Alex Asacker's Classroom Full of Joy
Shore's new Lower School music teacher Alex Asacker says that the most important thing in her classroom is joy.
Back
"Above everything else, I want children to enjoy music, to find joy in rhythm, singing, and movement," the Exeter, New Hampshire, native explains. "In terms of pedagogy, I like the approach of John Feierabend, who talks about children becoming 'tuneful, beatful, and artful.'"
Feierabend, considered one of the leading authorities on music and movement development in childhood, believes that encouraging enthusiastic participation in music is a way to build community. That philosophy is central for Asacker. "I talk a lot about teamwork with my students, and the idea that if we’re playing music as a class, then we have to work together. Everyone is important, and everyone is valuable in this room."
Feierabend, considered one of the leading authorities on music and movement development in childhood, believes that encouraging enthusiastic participation in music is a way to build community. That philosophy is central for Asacker. "I talk a lot about teamwork with my students, and the idea that if we’re playing music as a class, then we have to work together. Everyone is important, and everyone is valuable in this room."
Just as important, Asacker makes sure her classroom is a safe environment for children. "I want them to feel that they can take risks and be free to express themselves musically. Whether it’s finding their singing voice or improvising on the xylophone, I want them to have the freedom and confidence to do that. In the early grades, music has to be about celebrating that we’re trying and that we’re learning and that we learn through making mistakes. When we get something wrong that’s good; now we can learn from it and improve upon it."
A vocalist and a piano player, Asacker comes to Shore with a master's degree in music education from Boston Conservatory. Yet she says her path to teaching music was a long and interesting one. "Growing up I loved music, performing, and being in choruses. I went to a summer music camp when I was in high school, and I was really inspired there by excellent musicians and educators."
However, she didn't immediately focus on music and teaching in college: she was a philosophy major with minors in psychology and Italian. "It was really later on in life when I realized that teaching was my calling. And I decided that if I was going to teach, I wanted to teach what was for me the most important and enriching experience of my own life: music."
Asacker's earliest teaching experiences—at the ALPHA alternative school in Toronto, in the Cambridge public schools, and in a program for children with autism spectrum disorder—gave her a broad perspective that clearly illuminates for her what is unqiue about Shore's own program.
A vocalist and a piano player, Asacker comes to Shore with a master's degree in music education from Boston Conservatory. Yet she says her path to teaching music was a long and interesting one. "Growing up I loved music, performing, and being in choruses. I went to a summer music camp when I was in high school, and I was really inspired there by excellent musicians and educators."
However, she didn't immediately focus on music and teaching in college: she was a philosophy major with minors in psychology and Italian. "It was really later on in life when I realized that teaching was my calling. And I decided that if I was going to teach, I wanted to teach what was for me the most important and enriching experience of my own life: music."
Asacker's earliest teaching experiences—at the ALPHA alternative school in Toronto, in the Cambridge public schools, and in a program for children with autism spectrum disorder—gave her a broad perspective that clearly illuminates for her what is unqiue about Shore's own program.
"The arts are so valued here," she observes, "and the resources we have are incredible: these beautiful marimbas for the kids, for example, and so many Orff instruments. Families and the administration really care about the arts and recognize their importance. As well, here I have the freedom to focus on my passions within the curriculum."
One of those passions has come to play a prominent role in Asacker's classroom. "For my work with the children I like to use the ukulele. It allows me to be close to them and sit right at their level, rather than be behind the piano all the time. The ukulele is a really great instrument for lifelong playing. It’s similar to guitar, but at this age it’s so much more accessible. I’m thinking about bringing ukuleles to the classroom in future years, maybe even starting a ukulele program for second grade."
One of those passions has come to play a prominent role in Asacker's classroom. "For my work with the children I like to use the ukulele. It allows me to be close to them and sit right at their level, rather than be behind the piano all the time. The ukulele is a really great instrument for lifelong playing. It’s similar to guitar, but at this age it’s so much more accessible. I’m thinking about bringing ukuleles to the classroom in future years, maybe even starting a ukulele program for second grade."
The ukulele is just one of the instruments that makes an appearance in Asacker's work with Pre-K through fourth grade students. At the earliest ages, imagination is the intrument.
"When we start in Pre-K and K, there’s no music notation; it’s all about feeling the beat, hearing the pitches. I want my students to internalize those first, and when they’ve been able to do that and are able to talk about it, then we can start to name things, and we can start to have symbols for things."
More formal music instruction really begins in the third grade. "We start to look at the staff and understand how the notes are named. That's when they start to learn the recorder. We look at a piece of music, and we learn how to 'decode' it and play it on our recorders. We’ll clap the rhythms first, we’ll make sure we can identify the notes, and then we’ll get to the fingerings on the recorder. It’s scaffolded.
But, Asacker observes, "Whether it’s the marimbas, or a group singing for Grandfriends Day, or our little ones having a great time in the Halloween concert, it's an important part of our school, and our identity. Music shows how much the arts are a part of our experience at Shore."
"When we start in Pre-K and K, there’s no music notation; it’s all about feeling the beat, hearing the pitches. I want my students to internalize those first, and when they’ve been able to do that and are able to talk about it, then we can start to name things, and we can start to have symbols for things."
More formal music instruction really begins in the third grade. "We start to look at the staff and understand how the notes are named. That's when they start to learn the recorder. We look at a piece of music, and we learn how to 'decode' it and play it on our recorders. We’ll clap the rhythms first, we’ll make sure we can identify the notes, and then we’ll get to the fingerings on the recorder. It’s scaffolded.
According to Asacker, the accessibility and small size of the recorder make it ideal for young musicians. Yet, she says, "It's still a real instrument. Working with the recorder helps with embouchure, learning how to hold an instrument, how you articulate notes, breath support, reading music, and playing in an ensemble."
That early work really pays off in fourth grade, when students get their hands on Shore's marimbas. "This is the first school I’ve worked at that has such unique instruments in the classroom, at such an early age," she explains. "I think it’s amazing that fourth graders have the opportunity to use these instruments."
Asacker says there's a real philosophy behind the teaching of the marimba at Shore. "It's less about note reading than it is about finding rhythms, finding patterns, and understanding the form of pieces. We want children to be able to hear the 'A' section vs. the 'B' section, and to decide who’s going to start and how we are going to layer the parts, when is there going to be a solo, things like that. The kids get so into the marimbas - they love playing them, it’s very physical, and they want to put the effort into getting their parts down."
Of course, at Shore, hard work in the classroom culminates in performances in the Theatre all year long. "Performance here is a way to share what we’re doing in our classes, and to showcase our students at their very best," says Asacker. "After all, it’s pretty incredible what these fourth graders are able to do on the marimbas. It takes a lot of focus and timing."Asacker says there's a real philosophy behind the teaching of the marimba at Shore. "It's less about note reading than it is about finding rhythms, finding patterns, and understanding the form of pieces. We want children to be able to hear the 'A' section vs. the 'B' section, and to decide who’s going to start and how we are going to layer the parts, when is there going to be a solo, things like that. The kids get so into the marimbas - they love playing them, it’s very physical, and they want to put the effort into getting their parts down."
But, Asacker observes, "Whether it’s the marimbas, or a group singing for Grandfriends Day, or our little ones having a great time in the Halloween concert, it's an important part of our school, and our identity. Music shows how much the arts are a part of our experience at Shore."
-
-
With her ukulele
-
Working with third graders
-
Practicing on the marimbas
-
Grandfriends Day
-
Learning percussion
-
Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.