Art and Music

Culture I come from a mixed background, and my culture has been influenced also by various normative elements in American society. The Cuban side of my family has stressed the importance of frequent cultural gatherings and a strong emphasis on food, drink, and other social elements of celebration. The German side of my family has less of an emphasis on overt expressions of culture, and provides an interesting and educational counterpoint.

Taking together with the elements of the dominant American culture and its predilection toward creating homogeneity, the various elements of my cultural identity converge in unique ways that I can explore in the classroom. Working with children, I can also incorporate evidence-based practices to teach about the relevance and importance of music and the arts. Personal Reflection (Part I) Cuban culture values art, music, and dance to the extent of it being technically impossible to separate these elements from daily life.

German culture, at least that which is represented by my third generation American father, is wholly unlike Cuban culture in that respect. Art, music, and dance are not important to the German side of my family and in fact, are discouraged in favor of a more staid and sobering lifestyle. Therefore, my creativity has been enhanced solely from the one side of my family. Learning about my culture and the culture of others has helped me to develop awareness, identity, and respect for diversity.

To make sure young people remain connected to their own culture, I would first ask the children to talk to their parents regularly about their cultural background. Asking questions is the first step. Then, I would ask the students to put on a few presentations during the course of the year. One presentation would involve the parent coming to school and sharing about their history, culture, and background. This would encourage cross-cultural awareness.

I also believe it is critical that parents and other family members participate in the child's multicultural education. Children need to foster an awareness of their own culture for strong identities, and also awareness of other cultures to develop sensitivity and reduce prejudice. Involving the families will help make discussions about culture part of daily discourse at home, and may lead to profound transformations in the consciousness of the community.

Strategies for the Creative Arts (Part II) Art, music, and dance are all important for teaching children about their own cultural heritage, the diversity of cultures in the world, the diversity of cultures amid their community and peer groups, and also teaching children about the intersections between culture and identity. It is important to offer age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate activities throughout the course of the child's education.

Art, dance, and music instruction improve the overall quality and caliber of education, offering the means by which children can thrive personally and socially as well as academically. Each area, including art, music, and dance, offers unique opportunities for teachers and students to connect with the cultural dimensions of creative expression. One example of an art activity is to show children a wide variety of art from around the world, and ask each student to choose one.

The choice should be made personally and independently, to avoid the self-consciousness that might arise from picking one in front of the class. Then, the students should either write about (if they are old enough) or verbally discuss their reactions to the art. The reactions could be emotional in nature, or their imagination may be triggered by the piece.

As Campbell & Simmons (2012) point out, "each dimension of the individual can be educationally involved in making and/or studying art." In addition to offering the children the opportunity to use existing works of art as a means for stimulating self-expression and inquiry, this exercise could also include students creating their own art form that was influenced by the one they selected.

Allowing students to interpret the art in any way they want would be preferable to a more structured approach, as students should be able to place their own stamp on the work they create. Moreover, the teacher can actively engage students in exploring the interface between art and culture by discussing the cultural and historical contexts of the art. Music education also allows students to explore elements of culture on a deep level. Moreover, music education has been shown to enhance overall student learning.

Benefits of music education include "cognitive, behavioral, neural, visual-spatial, and linguistic" learning enhancement (Perkins, et al. (2014). Therefore, the music lesson should begin with several successive listening sessions. The teacher will choose music from around the world to offer the most diverse selection possible. Each piece will be discussed with the cultural and historical context. Building on the music, the students can opt to do a report on the country or culture the music represents.

Alternatively, a music instructor can teach students a different type of music using instruments they may have never seen before. Students can also discuss the role of music in their culture and talk about which pieces of music they liked, did not like, and why. This will allow for children to develop their verbal skills in relation to describing works of art. Because of its kinesthetic elements, dance offers a wealth of potential for student learning and engagement.

Research shows that "child dance-makers construct personally relevant meanings that embody personal transformations not dependent solely on outside events or codified dance portraitures," (Bucek, 2013). The dance activity is therefore simple. Using the music medley compiled from around the world and used in the music lesson, the students will freely dance in class. The lesson will provide the means by which students can express themselves without self-consciousness,.