Two Virtual Interactive Musical Educational Programs

On June 4, 2020, Convergence Ensemble delivered a brand new virtual interactive musical educational program (IMEP) to Charlestown HS to two Special Education classes. With the help of Alissa Voth, a teacher at Charlestown, we developed a program with literary performer Regie Gibson and a program with violin duo Hsin-Lin Tsai and Miguel Perez. The programs integrated with the students’ curricula while also ensuring that they had access to professional musicians. 

Regie started the class by performing “One World. One Music.” The students cheered and clapped along on zoom. After, the Alissa introduced the lesson topic by saying “We learned that you can make music using an instrument. Now we can use our bodies too!” 

Regie and Alissa introduced the concept of rhythm to the students. “Do you hear how our voices go up and down when we say certain words? That’s rhythm,” said Regie. The students were asked to mirror rhythm with their bodies by putting their arms up and down to match the rhythm. This process allowed students to connect the concepts with their bodies, creating a physical understand of rhythm! Alissa, as well as paraprofessionals in the classroom described portion of the class as “some of the most engagement we’ve seen in the classroom all year!”

The most poignant part of the lesson was when Regie took out a talking drum and used it to perform students’ names. “What syllables do you hear in your name?” Regie would ask. The students would say their names and “perform” with their hands; Regie would play their name back using the talking drum and his voice. Of course, the students loved this! Students connected with the creative process and were empowered as musicians!

Regie’s program ended with a performance of his “Let’s Take it Back.” For some students, this was the first time a performance space was made accessible to them. Students were dancing, cheering, singing, and clapping along. Before the zoom call ended, one of the students said, “I hope you come back!”

Hsin-Lin and Miguel’s program taught students about the violin. They opened the class with a performance of Gilère’s violin duo no. 5. The students were instantly engaged and they could tell that this was a special performance just for them.

Hsin-Lin began pointing out different parts of the violin, from the neck to the strings. She had the students count out the string numbers as she plucked them from high to low and low to high. Students would hold up their fingers to indicate string numbers and connected the concept of high and low sounds to previous lessons taught in the class.

Miguel transitioned the lesson into defining arco and pizzicato or long and short sounds. As he demonstrated bowing and plucking techniques, students would “air bow” and “air pluck.” One student actually had a violin in his home, which was brought out to show the zoom class. The students were extremely curious to see that their classmate had an instrument, and the caretakers and family members on screen were equally 

as happy.

At the end of the class, students were asked if they wanted to sing, play, or listen to the violin duo. When they picked “listen,” Hsin-Lin and Miguel performed and arrangement of “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars. “I know that song!” students exclaimed. It was important to Alissa that the students could personally connect with the music, making sure that it was music that they heard in their own homes. At the end of the performance, a student and parent said “You should come play for us when we can meet in person again!”

Both IMEPs were extremely successful, adapting easily into the virtual classroom setting. Both programs served classrooms of various learning disabilities by featuring many different learning styles: There were options to listen, to read, and to engage in a tactile manner. These lessons can be adapted to any classroom, whether virtual or in person.