Mahatma Ghandi Elementary School #23

Since 2006, I have served as Music Specialist at Mahatma Ghandi Elementary School #23 (PS 23) in Jersey City, NJ. PS 23 is located between the Journal Square and Marion districts of Jersey City. The school is the second largest school in the city, serving nearly 1500 students in grades PK-8 across four sites.

In the 2009-2010 school year, I teach grades 3-8 in general and instrumental music. Here's a brief overview of my curricula. In third grade, students learn basic musical concepts through singing activities. Fourth graders learn about the various instrument families in orchestral and wind band music. They learn about instrumental mechanics, proper tone production and have to design a creative, functional, original musical instrument with working mechanics. Fifth and sixth graders learn about how to critique a song from various perspectives. Using various musical concepts from tempo to vocal arrangements, students are challenged to go beyond saying "I don't like the beat, it's boring" to explaining in detail if and why a song is written and performed effectively. Seventh and eighth graders learn about the music business, and vocational opportunities that don't require an extensive knowledge of music. Using audio and video examples, Powerpoint presentations, and guest speakers, students learn about record labels, copyright law, sound design for film, Foley, audio engineering and musical theater production.

Mahatma Ghandi Elementary School #23 is located at :

143 Romaine Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
official website