Students Explore Cultures Through Music Program

This week, our Elementary and 6th-Grade students were visited by Sheldon and Kathleen Sands, known professionally as the Musical Globetrotters. Their program is part of The Mizel Museum, an educational organization dedicated to combating discrimination and promoting social justice.

 

The Musical Globetrotters do this by teaching students about geography, musical practices from different cultures, and music’s innate ability to build bridges between diverse audiences. From Mexico and Nepal to Eastern Europe and South Africa, the program truly took students around the world through each culture’s language and music. They had the opportunity to hear songs in different languages accompanied by translations, as well as some originally written in English. 

 

“Music is a unifier,” explains Diversity Chair Katie Bradford. “I think this sort of programming is important for our students to experience because so often people focus on how we are different, but music can bridge cultures and remind us of how we are the same.”

 

The program was a perfect match for our Elementary and 6th-Grade students this quarter since they are taking, or have taken, the “Cultural Connection” elective in which they examine stories and traditions from around the globe. Learning to embrace differences from a young age, especially in fun ways like music, enables our students to build the compassion and empathy that will ultimately guide them to being conscientious global citizens.