AT A GLANCE

Digital music specialist, ethnomusicologist and educator Andy Wasserman introduces students to the secrets of understanding how sounds are created to express the language of music. These connections are experienced in a highly interactive setting by demonstrating dozens of musical instruments while weaving vibrant tapestries of sound with rhythm, melody, harmony and form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Andy Wasserman has the audience travel through time, combining a virtual cornucopia of computerized music technology alongside ethnic instruments from around the world to illustrate where music has been and where it is going. Connections between instruments past and present are explained and demonstrated using synthesizer keyboards, digital samplers, electronic drums, and a laptop computer. Audience volunteers get numerous opportunities during the show to join a worldbeat jam using both acoustic and electronic instruments, including participation in the creation of a musical soundtrack for an imaginary movie.

As this program unfolds, Mr. Wasserman brings alive the instrumental voices of six regions: American (Jazz and Hip-Hop), European (Classical), Asia, South America & Latin America, the Middle East and West Africa. His time-tested activities transform students into budding musicians with non-stop hands-on participatory opportunities to play his awesome collections of authentic percussion, string and wind instruments.

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This program can be tailored to the needs of any educational site, library, museum, festival or event.

Detailed study guide booklets written by Wasserman are provided for preparation and follow-up.

Click here to find out more about Andy's other arts-in-education programs.

Click here to see the home page slideshow video of Andy's collection of ethnic instruments from around the world.

Click here to see photo collages of the instruments Andy uses in these world music programs.

AT A GLANCE

Music: The Voice of Unity is a musical journey through the language arts. The mission of this program is to allow students to connect with the themes of unity, cultural tolerance and global understanding. This process is realized within a creative, participatory environment that fosters the children’s ability to gain a greater appreciation for people from other parts of the world. The students benefit by nurturing their own storytelling abilities, cultivating a personalized awareness through an expanded world perspective.

Over the course of this residency, Andy Wasserman will present the instrumental voices of five regions: North America (Native American), South America, Far East Asia, the Middle East and West Africa. His time-tested activities transform students into budding musicians with non-stop hands-on participatory opportunities to play dozens of authentic percussion, string and wind instruments from his huge personal collection.  The students will in turn become inspired and guided to create their own stories by composing poems, short stories, journal entries, paintings and dance movements, as well as designing and making their own homemade musical instruments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The ideal schedule features a full-day residency, during which Andy will spend 40 to 50 minutes with each class, once a week, for five weeks.  The residency culminates in a final musical celebration during week six.
During his first visit, Andy will introduce the concept that the human heartbeat shapes the musical sounds that link us all.  With an array of instruments native to several countries, he will demonstrate the common musical elements found worldwide, and start exploring those features that make each culture’s music distinct.

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During each ensuing week, he shares instruments from a new culture, always highlighting communication tools that illuminate the unique cultural “fingerprint.”  As he proceeds, he supplies resources and grade appropriate assignments for teachers to guide their students in creating works of other arts disciplines. Homemade musical instrument making projects are also included.

At the culminating event, students play selected instruments for their peers while classmates display and discuss the original artwork, poems, stories and homemade instruments created during the entire course of the residency. Wasserman involves the entire audience in a closing celebration – resonating with the theme of unity – and enhanced by each class presentation, thereby tying the threads that bind the residency together as a whole.

This program can be tailored to the needs of any educational site, library, museum, festival or event.

Detailed study guide booklets written by Wasserman are provided for preparation and follow-up.

Click here to find out more about Andy's other arts-in-education programs.

Click here to see the home page slideshow video of Andy's collection of ethnic instruments from around the world.

Click here to see photo collages of the instruments Andy uses in these world music programs.

In the field of arts-in-education, the maximum impact an artist can have is afforded by the close proximity and repeated exposure of an artist residency. Andy Wasserman has conducted hundreds of residencies over the last 30 years, co-creating custom designed content curriculum based on the needs and grade level of each educational site.

Each residency is unique and offers a wide range of possibilities that are drawn from Andy's three arts-in-ed programs: Making Music From Around The World, Music: The Voice Of Unity, and Instruments: Ancient To Future. Here is a picture of one of Andy's past residencies in action, followed by a sample workshop content description. Scroll down further for a letter of recommendation that tells about a 2009 residency program that Andy did at an elementary school in Pennsylvania.

Andy Wasserman gives students more in-depth, hands-on perspectives in workshops designed for groups of 30 students or less. These are structured based on input from the school, meeting specific grade level and subject matter requirements as they relate to the following curriculum categories:

1. Materials in nature from which ethnic instruments are constructed.

2. Fundamentals of acoustics and sound; how they relate to instrument design and construction.

3. How the music heard today on CD, TV, radio and multimedia is created in high-tech recording environments and film soundstages using computers and digital instrumentation.

Exploring how we as Americans can learn to appreciate different cultures by studying their musical styles. Specific focus can include countries of the Orient, South America and West Africa.

1. Scales, tonality and rhythmic elements from various cultures around the world.

2. Using improvisation and compositional ideas inspired by world music.

3. Learning more about the families of wind, string and percussion instruments from around the world.

4. Creating music with the new electronic technology. Special focus on programming, sequencing, composition, arranging, and sound design. Introduction to Scoring for TV, film and video.

Creating the connections between language and music with emphasis on the oral traditions of West Africa.

Discussions within the question and answer format on topics relating to the experiences and goals of a contemporary professional musician and arts-in-education specialist. Includes the artist's background, training, and suggestions to students interested in making music a part of their career.

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Andy Wasserman has been presenting his arts-in-education shows for family events and festivals since the early 1980s. The nature of his participatory programs are perfectly suited for family events because they involve not only the children of any age but the parents as well.

The young members of the audience are enthralled with the musical instruments from around the world and extremely eager to raise their hands and come up on stage to be volunteers and jam along. Meanwhile, unlike other forms of entertainment where the parents are not as engaged as the children, Andy's programs are very interesting as he shares a wealth of knowledge on world music that adults enjoy. The parents love seeing their children come up and play music, and most parents get a huge kick out of joining in the wonderous world jam sessions themselves. Everyone has ton of fun!

Andy has performed for family events at community centers, municipal gatherings, holiday and multicultural celebrations, parent-teacher organization school events, corporate family functions and picnics, religious institutions and festival gatherings of all kinds.

Click HERE if you would like to inquire about hiring Andy Wasserman for your family event or festival

Andy Wasserman has acheived much success and positive feedback for his numerous participatory presentations specifically designed for libraries and museums. He began presenting in this format in 1979 as a Young Audiences artist.

Andy presents a wealth of information in a fun and engaging way for any age group. While imparting information, the audience members are treated to non-stop participation, playing many of his instruments and benefiting from his time tested hands-on approach. His collection of instruments are usually only seen behind a glass panel with a sign that says "do not touch." In his shows, people get a chance to see, touch and play his beautiful, authentic instruments.

Very often a representive from a museum or library will contact Andy and work with him over the phone or in person to tailor a presentation that aligns with a certain theme or exhibition that is taking place on site. Andy creates a custom content presentation outline that reinforces the goals of the site. Programs can be created from a wide range of possibilities. Read more about Andy's programs here to get some ideas about what might work best for your library or museum.

Click HERE if you would like to inquire about hiring Andy Wasserman to present at your library or museum