What we’re working on

Writing the Curriculum

Erin Keller has a Bachelor’s in Voice Performance from UMKC and a Master’s in Music Education with a Minor in Ethnomusicology. She is working on writing a curriculum centered on the Kodaly method that infuses popular and relatable songs as reference points to teach basics of vocal technique and musicianship. Students will learn solfege (do, re, mi…) and hand signs, rhythm reading and execution, part singing, breathing and posture, foreign language diction, authentic cultural performance, composition, and improvisation. And a lot more!

Besides the music curriculum, Golden Spirit also focuses on social emotional learning objectives. Created by former KCKS Public Schools social worker Katie Jones, our exercises center and focus kids’ energy and increase their physical and emotional awareness. Tools such as breathing exercises and journal writing help process their daily lives in a healthy ways. Another element of the curriculum includes improvisational exercises that encourage students to bond with each other, solve creative problems, and practice expressing themselves. These activities were written by Tyra Prosser, who taught improvisation to refugee children from the Middle East while living in Greece. Lastly, there is the poetry curriculum. also written by Erin Keller. Students will read and write in every rehearsal, eventually turning their own poems into songs, crafting them as a group and as individuals. Overall, the curriculum is about giving students myriad opportunities to express themselves and grow academically, musically, and behaviorally in the process.