Snow&Co wins grant for new project: Music of US
Snow&Co is excited to announce that they have received one of five grants from the Library of Congress’s Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative to create the Music of US project.
This initiative supports the creation of resources for secondary school teachers and students to explore history, civics, and democracy through creative arts, especially music, using resources from the rich Library of Congress digital archives.
Bert Snow, Snow & Co Principal, said, “Music of US will provide tools to make the exploration of musical primary sources on screens available to secondary school educators and students across the country, and we will also create and pilot ‘episodes’ built with our new tools with secondary teachers and students this spring.”
The tools and episodes will enable learners to explore the music itself, and to make connections to the societal and historical contexts, movements, personal histories that connect music with our democracy, civic principles and life as a diverse nation.
In each Music of US episode, different "parts" or instruments in a piece of music will each be shown as separate “tracks” the screen. Clickable “hotspots" can then be placed on each of the parts, at different points in time. While listening to the music, learners can click on a hotspot, to explore the life of the singer (by clicking on the vocal line), or the style of the drum beat and its history (by clicking on the drum line).
Built on and hosted by the Muzzy Lane Author platform, the Music Of US Project will include:
Music of US Episodes, in which students can explore facets of the music by tapping on “hotspots” on the music tracks as they play to discover more about the musicians, lyrics, and compositions, as well as the ways in which musicians have contributed to our civic life and what it has meant to be an American.
The Music Of US Builder App will give students the tools to create their own “episode” projects, using music recordings they have made themselves or chosen from the Library of Congress archives. Students can add photos, images, and writing that illuminate aspects of the music, or connect it to its sources and history and create an interactive experience for others to “play.”
Tapping hotspot on the piano line begins exploration of pianist (and producer) Clarence Williams.
Tapping a hotspot on the vocal line brings up an exploration of the lyrics…
Once a hotspot has been tapped, the exploration can include images and photographs, spoken and written text, notation, or additional music. The interaction will be inquiry-based, with an onscreen talking character posing questions, and providing feedback based on the learner's choices and actions.
About the Lewis-Houghton Initiative
The Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative supports the creation of resources for secondary teachers and students to explore history, civics, and democracy through creative arts (especially music), using resources from the rich Library of Congress digital archives.
Music of Us is one of five projects chosen for funding as part of the Lewis-Houghton Initiative.
More about the Lewis-Houghton Initiative
Library of Congress release about the Awards
For the project, Snow & Co has assembled a diverse team including:
Bert Snow: Principal, Snow & Co, learning-game designer, Co-PI of the KidCitizen project.
Muzzy Lane Software (CEO Dave McCool)
American String Teachers Association (Lynn Tuttle, Director; Dr. Blair Williams, Director of Professional Development; Duane Padilla, ASTA Content chair)
Jane Knox Mills – Music Educator, former Connecticut Middle School Music Teacher of the Year, Director, Virtual Ensemble Project
Julie Schaul – Education program developer specializing in primary sources work
James Sullivan – Writer and Music and Arts critic for the Boston Globe. Author of “He is the author of “Which Side Are You On? 20th Century History in 100 Protest Songs”
Holly Golder – K-12 Supervisor of Social Studies for the Red Clay school district, Delaware.
Barbara Kirby – Director of the Library of Congress TPS Eastern Region program
Keith Patterson – Director of the Library of Congress Western Region program
To learn more or if you might be interested in piloting or working with Music of US this spring, get in touch.
Contact: Bert Snow 978-697-7496
email: bert@bertsnowandco.com