What is Arts Integration?
The Kennedy Center defines Arts Integration as, “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an Art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.” Various art forms -- dance, visual arts, singing, and theater -- can be used in arts integrated programs at all ages and school grades.

How does Heartland Sings’ Arts Integrated Residency (AIR) integrate arts into Fort Wayne area schools?
At Heartland Sings, we believe that Arts Education is essential to creating a healthy, meaningful community. Our own arts integrated residency program brings the bold, colorful, powerful world of opera to life. It turns first-grade classrooms into an opera stage guided by Indiana’s language arts standards.

What happens in the classroom during the AIR program?
Heartland Sings Vocal Artists, “teaching artists,” collaborate with classroom teachers and music/art teachers to create and teach arts integrated lessons twice a week for thirty minutes each meeting. During the first half of the school year, professional opera singers or teaching artists use opera in the classroom to show their students the basic elements of storytelling. During the second half of the school year, students use their new storytelling tools to create with their teaching artists their own student opera. They devise a plot, create characters, write text, compose songs and lyrics, and perform the one-act operas at the end of the year for their school communities.

How does all this opera fun help kids learn the basics?
This arts integration program incorporates Indiana’s mandated language standards and curriculum, to help kids communicate, collaborate, think creatively and critically. It enriches learning for every student. During the time in the classroom, the students have a time to explore the process of making meaning using language arts skills. They rhyme, write, learn vocabulary, read, and use English to express meaning. Classroom teachers report positive results for their students, many from underserved and non-English speaking homes.

How does AIR advance the mission of Heartland Sings?
Heartland Sings’ Mission, “is to inspire people of all ages and abilities through cultural and entertainment experiences, education programs and community outreach.” The Arts Integrated Residency gives our youngest citizens the opportunity to create music, build confidence in performance, while strengthening their language skills. “Heartland Sings is changing lives through song.”

** Residencies can be customized to adhere to the specific needs of individual schools.

Contact Susanna Lauer, Director of Development and Education at Susanna@HeartlandSings.org or 260-436-8080 for additional information about Heartland Sings’ Arts Integrated Residencies.