“Music is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry, music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.” ~ Jim Henson, television producer and puppeteer

Did you know that March is National Music in Our Schools Month? It began as a single statewide celebration in 1973 and has grown into a month-long celebration of school music, according to the National Association for Music Education Web site (www.menc.org). MENC was started to raise awareness of the importance of music education in schools.

So why is music important? It is first important to view music as part of the curriculum and not as an extra-curricular activity. Music is important because it teaches students critical social skills. It is also known to improve math and reading skills because of the focus on learning rhythms and decoding notes. Studying music also encourages self-discipline and diligence, which positively affect study habits. Listed below are other benefits of music education:

• Students of the music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work.
• Music provides children with a means of self-expression.
• Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace.
• Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks.
• Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.

source: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/

So what can you do? Continue to support the schools in your area and their musical programs. Get involved with your state leadership and assist with developing policies and programs that support music programs. Music and the arts in education are not a side note; they are an integral part of a student’s education and the benefits and long-term effects are numerous and positive.

Happy learning!

Ah, Shakespeare…viewed as one of the greatest (if not the greatest) writers in the English language, Shakespeare’s works consists of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His works have been translated into almost every language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.  

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, and they went on to have three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Shakespeare had a successful career during 1585 and 1592 as an actor, writer, and part owner of the Lord Chamberlin’s Men. He retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. There are very few details about Shakespeare’s private life, which leads to various speculations.

His work, however, speaks volumes. Most of his greatest works were published between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, King Richard II). Next, he moved onto tragedies (Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra) until about 1608. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.

It is amazing that although Shakespeare was talented and respected in his day, his reputation did not rise until the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered. Even today his work remains relevant and important in cultural contexts around the world.

If you have never read a Shakespeare play, Simply Charly encourages you to read one…it is an experience! For a complete list of his works, visit the Writings page on Simply Shakespeare. And you can pick up one of those Shakespeare books at the Simply Shakespeare Store.

Happy learning!

Heads down, pencils up! It’s that time of year to begin preparation for those high school standardized tests. The level of emphasis placed on these exams is controversial; but the tests exist and educators have to prepare students to be engaged during the process. The following are just a few tips to help:

• Make test preparation fun—turn the test preparation into competitions. Break your class up into teams and playing games, i.e., a version of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire” based on test questions. 
• Build stamina by encouraging students to read and write during block periods of time during class. Gradually increase the time, and provide reading material that the students are interested in.
• Simulate actual exams. This is probably the best preparation tip. Get the students acclimated by simulating the actual environment they will be testing in, preferably on a daily basis.
• Build the students’ vocabulary. Introduce new words and their meanings daily.

All of this information and more can be found in an excellent article, “Preparing High School Students for Standardized Exams” on the Scholastic Web site. The most important thing to remember is that test preparation is consistent and on-going; it cannot be crammed into a week before the actual test. Helping the students learn methodologies and strategies over the course of the school year will help them in the long run better than trying to cram several lessons into a short time period.

Happy learning!

Hailed by the New York Times as “…the ultimate impressionist: She does people’s souls,” Anna Deavere Smith is a Tony Award winning and Pulitzer Prize nominated actress, playwright, and professor. Ms. Smith is probably best known for her “documentary theatre” style works, often taking on multiple characters in her one-woman shows…

Which leads Simply Charly to this extremely engaging and captivating TEDTalks video. Ms. Smith brings to life four very different American people, in four very different situations, bringing their stories to the audience in a way that is captivating. Pay not so much attention to the “impression” but to the words of each story. Ms. Smith remains very true to the essence of each person and allows each character’s unique aura to pour forth from her…an amazing performance!

Happy learning!

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was a Spanish born painter and sculptor. Born in Malaga, Spain, he was a child prodigy…his talent was recognized and encouraged by his father, Don Jose Ruiz y Blasco, from a very early age. Picasso was so preoccupied with art that it was often to the detriment of his schoolwork.

In 1891, the family moved to La Coruña so that Ruiz could become a professor at the School of Arts. It was during their stay here that he took notice of the precision of Picasso’s technique, and felt that Picasso had surpassed him in talent, and vowed to give up painting. Four years later, tragedy struck the family when Picasso’s sister died of diptheria. The family then moved to Barcelona and Ruiz persuaded the School of Arts to allow Picasso to allow his son to take the entrance exam for the advanced class. The process normally took a month for students to complete; however, Picasso completed it in a week, and the impressed jury admitted Picasso, who was 13 at the time.

Picasso travelled to Paris in 1900, where he met the poet Max Jacob, who became his friend and roommate. These were hard times, and much of the work he had completed had to be burned for heat for the small room he and Max shared. In 1901, Picasso and his friend Francisco de Asís Soler founded the magazine Arte Joven (Young Art), which published all of five issues. From that day he stopped using his full name and simply began using “Picasso” to sign his works. These first years of the century correspond to the painter’s Blue Period. The Blue Period is full of paintings of despondent figures—musicians, beggars, prostitutes, artists, blind men—all inspired by the struggles in Picasso’s own life.

The Blue Period is immediately followed by the Rose Period, which is followed by the African Period. Picasso is probably best known for co-founding the Cubist movement, which followed the African Period.

Picasso met and married his first wife, Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, in 1918. They had a son, Paulo, the following year. Although Picasso began a clandestine affair with Marie-Therese Walter in 1927, he never divorced his wife, because he didn’t want her to have half his wealth. His wife did discover the affair when Walter became pregnant with daughter Maia and the Picassos remained separated until Olga’s death in 1955. Picasso fathered two other children—Claude and Paloma—with Françoise Gilot. Picasso did remarry in 1961, but not to Ms. Walter…he married Jacqueline Roque, subject of one of his more famous later paintings, Jacqueline.

Picasso worked well into his upper years, continuing to work until his death. His last words: “Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore.”

There is a world of more information to discover about Picasso. Skip over to Simply Picasso to read more about this very interesting painting genius…don’t forget to take the quiz and, if you have questions, visit the Forum!

Happy learning!