Music in a Lifetime is dedicated to the role that being involved in music can play in a fulfilled and rewarding life. The resources in this website help young musicians explore community music-making at its finest, through the music and musicians of the Wellington Wind Symphony. Within this exploration, students will be exposed to the wind ensemble repertoire, with a large representation from Canadian composers. This exploration is directly relevant to the Ontario Curriculum for the arts, and aligned with the Ministry of Education’s current emphasis on inquiry as a powerful learning framework for student success.
The Ontario Music Curriculum
Developing Cultural Identity
One of the core ideas underpinning the Ontario Arts Curriculum is understanding culture. Learning about and with the arts helps students to understand cultural traditions and innovations and construct personal and cultural identity (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 & 10, The Arts. 2010). As a community partner, the Wellington Wind Symphony understands its own mission in fostering students’ understanding of the role of music in their future lives.
Critical Analysis Process
The Wellington Wind Symphony also understands its role in performing challenging repertoire. The Appassionato Project places a particular emphasis on music for wind ensemble by Canadian composers. Students are invited to respond to the performances critically.
The Arts curriculum places an emphasis on the critical analysis process, which includes the following aspects:
- initial reaction
- analysis and interpretation
- consideration of cultural context
- expression of aesthetic judgement
- ongoing reflection
Ontario Arts Curriculum, 2010.
An Inquiry Approach
The approach of this resource is to foster curiosity, help students make authentic connections to real-life experiences, and to develop skills for deeper critical and creative thinking. The resource is also designed for independent and unstructured exploration, or for use in more structured lesson planning.
Independent Exploration or Guided Inquiry
This resource is designed for multiple entry points to learning.
Independent Exploration: Guiding essential questions in this resource invite students to explore their own reactions to the musical works and performances. Ideas from the videos and the additional resource links invite students to follow their own lines of inquiry as they explore the music, and music in their lives.
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Guided Inquiry: The Lesson Ideas section of this website suggest relevant and engaging instructional approaches, all from an inquiry stance to learning. Lesson ideas are intended to suggest starting points for teachers, and make connections to the Ontario curriculum.
Learn more about the Inquiry Approach
