Michael Stanwood - Music

EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCES :: WORKSHOPS :: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
TO BOOK THIS ARTIST, CONTACT US AT INFO@THINK360ARTS.ORG OR CALL 720-904-8890 X 104.

Educational Performances

Sound Ideas from the Pacific Rim
Sound Ideas is a fun-filled interactive romp around the world through the wondrous ethnic musical instruments that Michael Stanwood has collected as a performer for the U.S. State Department. Students will play Thai khaens, Australian didjeridoos, and many more instruments, while learning lessons in geography, social studies, language arts and music.
Single Performance: $350
Double Performance: $500
Grade Levels: 1st-6th

Yeahbut Shoehead- The Band
For a special school occasion, Michael Stanwood’s band, Yeahbut Shoehead, performs his award winning songs, featuring many ethnic instruments like the African marimba and the didjeridoo. Three of the area’s finest musicians, Thomas Blomster (percussion), Ron Bland (bass), and Dexter Payne (reeds), make up the rest of the band, which has been a staple at many Colorado family festivals. This performance is both great fun and informative!
Single Performance: $700
Grade Levels: K-12

Single Workshop Experience

Put It In A Song
What are you studying? Geography? Geometry? Maybe one of the six character traits? Did you learn the ABC’s in a song? Michael has written hundreds of songs with students around the country, some of which have been included in a highly acclaimed CD, Living Together on Planet Earth. “You take the students ideas and grow with them into poetry, song and music” (Zerger Elementary). This workshop is class-specific and can tie to curriculum being studied.
Fee: $250
Grade Levels: K-6

Playing the Didjeridoo
Using plastic tubes, up to 25 students get the fundamentals of blowing the didjeridoo, and an introduction to circular breathing. We also talk about the Aboriginal culture, dreamtime, and some of the wonderful myths surrounding this most ancient of instruments. This 45-60 minute workshop works well in collaboration with art classes!
Fee: $195
Grade Levels: 1st-8th

Artist in Residence
Through his unique “Songs to Learn By” program, Michael Stanwood collaborates with students and teachers in writing songs about the subjects they are studying. These programs have yielded over a hundred songs, covering subjects as diverse as the circulatory system, spelling, geometry, asteroids, the concerns of bullying and building good character traits, all using the students’ ideas, words and sounds. A CD of these educational songs, Living Together on Planet Earth, has received rave reviews from The School Library Journal. The focus is not just limited to songs, as sound discovery and soundscapes all play into enhancing the areas of study.

Michael Stanwood leads two acclaimed bands, The Buzz Band and Yeahbut Shoehead, and has been awarded five Westword Magazine’s “Best of Denver” awards for his performances and recordings. He has toured extensively for the State Department throughout Southeast Asia, where he also picked up many of the ethnic instruments he now plays. He has composed scores for theatre, dance, and film. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his programs, as well as a strong sense of play, by making connections between curriculum and the personal lives of the students. He has done educational programs across the country and has been a presenter at the Arizona and Colorado Music Educators Conferences. He is on the faculty of Swallow Hill and has also been a teaching artist on the faculty of the Aesthetic Education Institute of Colorado for a number of years.