Any Given Child Update
Winter 2018
M.C. Ginsberg Artist in Residence with Fifth Graders
Henry Cardenas has been serving a second year as the ICCSD's M.C. Ginsberg's Artist in Residence. He has been visiting fifth grade classes to work with the students to design and construct audio tracks and music loops using the free audio software program, audiotool.com.
Henry Cardenas is a musician, music producer, audio engineer, and DJ, and is currently studying elementary education at the University of Iowa. Originally from New Rochelle, New York, then based in Brooklyn, he earned his certification in audio engineering from the Institute of Audio Research. Mr. Cardenas’ projects have included being involved in the New York City underground dance scene; releases on the Portuguese label, Enchufada; a collaboration at The New Museum; and work featured on E! and MTV2.
While in New York City, he worked as a lead instructor at the nonprofit, Building Beats, that develops and expands DJ and music programs that teach entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills. Mr. Cardenas is passionate about providing young students with an opportunity for creative expression through music technology education.
During the Artist in Residence sessions with ICCSD fifth grade classes, Mr. Cardenas reinforces the music/math relationship as he discusses meter, beats, and beats per minute. The students learn how to put different tracks of music together—first through an ‘organic orchestra’ as the class divides up into different tracks of stomping, clapping, and snapping—then on the software program, where each student creates his/her own combination of tracks to make their own audio loop. When they are finished creating, students have the opportunity to demonstrate their loop for the rest of the class.
It is impressive to listen to the variety of instrumentation and rhythms in the students’ loops. Each loop reflects the student’s musical and rhythmic preferences. Some are tightly constructed with only a few different tracks and consistent rhythms; some loops have more rhythmic variation and syncopation, while others have a greater variety of tracks, with instruments jumping in at different points. The residency sessions provide an opportunity for students to learn more about musical structure and composition while providing students with relatively simple, accessible technology that they can use to create a unique expression of their own musical ideas.
Thank you to M.C. Ginsberg for supporting the Artist in Residence program.
Music in the Schools
What instrument was originally called the sackbut? Why is a French horn included in a woodwind quintet? What is a violin bow made of? You might skip asking Google these questions and check with a first, second, or third grader to see if they can provide the answers for you.
During February and March, all district first, second, and third graders are learning about the instruments of the orchestra through live performances by Orchestra Iowa musicians. First graders hear performances by a brass quintet. Second graders hear a woodwind quintet and third graders hear a string quartet. The half-hour performances are designed to appeal to elementary-aged children and each features a demonstration and discussion of the instruments in the ensemble. The performances link directly to the first graders' physic of sound curriculum and the elementary general music curriculum as students learn to identify orchestral instruments by both sight and sound.
And Just Beginning. . .
Throughout March and April, Mark Jones, along with Iowa City FilmScene volunteers, will work with every sixth grade class art class in the Iowa City Community Schools to teach students how to do stop-motion animation. Students will be using the software Stop Motion Studio, which is a free app available on iTunes and Google Play.
We are grateful to have the support of Any Given Child’s founding sponsors: the Cities of Coralville, Iowa City, and North Liberty, Hancher, M.C. Ginsberg, US Bank, and West Music for this Any Given Child program.
Thank You Stuff Charity Umbrella!
To sustain and provide more arts programming for every student, please consider supporting, volunteering, or sharing information about Any Given Child with friends!