Fleisher: Gourd Sounds

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Gourd Sounds: Special Needs Project

Taggart Elementary and Middle School: 6th, 7th and 8th Grade LS and Multi-handicapped Classes, 2001-2002

Teacher Partners: Ann Glickman and Glendora Brooks
Teaching Artists: Shawna Lisa, Amy Herzel with assistance from Kristy Huber, Intern

Painting a gourd.
Completed gourds on display.

In the spring term students planned, designed and constructed their own banjos. The LS class decorated their banjos with personal symbols and images. They were encouraged to write personal stories and write the text on their banjos. The multi-handicapped class worked on basic skills such as painting, coloring with markers, and printing shapes and patterns on their banjos. Upon completion of the banjos, both classes worked with Magdaliz Roura, a music therapist. Using drums, bells, shaker eggs, gourd rattles as well as their banjos all of the students performed for the Seniors at Methodist.

This year long intergenerational multi-residency program inspired by the Banjo Project focused specifically on art making skills and the creation of personalized instruments. Two classes; 6th, 7th and 8th grade multi-handicapped children (7) and 6th, 7th and 8th grade learning support students (18) sometimes worked together and sometimes separately. In the fall term, the students also worked with senior citizens at Methodist Center. The program began with a gourd rattle project. A musical interlude was then provided by Baba Badara Ndaw before the winter holiday break. This added to the students’ education and experience of gourd instruments and African music.

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