West Elementary Residencies
Dublin Core
Title
West Elementary Residencies
Description
Fairfield West Elementary
Steel Band and Gamelan Residency Program
Established in 1996
In 1996, an annual one-week residency was established at the West Elementary School
in Fairfield, Ohio. The ongoing funding source for this residency is the Melinda Thoms Unklesbay Memorial Fund. Melinda Unklesbay, who died tragically in 1993, was the daughter of Paul and Marian Thoms. Paul Thoms, former music supervisor for Fairfield schools, established the memorial fund in 1994 to support annual concerts and music residencies at Fairfield West where Melinda taught general music.
In first year of this program the Miami University Steel Band presented three student assembly programs that sparked the idea for the residency. The following year Chris Tanner and Bill Albin, faculty members of Miami University Department of Music, designed a one-week residency model geared to the fourth grade class. A select group of these students experience hands-on steel drum and gamelan training, while all fourth graders attend presentations throughout the residency week to learn more about the history and origins of these instruments. Each year the residency concludes with school concerts featuring the selected groups of fourth grade students.
In 2004, the residency was expanded to include a Balinese gamelan ensemble comprised of ten students selected from the fourth grade class. The gamelan instruments, acquired in 2003 by Miami University, are transported along with the steel drum collection to West Elementary for use in the rehearsals and presentations throughout the residency week.
The steel band and gamelan ensembles rehearse for one hour on each of the first four days of the residency, with a dress rehearsal prior to the concerts on the final day.
Original compositions are written each year by Dr. Tanner and Dr. Albin. The compositions are designed to be learned in three, one-hour rehearsals. The teaching is accomplished entirely by rote. The gamelan pieces are typically adapted from traditional music collected in Bali by Dr. Albin.
Examples of these gamelan pieces are included in this web-site archive.
Ohio Music Educators Association Presentation
January 28, 2011
The 2011 OMEA presentation featured students of Doug Bruestle, music specialist at West Elementary, 2004-2013. The presentation was co-designed by Miami Music Department Professors, Dr. Albin and Dr. Kay Edwards.
The clinic focus was the teaching of a composition adapted by Dr. Albin, Bapand Selisir. Dr. Edwards adapted the pieces for the Orff-style keyboard instruments that are used in teaching general music in elementary grade schools throughout this region. The metallophones of the gamelan ensemble are similar to Orff instruments that many students already use in their general music classes. One difference that presents a coordination challenge is the muffling technique unique to gamelan, in which one of the performer’s hands is used to execute the melody and the other hand follows to muffle the previously struck note.
Transcriptions of both versions of these compositions are included on this web site.
Steel Band and Gamelan Residency Program
Established in 1996
In 1996, an annual one-week residency was established at the West Elementary School
in Fairfield, Ohio. The ongoing funding source for this residency is the Melinda Thoms Unklesbay Memorial Fund. Melinda Unklesbay, who died tragically in 1993, was the daughter of Paul and Marian Thoms. Paul Thoms, former music supervisor for Fairfield schools, established the memorial fund in 1994 to support annual concerts and music residencies at Fairfield West where Melinda taught general music.
In first year of this program the Miami University Steel Band presented three student assembly programs that sparked the idea for the residency. The following year Chris Tanner and Bill Albin, faculty members of Miami University Department of Music, designed a one-week residency model geared to the fourth grade class. A select group of these students experience hands-on steel drum and gamelan training, while all fourth graders attend presentations throughout the residency week to learn more about the history and origins of these instruments. Each year the residency concludes with school concerts featuring the selected groups of fourth grade students.
In 2004, the residency was expanded to include a Balinese gamelan ensemble comprised of ten students selected from the fourth grade class. The gamelan instruments, acquired in 2003 by Miami University, are transported along with the steel drum collection to West Elementary for use in the rehearsals and presentations throughout the residency week.
The steel band and gamelan ensembles rehearse for one hour on each of the first four days of the residency, with a dress rehearsal prior to the concerts on the final day.
Original compositions are written each year by Dr. Tanner and Dr. Albin. The compositions are designed to be learned in three, one-hour rehearsals. The teaching is accomplished entirely by rote. The gamelan pieces are typically adapted from traditional music collected in Bali by Dr. Albin.
Examples of these gamelan pieces are included in this web-site archive.
Ohio Music Educators Association Presentation
January 28, 2011
The 2011 OMEA presentation featured students of Doug Bruestle, music specialist at West Elementary, 2004-2013. The presentation was co-designed by Miami Music Department Professors, Dr. Albin and Dr. Kay Edwards.
The clinic focus was the teaching of a composition adapted by Dr. Albin, Bapand Selisir. Dr. Edwards adapted the pieces for the Orff-style keyboard instruments that are used in teaching general music in elementary grade schools throughout this region. The metallophones of the gamelan ensemble are similar to Orff instruments that many students already use in their general music classes. One difference that presents a coordination challenge is the muffling technique unique to gamelan, in which one of the performer’s hands is used to execute the melody and the other hand follows to muffle the previously struck note.
Transcriptions of both versions of these compositions are included on this web site.
Source
Relation
Cendrawasih for West 2014 - Score
Nelayan for West 2016 - Score
![Selisir Orff Arrangement Score[1]](https://albinwml.lib.miamioh.edu/files/square_thumbnails/7b1d20365f6825a3e3ffa48c17b9e423.jpg "Selisir Orff Arrangement Score[1]")
