In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, which happens every April, students at Natomas Middle School were able to learn about notable pioneers of jazz music. “Megan Deems and Michelle Jamieson are the two talented music teachers who suggested we do a Jazz themed project in the month of April to celebrate Jazz appreciation month,” said Andrea Lunetta, Art Teacher at Natomas Middle School. Deems and Jamieson provided her with a list of influential jazz artists, and over the course of three days, students learned about the history of Jazz and Jazz greats Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, and Louis Armstrong.
“For the project I thought doing a grid drawing would be a great way to apply a Jazz mindset to art. In a grid project, everyone does a few squares of a larger drawing, and we connect them together like a puzzle at the end. So, in this project, everyone got to have their own voice, and apply their own style to create one cohesive piece of artwork. The kids had a ton of fun during this project, and it also emphasized teamwork, risk-taking, and problem-solving.”
