Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture

VPA Students, Faculty Participate in Inclusive Music Education Pilot Program

Friday, January 31, 2020, By Rob Enslin
Share

A Syracuse University music instructor is spearheading a new pilot program that introduces homeschoolers to the art of creative expression.

group of people with musical instrumentsAlina Plourde, who teaches oboe in the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), directs the Syracuse branch of the worldwide Music for People (MfP) organization.

MfP-Syracuse and a local homeschool cooperative called the Success Enrichment Group (SEG) are collaborating on a new course called the “International Music Laboratory Classroom.”

Beginning Feb. 5, the 12-week course will be offered every Wednesday in Fayetteville, tailored to students ages 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. Activities include improvised singing, drumming, instrumental playing, dancing and creative movement.

“Age, background and skill level have nothing to do with self-expression,” says Plourde, an Eastman-trained teacher and oboist, who is a regional trainer for MfP’s Musicianship and Leadership Program (MLP). “There are no wrong notes because everyone has a story to tell.”

SEG Founder and Director Juliet Wall is excited about the course, saying that it is designed to foster creativity and innovation, encourage self-expression, promote pattern recognition, and boost brain function and connectivity. “There is long-standing research showing a strong connection between music participation and academic success,” she adds.

The “International Music Laboratory Classroom” will feature a rotating cast of MLP teaching artists, some with current or former ties to VPA.

One of them is soprano Laura Enslin, a retired VPA faculty member. “Music for People takes a mindful approach to creativity, beginning with ‘One Quality Sound’—a note or tone that expresses how we feel in the moment,” says the Eastman alumna. “For anyone, especially a child, the experience can be transformative.”

Increased self-confidence, enhanced communication skills and improved cognition are some of the benefits of MfP’s approach, she adds.

MfP has been a pioneer of inclusive, experimental music education since Grammy Award-winning cellist David Darling co-founded it more than 30 years ago. Today, MfP tools and techniques are embraced by performers, educators and wellness practitioners worldwide. More information is at www.musicforpeople.org.

MfP-Syracuse is the organization’s newest regional chapter, providing an array of learning and performing opportunities. Members include actor/singer Amy Zubieta ’09, G’20 and trombonist/pianist Nick Abelgore ’16, G’20, both of whom are MLP teaching artists.

“Having them on-site will add an extra layer of support and creativity, allowing for more differentiated instruction. These teaching artists will inspire our students to let loose their imagination and talent,” says Wall, whose courses are led by professionals and parent volunteers, including VPA graduate student Sabine Krantz, director of SEG’s high school choral program.

Part of the funding from the initial phase of the pilot program will go toward building MfP-Syracuse’s instrumental library. “The instruments will be used by MfP staff and teaching artists when they’re working with SEG homeschoolers,” says Plourde, who is organizing an MfP retreat at the University, April 17-19.

Adds Wall: “This means our students will have more opportunities to explore, create and succeed.”

  • Author

Rob Enslin

  • Recent
  • Drama Department to Virtually Present New Theatrical Work Inspired by University’s 150th Anniversary
    Saturday, January 23, 2021, By Erica Blust
  • Professor Rahman Awarded Google Grant to Engage Underrepresented Students in Computing Research
    Saturday, January 23, 2021, By Alex Dunbar
  • Special Collections Research Center Launches Latin American 45s Digital Collection
    Saturday, January 23, 2021, By Cristina Hatem
  • VPA Faculty to Present World Premieres at Society for New Music Concert Jan. 31
    Saturday, January 23, 2021, By News Staff
  • ‘Democracy on Trial: Can We Save It?’
    Friday, January 22, 2021, By News Staff

More In Arts & Culture

Drama Department to Virtually Present New Theatrical Work Inspired by University’s 150th Anniversary

Inspired by Syracuse University’s 150th anniversary, the Department of Drama in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) will virtually present “Impact: Past, Present, Future,” a new theatrical piece that will be performed live in a series of four staged…

Special Collections Research Center Launches Latin American 45s Digital Collection

Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC), working in partnership with the Digital Library Program (DLP), recently launched the Belfer Latin American 45s Digital Collection. The digital collection will eventually provide access to over 12,000 recordings that date from…

VPA Faculty to Present World Premieres at Society for New Music Concert Jan. 31

Performers affiliated with the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) are teaming up with the Society for New Music (SNM) for world premieres by two up-and-coming composers. Cellist Gregory Wood and percussionist Rob…

Sound Beat: Access Audio Offering Children’s Audiobooks about Enslaved People by Cheryl Wills ’89

Sound Beat: Access Audio is providing two free family audiobooks written by Emmy Award-winning journalist Cheryl Wills ’89,  the great-great-great granddaughter of Emma and Sandy Wills, enslaved people from Haywood, Tennessee. The audiobooks are narrated by the author and are…

Syracuse Stage Announces Changes to the 2020/2021 Season

Syracuse Stage announced adjustments to the schedule for the remainder of the 2020/2021 season. These adjustments include replacing previously announced shows with new titles and come in direct response to the evolving situation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting in February,…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.