Welcome to Music at Union Memorial School
The Amidon's are here!
Peter and Mary Alice Amidon, part of the New England Dancing Masters from Brattleboro, Vermont, have started their four-day residency with Union Memorial School students on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Each day this week they will meet with all students to sing, dance and hear stories. The students will be performing for everyone on Friday, March 5, 2010 at Colchester High School in the Gymnasium at 6:30 pm. Please plan to come with your child to the Gym. All students will perform a dance with their grade level and the rest of the evening will be a Community Dance where EVERYONE is invited to participate! Your child will invite you to join them to dance! They will enjoy showing you what they have learned all week. Please plan to come, watch, and participate with your child. We look forward to seeing you this Friday night!
To learn more about the Amidon's, see their website: http://amidonmusic.com/
To learn more about New England Dancing Masters, see their website: http://www.dancingmasters.com/index.html
The UMS Music program is taught by Ms. Martie Mutz, Music Educator. All First and Second Grade students come to Music Class once a week for 45 minutes. Students in Kindergarten come to Music class once a week for 40 minutes. Students are exposed to and experience the elements of music (melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, form, style) while they SING, DANCE, PLAY, LISTEN TO and CREATE music.
The Colchester Music Curriculum is based on the nine National Standards for Music Education. For more information on the National Standards, visit the Music Educator's National Conference site:
Students experience and participate in whole-school assemblies every other week, usually two per month. One feature at many of these assemblies is the singing of our school song, "Glad To Be Here." All students also participate in our annual whole school sing-along in December, featuring multicultural songs from around the world.
Union Memorial School holds at least one evening musical performance each year for family, friends and the community. This year these performances are held at Colchester High School in the Gymnasium. We are very fortunate to have access to the Gymnasium at Colchester High School for our performance. It is an event not to be missed!
ABOUT THE MUSIC TEACHER Ms. Mutz has been
teaching music education to students at Union Memorial School and Porters Point
School since 1988. Prior to that, Ms. Mutz taught music at Westford School
from 1986-1988 to students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade, as well as
Chorus, Band and Marching Band. From 1985-1986, Ms. Mutz taught music at
Mallett's Bay School to Third-Fifth Graders, but that was only a one year
position while the former music teacher, Ms. Allegra Miller taught at Colchester
High School. Ms. Mutz's first music teaching experience was gained at
Mater Christi School from 1982-1985, teaching Kindergarten through Eighth Grade
music, including their instrumental program. Ms. Mutz went to Hartwick
College for her undergraduate degree and her instrument concentration was pipe
organ. She is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Music Education
through Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and expects to
be completed in July, 2010. Ms. Mutz is married with children. She also has an
8 year old dog, 14 fish and a 12 year
old cockatiel. She loves to spend time with her family, ski, snowshoe,
take walks with her dog, read, and play the piano.
A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: "Do you have the name of a music teacher in the area?" A local resource for people seeking private music instruction for themselves or their children is the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association. For more information on music teachers, music stores, repair shops, and more, visit their site: www.vyo.org
Ms. Mutz