Area of Study: DA CAPO
YMA’s Introduction to Music class
Session 1: June 24 – July 6, 2012
Grades: 4 –6
Special Requirements: None
Introductory music class, with a focus on choral and rhythm work, combined with music theory and some practice work with the upper-level choir. This class curriculum is based on things children like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance, and keep a beat. The class is taught by professional elementary music educators in a non-competitive atmosphere.
Part of the class will incorporate the Orff Schulwerk methods, which use poems, rhymes, games, songs, and dances as examples and basic materials. These may be traditional or original. The Orff method includes total active involvement in music making that incorporates speech, singing, movement, and instrument playing in a creative environment. It develops the whole child with a balance of emotional and intellectual stimulation.
As with all of the program areas at YMA, the Da Capo music students will be immersed in a supportive, positive environment, where each student builds confidence and learns new skills in a safe, loving space. The Da Capo students integrate with the older campers throughout the day: in elective classes, during free time before and after dinner, at performances and at meals, and through collaborations between the program areas. They will have classroom instructors as well as a full-time staff supervisor, who serves as a ‘room mother’ and stays with them to manage and guide them throughout the day all session. Each student is also assigned to a counselor group in the dorms. YMA counselors are high school or college-age graduates of the YMA program themselves, and are trained to manage and supervise campers, while having excellent professional support by adult faculty and the Director of Student Life.
If you are interested in giving your child a positive start in music education, the YMA experience is a gift that will provide life-long rewards. For more information, contact the YMA Director of Student Life, Galen Cohen, at info@YMAinc.org, or (503) 880-3817.
