Monty Harper
Contact Information:
Monty or Lisa Harper
2419 N. Monroe
Stillwater, OK 74074
Phone:
(405) 624-3805
Email:
Website:
Discipline:
Creative Writing, Music & Songwriting
Participants:
Elementary
Settings:
Schools: Elementary
Community Sites: Arts Centers, Libraries
Availability:
Year round, Statewide
Bio:
Monty Harper began writing songs for children and families in 1989. He performs throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states and has released eight CDs of original music. His songs and recordings have won many awards including honors from Parents’ Choice and National Parenting Center publications. Harper writes songs for clients, such as authors, library systems, podcasts, and government and educational agencies. He is the author of the ProSongs column in Pass It On, the journal of the Children’s Music Network. He has taught dozens of residencies in Oklahoma elementary schools, and his students’ original songs are available online at http://studentsongs.bandcamp.com.
Harper’s students write with purpose. Student projects have included the creation of songs promoting curbside recycling, the crafting of a new school song, and the use of original songs to help a scientist share her research with the public. Harper’s songwriting process offers much more than a fun time: finding a song’s focus requires deep understanding and synthesis of the subject material; expanding around a core idea requires creativity and curiosity; and polishing the final draft demands critical thinking and perseverance. Harper provides a safe space for creative risk-taking by teaching students to respond to one another’s ideas in encouraging ways. He uses multiple forms of student input, providing each individual the opportunity to contribute in a way that feels comfortable for them. Harper’s students connect with an appreciative audience as they perform their original songs at the end of every residency. Harper works primarily with 2nd through 5th grade students. He offers a single-day school visit with workshops and a performance, an extended songwriting residency, or an after-school songwriting club. Each format is flexible and can be customized to meet your specific needs.
Learning Goals:
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Students will learn various elements and principles of songwriting such as song structure, melody, prosody, rhyme, and figurative language.
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Students will demonstrate the use of various elements and principles of songwriting to express complex ideas.
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Students will practice expressive and creative use of vocabulary.
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Students will employ songwriting principles toward comprehension of language arts and a variety of other subjects.
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Students will exercise and develop critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills though the art of songwriting.