By Sahara Lyon-Mundy
Carl Orff, a visionary German composer and music educator, revolutionized the field with his Orff Approach. This innovative method, now embraced by music educators nationwide, is tailored for young children, placing their lived experiences at the heart of music education. It fosters experiential learning, movement, and drama, igniting a passion for music in the hearts of our youngest learners. Orff instruments, such as bells, chimes, and xylophones, are integral to this approach. Sharon Tacot, a dedicated music teacher at Kate Sullivan Elementary School, is a shining example of the transformative power of the Orff Approach. As one of the 17 arts educators in Leon County awarded an FY24 COCA Arts Education Grant, Tacot used her grant to purchase multiple traveling xylophones, enriching and expanding her pedagogy.
COCA’s Arts Education Grant has been administered for eight years, and many exciting arts education projects have been funded because of it. Non-retired teachers in Leon County can apply for up to $500 microgrants to supplement their classroom budgets. The FY24 grant, partially funded by a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation and a fundraiser by Hearth & Soul Boutique, was awarded to 17 teachers who span a variety of artistic disciplines, including music, visual art, and theater.
Tacot received a COCA Arts Education Grant in the past and stated, “The grant has been awesome over the past few years. It’s a great way to supplement my program.” However, this year, the grant was needed more than ever, as she passed on a set of her Orff instruments to a new teacher, per stipulations from a previous grant she’d received from a different organization. She used the opportunity to beef up her classroom instrument collection with modernized Orff instruments. With support from the Arts Education Grant, she purchased her students the newest model of smart xylophones. Smart xylophones are compact and portable, making transportation more accessible and facilitating student performances outside the classroom. Due to Kate Sullivan’s outdoor Arts Garden, portable instruments are incredibly convenient for Tacot and her students. Tacot noted, “Having the flexibility of portable instruments opens up opportunities for students to practice and perform in various locations around the school.” She explained that students love to make music outdoors when the weather is nice. The Arts Garden allows students to practice as freely and loudly as they’d like. Support from the COCA Arts Education Grant made this project possible.
Every year, Tacot presents a campus-wide concert for students and their families. This year, Kate Sullivan Elementary celebrated its 75th anniversary, so Tacot organized a performance across all grade levels for the momentous occasion. When asked how students prepared for the 75th-anniversary performance, she explained that each grade level was assigned a different era in Kate Sullivan’s history. Because the performance was outside, she combined students into three groupings of various grade levels, K-1, 2nd and 3rd, and 4th and 5th graders, ensuring enough students were in each group to increase the volume and be heard. Students performed a “Music Through the Decades” piece that Tacot found and tweaked to be Kate Sullivan-themed, celebrating the school’s history, present, and future.
When asked about the importance of arts education, Tacot stated, “It’s part of a whole education of a child.” She continued, “I tell kids when they come in my class, ‘you’re feeding your brain, you’re growing your brain by learning music.’ We’re doing so many different things at the same time that you don’t necessarily do in another class. It gives our brains another way to work and another way to look at problems.” Projects supported by the COCA Arts Education Grant are designed to foster creative growth in the classroom through arts education. It’s always heartening to hear from teachers impacting students’ lives through their pedagogy because this work is crucial for high-level learning.
We are thrilled to hear from Tacot and other FY24 COCA Arts Education Grantees as they conclude their 2023-2024 school year and launch their grant projects. The unwavering support of our community is the backbone of these initiatives, uplifting music programs like Tacot’s. Tacot expressed her gratitude, saying, “I appreciate COCA and all the support. Even without the grant money, it’s great to have the support from the community.” COCA is deeply grateful for the opportunity to work in partnership with exceptional educators, artists, and community members who are instrumental in making Tallahassee a hub of artistic ambition!