December & January Arts

Abintra students enjoyed a special performance from members of the Nashville Symphony. Each musician revealed that he or she had begun studying their instruments at a young age - the same age as many of our students!

Early Childhood A students have been working on self-portraits inspired by their study of Picasso. 

Early Childhood B students studied artist Alexander Calder. The students loved his work! They learned that he was born in the USA and was a pioneer who created sculptures and the "mobile." Some of them were tiny while others were huge. Students made their first sculpture from different kinds of materials (rocks, wires, pipe cleaners, foam, buttons, or beads). The students approached the work with their own creativity.

Movement is a large part of Early Childhood Musikgarten with Kari! Students use scarves to practice rhythm and "glissandos."

During their study of South America, Early Childhood B students got inspired by the work of Brazilian artist Romero Britto. They learned that he used bright colors and bold patterns in his work and combined pop art and graffiti painting in his work. Every student chose their favorite letter to decorate and painted it to express happiness.

During their study of Antarctica, Early Childhood B students focused on the different shapes of snowflakes. They studied the work of Masaru Emoto, a Japanese researcher. They discussed the hidden message of water and Emoto's pictures of snowflakes. They used watercolors and and salt to create their snowflakes.

Lower Elementary students performed an amazing production of Robi Dobi for their parents on December 16. A huge thank you to Christy Berryessa for adapting and directing this play!

Lower Elementary enjoyed adding the song "What's a Friend For?" to their theatrical presentation and learned some terrific lessons in the process. Each music class begins with an opportunity to share a musical experience or inspiring musical event. This gives the students the opportunity to voice and discuss how their lives are affected by music and the share their own accomplishments or goals. These discussions build confidence and supports awareness to their feelings regarding music and others. In support of recent visitors from the Nashville Symphony, there has been time spent listening to symphonic examples and discussing the unique characteristics of symphonic instruments. New songs and activities keep weekly music class fresh and inspiring.

 

Lower Elementary students started the new year off working with clay. As they learned about fossils and rocks in class, they continued the study in art by creating fossil rocks out of clay. The students love working with clay, but it appeared they enjoyed the lesson on fossils just as much as they watched, danced, and sang to this fun Fossil Rock Anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClJ5lwl_wM0.

Middle Elementary students have been doing a little exploration of origami by folding boats, fish, and birds. Their fish origami are happily turning on a mobile in the classroom now.
 


Middle Elementary students have been exploring Australian aboriginal art. They prepared for the project with conversations about dreamtime and walkabouts, and looked at the work of contemporary Aboriginal painters as well as traditional symbolism. Half the students created their own mixed media pieces based on walkabouts, and painted dot paintings of Australian animals. The other half concentrated their efforts on an animal dot painting embellished with traditional symbolism.
 


In music, Middle Elementary students have been listening more closely to rounds, most recently Dona Nobis Pacem (attributed to both Palestrina and Mozart) Good Night, Bonne Nuit and Abend Stille. We are practicing a summer harvest song in German and a 15 verse French folk song. In addition to songs in other languages we have been singing Waltzing Matilda in connection with Australia and Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho (history).

After Upper Elementary students visited the Frist to see the Michelangelo drawings, they practiced figure drawings from a mannequin and from their classmates.

Upper Elementary students created a pop-up thank you card for their theater director, Christy. Using what they learned about drawing the human figure, they drew one of the characters they played in Twelfth Night for the card.

Terry de Vries, sister of Abintra board member and parent Michelle Hamman, taught Upper Elementary students how to draw different types of labyrinths. The students created finger labyrinth mosaics using the classical 3-circuit.

 

Upper Elementary music is traveling through time to discover the Story of Music. They have listened to and discussed the evolution and relevance of master works of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. The classic compositions offer an audible lesson about the elements of music theory as well as the social and political changes occurring at that time. Currently, the students are discovering the blossoming music of the Colonial period in American history. The diverse population and volatile times of early colonial life can be heard in the music and experienced through dance and song. Group dancing and singing allows a unique opportunity to experience what entertainment would have felt like while strengthening community.


Middle Students students have been exploring self-portraits. They started by learning the "grid system" of doing portraits and began a drawing using their school photo. 

Abintra parent Asher Wood visited Middle School to talk to them about this technique as a portrait artist using a projector vs. the grid system. They learned about how he chooses photos, composition, color, etc. in his portraits. Each student will have an opportunity to use the projector to create a portrait.