by Darryl DeBoer, Cari Locken, and Emmeline Mahon
As Surrey Christian School (SCS) spans grades PreK-12 over multiple campuses with multiple music teachers, it has been an intentional journey to orient the music program towards a shared vision. Drawing on the practices of Teaching for Transformation (www.teachingfortransformation.org), the music teachers crafted a collective Deep Hope that provides both the launching point and destination for PreK-12 music at SCS: It is our Deep Hope that the musicians of Surrey Christian School embody wonder, creativity, craftsmanship and humility sharing beauty through music for restoring God’s world.
It is our Deep Hope that the musicians of Surrey Christian School embody wonder, creativity, craftsmanship and humility sharing beauty through music for restoring God’s world.
The Deep Hope clarifies, grounds, and shapes all students at each stage of K-12 music learning through Orff, Modern Band, Concert Band, Marimba Ensemble, Jazz Band, Choir, and musical presentations.
Further, this Deep Hope informs assessment (how do we know that our musicians are growing in craftsmanship and creativity?) pedagogy (what does it look like to design learning in which students practice humility and wonder?), and presentations/celebrations of learning (how will we participate in the restoration of God’s world by sharing beauty through music?).
The aim of this article is to share learning experiences from our intermediate (grades four through seven) music program that embody our program’s Deep Hope—stories that provide opportunities for students to embody wonder, creativity, craftsmanship, and humility sharing beauty through music for restoring God’s world. These are opportunities for the SCS musicians to be shaped and to shape as they explore what it means to play their part in God’s story.
Wonder: Memories through Song
We connected with our grand friends at Elim Village retirement home near our school. Our Deep Hope was to bring joy and create beauty for the residents of Elim Village, learning and sharing their beautiful memories through song.
Long term learning target: We can bring joy and create beauty for the residents of Elim Village, learning and sharing their beautiful memories through song.
The grade seven musicians designed and created posters and invitations for the residents, explaining that we hoped to share their memories through song, and that we would be visiting with them to learn if they had any special song requests associated with memories from their past.
The grade seven musicians designed and created posters and invitations for the residents, explaining that we hoped to share their memories through song, and that we would be visiting with them to learn if they had any special song requests associated with memories from their past.
As we arrived at Elim, we were surprised by the large crowd that showed up to share their memories, and upon our return to SCS, we set to work researching the songs, listening to them, finding chord progressions and creating our own arrangements using Modern Band instruments: vocals, keyboard, guitar, ukulele, bass guitar and drums as well as our marimbas. Each grade four through seven class was responsible for two songs, and small groups of musicians from each class volunteered to learn the extra songs.
We presented the beautiful program “Memories through Song” in a live, outdoor presentation at Elim Village. It was a day-long song festival where we shared thirty-six songs as well as creating and providing lyric song books for those who wanted to sing along. It was here that we were reminded how beauty causes wonder, welcoming and inviting us to worship.
As one student shared afterwards: “I felt so in awe of God when I saw how touched our Elim Grand friends were when they heard their memories through song.”
Creativity: Repairing Broken Walls, Restoring Streets with Dwellings
Isaiah 58: 6-12 directed and shaped our music learning for this year-long Formational Learning Experience, specifically verse 12: “You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”
Our Deep Hope was that we would participate with God to be repairers and restorers of beauty where there is brokenness in our community, focusing on the big idea that music can address the mess of brokenness in our community and is a unique language for restoring beauty and belonging.
[M]usic can address the mess of brokenness in our community and is a unique language for restoring beauty and belonging.
Long term learning target: We can participate with God to be repairers and restorers of beauty where there is brokenness in our community
After identifying their “Streets with Dwellings” and organizations who were already repairing and restoring beauty in our community, the grades four through seven musicians hosted a Christmas aingalong for our school community, highlighting the restorative work of these community organizations.
As we deepened our relationship with the organizations Backpack Buddies and Mackie’s Place, we learned about the origins and growth of the organizations, their existing needs, and how they are impacting lives. This inspired our musicians to tell the stories of these organizations through music.
We created themed sections of each story, with carefully selected songs to represent the themes and arranged the songs using Modern Band instruments.
While arranging and refining the songs we partnered with a local artist, designing and creating two pieces of artwork incorporating the songs we had chosen. We shared the stories with our school community and the founders, leaders, recipients and sponsors of the organizations through two musical presentations where we gifted the founders with the artwork.
Looking back on the experience, one student reflected: “Repairing and restoring is hard work, and I like how it can be beautiful even when the work isn’t finished. Choosing a song to tell someone else’s story is important, because music is memorable and if it helps others to remember how Mackie’s Place are helping vulnerable youth in our community, then others can also be invited to be a ‘Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings’, just like us.”
Craftsmanship: Reflection Celebration and Lamentation through Music and Song
When students learned that their campus would soon be closing, they expressed a deep desire to share their years of school memories with family and friends through a musical celebration.
Our Deep Hope was to share our school memories in a musical way that brings joy to others and honors God for his faithfulness to us throughout our elementary school years.
Long term learning target: I can be an instrument of change when I share about God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life during my years here at SCS.
After listening to and learning about the structure of songs, students reflected on their time at their campus collecting meaningful memories.
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Darryl DeBoer serves as both the Director of Education at Surrey Christian School and the Director of Teaching for Transformation at the Center for Advancement of Christian Education (CACE).
Cari Locken had been teaching primary and intermediate music at the Surrey Christian Cloverdale campus for seven years. This year she has transitioned to the primary music program at the Surrey Christian Fleetwood Campus.
Emmeline Mahon enjoyed teaching a variety of K-12 music positions in the UK, Uganda and the Lower Mainland British Columbia, before teaching grades four through seven music at the Surrey Christian Fleetwood campus the past fourteen years.