Kimber Grenier
I will go to any live music and dance events available during my trip. I will ask locals in the villages/cities we will be visiting to teach me how they dance or share a traditional song through singing or playing an instrument. If allowed, I will record some of these live/local performances, or purchase recordings of the music and sheet music for any songs I can use with my students. I hope to be able to purchase a traditional Greek instrument or other music-related artifacts. If possible, I would like to meet with a music teacher and discuss music traditions and customs, especially for children.
I am an elementary music teacher and I would like to learn some Greek folk dances and bring back examples of traditional Greek music to teach and share with my students during a folk dance unit. These can be shared and performed at some of our evening Family Involvement events, and can be incorporated into our Cultural Heritage Festival that we host every Spring. I also hope to bring back some music-related artifacts to incorporate in my lessons. I will also share my travel experience and photos on my Music web page on my school's website. Students will be able to gain an understanding of the part of the world this music comes from, with its long history and current culture, and I will be able to create a few research and music theory based assignments from the information I gather.
I will be learning common phrases in Greek to make communication easier. I will also be researching traditional instruments, music, and dances to have an idea of what I should be asking and looking for while I am over there. I will also research important holidays and any traditional music that may accompany them.
