What is BRAVO?
- BRAVO is a music appreciation program for children in kindergarten through the upper elementary grades.
- A different series of music is presented each year for five years. There are six lessons in each series.
- Each six-lesson series focuses on classical music, including contemporary American composers, but also including elements of jazz and folk music. One series focuses on instruments – what they look like and how they make sounds.
- BRAVO is designed to supplement already existing music instruction or to provide a music appreciation experience if no program exists.
- BRAVO lessons are designed to affect students in their ever-changing world by providing opportunities for them to enjoy, experience, participate in and be challenged by classical music.
What are BRAVO goals?
- To help make classical music an integral and meaningful part of students’ lives
- To promote exposure to and develop appreciation for classical music
- To develop the life skill of listening attentively and critically
- To encourage students to be creative and to use their imaginations while listening
- To help students understand the importance of music in world history and cultures of the world
- To help prepare students for instrumental music experiences: piano, band, orchestra, etc.
Who can teach BRAVO?
Bravo is designed to be taught by parent/community volunteers in the classroom.
Minnesota volunteers attend two 2-hour training sessions; one in the fall and one in the winter. All teaching materials are at the training sessions for local school volunteers.
Out-of-state classroom volunteers will be trained annually by a BRAVO trainer at a two-hour session in the fall. Classroom volunteers will get teaching supplies from their school BRAVO building coordinators.
Lesson preparation time varies with individual presenters; volunteers typically spend one-to-two hours to prepare a 30-minute classroom presentation.
The program may also be taught by music teachers and classroom teachers. BRAVO information and curriculum can be provided on a flashdrive that includes powerpoint lessons with embedded sound and YouTube clips, worksheets, and DVDs. Having the materials on a flash drive makes BRAVO lesson preparation and classroom presentations more convenient and less time consuming for teachers.
What materials are included in the BRAVO curriculum?
A STUDY MANUAL that includes:
- Lesson plans for classroom presentations
- Preparatory and follow-up activities
- Creative ideas for volunteer presentations
- Information about each musical selection
- Historical information and timelines
- Composer pictures and information about the life and work of each composer
- Teaching tips
- A variety of student worksheets for each lesson
- Listening and Activity Charts
- Teacher letters and other helpful administrative handouts
A FLASH DRIVE that includes:
- Powerpoint slides with embedded sound and YouTube clips for lesson presentations
- Worksheets for duplication
- BRAVO DVDs with musical presentations by young people, MN Orchestra musicians, composer interviews, etc. to supplement and enhance the BRAVO lesson
