Changing the Learning Experience:
Playful Application & Connection
– Connecting imagination and information
– Making better associations between Art and Academics
J & J: The Musical Dudes
Offer 5 different programs
Joseph & Joel are professional touring and recording artists and producers. With over 50 CD’s recorded and produced, and with 65 years of professional experience combined, we assure you that they will engage and excite your students to learn and create.1) J & J: The Musical Geometry Dudes
Mathematics Subject (Grades K -7) 45 – 60 minutes
Music and Dance create an adventurous and fun way to understand geometric shapes and their place in the learning format. Students will: – Generate teamwork and observation – Learn creative Improvisation – Experiment with Dance Ideas – Learn how geometric shapes work – Learn how to utilize geometric shapes in everyday life, including sports – Sing contemporary and sustainable original TAO songs that will help understand geometrySample Geometry Dance Video
Sample Mathematics Song Creation (Combining students’ birth dates & math)
2) J & J: Song Creating with History
History Subject (Grades K – 7) 45 – 60 minutes
Joseph and Joel use History lessons to create songs from scratch. The students comes away with a CD of songs that they helped compose and create. Along the way they gain a better understanding of history and culture. Students will:
– Learn about Jazz & American Song – Be exhibited ACTUAL Civil War & Revolutionary War Instruments – Be exhibited African and South American Instruments – Learn how to create a song – Learn how to improvise – Write lyrics – Teamwork & develop group brain-storming – Develop solutions to problems at hand3) J & J: Creating Songs Using Mathematics & Algebra
Math Subject (Grades K – 7) 45 – 60 minutes
Joseph and Joel create songs with students’ birthdays. Melodies and songs are created from the students’ birth dates by turning them into musical notation, associating music and math. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and complex multiplication, ratios and decimals- all operations are used to create original music ALL based on the students’ birth dates! Also, they explain the correlation between musical, geometric, mathematical proportions. Students will:
– Learn group interaction for Stronger Creativity – Retain a better understanding of their current math curriculum – Improvise and experiment with their own ideas – Participate in creating songs with the teaching artists. – Learn retainable and sustainable songs that help understand proportionsSample Math & Music Video
Sample Math & Music Song (Combining students’ birth dates & math)
4) J & J: Creating Lyrics Using Prepositions
English Subject (Grades 5 – 7) 45 – 60 minutes
Joseph and Joel take prepositions as the basis for lyric writing and create songs from scratch with the students. A song is created using prepositions and science as their subjects. Students participate in the writing of the song (and performance when they choose to be so bold!). The students comes away with a CD of the song that they helped compose and create. Along the way they gain a better understanding of prepositions and their usage. Students will:
– Learn Song and lyric writing techniques – Music Production capabilities – Build a stronger vocabulary with the use of prepositions5) J & J: The Musical Table of Elements
Science Subject (Grades 8 – 10) 45 – 60 minutes
Joseph and Joel use music and sound to help identify what particular elements sound like. They take the atomic numbers and weights and combine them into musical notation to create songs with the students. As well, they show puzzles and games that can be used to help retain Element symbols. Students will:
– Learn about the table of elements in a fun way – Create songs using sound frequency and atomic weights – Build a stronger understanding of the Periodic Table of Elements
Troupe Rhythmique
Troupe Rhythmique (A Percussion Group) BILINGUAL: Spanish or English
Math Subject (Grades K – 8) 45 minutes
TAO teaching musicians will perform rhythms on percussive instruments from around the world. They will excite the students with the sounds of global flutes and drums while teaching historical purposes of music, such as forms of communication, and how rhythmic communication is based on math and proportionate measurement. Students will learn:
– Global rhythms, dance and performance through the percussive music – Proportions and help with fractions as they learn about measurements – The association between math and music while being engaged and interactive
The Story Wheel (A Short Story or Poem)
Science and History Subjects (Grades K – 8) 45 minutes
TAO Actors form group circles with the students to create a prose, poetry or a draft for a short story based on a current science or history topics and use science words about which they are learning. The students bounce ideas off of each other to formulate creative literature and poetry. Students will:
– Learn group interaction for Stronger Creativity – Act and write creative sentences based on core subjects – Learn how to accept mistakes while changing the error into success – Retain a better understanding of their current core subject curriculum – Learn how to improvise and experiment with their own ideas through Literary Exercise – Learn about a particular Native American principal, Cycles of Nature, and Historical Philosophy
The TAO Script Writer
Science and History Subjects (Grade K – 6) 45 minutes
A TAO Script writer creates a story line and script from history and science vocabularies. Students may sign up for a second workshop to rehearse and act out the script. Students will:
– Learn group interaction for Stronger Creativity – Build a better understanding of the core subjects about which they are learning
The Geometric Artist
Creating Geometrically-Proportionate Art using Math & Color
Science and Math Subjects (Grades 4 – 8) 60 minutes
TAO Teaching Artists explain the importance of proportions for math, architecture, science, design, and music. The students form paintings based on geometric designs that they create using primary colors. Students will:
– Grasp a deeper understanding of geometric and algebraic proportions – Create architectural designs all on their own – Learn about primary colors and when combined, how they create new colors – Retain a better understanding of their current subject curriculum
The Culinary Scientist
Science & Geometry Subjects (Grades K – 4) 45 minutes
TAO chefs create recipes that turn food into a science project! As well, geometric shapes will demonstrated through food items. Students will: – Make ice cream without using electricity or Ice! – Interact by preparing the dish & Design geometric food shapes – Identify natural foods that represent geometry
The Identity of Music
Current Events, Social Studies, Science Subjects (Grades K – 4) 45 minutes
TAO Teaching Artists (keyboards, international percussive instruments, and international flutes) create songs with the students identifying current and important historical events about which they are learning. Also, will be introduced to instruments from various regions of the world and learn how different materials create different sound qualities. Students will:
– Learn group interaction for Teamwork – Identify music with emotions from a historical perspective – Be introduced to global instruments and how they are used – Learn how different materials create different sound qualities – Retain a better understanding of their current subject curricula
TAO Geo-Balloon Architect
Math and Geometry Subjects (Grades 1 – 7) 50 minutes
TAO Teaching Artists work with the students to design balloon structures and create Geo-Balloons. Students will:
– learn teamwork through group interaction – Understand Proportions & Balance as they create buildings– Retain a better grasp of the Math & Geometry curricula
Hands on Magic
Math and Science Subjects (Grades K – 4) 50 minutes
TAO magicians will allure students with tricks, puzzles and illusions using ordinary objects found in the home. The tricks offer a fun way to observe scientific and mathematics principals in action, as well as the mechanics of magic. Students will:
– use imagination and creativity while building team interaction– Learn core study principals as they laugh during this illusion-filled program
Fibonacci Meets Picasso
Science and Math Subjects (Grades 6 – 10) 60 minutes
TAO Teaching Artists explain how certain proportions and ratios are found in many aspects of our world. The students design artwork by using proportionate geometric shapes and spirals that they create and paint by using primary colors. As well, they will be introduced to music made from the Fibonacci golden ratio. Students will:
– Grasp a deeper understanding of geometric and algebraic proportions – Create architectural designs all on their own – Learn about primary colors and when combined, how they create new colors – Retain a better understanding of their current subject curricula
TAO & Science Fiction (A Short Film)
Science and History Subjects (Grades 3 – 12) 180 minutes or more
TAO Teaching Artists work with the students to create a short film based on a current science or history topic about which they are learning. The students will revise a short script, rehearse and act. The film will be edited and given to the teacher as a keepsake. Students will:
– Learn group interaction for Stronger Creativity & Teamwork – Act, produce & script write – Learn about the various art forms involved in film making – Retain a better understanding of their current subject curriculum – How to balance creative ideas while executing subject matter – Improvise and experiment with their own ideas
TAO Foley Design Storyline The Purpose of Sound
Science & History Subjects (Grades K – 12) 50 minutes
TAO Teaching Artists demonstrate the importance of sound while making students aware of its presence everywhere in our world. Foley Art (or also known as Sound Design) is the process of all of the sounds that you hear during a film. Otherwise a film would be very dry and boring. Sounds add to all aspects of our life and this workshop demonstrates its vast effect. The students will create sound-based story-line using history and subject topics. Students will:
– use imagination and creativity during a sound-based storyline– get core study reinforcement on the information that is being taught at their school
“Three For All” Dallas DrumLine
Mathematics Subject (Grades 3 – 6) 50 minutes
TAO teaching musicians will perform rhythms as a drum line and explain mathematics in music, time signatures and breakdown fractions, measurements and proportions as seen through percussive instruments.
Students will: – learn to hear math through rhythms – build a better vocabulary of measurement – learn associations of math and musicOther Assemblies and Residencies Offered:
General Assemblies
- Exciting and Encouraging the Student to Develop Ideas
- Using Music as a Form of Discipline
- Explaining Where Music Originates
- Using the Music to Which Students Listen for Inventiveness, Repetition, and Free Thinking
- Address the Importance of Creativity
- The Power of Idea & Thinking outside of the box
- Perseverance in Career & Goal Achievement
- Establishing an Individual Platform
- Understanding the Instruments’ Tone of Voice
- Learning Your Voice as a Player (Identifying your sound)
- Balance, Dynamics, & Ensemble Performance
- Improvisation
- Symphony, Jazz & Concert Stages
- Performing with the Students in Concert
- Free Form Art
- Thinking Outside of the Box (Composition, Performance, Recording)
- Masterclass Lectures for All of the Visual & Performing Art Students
One of the toughest challenges for a speaker is to voice all of their knowledge in short class times. Residencies are established when a donor underwrites blocks of time that are suitable for the class and agreeable by the school. Having several segments of class time allows the speaker to truly develop a passion within the student. In turn, the students grasp a better understanding of the subjects at hand.
The residencies are most effective if the students possess a high level of sophistication. These residencies can include subjects such as free form art, masterclass lectures on any of the arts, improvisation and learning how to think outside of the box, releasing all inhibitions in order to become a better artistic individual.
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We can cater our program to fit your school’s technical and structural needs. However, the primary objective behind our workshop program is to instill creative thought and creative exercise through Art. When students understand the power of creativity and inspiration, they will then, apply it to their future careers and development of their own community. We want to encourage students to rise to another level of thinking above the one with which they are familiar.
With that said, here are some examples of what tools we use in the TAO workshops:
In general, the workshops range from 40 – 50 minutes, sometimes less for the younger grades. However, We have performed some classes for 90 -120 minutes. We will adhere to the teachers’ needs or requests and extend classes where it’s needed.
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Kindergarten – 4th Grade: When presenting to the youngest of elementary students, TAO makes a request to set the stage as a general assembly (usually in some type of multi-purpose room) with the students sitting in a circle around the teaching artist and a table of several different instruments. Flutes from all around the world are demonstrated. The various flutes and the styles that are appropriate to the instrument’s country origin is explained. We also explain timbre and how different materials (ie. metals, clay, and woods) change timbres.
The creative portion of the TAO workshop extends into composition and improvisation. We explain how to use creativity to think beyond what is in front of them. We inspire and excite students when we demonstrate the following:
Joseph Vincelli and pianist, Joel McCray ask the students to give their birth date in number form, pick a letter from the musical alphabet (by choosing a music key from A – G) and pick a genre of music (by giving them 3 choices from which to choose). From their suggestions, the TAO musicians make up a song right then and there. Often, we will compose songs using several different students’ birthdays and combining math skills (such as addition and multiplication to create new combinations of musical numbers with their birthdays).
We highly recommend that you visit our videos page (TAO Workshop Videos) to see some of our workshop performances in action.
Middle School Students: Even though he uses improvisation exercises similar to the younger students, he spends ample time teaching them how to identify their individual talents and weaknesses, not in music, but as a person. He does this so that the students learn how to focus on the right things to practice in order to achieve their goals.
As well, he spends time on goal setting, time management, and learning how to identify individual interests. He talks about his school experiences and what dedication it took in order for him to become fluent with music so that it brought a high level of enjoyment.
Just as it is done for the younger students, the creative portion of the TAO workshop extends into composition and improvisation. We explain how to use creativity to think beyond what is in front of them. We inspire and excite students when we demonstrate the following:
Joseph Vincelli and pianist, Joel McCray ask the students to give their birth date in number form, pick a letter from the musical alphabet (by choosing a music key from A – G) and pick a genre of music (by giving them 3 choices from which to choose). From their suggestions, the TAO musicians make up a song right then and there. Often, we will compose songs using several different students’ birthdays and combining math skills (such as addition and multiplication to create new combinations of musical numbers with their birthdays).
High School Students: TAO musicians, Joseph Vincelli and Joel McCray, performances are strong and passionate. They begin by playing for students to get their attention. Their stories are compelling as they discuss the passion they have for music, even as early as middle school students. They explain the importance of being dedicated to practice, learning what to practice and learning about themselves along the way (working on their strengths and combatting their weaknesses).
They talk about their approach toward study in a very systematic way, similar to what was taught to them by jazz greats, Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis. Time management is discussed and how it becomes key for success. These are things that students always need to hear as they approach college and adulthood, especially from someone who is successful within their own field.