Residencies
The Listen Up! Residencies Model
Listen Up! is a unique, long-term artist residency that takes place over the course of eight months of the school year and offers multiple in-class, interactive sessions with professional artists. Selected student groups/classes within the school explore a pre-determined theme through the three core modules – writing/poetry, music/composition, visual art – working towards a culminating concert for the entire school community. Students are able to engage collaboratively in the creative process through multiple arts disciplines and share in the powerful discovery of their own unique voices.
While there is a basic structure to the program, it is developed collaboratively with each school to ensure that the process and activities are meaningful and impactful for each unique school community. The general program overview is:
October
In-school concert, hosted by the Gryphon Trio, introduces the Listen Up! program and artist mentors to the whole school.
Program Launch
October/November
Writer/Spoken word artist mentor works with core student groups (4-6 sessions) to explore the program theme through various writing games and exercises. The students create poems, monologues, 6-word biographies, word clouds and other writing, all of which informs, inspires and becomes the lyrics used in the composition module.
Poetry Module
November/December
Composer mentor works with core student groups (4 sessions) to introduce musical building blocks and create simple motifs, chord progressions, phrases as per the students’ level of music competency. The students’ words and poems are incorporated into this process and provide a foundational understanding of the composition process. Following the sessions, the composer takes students’ words and musical elements to develop pieces for student choir and piano trio accompaniment.
Music/Composition Module
January/February
Visual artist mentor works with core student groups (4-5 sessions) to express program theme through various arts mediums. Individual work and larger pieces (banners, sculptures, backdrops etc.) are developed to be part of the final presentation.
Visual Arts Module
February - April
The Listen Up! team works in collaboration with teachers and school administrators to determine how best to support the school choir who will perform the original compositions as part of the final concert. A Conductor/Choir master mentor can provide adhoc or regularly scheduled rehearsals with the students as well as teacher resources and support, as needed.
Choir Development
Additional Sessions
As Required
As per the needs and interests of each unique participating school, additional sessions to build on student work can be included within the program timeframe. These could include percussion elements, spoken word performance techniques or additional time to work on visual arts elements.
May
All participating students rehearse and work with full artist mentor team including the Gryphon Trio for three full days. This time includes developing processional and recessional, art installation and group recitations.
Final 3-Day Residency
May/June
Culminating concert for parents and community members, showcasing and celebrating the students’ creative work throughout the program. Concert includes:
World premiere of compositions for children’s
choir and trio, inspired and written by the mentor composer and studentsPoetry recitations, spoken word performances by participants and mentor artists
Video/slideshow of images telling the story
of the entire processVisual art installation of student work,
group processionals and recessionals
with improvisational elementsGroup vocal performance element that
includes participants and audience
