3074
Whitney Ave.
Bldg. 2, 2nd Floor
Hamden, CT 06518
phone: 203-230-8101
fax: 203-230-8131
MIKE KACHUBA
Traditional and Contemporary Folk Music
Mike Kachuba is a songwriter and performer of both traditional and contemporary folk music of America and the British Isles. Mike's experience as a classroom teacher and a CCT Master Teaching Artist helps him reach audiences of all ages in a relaxed and humorous style. The Connecticut Commission on the Arts has honored Mike as the 1999 Connecticut State Troubadour.
"After watching Mike work with an inclusive classroom with Pre-K students that are hearing impaired all I can say is WOW!! He reached every single four year old in the room and engaged them in singing and movement. What a truly wonderful program filled with songs that the children immediately related to!!" Submitted by Program Reviewer
"Just had to reach out and say THANK YOU in capital letters for advising us to host Mike Kachuba. The way he incorporated kids’ names and interests into his performance was masterful. They loved all of the movement, and of course I loved that the content of his show has curricular alignment. The performance wove a lot of information with a lot of student participation. I would definitely recommend this show to any Pre-K-First Grade group that is looking to reward their kids, learn some science in a fun and memorable way, or introduce a wide variety of interesting musical instruments and techniques. Our music teacher picked up some great tips from watching him! Please extend my thanks to Mr. Kachuba."
Gina Musumeci, Principal-In-Residence, Amistad Elementary,New Haven, CT
Two Exciting NEW Programs for Young Explorers:
Sea Stars, Sea Weed and Crabs! Songs of the Shore and Sea for Young Explorers (Grades K-2)
Combine music and science in this program of interactive songs about life in salt marshes, tide pools and the ocean for young explorers. Each song teaches a lesson about the habitat and habits of animals found along the shore or in the ocean. There may even be some special guests from these environments joining Mike in his presentation. This program is best suited for audiences of 50 children or less. Length: 45 Minutes
Pair of Performances: $335
Three Performances: $400
Four Performances: $ 480
Earthworms,Doodlebugs and Dirt (Grades PK-K)
What is a Doodlebug? Students will learn and sing participatory songs about creatures that wiggle, crawl, creep, and fly in the environment they inhabit! Length: 30 Minutes
Pair of Performances: $270
Three Performances: $335
Four Performances: $400
In The Tradition: American Folk Songs for Real Young Folk (Grades PK-K)
Students will learn songs from America’s past. Lots of different
folk instruments including dulcimer, banjo, guitar, hammered dulcimer
and more!
Folk Music For Young Folk (Grades K-4)
Combines elements of “In The Tradition” with other songs enjoyed
by a slightly more sophisticated audience. Still lots of participation
and instruments with more connections to the larger world!
It Happened In Connecticut: (Grades 3-6)
Mike celebrates the “lesser known”, yet interesting people
who have contributed to Connecticut’s colorful past. Meet Goody
Basset, the witch of Stratford; Jack Arabas, the slave who was given his
freedom in a New Haven court of law opening the door for others to gain
their freedom as well; John Hinson, the first man to escape from Granby’s
Newgate Prison; Dinny Seidel, a fisherman who became a hero after the
hurricane of 1938; Gustave Whitehead, who some believe was the first man
to fly an airplane; the “Leatherman” one of the first folk
legends in the state; and many more! Many instruments of historic nature
and lessons on respect and character development in this educational and
entertaining program
Single Performance: $515
Pair of Performances: $620
Three Performances: $730
THE MUSIC OF MATH
Have you ever noticed that many mathematicians are musical thinkers and many musicians are mathematical thinkers? This series of programs is designed to explore math and music concepts together. One helps to learn the other in fun, informative class sessions.
Addresses CT State Standards in math 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 for analyzing quantitative relationships, determination of equivalency, understanding varieties of numerical representation to describe quantitative relationships, and use of numbers for counting and understanding quantities for grades pre-K-5. Addresses CT State Standards in music 2.b, 2.d, 2.e; 3.a,3.b3.c,3.d; 4.b; 5.a,5.b for playing music alone and with others; for improvising melodies, variations and accompaniments; for composing and arranging music; and for reading and notating music in grades K-5 where grade appropriate.
MUSIC COUNTS!(Pre-K, K-1) Students will use voice, movement, and rhythm instruments to count beats, recognize patterns, and begin fraction concepts. Program length: 40-45 minutes. Max. 26 students. Up to four classes in a day.
FEEL THE FRACTIONS! (Grades 2-4) Students will use rhythm instruments and movement to understand the relationship between fractions and equivalency and beat and rhythm. Program length: 40-45 minutes. Max. 26 students. Up to four classes in a day.
KEYS AND SCALES AS SETS AND PATTERNS! (Grades 4-5) Students will create a human keyboard and use boomwhackers to create musical keys. By looking at shared notes in scales, students will explore the mathematical concepts of sets and patterns and how they exist in music. They will explore the concepts of intervals in relation to triad chord structure and key change.
Program length: 40-45 minutes. Max. 26 students. Up to four classes in a day.
THE MATH OF MELODY! (Grades 4-5)Students will use boomwhackers and possibly other instruments to explore the concept of intervals and how intervals are used to create melody in music. Program length: 40-45 minutes.
Class room presentation for up 26 students. Up to four classes in a day.
Note: The programs for grades 2-5 can be presented as a sequential series in a three day residency for a grade level. Up to four classes per day. It can be booked for each grade level in a 12 day residency. Up to four classes in a day.
LYRICAL MATH! (GRADES 1-5): Use key concepts of any math unit and turn them into a song by composing lyrics and melody with Mike. Record the songs created onto cd format using a portable digital recording studio set up in the classroom.
Note: This would be a four day residency program up to four classes in a day. This program should be booked towards the end of a particular math unit.
Full Day: $540 four workshops
Song Writing To The CMTs Grades 3-8
Song writing is an effective means of engaging students in the craft of writing and the skills of reading, interpretation and communication. In the residency program, Song Writing To The CMTs, students will use samples from the open-ended writing section from the Language Arts CMT Handbook to write songs and address the CT State Department of Education’s Position Statement on Language Arts, especially as it pertains to writing in a variety of formats, reading and interpreting texts, composing, revising and editing written materials, and communicating with others. In addition, this residency will help create classrooms that are rich learning environments fostering literacy in all students.
The Position Statement goes on to cite that “Teachers and schools play an essential role in ensuring quality language arts education by:
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providing a rigorous study of language arts skills and concepts and their applications to reading and writing in real world contexts;
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creating classrooms that are rich learning environments that foster literacy in all students;
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providing more active student involvement with language arts, including:
-reading and writing that relate to students’ current world and their future career needs and demands; and
- using a variety of skills to foster effective communication and lifeling love of reading and writing;
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using a variety of teaching strategies to guide students in developing literacy, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities.
Expected Outcomes: In Mike’s 15 years of conducting song writing workshops with children he has seen that those students who are reticent writers become engaged in and enthused about writing. A common comment from teachers has been that a student that has not taken to standard writing techniques will become involved in writing through the use of the lyric format. It is expected that this trend will continue as one outcome of Song Writing To the CMT’s. It is also expected that this project will engage students who are musical learners, mathematical learners, and to a degree, bodily-kinesthetic learners. In all cases, it is expected that this project will be an effective tool in using the arts to achieve the goals outlined in Connecticut’s Common Core of Learning and the Connecticut Language Arts Framework.
Residency Format: 3-5 days (dependent upon CD recording option). Approximately 25 students per session, up to five sessions a day.
Song Writing From Your Curriculum: (Grades 3-8)
Mike teaches the art of song writing as an effective means for engaging
students in the writing process. Any curricular topic can be used to
create songs. No previous knowledge of the language of music is
necessary. Everyone can write a song! A CD recording of student’s
work can be created at the end of the residency.
Note Residencies can be from 3 – 5 days (or longer). Up to 5 classes
per day.
The Language of Art: See Multi-Disciplinary Section (with Tom Lee) :
Mike works with students to create songs based on a painting they have
previously discussed with story teller Tom Lee. Using their language from
this discussion, Mike teaches the art of song writing and creates a CD
of the student’s work.
CCT FUNDING AVAILABLE
Curriculum Links:
Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, Music, Math
PWTR