In February, during the public school vacation week, Eric Booth spent two days at CMW. Drawing on Eric's vast experience as artist, entrepreneur, and consultant to many of this country's most signficant arts organziation, they were two remarkable and provocative days. Here are a just a few of the many ideas that Eric shared that we are continuing to think about.
– "80% of what you teach is who you are" (and focusing on this for yourself is the way to find your sustainability). This idea also resonates with CMW's affinity for the mentoring or "co-creator" model over the empty vessel or "banking model" of education.
– "Pull back to your core values and experiment boldly from that place." Or, as Jori wrote in her summary notes, "go back to where art lives in relation to peoples' lives." This idea is so significant in a world where art, classical music in particular, can be seen as something that does not have relevancy in our current culture. In attempting to engage someone else, what, as the first step, will make this artistic experience personally relevant?
– "The most important role of the teaching artist is that of witness." Someone to say "yes, that's it!" and confirm the quality of an idea. To say to a student, "I have noticed." Research shows that giving bland praise ("good job!") is ineffectual, whereas giving specific praise ("I really like how you colored that phrase.") is meaningful. And with parents of students, any little specific observation about their child is high currency.
-Heath Marlow, CMW staff
Day One: In order to explain CMW's organizational culture, Liz shares CMW's evolutionary periods (e.g. Quartetozoic, Fellowozoic) with Eric and the entire group.
