Clarke pupils get the pitch

Miss-Delectable · 02-11-2007, 09:00 AM

MassLive.com

Mr. Octopus loves to sing low. Madam Butterfly, well, she likes to sing high. As for Mr. Lion, his voice roams the middle range.

"Can you sing, 'Good morning, Mr. Lion!'" asked teacher Maria F. Pereira.

The three first-graders at Clarke School for the Deaf sang "Good morning!" Although this seemed a simple task, it was no mean feat for children born without much sense of tone.

Pereira's class was part of "Music Around the World," a winter program designed to integrate music into the whole range of the academic curriculum at Clarke. The school offers a winter unit every year, focusing on various topics. This year's choice speaks to the dramatic evolution of hearing technology and teaching at the school for the deaf.

"When I came here, deaf children couldn't learn to sing," said Julie A. Sheldon, the principal of Clarke's lower school, which comprises grades kindergarten through four. "Now they can hear the pitch."

Much of that breakthrough is due to the development of cochlear implants and digital hearing aids, which allow deaf students to hear a much greater range of sounds. In Pereira's class, Kacper H. Kania, 7, John Phillip Patton, 6, and Jason E. Dion, 7, all wore the devices. As Pereira sang the different tones of the stuffed animals, the pupils sang along. They were obviously enjoying themselves.

"We're finding now that our kids are just loving music," Sheldon said. "The cochlear implants and digital hearing aids give them a wonderful access to music that they never had before. They can tell pitch, they can hear the lyrics of songs, and they can follow a tune."

As part of the winter program, some pupils are even learning how to read music and play instruments. In history classes, they learn the biography of composers. Science classes incorporate lessons on sound vibration. Special events have included a display of Irish dancing and a concert by the band Entrain. Local percussionist Tony Vacca is scheduled to perform and give students a lesson on drums.

After class, Kania, Patton and Dion all said they love music - one song in particular.

"'Jingle Bells,'" said Patton. "It's part of Christmas."

02-11-2007, 09:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
Miss-Delectable Capt Tony Nelson, Jeannie Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: No.1 Shopping Capital in Australia Posts: 10,238 Blog Entries: 3	Clarke pupils get the pitch MassLive.com Mr. Octopus loves to sing low. Madam Butterfly, well, she likes to sing high. As for Mr. Lion, his voice roams the middle range. "Can you sing, 'Good morning, Mr. Lion!'" asked teacher Maria F. Pereira. The three first-graders at Clarke School for the Deaf sang "Good morning!" Although this seemed a simple task, it was no mean feat for children born without much sense of tone. Pereira's class was part of "Music Around the World," a winter program designed to integrate music into the whole range of the academic curriculum at Clarke. The school offers a winter unit every year, focusing on various topics. This year's choice speaks to the dramatic evolution of hearing technology and teaching at the school for the deaf. "When I came here, deaf children couldn't learn to sing," said Julie A. Sheldon, the principal of Clarke's lower school, which comprises grades kindergarten through four. "Now they can hear the pitch." Much of that breakthrough is due to the development of cochlear implants and digital hearing aids, which allow deaf students to hear a much greater range of sounds. In Pereira's class, Kacper H. Kania, 7, John Phillip Patton, 6, and Jason E. Dion, 7, all wore the devices. As Pereira sang the different tones of the stuffed animals, the pupils sang along. They were obviously enjoying themselves. "We're finding now that our kids are just loving music," Sheldon said. "The cochlear implants and digital hearing aids give them a wonderful access to music that they never had before. They can tell pitch, they can hear the lyrics of songs, and they can follow a tune." As part of the winter program, some pupils are even learning how to read music and play instruments. In history classes, they learn the biography of composers. Science classes incorporate lessons on sound vibration. Special events have included a display of Irish dancing and a concert by the band Entrain. Local percussionist Tony Vacca is scheduled to perform and give students a lesson on drums. After class, Kania, Patton and Dion all said they love music - one song in particular. "'Jingle Bells,'" said Patton. "It's part of Christmas." __________________

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