Philosophy - Music Matters
Philosophy: We value bringing our students our music, and our learning, into the greater community within meaningful contexts that are highly motivational. Our aim: Performance, Accessibility, Participation - Purpose, Belonging, Gratitude To hear our philosophy in action, check out our videos.
Music prepares for Life
By a practical measure, applications to universities and workplaces are starting to ask: “…in addition to your academic performance, what else have you accomplished?” In today’s world, it’s no longer enough to have good academic grades. Future employers and post-secondary institutions are asking for proof that students can apply their learning, work collaboratively, demonstrate self-direction, contribute to the community, think critically and solve problems. A high school experience that balances Academics, Applied Skills, Arts, and Athletics, will maximize students’ potential and prepare them for a healthy post-secondary life.
Our educational philosophy brings music into the community and "village" - we are known for our collaborations and innovative approach to music education. We collaborate with others, partner with many, to design, create, and enjoy the positive energy that flows between the audience and the performers, all through the highly motivational conduit of music.
We move students towards music's magical, powerful, engaging, and transcendent powers that arise when we making music that resonates with deeper meaning and personal growth. We work together with students and the community, under our "Purpose, Belonging, and Gratitude" theme, which guides our direction towards these deeper understandings.
From that foundation, we build curricular content and skills development that has no ceiling or floor - we meet our students and work to understand their needs, and adjust our program accordingly, whether with remediation by peer-tutoring, individual programs, and technology support, or sponsoring highly enriched "semi-pro" levels of musicianship. We accept all music forms that contribute to these core values and curriculum. A motto that fits OKM music is: "One band, one sound". A metaphor: "We play the whole team".
Our instructional design is firmly anchored on 1000 lessons we've developed for grade 7-12 that scaffold skills towards higher achievement. We give varied, meaningful, challenging and engaging tasks. We support the discipline needed to develop highly technical skills, by correct repetition/practice, and a persistent commitment. We meet students where they come to us - we give extra challenges if they need enrichment, or, we give remedial work for those who are struggling. We expect our students to work hard to nurture their team. The greatest motivator comes from the sense of purpose that comes along with working with others towards experiences that in music, can be transcendent...
We use assessment practices that lowers emphasis on external judgement and competition, and raises focus on the intrinsic: student enjoyment and positive musical experiences through Purpose, Belonging, and Gratitude.
Our Mission: We believe that by experiencing the joy of music, through effort, a lifelong appreciation and participation music and the arts is best nurtured.
GROWTH HISTORY: The foundation of our success was built with our Concert Band program. Its success allowed us to branch out into our jazz bands, Commercial Music (Locally developed course by Mrs. Dobbs), combos, choir, and extra-curricular Band Trips. We measure our success by the reactions of the audiences - for whom we've worked to prepare our set lists, by predicting their needs, and meeting them, or stretching them a bit. We founded the "FAME Academy (Fine Arts Music Education) by collaborating with all performing arts students and community partners - to present students' arts learning in many musicals. Our original instructional design to support students' learning of Broadway Musicals is shown in Mr. Schnellert's "Fame42 Flipped Class"
So, whether we're performing for an elementary school in Edmonton, or our OKM high school students, or at the RCA with a Broadway Musical of "Hairspray" in a pit orchestra, or, for a lunchtime crowd in Florence during one of our International Tours, the goal is the same: We collaborate with others, partner with many, to design, create, and enjoy the positive energy that flows between the audience and the performers, all through the highly motivational conduit of music.
We move students towards music's magical, powerful, engaging, and transcendent powers that arise when we making music that resonates with deeper meaning and personal growth. We work together with students and the community, under our "Purpose, Belonging, and Gratitude" theme, which guides our direction towards these deeper understandings.
From that foundation, we build curricular content and skills development that has no ceiling or floor - we meet our students and work to understand their needs, and adjust our program accordingly, whether with remediation by peer-tutoring, individual programs, and technology support, or sponsoring highly enriched "semi-pro" levels of musicianship. We accept all music forms that contribute to these core values and curriculum. A motto that fits OKM music is: "One band, one sound". A metaphor: "We play the whole team".
Our instructional design is firmly anchored on 1000 lessons we've developed for grade 7-12 that scaffold skills towards higher achievement. We give varied, meaningful, challenging and engaging tasks. We support the discipline needed to develop highly technical skills, by correct repetition/practice, and a persistent commitment. We meet students where they come to us - we give extra challenges if they need enrichment, or, we give remedial work for those who are struggling. We expect our students to work hard to nurture their team. The greatest motivator comes from the sense of purpose that comes along with working with others towards experiences that in music, can be transcendent...
We use assessment practices that lowers emphasis on external judgement and competition, and raises focus on the intrinsic: student enjoyment and positive musical experiences through Purpose, Belonging, and Gratitude.
Our Mission: We believe that by experiencing the joy of music, through effort, a lifelong appreciation and participation music and the arts is best nurtured.
GROWTH HISTORY: The foundation of our success was built with our Concert Band program. Its success allowed us to branch out into our jazz bands, Commercial Music (Locally developed course by Mrs. Dobbs), combos, choir, and extra-curricular Band Trips. We measure our success by the reactions of the audiences - for whom we've worked to prepare our set lists, by predicting their needs, and meeting them, or stretching them a bit. We founded the "FAME Academy (Fine Arts Music Education) by collaborating with all performing arts students and community partners - to present students' arts learning in many musicals. Our original instructional design to support students' learning of Broadway Musicals is shown in Mr. Schnellert's "Fame42 Flipped Class"
So, whether we're performing for an elementary school in Edmonton, or our OKM high school students, or at the RCA with a Broadway Musical of "Hairspray" in a pit orchestra, or, for a lunchtime crowd in Florence during one of our International Tours, the goal is the same: We collaborate with others, partner with many, to design, create, and enjoy the positive energy that flows between the audience and the performers, all through the highly motivational conduit of music.