After
one of our performances, a principal remarked in amazement that this was the
first assembly where his students were quieter at the conclusion than when they
had arrived. We think this comment truly reflects the essence of what we share
in our assemblies.
In this fast moving world with
all its energy and extremes, it is difficult to attract, hold and impress our
young people. The Collecting Consort abandons the concept of hype for attraction
and instead approaches them on an emotional level. We share stories containing
history, insight, and humor, encouraging them to connect personally with their
heritage.
In each performance, we blend
music, drama, poetry, stories, sounds of nature, and narration. Our Celtic harp,
keyboard, hammered dulcimer, whistles and flutes deliver appealing arrangements
of familiar folk, classical and contemporary music.
We have spent over a quarter of a
century as public school teachers and facilitators of personal and emotional
growth. Our expertise in these areas leaves us well qualified to gear our
program's content, language, and approach to audiences of all ages, preschool
through college.
You may choose from one of the following programs, or we will work with your
staff to prepare an assembly that focuses on a particular area of interest or
study. Because of our desire to have personal contact with your students, we
like to limit the size of our audiences to 200 or less.
As a result of the success with our recent Artists in Residence experience in
the Midland area schools, we would like to suggest you consider a workshop(s)
for some of your students (limit of 30) prior to our assembly. During the
workshop, we will provide an opportunity for your students to explore and
express their creativity. Then we will ask them to join the Collecting
Consort during the assembly to share their creations with their peers.
This collaboration will be a "win - win" situation for all involved,
and the students' investment will add an important personal component to the
assembly.
THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES
(Upper elementary and above)
This wonderful story by world
renown French author, Jean Giono, touched us deeply when we first read it many
years ago. It tells of a man who lost his family, and went to live a
solitary life in a desolate area of France. Raising sheep for his
livelihood, he took it upon himself to re-forest the land by planting 100 acorns
a day.
The narrator of the story tells
about the many visits he makes through the years to visit Elzeard Bouffier,
planter of trees. The time period of the story extends from the First
World War to the Second World War and documents the development of a luscious
natural habitat, including animals, springs, etc. during the passing of 30
years. This unselfish contribution of Elzeard Bouffier is an ideal story
for suggesting to our young people, that they, as individuals, can make a
difference.
SO, YOU WANT TO
BE A HERO
(This program is still in the formulation stage and will
not be completed until we have received a booking for it)
We too, are concerned
about the self-orientation of many of our young people today. While this
focus has value for the self-concept, self-orientation can lead to a lack of
awareness of others. We suspect this lack of awareness may be connected to
some of the violence occurring within our schools.
In response, we have created SO,
YOU WANT TO BE A HERO. This assembly will share the qualities of the
"hero" based upon the CHARACTER COUNTS six pillars. Stories and
monologues about past and present heroes will be presented.
Appropriate Collecting Consort music will assist by creating emotional
connections with the stories.
MICHIGAN'S HERITAGE
This montage of narration, drama,
stories, nature sounds and Collecting Consort music covers Michigan's history
from the Ice Age and the Native Americans to the preservation of its future.
Students are given personal introductions to many of the ethnic groups who have
created Michigan. There will be a wide variety of music to represent these
groups along with a visit from Henry Ford and a reading from
"Hiawatha" by Longfellow.
(Click here for STUDY GUIDE for
Michigan's Heritage Assembly)
A CELEBRATION OF THE SEASONS
This program utilizes music,
stories, poetry, and nature sounds to traverse the variety of changes provided
by our earth as we circle around our sun.
MUSIC, A FORM OF EXPRESSION
Music has often been defined as
the universal language. In this assembly, we introduce students to how the
creative musical note can tell a story, set a mood, paint a picture, or touch
important emotions. We introduce them to the process of imagery and help them to
realize their own creative feelings and ideas are valuable and special.
Having worked for the past 35 years as
teachers and counselors, we have had considerable experience in facilitating
group and individual creativity. We will work with your staff to design
experiences that fit your students and their needs (limit of 30 students). We
can work in general with your classes, introducing them to the processes
involved in all the creative arts, or we can work specifically with music,
drama, writing, or visual arts classes. We reward both individual and group
creativity, demonstrating how the creative process can be fun, exciting, and a
personally valuable adventure.
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