Laura Barron
Music / Writing
Laura Barron
Teaching Languages: English
New Workshop concept:
Students may create multiple art pieces (related to teachers’ desired curricular learning outcomes and Biennale artwork), in a variety of disciplines, that are created through a process of repurposing. This may include — MUSIC: Word Squatting, by creating original lyrics that get incorporated into an existing song; POETRY: Found poems, by dedacting words from existing pages of texts to create verse from the remaining words; ART: by creating original pieces from found objects/trash; THEATRE: by performing a modernized version of an existing theatrical scene).
Suitable for Grade 3 – 12
10 classroom 60 minutes sessions + 2 one-hour project planning sessions
Bio:
Laura Barron’s 30-year career as a flutist and artist educator has taken her from the Yukon to New Zealand, with highlights including performances in Carnegie Hall and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She formerly served on the music faculties of the Universities of Oregon, Wisconsin and Northern Arizona, and has more recently led youth community arts projects in South Africa, India and Nepal. Additionally, she proudly serves as an Artist in the Classroom for dozens of school projects throughout BC, with the Vancouver Biennale’s BIG IDEAS program, ArtStarts and as a Vancouver Opera Music Champion. Also a published writer and interdisciplinary artist, Laura has created two original theater pieces, What Moves Us and Captain Creative, which she tours across Canada. And she now runs the non-profit, Instruments of Change, which leads arts-based community development projects with at-risk youth, marginalized adults and for people in prison. Please visit the following websites to see documentation of two particularly imaginative projects that are representative of Laura’s engaging work with youth:
Trash Talk Recycled
Water is Life
Competency:
Music (flute, piano and percussion) and Creative Writing
Testimonials:
“Under Laura’s leadership my class, of mainly self-conscious twelve and thirteen year olds, were engaged, worked well together and completely met the challenge of producing an imaginative expression of art. Laura’s positive and enthusiastic personality, as well as her imagination and knowledge, engaged all the students and introduced them to a completely different side of artistic expression. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed the experience of working with Laura. She is an excellent collaborator as she respects and encourages all opinions.” – Janice Potter, William Bridge Elementary, Richmond, BC
Workshop:
Music can be song, dance, mood, rhythm, color, or story. As such, it can speak to people in endless ways. Laura’s work draws out the music in everybody. A lifelong musician and writer, Laura helps students find their inner singer, poet, songwriter, and music-maker using endless creative strategies. These include body percussion, found-object instrument making, creative writing exercises, sound scape recording, and deep listening. Projects are inquiry-based, and can be adapted to align with any school teaching objectives or curricular areas. Awakening students to their own musicality, Laura’s workshops lead students in a collaborative music-making experience that teaches cooperation, artistic confidence, and resourcefulness.
Suitable for Grade 3 – 12
10 classroom 60 minutes sessions + 2 one-hour project planning sessions
Required equipment/facility/materials/teacher Resources for Workshop:
Found objects for instrument making
Maximum 30 students per class, two classes per school
School District Availability:
Burnaby, Delta, North Vancouver, Richmond, Squamish, New Westminister, Vancouver, West Vancouver
