INNOVATIVE SCHOOL PROGRAMS COMBINING
ARTS, EDUCATION, and COMMUNITY OUTREACH
LUNCH Programs are
quite flexible and can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular school. The
basics of our core programs are given
below. Some programs are at no cost, and some
programs have a nominal fee, .and may be
eligible for grants from the Connecticut
Commission on the Arts or other supporting agencies. We'd be happy to meet with you to discuss how we can
best meet your specific goals. We work with public, private
and home school groups.
We are partners with the
Connecticut Songwriting Academy.
We can customize programs
for any type of school project relating to
service learning, music, social studies, civics, language arts,
computer science, character education, creativity, and community
leadership.
• Service Learning In Action -- A LUNCH Ensemble Family Concert
: In this innovative, award-winning program, LUNCH will:
• Provide a memorable
experience for students and parents of your school by blending arts, education, and
community outreach
• Come to your school with an ensemble of kids, Grades 4-12,
from several schools, and professional members
of the Connecticut Songwriters Association,
to present an evening concert
• Involve selected students
from your school in choral and/or
instrumental participation
• Model for students and parents how popular music can be used to
produce positive social action, based on the example set
by Harry Chapin and other socially active popular artists
• Raise awareness of issues
hunger and homelessness in Connecticut, and show that individuals can make a difference in the
lives of others
• Enable the kids to raise funds for a local soup kitchen or family service agency
• Bring to bear two decades of experience in presenting events
that involve kids and benefit the community
The Ensemble comes to the school on a Friday or Saturday evening, and presents a
family concert of original songs and
songs of the Harry Chapin legacy. The
music and skits convey a message of acceptance and appreciation of differences
between people, or any other positive message that the school wished to
reinforce. The concert is open to the
public. Students who have learned some
of the songs by working with their music teacher may join the ensemble to sing
on those songs. Most importantly, in
getting to see the Ensemble, students
get to see their peers, ages ranging from grades 4-12, contributing time and
effort for the benefit of others. Students learn not only
that volunteering can be fun, but
that they as individuals can make a difference in the lives of others. Students can be involved in other aspects of
the show such as promotion, program cover artwork, posters, etc. and as a
prelude, can learn about some of the
social issues in our own state, Since
1980, there have been hundreds of LUNCH Concerts across Connecticut. This event can be integrated into an overall
social awareness program. See the
website Photo Albums for a pictoral archive of past events.
• Curriculum Integration: Music,
Math, Science and Technology.
This interactive program,
presented by Bill without the Ensemble,
has been voted a perennial favorite by students at the annual regional
Science and Math Jamboree. The
presentation looks at modern music technology, exploring the math and science
of sound, and the underlying
computer principles . From grades 4-college, the program is presented in
an age-appropriate format. Students
get to have their voice digitally captured and manipulated, and they can see
visually what the sound looks like. This
presentation is done in class-sized groups over the course of one or more days,
and can be used as a prelude to an
evening LUNCH concert (above), where some of the music technology demonstrated
is then used in performance. Since
1991, this completely unique program has
been presented to more than 10,000 Connecticut
students
• Recording
Studio Visit: Groups of up to 16 selected students can come
to the LUNCH recording studio to record
backing vocals on one of Bill's award-winning songs, to be released on a
professional CD and distributed worldwide through
i-Tunes and other outlets. Proceeds from sales of
recordings are used to support local social service agencies. The school receives a CD of the music in
advance, so that the music teacher can work with the students
in preparation for the recording session.
Hundreds of students have appeared on LUNCH CD's. While at the studio, the students can get a
demonstration of various types of music
technology . To date, LUNCH has released
15 CD's, featuring students from many different schools. On-site recording can be done as well to
accommodate large groups. There is a fee
for on-site recording .
• Connecticut
History Through Song: Bill
and friends present songs from his "Profiles of Connecticut " CD, specifically
designed to complement the 4th through 6th
grade history curricula. Vignettes of
people and events in Connecticut history are brought to life by an Official Connecticut State Troubadour.
• Math, Magic and Miracle -- A Look at Probability: This presentation highlights concepts of
probability by relating them to commonplace everyday decisions, and to
scientific method. Designed for
class-sized groups, the props and
hands-on activities give memorable counter-intuitive examples of probability at
work. This presentation serves and an
excellent bridge between math and science curricula. This presentation has been given as part of
the CAMPY program for advanced middle
school math students.
• Songwriting Workshop: The creative process of songwriting draws on many different subject areas and
cognitive skills. The process is rarely presented to students outside of
specialized music schools, at college or post-college level. The focus here, presented by a nationally published
, award winning songwriter and educator,
highlights the difference between
expressing and communicating, and
emphasizes the importance of communication as a life skill. This program
can be a daytime prelude to the evening concert program described above. The program "Songwriting as a Curriculum Integration Tool "is given as a
teacher workshop - (see below.)
• Career Day
Presentations: What does it take
to have a rewarding career in music or
science? This presentation is designed
to be part of a school career day for students, or Bill can be a keynote
speaker combining music and interactive
discussion. Bill discusses the skills
and character traits needed to be successful in either the arts or sciences.
emphasizing the importance of a well balanced education as a key
that unlocks many career paths.
•
Communication Through Math and Music: A look at math as a language and a means of
communication How numbers, words, and music are all different forms of
communicating universal concepts and information.
• Mentoring: Bill Pere
and Kay Pere, both professional educators, provide customized, one-on-one mentoring in
areas ranging from songwriting to
composition, to physics.
Students have been helped with projects in science, music, and
technology. Special distance
-learning consultantships
can be arranged as well for gifted
students with special needs.
• The Scientific
Method: Bill gives a memorable
presentation, using counter-intuitive props and examples, of the scientific method, and what it takes
to do a good experiment and present the results in a professional way. For grades 6 and up. and groups doing science
fair projects.
• Appreciating
Differences in Others, and the Uniqueness of Self: Bill, either with the Ensemble or solo,
gives a presentation through song and discussion, with props and
demonstration, of how we can appreciate
the diversity of human kind, and the
unique gifts that each individual has to offer in the Symphony of Man. (This
can be the theme and basis for an evening concert, as described above),
or done as a keynote presentation for a schoolwide Diversity Day.
Particularly effective with
class-size groups.
Additional
presentations and artist-in-residence programs can be offered or constructed to
meet any topic in the area of music, science, and computer technology, or
Character Education and Service Learning.
If your school has
a Community Service requirement for your students, participation in any LUNCH event is a great way to earn community
service hours.
LUNCH also offers scholarship awards ranging from $100 to $500 to students who demonstrate initiative
and commitment to community outreach through music
THE ALL - SCHOOL PRODUCTION
A cornerstone of the LUNCH outreach is an year-long partnership between the
school and LUNCH, culminating in a full music and theatrical production. There
is no cost to the school for participating . In fact,
events are usually successful enough so that LUNCH can make a donation
back to the school in support of some
school program or student assistance fund.
Twenty-five original
productions have been put on since 1989, raising money to support local social
service agencies and youth service bureaus.
LUNCH shows are always family oriented, light hearted fun, with an
subtly stated message of social awareness and caring for others.
Students act, sing, and are
involved in every aspect of a professional event, which is open to the
community. Students get the opportunity
to work with professional artists, and an ensemble of their peers from other
schools is involved as well in
presenting the program. LUNCH provides
the director, script, technical
expertise and core music ensemble, and works with the school to produce a well
polished, lighthearted family show.
Professional direction,
set, costumes, sound, lighting,
video, programs, flyers, promotional announcements, etc all support an original script which can be tailored to
the level of the participants.
These productions, done at both the High School and Middle School
level, have raised thousands of dollars in support of community outreach
programs. All proceeds are used to
support local social services and to provide community outreach opportunities
for kids through music and theater.
Many students who participate in our productions stay on to become
regular members of the LUNCH Ensemble.
Interested schools should contact Bill Pere to arrange a meeting for further discussion
(860-572-9285, or e-mail: info @ lunchensemble . com)
For a look at some LUNCH Shows that have been presented in other
schools, look at our Photo Albums here at the website.
WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS:
• Songwriting as a
Tool for Curriculum Integration. --
Imagine a single activity that involves elements of Language Arts,
Social Studies, Science, Math, and the
Arts. Songwriting fits the bill
perfectly, and Connecticut's most decorated songwriter, Bill Pere, presents a
teacher workshop on how to make use of this
activity. This program has been
presented several times as a LEARN
workshop. Songwriting is rarely
taught in any formal school curriculum, but it is an art form which serves as a
nexus for interrelating principles of many disciplines. Writing song lyrics, marrying them to music, and getting the combination to communicate
effectively is a task that exercises the concrete and abstract, the sequential and the random, the subjective and objective, the creative and methodical. Teachers who work in teams or as individuals
can effectively integrate songwriting into any part of any subject's
curriculum, from Physics to Expository Writing. Students always respond positively to the
universal language of music and song, and
this is a sure way to make any topic seem a little more appealing to
students who may otherwise not be engaged.
This workshop provides concrete,
usable exercises and techniques that can
be applied in any classroom.
• MBTI Workshop --
Preferences for Learning and Communicating: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most widely used preference
profiling tool in the world. With
amazing clarity, detail, and accuracy, it enables one to understand how other
people prefer to give and receive
information, follow instructions, approach tasks, and organize work. Used extensively in the professional
workplace, MBTI fosters constructive use of differences between people. It is invaluable in facilitating positive effective parent-child, student-teacher, male-female, employee-boss, and peer-to-peer
interactions.
A single half-day or full-day workshop by a qualified MBTI practitioner provides a
solid foundation for improving
communication, understanding, and
the giving and receiving of information -- all fundamental cornerstones
of the teaching. MBTI imparts tremendous
self-awareness, and lays a solid foundation for appreciating and making
positive use of differences between
people.
MBTI has been researched worldwide for more than 50 years, with
data from millions of people supporting the
effectiveness of the information it provides. An environment where different preference
profiles are recognized in a common way, is an environment where people can be
free to be themselves, and to teach and
learn at their best.
LUNCH provides a qualified MBTI group leader with a program tailored for your desired outcomes.
IF YOU DON'T SEE IT HERE, CALL US -- WE
CAN TAILOR ALMOST ANY KIND OF SERVICE LEARNING OR CURRICULUM INTEGRATION
PROGRAM.
LUNCH SCHOOL PROGRAMS:
phone: 860-572-9285
e-mail: info @ lunchensemble . com
mail: PO Box 511, Mystic CT 06355
COMBINING ARTS, EDUCATION, and
COMMUNITY OUTREACH SINCE 1979
