The Latin American Musical Experience
- School Year: 2013-2014
- Applicants: Bettina Cohen, Lead Teacher Rich Montserrat (Charter Oak)
- School: Bugbee, Charter Oak
- Subjects: Other
3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at the 10 elementary schools where Spanish is taught will have the opportunity to discover the musical traditions of Latin American countries through the performance of Sirius Coyote Duo. These performers specialize in Latin American music and instruments and have extensive experience in providing cultural workshops and performances across New England schools. The students will learn about the history, dance and musical traditions of Spanish speaking countries in Central and South America. Through an interactive performance, the in-residence group will invite students to become active participants of their singing and dancing. This “Latin American Musical Experience” will culminate with 2-to-4 half hour classes where students will share about their learning from this experience and complete and present a related project. The students will learn Spanish vocabulary and expressions related to Latin American instruments, music, culture and history. They will also be exposed to geographic terms and map coordinates by identifying the location of specific Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries in which the particular music styles and cultural influences originated and were adopted.