FAME is back again at Cherry Chase for its 8th year of art and music instruction to all our students by a wonderful team of parent volunteers. The first of six monthly lessons will start in September 2007.

A very special "thank you" to Farrington Historical Foundation for awarding our FAME program a $2,500 grant! The funds are being used to help strengthen our infrastructure: replacing old/worn art materials, investing in a broader range of musical instruments, and in general helping the program expand to accommodate our growing student population! 

If you are (or know anyone who may be) interested in joining this exceptional program and being a part of your children's lives at the school (no art or music experience necessary!), please contact Kathy Besser (733-8323) or Becky Davis (245-9225).

The FAME "Teach the Docents" meetings will be held at 7PM in the library on these dates:

• Monday, September 10 - Lesson 1
• Monday, October 22 - Lesson 2
• Monday, January 7 - Lesson 3
• Monday, February 11 - Lesson 4
• Monday, March 24 - Lesson 5
• Monday, April 28 - Lesson 6

Lesson 1 (Sept/Oct) Art: "My Gems", William Harnett, 1848-1892 Music: "To a Wild Rose", Edward MacDowell, 1861-1908 Students will learn how artists can express their feelings through art and about the concepts of still life painting and trompe-l'oeil (trick the eye) by studying the work of William Harnett. Students will learn about melody by listening to the work of Edward MacDowell, one of the first internationally known American composers. MacDowell wrote "To a Wild Rose" to celebrate his joyful feelings about nature.
Lesson 2 (Nov-Dec.) Art: "Moulin de la Galette" by Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919 Music: "Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss Jr, 1825-1899 Students will learn about Impressionism and the use of light and color by Renoir. Students will learn about rhythm listening to the distinctive 3/4 rhythm of waltz; "Blue Danube" is one of the most famous waltzes ever composed.
Lesson 3 (January) Art: "The Delphic Sibyl" from the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564 Music: "Gregorian Chant" compiled by Pope Gregory during 540-604 A.D. Students will study the magnitude of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and take a closer look at Michelangelo's famous works by observing in detail "The Delphic Sibyl". They will learn how Michelangelo, both sculptor and painter, used lines and a vanishing point to achieve proper perspective and a three dimensional effect in his work. Students will learn about the single musical element, melody, that characterizes Gregorian chants. Students will learn how Pope Gregory ordered the music of the monks (which was sung a capella) to be written down for the first time and how chants were used to celebrate special days, seasons and the passage of time.
Lesson 4 (Feb-March) Art: "Marilyn Monroe" by Andy Warhol, 1930-1987 Music: "St. Louis Blues" by W. C. Handy, 1873-1958 Students will learn about a true American art form, Pop Art, through the work of an American artist, Andy Warhol. They will observe how the element of color attracts the eye in product packaging as well as art. Students will view a timeline of the evolving history of African-American music while focusing on the blues and their historical context. American composer, W. C. Handy, is called "the Father of the Blues" and the captivating rhythm of "St. Louis Blues" may be played in a variety of styles.
Lesson 5 (March-April) Art: "Woman in Blue" by Jan Vermeer, 1632-1675 Music: "Spring" from "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi, 1678-1741 Students will learn about the opposing art elements of light and shadow by studying the work of Dutch artist, Vermeer, who was known as "the poet of light". Students will learn about the musical element of harmony in the "Spring" section of Vivaldi's Four Seasons concerto's.
Lesson 6 (May) Art: "Portrait of a Woman" by Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973 Music: "Ritual Fire Dance" from "El Amor Brujo" by Manuel de Falla, 1876-1946 Students will examine the art element of composition by studying the work of Picasso. They will also learn about the art form known as Cubism, which deals primarily with the reduction of elements to their simplest forms while also showing multiple views of the same object. Students will listen to the wild strains and musical dynamics of de Falla's music honoring his native Spain.