My name is Christina Wallace and I will begin teaching at Girard Middle School and High School this fall (2009-2010 school year). This will be my fourth year of teaching - I previously taught K-8 music in Noel, MO. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Music Education and will receive my Master's Degree in Special Education: Gifted Education this coming December.
I have had a very busy summer: I moved to Girard, got married, took a cruise to Mexico, and am working on my grad. school classes. Even though I have just been hired and the school year has not begun, I'm already very busy preparing for the school year!
Students: plan to work hard this year! Choir/music will not be an "Easy 'A'" - it wasn't when I was your age and I want to see you succeed and get something out of my classes. I hope you're in choir/music because you want to be there. Performances will be a requirement for your grade.
Parents: support your child(ren)! With your full support, the possibilities of what your child can achieve are endless.
Finally, here's a document that I LOVE and you're sure to see it again:
WHY MUSIC?
By Daniel Mooney
MUSIC IS A SCIENCE
A conductor’s full score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities,
volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once
and with the most exact control of time.
MUSIC IS MATHEMATICAL
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions
which must be done instantaneously not worked out on paper.
MUSIC IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French,
and the notation is certainly not English – but a highly developed
kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas.
The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.
MUSIC IS HISTORY
Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation,
often even the country and/or racial feeling.
MUSIC IS PHYSICAL EDUCATION
It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms,
lip, cheek, and facial muscles in addition to extraordinary control of the
diaphragm, back, stomach, and the chest muscles, which respond instantly
to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.
MUSIC IS ART
Music develops insight and demands on research.
It is all the above things, but most of all it is ART.
It allows a human being to take the above techniques and use them to create emotion.
That is one thing science cannot duplicate:
humanism, feeling, emotion – call it what you will.
WHY IS MUSIC TAUGHT?
So you will be human
So you will recognize beauty
So you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world
So you will have something to cling to
So you will have more love, compassion, gentleness,
In short, more life…
See you in class!
