Music in Schools Today: Understanding Cultures: Learning Through Music

Learning Through Music:
The La Llorona/The Weeping Woman Residency Program

Music in Schools Today is collaborating with The Music Theater Collaborative on a three year multidisciplinary Artist in Residency Program that involves teaching children about opera, poetry, singing and dancing. This artist in residency program is part of a larger project that will include the premiere of Hector Armienta's new opera, La Llorona/The Weeping Woman – A Mayan Legend, to be held at San Francisco's Brava Theater in 2006.

"The goal of these residencies is to provide children hands-on experience in the arts as both creators and performers," stated Hector, who also serves as the Artistic Director of the Music Theater Collaborative. Meg Madden, Executive Director of Music in Schools Today, met with Hector and his board president, Craig Palmer early in 2003 to discuss the possibility of collaboration.

The first leg of this residency program has begun. Poetry artist Gail Newman has been working with fourth and fifth grade students at Harvey Milk Elementary to write their own poetry, inspired by myths and legends from their own culture. They are also creating one group poem, which Hector will use to compose a short five minute choral work. In January of 2004, Hector will work with the same students to learn the piece and have them perform as part of the Music Theater Collaborative's Spring Concert.

"We at Music in Schools Today are honored to work with Hector on this important project, which brings opera into the schools in a framework that includes poetry and dance,” Meg said. "When children create their own work and hear and see it performed, they find their authentic voice, which they can never lose. Once they recognize the connection between what they have done and what Hector and other artists do, they become open to all kinds of learning. The work the children are writing with Gail is having a lasting impact on their lives."

Artist in Residency Program at
Harvey Milk Elementary

Poet Gail Newman helps a student with his poem,
while his classmate struggles to find just the right word...

Creation Myths, 4th Grade Group Poem
Once there was nothing but sky.
One day God was so bored
He made the planets.
Then he made the sun
And stars so the animals
Would have light so it
Can shine on them.
So the animals all had
A different opinion
Who God was.
The wise turtle knew
It was true.

The sun is a yellow apple
That the raven carried into space
And all the countries ravens
Held it up with their beaks.
Only the strong stayed up
And become the rain clouds.
That is why the sun
Is still up in the sky
So high.

Clouds
Hundreds fly around the sky
The north
The west
The east and the south
They vacuum and blow out air
To make wind
The breeze that goes around the world
And makes cold.
Wind wind
yeah yeah wind

Poet Gail Newman coaches a class on their poetry writing.

Creation Myths, 5th Grade Group Poem
Some people say
the ocean was made from the crying of a girl
because her boyfriend left
and she's till crying.

Some people say
a man got mad
and stomped on the ground like a giant
under the earth
The roots shook
and pushed up the dirt to make the mountains

Some people say
a girl with long beautiful black hair
with barrettes shaped like stars
comes out to play with the sun like a ball
When she comes in front
with the moon behind
it gets dark at night.

Some people say
a big old humongous fruit tree with
mangos, papayas
apples, pears, oranges
and money, bills and coins and checks and credit cards
shakes with wind
The money rattles like tambourines, like crumbled dry leaves
and the earth starts to tremble
and that what makes earthquakes

Some people say
a scientist form Mars created a monster
to wreak havoc on the earth
Its bottom is so big
when it cannonballs in the ocean
it makes tidal waves
and he can control it like I control my dog

Some people say the earth was created
by the heart of nature.
Mother Nature's clothes are the jungle.
Her eyes are the continents: the pandas of Asia,
Australia's kangaroos. Europe's forests,
Africa's deserts, America's oceans.
Her skin is the ocean
Her hands are all the islands
The earth is her play ball
The people are her cells,
the protection of her body.

Students collaborate on a poem

5th grade Word Cards

Life is Great
life is bad because
you have to wait.
life dreams are sometimes scary
and good at the same time
life shines on people's faces and
all the people around the world.
~Anthony

Animals
animals will never skip their lives
animals will run
animals will never ask questions
animals give lives
animals are wishes
~Ricky

Love
Love learns its self
Love makes wishes come true.
Love dies when hearts break.
Love waits until hearts gather
together. Love. Sing it. Love.
~Samantha

Summer
Summer leaves us with the hot sun.
Summer dies when school starts.
Summer learns about heat.
Summer waits until school ends.
Summer bends until it's gone.
~Jessica

Dream
Homes wishes for dreams
Dreams die when I wake up
Dreams sing to me
Dreams leaves on Fall
Dreams wish for me to have a good
Family and the earth to be peaceful
~Cindy

I am like petals of sunset in the morning.
I am like the chirp of wind in autumn.
I am like the desert of the ocean when I'm on
another planet.
~Marcus

The world is like a game of seasons
advances to season to season
I am like a road of memory from
good times to horrible times
My life is like a fog slide climbing up the
steps of childhood and down the slide of manhood
~Justin

Love learns itself.
Love makes wishes come true.
Love dies when hearts break.
Love waits until hearts gather
together. Love. Sing it. Love.
~Samantha

Summer leaves us with the hot sun.
Summer dies when school starts.
Summer learns about heat.
Summer wits until school ends.
Summer bends until it's gone.
Now summer songs are over
It's time to start a new school year.
~Jessica

The forest loves animals as much
as it loves nature. The forest is dying
because of Men.
~Jason

Color's secrets equals peace.
Colors fall into a rainbow.
Color wants to be free.
Color promises the world.
Color remembers life.
~Vanessa

My life is like? the face of a cloud.
The world is like? the darkness of the poem
I am like? rain of the moon.
~Crysta

When I am choking I feel like a
boat drowning in the water and
"Oh no" I don't know how to swim.
When I am hurt I feel like
a little caterpillar
being poked by a very sharp tack.
When I am happy I feel like
a crazy person laughing for
no reason on the street.
When I feel lonely I feel like
an ugly duckling from a
story book.
~Adriana

The search is on they
are looking for the eye
of destiny the Heart of Nature
and the stone of shadows.
My life moves from the Ocean
of eyes to the top of Everest
and then to the bottom
of the earth.
Life goes on and on age to
age as the world grows
older and finally turns to
shadow.
~Quinn

My life is like
Music of language singing to me
My life is like
poems of dreams flying in my head
My life is like
eyes of ocean birds swimming
~Cindy

animals will never skip their lives
animals will run
animals will never ask questions
animals give lives
animals are wishes
~Ricky

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