to improve his art of teaching and creating. Recently we exchanged emails on the changes we’ve seen in education during our careers.

In Frank’s words…

Change is not always easy, especially at my age. However, making the move from elementary to middle school plus being appointed department chair makes teaching interesting. Above all, the kids that I see grow to 14 years old is such a miracle! They keep me young and laughing. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

Our school district, especially in the middle and high school want every teacher to use technology; Study Wiz, Power teacher, Moddle, etc. to enhance teaching. Not all teachers especially the older ones like this “invasion” of their space. They also are the ones that do not attend conferences, which stunts mental growth. I have some staff members that rarely go outside of our district. Many are using the same teaching style/process/lessons from many years ago. It is called “safe” and “complacent”.

I am working hard with the career counselor to have art admissions people speak at our annual career day college fair coming on October 5th. I am also asking the high school teachers to put their lessons and objectives on our homepage so the community can see what we are all about.

Perhaps you’d like to make a comment or contact Frank directly @ fchin@msad54.org

New addition to the blog!

One of my goals for 2009-10 is to invite educators to let their voices be heard by being a writer on the meartsted blog.

Periodically, there will be a “guest blogger”. If you have something you’ve been thinking about, questioning, seriously contemplating or perhaps research or data have influenced your teaching or ideas YOU could be a “guest blogger” on meartsed. The column will be called ONE TEACHERS VOICE.

Don’t just let those ideas float around like the ducks at Schoodic or the clouds on a summer day!

Put those words on paper (or on your computer). If you are interested in being a writer, please let me know! And by all means please comment on any blog post that you’d like.

And thanks to those who contribute information for the meartsed blog.

Great Opportunity for Young Maine Musicians

Please spread the word to music students. From the Top, National Public Radio’s showcase for young musicians, will come to Portland Ovations for a live recording of the hit program on Wednesday, March 24, 2-10 in Merrill Auditorium, Portland.

Information on applying and auditioning

• Classical musicians 8-18 who have not graduated from high school are eligible
• Performers can audition as soloists or small ensembles or as composers
• Classical is the main focus but other genres are sometimes featured
• Applicants need to submit audition forms and recordings at least three to four months prior to the taping date. No later than December 18, 2009
• Applications can be done by mail. Applications can be downloaded at http://www.fromthetop.org. $20 application fee which can be paid online or by check.
• Applications should be submitted to From the Top, 295 Huntington Ave., Suite 201, Boston, MA 02115.
• Musicians needing recording assistance, Portland Ovations is exploring the possibility of arranging recording sessions for young musicians in southerin and north-central Maine.
• Each year approximately twenty $10,000 scholarships are awarded to pre-college classical musicians who appear on the show. More information about the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award can be found on the From the Top website http://www.fromthetop.org

For more information on this exciting opportunity please contact the Director of Education and Outreach at Portland Ovations Barri Lynn Moreau at blmoreau@portlandovations.org.  To read more about the opportunity please click here.

J.S. Bach – Crab Canon on a Mobius Strip

This is quite fascinating… Canon 1 a 2 from J.S. Bachs Musical Offereing (1747). A single musical sequence that is to be played front to back and back to front. Is there a name for these in Music? The term for a word spelled the same backwards and from the front is Palindrome. Example: level or an example of a phrase that is a palidrome: step on no pets. Enjoy this video.