Community Arts Partner

Teaching Approach

Teaching Philosophy + Approach

We acknowledge that Virtual Classrooms are going to look very different in the upcoming year. We will be prepared with a vibrant, interactive and educational program. STYLE's program mission is to ignite students’ passions for literature through collaborative songwriting education. Communication skills and creative thinking are amplified using an art form they already love – music. When students engage in conversation about literature through the scope of songwriting, their thinking becomes more agile and critical. Integrated mediums allow students a broader threshold for new concepts to plant seeds for further development in their learning. Group process is a huge part of the program. Setting students in different groupings and allowing them to share with one another, lends to more sharing in the full classroom. While we work with all age groups K – 12, we are especially compelled by our work with Elementary and Middle School students. These students are at a point in their development where they are searching for who they are and who they will become as members of society. With STYLE, they have opportunities for experimentation and expression during this changing time, daring to open new doors, all while connecting to the thematic material being used.

Curriculum Integration Possibilities

STYLE is set to integrate with the Language Arts classroom. But now with additional plans for remote learning we will include integration into history and science as well. Our immersive program will include Music, Dance, Visual Art, Poetry, Language Arts, History, Science and 21st Century skills. Our Thunderbird/Seahawks Program partners more closely with Social Studies. We discuss how appropriation is present in our everyday lives, and how we can honor culture and history rather than take advantage of it. We also plan on including American Music History as a piece of our program as well which can open up more conversations about the world we live in. Our Education Director will work closely with your school to make sure that the program being delivered suites your student's needs.

Special Skills and Areas of Expertise

The STYLE program is open to working with students of all grade levels and demographics. All students have some degree of interest in music, and we find this can spark interest in their school subjects as well. Whenever possible we try to integrate ELL and Special Education Students into grade level appropriate classrooms. This gives all students the opportunity to work together. In our experience, ELL and Special Education Students add a depth of character to the songs that really moves students and teachers. We have seen new friendships and bonds created through these opportunities.

Testimonials from Schools

Craig Seasholes - Librarian - Dearborn Park International School clseasholes@seattleschools.org STYLE songwriting workshops give students an unforgettable experience with the written word. It gives them a chance to experience the craft and magic of flinging words into the air on a pair of musical wings. Kevin McNew - Librarian - Leschi Elementary School kemcnew@seattleschools.org I had high expectations but really did not anticipate the profound effect this project would have. The act of creation is powerful but it is magnified when the creation is a collaborative activity. The community building started right away. I saw such accomplishment and pride on the faces of the young songwriters. And the songs are all based on a book of poems that deal with issues of race and equity. It could not have gone better. Deanna Barrett - English Teacher - Aki Kurose Middle School dcbarrett@seattleschools.org My students were totally enthralled with the presentations by STYLE. My 8^th graders had just read Fahrenheit 451. When the Bushwick Book Club asked the students to get to the meat of the book by writing poetry about the themes within the book, students gained a greater understanding of the book as well as a better realization of the intricacies of writing poetry. Putting their poetry to music and hearing it sung by professionals was exciting and educational. I couldn’t ask for a better way to entice students into the joys of literature.