Jazz Is Elementary Wednesday, April 10, 2024
recommended by Jen Sper and Lisa Springer, School Choral & Classroom Music Specialists
Jazz Is Elementary: Creativity Development through Music Activities, Movement Games, and Dances by Darla S. Hanley & Allison P. Kipp
Use jazz to develop children’s creativity! This book is a collection of 60 jazz-based teaching strategies designed to foster music making, creative movement, and improvisation in the K-5 music classroom. The innovative strategies are grounded in the best practices in elementary music education and partner with a curated playlist of jazz music that is available via streaming audio platforms. These strategies represent the music of nearly 80 iconic jazz artists of yesterday and today (e.g. Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Sarah Vaughan). All teaching strategy concepts were extensively field-tested with children in the elementary music classroom and with teachers around the world.
Designed with music teachers, parents/caregivers, traditional school, home-school, and arts-based community organizations in mind, the strategies in this book can be used to engage children and prompt their creative and original expressions. Strategies include singing, instrument play, body percussion, games, chants, and dances that support both individual and group assessment.
Companion materials are offered online to support the strategies including instructional videos for dances; printable resources such as visual aids, notation cards, movement directives, and color sheets; and artist profiles that provide brief biographies and put each musician in historical and musical context.
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About the Authors:
Jen Sper is a Choral Music Specialist here at Stanton’s Sheet Music. A native of Cincinnati, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College (now University) Conservatory of Music, and taught 7-12 choir, music theory, class piano, and drama in Southern Ohio before joining the Stanton’s team in 2006. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, Jen can also often be found exploring the exciting restaurant, brewery, and theater scenes in Columbus, wandering through the local metro parks, visiting family around the Great Lakes, or at home with her very friendly cat.
Lisa Springer joined the Stanton’s choral staff in July 2023. She taught middle and high school choirs for 27 years in addition to serving as Artistic Director of the Columbus Women’s Chorus. She holds degrees from Heidelberg University and Cleveland Institute of Music. She has enjoyed an extensive professional singing career and continues to perform in the greater Columbus area. During her free time, she enjoys spending time in southern Ohio playing with her grandchildren.