by Anna Golden, Studio Teacher

From the Middle School’s jam sessions and Exploratory projects involving audio stories, handmade instruments, and construction of a telegraph machine, to the youngest preschoolers’ “Monster Song” composition, the inquiry into music and sound—this past year’s umbrella project looked different in every classroom. One Middle School student worked throughout the year on a series of projects about the birds on the Stony Point grounds, including a guidebook and CD of birdsong recorded around campus. She then helped Preschool students observe and draw birds as part of their own ongoing bird investigation. Early in the year, Middle School students explored the James River with composer Erik DeLuca, composing poetry inspired by the river soundscape; later, they shared their experience with the first and third grade classes, leading to more poetry writing. Inspired by the poem “The Hundred Languages of Children,” third and fourth graders shared ideas about using music as a language across disciplines, composing music as part of science learning as well as using music to respond to literature.