Category Archives: The Teaching Artist

Missives from the world of teaching music / theater to the young ‘uns

4th Grade POWER OF PROGRESS – The Immigrants

Posted on October 5, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Last spring the full 4th grade of the Brooklyn Children’s School presented “The Power of Progress 1840 – 1920”, a multi-media, multi-disciplinary event where different groups of children created presentations and performances on such topics as Suffragettes, Newsies, Tenement Buildings, … Continue reading →

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WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY when he makes his Kindergarten debut? – The Fairy Tale Opera 3

Posted on August 19, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I’ve discussed how certain characters are most likely to make the cut when the Kindergartners vote on their three chosen Fairy Tale Opera protagonists/antagonists.  Dragons are extremely popular, being regularly featured, and populating two of the three Fairy Tale Operas … Continue reading →

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THE ENDURING POPULARITY OF DRAGONS IN KINDERGARTEN – The Fairy Tale Opera 2

Posted on July 18, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Every year when I start the Fairy Tale Opera project in Kindergarten (at the Brooklyn Children’s School), I ask the class to make a long list of characters that appear in fairy tales.  Then the kindergartners choose three characters around … Continue reading →

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MERMAIDS AND WIZARDS AND DRAGONS: The Kindergarten Fairy Tale Opera Project

Posted on June 20, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I have already written about how First Grade Operas are created by the students at the Brooklyn Children’s School, and posted one, two, three examples.  If the First Grade Opera Project is the creating original music theater equivalent of riding … Continue reading →

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5 X FUN with LUDWIG’S 5th

Posted on June 1, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Let’s have some fun with Beethoven!   Specifically the 1st movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, easily the most famous piece of classical music in the world.  The indelible Duh Duh Duh DAH motif that opens and shapes the movement may … Continue reading →

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FIRST GRADE OPERA #3: Mermaids and Blue Sharks and Red Sharks, Oh My!

Posted on May 19, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

“And when a mermaid bumps Into a blue shark They kiss” Class 1-3’s opera this year opens with a rather prettily moody song* (for first grade) about the Mermaid Castle and the Mermaids and Blue Sharks who cavort merrily within … Continue reading →

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Forbidden Movies, Forbidden Music

Posted on May 14, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I walked out of the Film Forum mind abuzz and guts churning.   I was chewing on a whole lot of food for thought as well as the ice cream melt I bought to soothe my emotion roiled innards. I’d just … Continue reading →

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THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Embracing the “Sugarcoated Lie”

Posted on May 6, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Ed and I were in Berlin* a couple years ago visiting my folks when we stumbled upon a German movie from the 1950s being shown on TV.   We missed the first seconds of the credit sequence and so didn’t catch … Continue reading →

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More fun with FIRST GRADE OPERAS: the King, the Queen and the Wacky Witch

Posted on May 3, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

KING COFFERN (looking through his special magnifying glass): “I want to find a queen who is beautiful and kind.  Let’s see what Queens I can find with my magnifying glass.  All right let’s see … here’s a Queen … hmmm, … Continue reading →

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FIRST GRADE OPERA #1: Astronaut Alice and the Moon Aliens

Posted on April 25, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

ALICE: I told Lollipop I would never ever forget him or leave him and now he is gone.  I  can’t find him. DIGGER: Alice, we will find him together, just like we found the moon rocks. Don’t give up, we … Continue reading →

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Mister Danny and His Most Sung Song

Posted on April 18, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I am a teaching artist. Which means that I freelance as a visiting music and drama teacher to conduct arts education projects in the classroom for limited time periods, usually 8-12 weeks, in schools all across the New York metropolitan … Continue reading →

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