PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM
   Through BSM's Public School Program, five hundred youngsters in five local public schools receive weekly skills-based training in music either at their schools or on site. The program is designed to be a part of the arts plan for each school. Bloomingdale's faculty work closely with public school teachers to integrate the program into the curriculum of the school. In its 34 years of operation, the program has instructed almost 35,000 children, and has served as a model for similar collaborative programs. The Public School Program is the oldest, continuing public school collaboration in the City of New York.
The instruction is in one of three areas: class instruction in violin or viola, Orff Schulwerk, or Dalcroze.

Orff Schulwerk

Orff Schulwerk is an approach to music education which integrates music, movement, poetry, and drama into the process of educating the "whole" child. Orff revolves around a specially-designed group of musical instruments the children learn to share and play together. These instruments include xylophone, metallophone, glockenspiel, small percussion, and drums. Recorder is frequently taught as a part of the class.

The most important instrument in Orff is the body: the voice, the hands, the feet. Learning to use the body as a musical instrument by singing and body percussion (clapping, patting, stamping, and snapping fingers) is the basis for further instrumental study. There is also a wealth of musical literature from which to draw, such as multicultural folk song as well as popular, classical, and jazz idioms. Teachers are encouraged to create their own musical settings and arrangements.

The advantages of Orff Schulwerk include its creative reinforcement of material covered in the students' other classes (Orff instructors regularly consult with the students' teachers), its demand for innovation from the instructor, its emphasis on nurturing cooperation among students, and its multidisciplinary approach involving visual, aural, and imaginative aspects of learning.

 		 

Instrumental Instruction

Sequential class instruction in violin and viola is offered to classes of between eight and twenty students. Each student is provided with an instrument to take home for practice.
The instructor concentrates on the student acquiring basic music skills, such as reading music and keeping time. Students learn to practice and perform in groups, acquiring the skills necessary when interacting with others to achieve a common goal. The students learn to play simple pieces together, which they prepare for a live performance before their parents and peers at the end of the semester.

Dalcroze

Dalcroze is an approach to teaching the fundamental elements of music, including meter and rhythm; tempo; pitch; dynamics; duration; and articulation. This is done through stories, songs, games, exercises, improvisation, and drawing. Because the primary means of exploration is movement, children will also gain mastery over the use of their bodies. The activities of the classes are designed to awaken and stimulate all of the child's senses. Dalcroze is excellent preparation for both the study of an instrument and the lifelong enjoyment of music.

By the end of the year, the students will have had introductory experiences in ensemble playing, improvisation, music reading, composition, and conducting.

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